7. Ethan
Ethan
Ihefted my equipment bag higher on my shoulder, once again questioning my sanity in refusing Sam’s offer of a driver.
What was I thinking? I lived in London, for fuck’s sake. Taking the bus here with all my lights, lenses, and camera had been a stupid idea.
To be fair, I hadn’t expected to actually need to take the bus, but here I was. Wished I could be surprised that Dave had let me down at the last minute.
I was wishing for a lot these days. Seemed daft. You’d think I’d been given everything I could possibly want with my all-clear, but that wasn’t the case. Suddenly having my life handed back to me had me more aware than ever of just how…empty it was.
Dave had been fully supportive of my attempt to restart my career.
It wasn’t a decision I’d made immediately.
The first few days following my appointment with Dr. Hall had been spent in a daze.
I think, maybe, I’d been waiting for a call to say there’d been a mistake.
That they had confused my results with someone else’s.
But time passed, and the call never came.
More than that, I felt…healthy. Better than even before I’d been sick.
Without medical appointments and illness filling my days, I’d realised I couldn’t sit around forever.
What’s more, I didn’t want to. I’d been given a second chance, and I wasn’t going to squander it.
Who knew how long I had? All it would take was not paying attention when I crossed the road and it’d be curtains for me.
Heavens knew it was only a matter of time before that happened.
I was hardly the most attentive person when it came to shit like that.
So I knew I had to get moving. To do something with the unexpected gift I’d been given.
Problem was, I had no idea what.
On the surface, it was an easy decision to pick up my camera again. I knew my heart and talent lay in photography. Making a career of it was my dream. Problem was, in LA, I’d made barely enough to scrape by.
I wasn’t ready to return to accountancy just yet though. My luck had changed in one way…maybe it was a sign that it would in others too.
And, what did you know, my logic was sound. Less than forty-eight hours after my website went live, I had a job offer.
Karma did owe me a break. Not sure how I’d been lucky enough to have my terminal illness cured and land this job, but here I was.
I still hadn’t wrapped my head around it. Any of it. A few weeks ago, I was sat on a ward, having chemo. Now, I was somehow walking through a pair of massive fucking gates to the highest paying job I’d ever had, which had seemingly fallen right into my lap.
Anyway, back to the bus. Being Saturday, Dave had initially offered to take me. But just this morning, he’d announced he had other plans. Plans to golf with his new work friends.
It had pissed me the fuck off. I wouldn’t have minded if he hadn’t already agreed to take me today.
But he’d, somehow, conveniently forgotten about it.
Probably around the time he’d forgotten to tell me he’d taken up golf of all things.
There was nothing wrong with the sport, but the only clubs and shots Dave usually associated with were of the drinking variety.
Dave letting me down once again was the tip of the iceberg at this point. Ever since I’d returned from the hospital that day, he’d been distant. Absent, almost. I saw him less now than ever. Which was weird, given the news I’d received.
That’s not how you’d be behaving if the shoe was on the other foot.
No, I’d be fucking delighted that my partner had been given the all-clear. I’d be spending every second with him, revelling in the second chance we’d been gifted, both in bed and out.
But there was none of that with Dave. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d been intimate or even had a date. When I’d been sick, it just hadn’t occurred to me. The state of our relationship had been the last thing on my mind.
Now that I wasn’t, the distance between us was glaringly obvious. We were barely partners, more roommates who happened to sleep in the same bed.
How long had it been like this?
It made me wonder if this version of Dave, of us, had been present for a while now.
The drive stretched out before me, curving and disappearing into the distance. Fuck me, who owned this place? And just how much was this author prepared to spend if this was the location they’d hired for the shoot?
A small whimper escaped me, my feet and shoulders already aching. I should’ve booked an Uber. Or worn comfier trainers.
Suddenly, a small red car rounded the corner. There was a brisk toot toot on the horn, followed by the man behind the wheel waving enthusiastically.
Thank fuck.
I pasted on my professional smile as the car came to a halt beside me. The window lowered to reveal a pair of green eyes coupled with curls that rivalled my own. “Ethan?”
“Yep.” I lamely raised my camera. “At your service.”
“I’m Sam. Saw on the CCTV that you were here and thought you might not appreciate the walk,” he said, popping the boot and jumping out to help. “Wish you’d let us arrange a car for you.”
Us? I’d been under the impression that Sam was a contractor, but maybe I was mistaken. “It’s fine. Thank you, though.”
I settled into the front seat as Sam executed a neat three-point turn. The fact that the drive was wide enough for him to do that without his wheels touching the grass emphasised just how massive it was. If the drive was this impressive, I couldn’t wait to see the house. “This is a great location.”
“It is.” Sam beamed at me. Crikey, this was one happy guy. Wished some of that sunshine would rub off on me. I never used to be this grumpy, but the years hadn’t been kind to me. “I’m really lucky to live here.”
My brows hit my hairline. “Oh, I thought the author hired this place for the shoot.”
Sam cleared his throat, focusing on something in the distance. “She did, but she knew about it because it’s where I live with my partner. Here, you should see it appear any second now.”
God, I was glad he’d come to pick me up. The walk from the bus stop had been bad enough, but this would’ve broken me. I really ought to think about getting some cardio in now that I wasn’t…
Dying?
I shook my head slowly. Nope, definitely wasn’t used to it. Externally, I might be moving on with my life. But internally?
That was a different story.
My eyes almost popped out of my skull as a white building suddenly appeared on the horizon.
It wasn’t a house, it was a mansion. There was no other word for it.
How was there even room for somewhere like this in London?
It must’ve been here since before the city sprang up around it; one of those fancy estates that got passed down the generations.
I studied Sam out of the corner of my eye. He didn’t strike me as a member of the gentry, but maybe his partner was. Or maybe I was reading too much into it. It was a terrible habit of mine. Dave constantly told me so.
“You have a lovely home,” I said eventually. Understatement of the year.
Sam chuckled as he came to a stop beside a flight of marble steps leading to the front door. “It’s okay, I felt the same the first time I saw it. I think my exact thoughts were about how it was as big as the entire street where I lived at the time.”
Thank god it wasn’t just me. “Yeah, this isn’t like anything you normally see in these parts, unless it’s a royal palace. Even in California, the real estate wasn’t this…impressive.”
We got out of the car, and Sam joined me by the boot. “You lived in California?”
I nodded, lifting my gear out. Sam reached in to help but I shrugged him off with a smile. “For a few years. Moved back several months ago.”
Sam eyed the grey clouds above us. “Let me guess—you missed the weather.”
I laughed, relieved that he hadn’t asked me the real reason. That wasn’t something I wanted to talk about in a professional setting. Or anywhere, as a matter of fact. “Something like that.”
“Hopefully it’ll clear up for the outdoor shots,” Sam said, although he sounded doubtful.
“It’s okay if it doesn’t,” I reassured him. “My lighting rig will help, and I can play with the brightness during editing.”
“Amazing. We’ll start indoors anyway.”
“Is the model here?” I glanced up at the door, wondering why we hadn’t gone in yet. Was it just me, or was Sam hesitating?
I shook myself internally. There I went, reading too much into things again.
“He is,” Sam said, clearing his throat. “He lives here too.”
Huh. “Is he your partner?”
Sam barked out a laugh. “Zeke? Fuck no. Don’t get me wrong, he’s hotter than most models, but posing in front of a camera? That’s not his bag.”
I was even more confused now. “So is the model, like, related to him or something?”
I didn’t know why I was bothered, let alone questioning Sam. It was hardly appropriate given I was here for work. But I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know what I was walking into.
“No. I mean, they’re family, but not blood related. It’s not just the two of them either, there’s a lot of…people living here.” Was it just me, or had Sam paused there? “I wanted to give you a heads-up before we go in. They’re all lovely, and bizarrely hot, but a tad overbearing.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Is it going to affect the shoot?”
“Not if they know what’s good for them,” Sam said pleasantly. “Don’t worry, they’re all busy today. And if they come back early, they’ll have to get through Zeke. Don’t worry, you and Rami won’t be interrupted.”
A bell rang in the recesses of my mind. Why was that name familiar? I hadn’t met anyone with it before. “Rami?”
“The model.” Sam finally headed for the front door. “He’s your man.”
I chuckled. “You mean, my model.”
“Sure,” Sam squeaked, his voice sliding an octave higher as he nodded enthusiastically. “That’s what I said.”
My brows knitted together. It definitely hadn’t been, but whatever.
I sucked in a breath as I followed Sam into the elaborate foyer.
An ornate chandelier illuminated the grand artwork adorning every wall.
A large marble table sat in the centre, topped with a stunning floral arrangement.
Chairs were strategically dotted here and there, making me wonder if people used this space to socialise.
Or perhaps they were just to give plebs like me somewhere to sit while waiting for the lord of the manor to appear.
“This is gorgeous,” I said to Sam, my mind already framing various shots. “Is this one of the locations for today?”
“Not today, but we can always set you up in here next time.” His voice carried back to me, making me realise I’d come to a stop.
I hurried to catch up to him. “Next time? I was under the impression from your email that the model has a tight schedule.”
Sam grinned, pausing with his hand on a door handle. “I suspect he’ll find room if you’re the photographer. Besides, hot men aren’t something we’re running short of in these parts.”
My heart beat faster at the prospect of what Sam was suggesting. “Wait, are you saying you’re going to need more photos in future?”
“The one thing you can guarantee about indie authors is that they will always need more cover photos. Let’s see how you get on today, then we can talk.”
I nodded firmly. Message received. If I knocked Sam’s socks off, he’d consider tossing more work my way in future. It wouldn’t be enough to survive on, but it was a start. A foot in the door. It was all I needed.
My palms were sweaty as the pressure settled on my shoulders. Fuck, I hoped the model would be easy to work with. They could make or break a shoot.
I straightened my spine. This was going to be fine. I was a professional, and I was going to provide Sam with the best damned cover shots possible.
He opened the door. “Rami, the photographer’s here.”
I stepped over the threshold and immediately stumbled.
Silhouetted against a floor-to-ceiling sashed window was a man.
Was that even the right word? Calling him a god would be more appropriate.
Easily several inches taller than my own six foot, every inch of his dark skin on display was muscled.
And with his lack of shirt, there was a lot of him on display.
A whole damned lot.
I swallowed, trying to force some saliva into my mouth.
Even facing away from me, I could tell he was one of the most stunning men I’d ever seen in real life, all interesting lines that would be beautiful on film. I couldn’t wait to start snapping shots. My mind was racing with all the different poses I wanted to put him in.
Then he turned to face me.
And I somehow forgot to breathe.
A broad smile stretched across the model’s beautiful face. His brown eyes seemed alight with joy as they swept over me. He extended a massive hand as he glided across the room, stopping a single foot away. “Hi. It’s lovely to meet you.”
Even his voice was stunning. Deep, rumbling notes that had the hairs on my arms standing on end.
You’re a professional, I reminded myself sternly. I’d been around beautiful people before. Had photographed them many times. Never once had I felt like my tongue was too big for my mouth at the mere sight of them. Stop ogling him.
“Ethan,” I said belatedly, sliding my hand into his.
I waited for the crawling sensation that had struck every time I’d touched someone recently.
Well, touched Dave. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d come into skin-to-skin contact with someone who wasn’t him, but I’d assumed it was a universal thing.
But nothing happened. If anything, touching this man felt startlingly…right.
I cleared my throat to try and cover the fact that I was now blushing. Pulling my hand out of Rami’s grip, I gave him a tight smile. “Shall we get started?”