24. Finn
Chapter 24
Finn
“You sure have been doing a lot of smiling lately,” Casey said as we waited for our photoshoot. Even doing another shoot with Marc Laurent couldn’t get to me. The man was a fucking pervert, but a lot of people in this industry were constantly being surrounded by the most beautiful and fit men and women. Not that it was a goddamn excuse.
“I’m in a relationship, and it’s been good,” I said.
“Yeah? Oh, with that guy from the party? The one you turned me down for?”
“That’s the one,” I said, not forgetting him asking me for sex not that long ago.
“Sorry, that sounded bad. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m happy for you.”
I hadn’t expected that from Casey. He always came across as self-centered, as a lot of models are. Then again, sometimes I caught glimpses of him, a depth he kept hidden. His behavior could’ve been to protect himself, which also wasn’t unusual. This industry was harsh, and any signs of weakness could eat you alive. And he needed this job a lot more than I did.
In a surprising moment of vulnerability, he rubbed his face and said, “God, being a model changes you, you know? I wasn’t always such a dick. You’re, like, the only friend I have here, and we barely have friends as it is. I’ve been kind of shitting on it, I know. What’s your guy’s name again?”
I bumped his shoulder, grateful to see a human underneath that perfect skin and hair. “His name is Ryder. He’s sweet, kind, and so down to earth. He’s really changed me in a good way.” It was funny because I didn’t think I needed all that much change. But if anyone could keep you grounded in reality, it was Ryder.
“You love him?”
I looked at my suddenly blossoming friend, his brown eyes watching my every expression. “Yeah, I really do.”
“Must be nice. I’ve never been in love before. It’s so lonely with this modeling gig. God, I’d love to have someone to hold and who loves me back.”
“You will one day. It’s… an incredible feeling to not only love but to be loved. I’m fortunate.”
And two amazing men felt that way about me. I had no idea what I did to earn it, but I took it greedily.
“You’re different from the other models,” he admitted.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Probably because I’m not dependent on this job.”
“That makes sense. You’re so…”
“I know I’m privileged, Case.”
“I was going to say lucky.”
He smiled at me, which was soft and not without some pain threaded through it. “I’m seeing someone, but we’re not there yet, though he tells me he wants me. He’s even said he loves me, but… I just…”
“Just what?”
“I’m not sure I believe him, but god, do I want to.”
“Maybe give it time and a chance.”
He nodded, not looking like he believed me. “Maybe. Well, I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks,” I said, hardly able to contain my shock at Casey’s change. What brought all that on?
“Finn Larson,” the photographer’s assistant called.
I stood and headed into the photoshoot room, wondering what Marc Laurent had in store for me that day. I only hoped it would be a normal photoshoot to boost my portfolio, though I didn’t think I needed it. But my agent felt I did, so I went.
Don’t ever say no , I repeated in my head. As much as I hated that, it gave me a lot of business and told those who hired me that I was easy to work with. I was a good little clothes hanger.
As soon as I walked in, his assistant closed the door behind her, leaving me alone with the photographer, making my stomach clench.
He scanned me up and down lasciviously, and I rolled my eyes inwardly. Asshole. Regardless, if he wanted me naked again, I would have to do it. It was in my contract that I was willing to do so. Turning him down put my career at risk.
“Welcome, Finn. Please get undressed.”
“You have nude photos of me already,” I said, regardless of not being allowed to say ‘ no .’
“I only have those you did with Mr. Barnaby. I have none of you alone.”
Fuck me. Whatever.
I stripped out of my clothes and hung them neatly on the hanging rack provided. Then I stood in front of the camera for him to take his lewd photos. No doubt he jacked off to them and called it fucking art.
After some poses and shots, he stood behind his camera, hand on chin, thinking and looking, his eyes right on my damn dick.
“This won’t do,” he finally said and made his way toward me. He didn’t hesitate for a second to grab my cock and tug on it. I quickly back away, pulling myself out of his grasp.
“Whoa, whoa… I said I would do nudes. I said nothing about you fucking touching me.”
My outburst didn’t even faze him. In fact, he smirked as if he held all the answers and power. No doubt he’d been through this before. Had he done this with Casey?
Fuck that. I didn’t need this job badly enough.
I tried to storm off to grab my clothes, but he pressed a hand to my chest. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Fucking stop me.”
“If you do not do all that I say and you walk out that door, I will ruin the career of your friend, no? Casey is desperate for work and money, having a poor single mother. Tsk. But he’s so compliant. So good for me. You be so, too, yes? I have images that could destroy his family. Things will go so much better for him if you are good for me. He could be very successful, as can you, if you just do as I wish.”
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of such things happening. Men and women being used for sex, manipulated, and threatened.
“Don’t worry. It could even be enjoyable for you.”
“Fine,” I gritted. “But that’s all you get to.”
My eyes watered, feeling suddenly powerless. It wasn’t just about me, but he threatened Casey and his mother. I shouldn’t care what happened to him, but I did. He could be an arrogant bastard, but he had a softer side he was willing to show me today, and he needed the fucking money desperately.
When a tear spilled, Marc swiped it with his thumb and sucked off the salty wetness. Fucking pervert.
He fisted my dick again, stroking and stroking, but I wouldn’t get hard.
“Let go of your useless control,” he hissed. “I order you to get hard.”
He walked behind me, stroked me again, and then eased a finger between my crack, grazing it over my hole. I shut my eyes and let him have his way with me. It was for Casey, dammit. I fantasized about anything sexual while desperately trying not to think about Father and Ryder. I didn’t want him to sully my love for them.
“There you go. So beautiful how you give in to me. See how good it feels to give up your control.”
I just nodded to appease him, the tears continuing to spill, but not from helplessness. From fucking anger. The sooner we got this over with, the better.
His finger inserted into my hole, and I clenched around it, fucking hating the intrusion.
“You are mine to do with as I wish from now on.”
I nodded again, but this would never happen again. Ever.
“You are so compliant. So good for me. Just like Casey is. You two are absolutely perfect.”
Once I was hard, he pulled his finger out and let go of my cock as he made his way over to the camera.
“Pose for me. Be professional, yes? And those tears? Chef’s kiss.”
I posed and moved, giving him the best view of my hard cock. As he snapped the images with the camera sitting on the tripod, he had his free hand down his pants, stroking himself.
I started to go flaccid, and he stopped taking pictures. He walked back and stood in front of me. If I assumed he was going to stroke me off again, I was sorely mistaken.
He undid his pants, slid them down around his ankles, and pulled out his cock. “Suck.”
That was fucking it! That was my final line in the sand. His touching me should have been that line, but I was not about to fucking suck him off. Not for this job. Not for Casey.
“Fuck you!” I snapped and walked over to my clothes to get dressed.
“You leave now, and it’s over for you and Casey.”
I flicked him off as I got dressed. “I’ll take care of Casey. You’re a fucking pervert, asshole. I don’t need to put up with this shit.”
Before I opened the door, I wiped my face so no one would see I’d been upset. Then I walked out with a massive amount of regret that my career was over, all because of that fucking asshole. His career was the one that should’ve ended, not mine.
When I closed the door behind me, I grabbed a water bottle from the table and drank some down.
Casey looked at me and smirked. “Wow, your face is red. He must have really worked you. Was it a good shoot?”
“Sure.”
Before he could say anything else, Casey was called back for his turn. My empty stomach turned acidic, and it roiled, knowing what Marc Laurent was about to do to Casey… had done to him.
“Casey, wait…”
He stopped and turned to face me, smiling. “Yeah?”
I blew out a breath and smiled back. “Nothing. Have a good shoot.”
When he headed to the studio, I told myself to just leave. I didn’t need to stay. My career was over, but maybe Casey still had a shot if I didn’t say anything. Maybe Marc had lied and manipulated me.
I wanted to be pissed at Casey for giving in, and even excited about it, but that photographer was manipulative as hell. He extorted me, but perhaps he manipulated Casey differently, with the promise of love and devotion, something that I’d recently learned he craved.
Then I recalled Casey’s words earlier about dating someone he was uncertain about. Could he have been referring to Marc Laurent? Jesus, fuck.
I paced the area with other models, waiting for their turn with the photographer. Did he try to fuck them, too? Did he touch them? Was it just Casey and me? I looked at each man to discern if they had fear, anger, or excitement in their eyes. If they felt any way about him, it was hidden from me.
If I let what happened go, then I was complicit in their sexual assaults. All of them. Their silence made them complicit in mine, but I also understood the fear. I had the privilege that if I lost my career, I would be okay. But many would not.
And destroying one photographer wouldn’t change the fact that so many professionals in this industry were handsy and bold as fuck, while some were as predatory as Marc Laurent.
Fuck it. If anyone had to put a stop to this shit show, it should be me, who had nothing to lose. Sure, I wanted to stay working as a model, but not that much. I should’ve punched him in his smug face. If Casey needed a damn job, I was sure Father could find him one with all his connections. Hell, I’d give him some money to help his mom. He would forgive me down the road… I hoped.
I chugged back my water, tossed the bottle into the recycle bin, and stormed over to the door to the studio, my body trembling, not used to this sort of confrontation. I’d always been compliant when it came to this job.
The door was locked, so I found Marc’s assistant.
“Open the door to the studio.”
Her eyes were wide, and she shook her head. “I can’t. He’ll fire me! He explicitly told me under no circumstances am I to intrude on the photoshoot.”
“If you don’t, I’ll call the cops.”
She literally squeaked. “F-for what?”
“Do you know? Do you know what he does in there?”
She shook her head rapidly, but there were no lies in her eyes that I could see. “W-what does he do?”
“Keys or police will be here to bust it open. Then I suggest you find a new job.”
The woman quickly handed me her keys and showed me which one it was.
When I opened the door, I found Casey bent over the velvet couch that was used as a prop, with Marc-fucking-Laurent with his dick in Casey. What the fuck? I didn’t think he would take it as far as sex, but I should’ve known better.
I rushed over and pulled the man out of Casey. He fell to the ground on his ass and sneered. “Your career and his are fucking over.”
“So you fucking said.”
“I also have pictures of you.”
“So fucking be it!”
But it was Casey who surprised me the most, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been.
“Goddammit, Finn! This is consensual!”
“Bullshit it is! Did you know he touched me? He got me hard to take pictures of my fucking cock. Then he tried to get me to suck him off!”
Casey looked back at the older man with doubt in his eyes. “W-what?”
“Let me guess, he told you he cared about you.”
The truth was clear in his dark eyes.
“Is he the one you told me about?”
Casey’s hurt, dark eyes said it all.
“Both of you get out. Your agent will hear of this! You two are finished in this industry.”
“But…” Casey suddenly started sobbing, then turned angry fists on me, hitting my chest over and over. “I hate you! What am I going to fucking do now?”
“I’m trying to help you,” I said, grabbing his hands to stop him.
“Help me? I didn’t ask for fucking help, Finn !”
I was floored, not knowing what to say. “But…”
He sobbed louder as he grabbed his clothes, quickly got dressed, and ran out of the room.
I turned to face the photographer. “Our careers may be over, but so is yours. Fuck you!”
He stood and waved a dismissive hand before zipping up his pants. “You really think you can end me? Do you really think other young men haven’t tried? Please.”
I grabbed his camera and smashed it on the ground, and when I found the memory card holding the images, I shoved it into my pocket.
“That’s mine!”
I stormed out of there to his yelling and walked out to shocked faces, who probably heard the entire thing.
“If you all have any fucking sense, you’ll leave right now!” I said to the waiting models before walking off.
I hired a driver to take me to the airport, and I got the first flight out of there back to DC. As the plane took off, I quickly shot a text to my agent, telling her I quit.
Father was working at the club tonight, so when I got home, I scrubbed my body for an hour before curling up in a blanket burrito in bed, quickly falling asleep from my horrible day and the end of my career.