I had thought about telling River to give Max a heads-up, but then I thought better of it. She didn’t want to hear from me, and I wasn’t going to disturb that by getting our friends involved. Besides, I’d already gone through the worst-case scenarios.
When Max gave me an out and introduced herself, I was relieved. We could get through this without some big confrontation, and it was like the weight I’d been carrying around for weeks was finally lifted.
She looked the same as months ago, with short dark hair, a sharp jawline, and her warm brown eyes. I knew she wasn’t listening when I was first going over the schedule; her eyes were following my body, but her mind was racing.
I couldn’t tell at first if she was trying to get out of here with a good enough excuse or what. But when she laughed with me, I realized she might just be thinking about me.
I couldn’t blame her. I had tried to focus at first, but with her standing so close to me, all the old memories were flooding back. Her body spray, sandalwood, was sneaking in just like the memories. Thoughts of her body, our bodies, it was enough to send shivers down my spine.
I was doing my best to stay focused on work. I really like working for Ellie. She is fun and creative, and I have a lot I could learn from her.
At first, it was just the experience I was after, but lately, I have been thinking I could have a career in fashion. Maybe not designing, but managing models and helping out on shoots.
My eyes shift back to Max, dressed in all black as usual, bending to get the perfect shot. She is still sexy as hell, and I wonder how she’s been. It had taken everything not to ask, trying to maintain boundaries.
Shirley and I had gone through this; if Max asks or opens the door, I’m allowed to walk through. But if she keeps it closed, then I should respect her boundaries no matter what I think she may or may not want. I wasn’t reading body language or between the lines anymore. If she didn’t voice it, I would need to keep my distance.
It’s frustrating for me to try to rewire my brain. It’s like my first ‘therapy test’. I’d been practicing the skills for months, but besides my one run-in with Gus, I haven’t had another chance to use them. Sure, I use my coping skills all the time. But the boundaries I’ve learned and making sure I’m staying on my sideof the tape? Yeah, not something I’ve been looking forward to using. So, I take a step away from Max and her sandalwood smell, hoping that might help a bit.
“Can I grab two more of those three in the bathroom? And then I’ll be done,” Max says, turning to me.
“Sure.” I nod, calling the models and dismissing the others.
The bathroom seemed like a weird spot for the photo until you saw the inside. Covered from wall to wall with writing, stickers, and posters, it’s the perfect space.
Max positions herself so she can take a photo without being accidentally seen in the mirrors. The models are smiling, laughing, and following Max’s direction of having a fun night out with their friends. It makes sense, fitting the vibe and somehow capturing the cliché of best friends drunkenly going to the bathroom together. Despite there being only one toilet, their spending time laughing in the mirror. I know Ellie will love the final results.
“Okay, we got it,” Max announces.
I dismiss the models and go to find Ellie. She’s sitting upstairs with one of the owners and her partner, Reese, and shoveling a quesadilla in her mouth. She smiles when she sees me.
“C! How did it go? I take it we’re done?” Her pink hair is tied up in a messy bun to keep from falling in the food.
“Yes, Max seems to have gotten everything, and I can dismiss the models if that’s okay with you?” I ask.
“Of course. Thank you so much for today, great job.” Ellie isn’t short on handing out praise, something I thrive on.
I’m headed back downstairs when I hear her call my name. “Can you check out the raw shots Max took? I want to make sure they’re usable, and if not, we can reshoot some things tomorrow. I have a few Zoom meetings to get to back at the hotel.”
“Uh, sure. Now?” I ask uneasily, not knowing how Max will feel about us sticking around alone.
“Yes, we can take more tomorrow, but if we don’t need the space, I’d love to let the public back in,” Ellie explains.
“Of course.” I nod.
Walking down the stairs, I take a deep breath before approaching Max. She’s packing up her things, but her camera is still out. All the models seem to have already disappeared. I check the back room to make sure they know they can go home and thank them for the day. Then I turn back to Max.
“Hey, so my boss would like it if we could take a look at the raw photos? Just to make sure you got what we need.” I try to sound casual and professional.
“Sure, no problem, is she coming down or…?” Max looks at the set of stairs.
“She’s actually about to leave, but was hoping I could go through them with you. If that’s okay?” I ask hopefully. I can’t force a smile because all I feel is nerves, and Max’s face is unreadable.
“Yeah, okay.” Max nods. “Let me grab my laptop if you wanna pick a table, and I’ll pull up the photos.”
“Sure.” I purse my lips. I don’t want this to feel weird between us, even if it does. We are just two people looking over photos for my boss; it isn’t anything abnormal.
I pick a table in the middle of the room, not the couch against the wall that would most definitely lead to us hooking up. Even if I didn’t want to, Max was irresistible sometimes, and too often that’s how I ended up riding her face. It’s better to keep our distance to maintain professionalism.
