“I wouldn’t say Imethim. We spoke for like two seconds.”
“And what did he say?”
“Called me cutie, and winked at me.”
“Oh. My. God. Are you going to fuck him?”
Felix spluttered his coffee. He should have known better than to speak about something like this when Laura was in full flow.
“How on earth is that going to happen?”
“You want to, though, don’t you?”
“You know I don’t do one-nighters.”
“I think you could make an exception here. Even I’d switch sides for one night with that guy. He is hot, hot, hot!”
“Okay, calm down,” he laughed.
“Ooh, you know how you could get an in so you can meet him again?”
“How?”
“Ask him to be one of your models for your thirty days of pride project.”
“It’s November.”
“Yes, but I bet he gets booked up early.”
“I wouldn’t even know how to contact him.”
“Arrange a call through his agent and say, ‘I’m the spicy redhead you called cute. Would you like to pose for me?’ Then stock up on baby oil.”
Felix cracked up laughing. Laura really was something else. The idea of having Ryder Quinn as part of his pride project would be a dream come true. He was planning an exhibition in a local independent gallery for pride month in June. It would be portraits of thirty role models. Different people from across the queer community who were self-made successes. He was planning to have a book printed as well that would include interviews with all the role models.
“And you know Ryder is friends with Sebastian Steele and Mason Reid.”
“Really?”
Laura nodded, taking a gulp of her coffee. Both men would be great additions. They’d each made their own success—one as a Michelin star chef, and the other as a property tycoon.
“Ryder gets involved with all those charities Sebastian supports.”
“Okay, you’ve made your point. I’ll reach out to his agent, but I am not saying what you suggested. I’ll justexplain the project to his agent, and I’m sure he’ll want to get involved.”
“No, Felix. That’s your hook. Mention you’ve met before, or it might not even get past his agent. In fact, tell his agent that Ryder said he’d like to discuss the project more and for you to arrange it through his agent. Just think of the boost you’d get to your followers if people knew he was involved.”
Felix eyed her skeptically. He would not do something so dishonest, but he could say they’d met when he was the photographer at a wedding Ryder had attended. Laura was right in that respect. He needed something that made him stand out from the hundreds of requests he probably got every day. Having Ryder Quinn involved in his project could give him the publicity it needed.
Ryder Quinn had declined Felix’s request to get involved in his project. His agent had come back to him within three hours of his initial contact. She’d been blunt and to the point.
“Mr. Quinn has no recollection of meeting you and this is not the sort of project that aligns with his brand.”
What did she mean by that? Ryder didn’t see himself as a role model, or that he wasn’t interested in doing something for pride month, or that Felix was the turnoff? He’d have to think of someone else to kick off the campaign. Felix had months to get it all ready. He could still reach out to Mason and Sebastian, but did he want to be rejected again?
Thanksgiving had just been Felix and Laura, the way it always was and had been for the last seven years. Laura had cooked, as that was her specialty, and Felix had cleaned up. They’d be the perfect couple if they weren’t both the wrong gender for each other. Laura had gone into work on the Friday, as she had some big article due, which left Felix by himself. Every year, he thought his family might reach out to him. He knew he was better off without them, but he’d neverbeen able to change his phone number as that would cut them off from him completely. Laura had cut the cord, but Felix, for some bizarre reason, still couldn’t help but have a glimmer of hope that one day they would reach out and apologize.
His phone pinged, and he thought for a moment that he’d manifested them getting in touch.
