It ended all too soon, despite being nearly two hours long. The shoot could have lasted all day and I wouldn’t want it to end. I got several perfect shots. The only challenge would be picking which one captured Charlotte best.
Sam approached me once more after the shoot, while Cassie got Charlotte settled in the SUV. At first I thought he was coming over to confirm the payment was the same, but the serious expression on his face said otherwise. “So Cassie doesn’t want me to mention this to you, but I think I should. She’s afraid it will cause you more stress, and it probably will, but I would want to know.”
My mind scrambled to catch up with what Sam was getting ready to say, some way to prepare for another shoe dropping. I could feel it coming, but I had no idea what the Travazzas would know that might make things worse, at least if they truly trusted me. “Okay. You’re scaring me a bit.”
His smile was small and not reassuring. He lowered his voice, as if someone else might be hiding among the trees and listening. “A few weeks ago, right after your video came out, I got a call about you.”
“Oh?” Still my brain searched, and still it came up empty. Maybe Stewart was calling people. “From who?”
“I don’t know. It was a guy. I could tell that much, of course.” Sam pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. “I’ve tried to call it a few times since, but no one answers, and it seems there isn’t a voice mail set up. I thought you might want this number. Maybe you’d recognize it.”
I glanced at the paper, taking in the phone number, then closed my hand around it. “I don’t recognize it, but I don’t even have my boyfriend’s number memorized. I’ll check through my phone, though. What did he want?”
Sam’s expression darkened. “He was asking about past photo sessions Charlotte had with you. The type of questions he was asking made it pretty clear what he was going for. They were… well, you can imagine. When I said that you’ve never been anything other than professional and that my family trusts you, the guy implied that he’d make it worth my while to say otherwise.” Sam laughed then, bitterly. “I asked him if he was an idiot and if he’d heard of the Travazzas. He hung up.”
Though Sam’s words instantly sunk in, it took a few seconds for me to piece them together. Finally I looked up at him, his kind eyes doing little to lessen my spiking fear. “So you’re thinking this guy is calling old clients of mine and trying to get them to claim that I did something inappropriate during their photo shoot.”
He nodded. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I think.”
“And this was weeks ago?”
“Yes.”
Tears weren’t even close to falling, but breathing wasn’t coming all that easy either. If he was going through my client list, it was only a matter of time before someone agreed to make allegations. If they hadn’t already.
Sam seemed to be reading my mind. “I can’t see anyone who has worked with you being willing to say anything like what he wants. Surely.” He glanced back at the SUV, where Cassie was waiting in the passenger seat, and then looked back. “But if they do, know that Cassie and I are more than willing to stand by you, even make a statement if we need to. I promise.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
HARPER ANDRon were curled up by my side on the couch, asleep. I shifted the phone to my other ear, careful not to wake them. I was using my foot to shove Andy away from licking the knee of my jeans, which had a massively growing wet spot. He obliged and started licking my sock instead.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Oh, sorry, Kayla. I was trying to get Andy to quit licking me. Unsuccessfully I might add.”
“Who?” Her voice shot up like I’d just admitted to having an affair, and then it dropped back down. “Oh, right. The dog. I swear you are living in Noah’s ark over there. It’s like….” She giggled. “I’ve never made that connection before now. Have you ever thought about that? And he works in an animal shelter.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “No wonder I love you.”
“Now don’t be mean.”
“What? I said I love you.”
She scoffed. “Right. We both know what you meant by that.”
I tried to shove Andy off again, but he just switched socks. “Can we get back to me now, please?”
Kayla let out a long sigh. “I tell you what. I’m ready for this whole thing to be over so everything isn’t always about you all of the time. I have things going on too. Things I need to talk about.”
“Anything other than my mother’s latest criticism of your wardrobe?”
“Well, I don’t see what’s wrong with me wearing a pink suit for Dustin’s announcement. It was good enough for Elle Woods.”
“Oh, Kayla. I think you just answered your own dilemma. I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t start my brother’s political career by channelingLegally Blonde.”
She let out a huff. “You’re just like your mother.”
“Hey! Now who’s being mean?”
