I pull open the door and step onto wooden floors. The scent that I favored in the foyer area is more pungent and pleasing in here. My eyes open like saucers. Floor length windows are to my left and right, and span as far as I can see. I’ve entered at the back of the building. I can see the errr…lake. About twenty five feet in front of me is a massive wall of curtains that hang from the ceiling. Two coffee colored curtain panels are tied together about every six feet, with beige sheer curtains behind. I say they are sheer, but you can barely make out what is beyond them. The curtain display starts at the windows to the left and ends at a wall to the right.
I’m in love with the sitting area. There are several different types of chairs, a chaise and some small antique couches sitting against the walls. They are all different shapes, sizes, colors, and all are unique. I realize they are props for the photo shoots, yet when not in use, a waiting and sitting area.
I turn my head to the right and Ty is sitting facing me at a huge L-shaped mahogany desk. He’s working on an Apple computer that looks like it cost more than I make in three months. There is a laptop on the desk to his right. It’s not elaborate, but a nice workstation, nonetheless. He is gauging my reaction and he pulls his eyes up and down my body.
Shit, did I get the clothes right? Would he say anything if not?
Now, I’m totally uncomfortable. I pick up my shoulders and chin, and walk toward him with a smile. Professional Stella, in full effect.
The warm smile he gives me starts in his eyes as he stands. “Hey, you, did you find it okay?”
“I did. Ty, this place is amazing,” I reply looking toward the actual studio part of the warehouse. He comes around the desk and is magnificent to look at.
“We don’t have a client until noon. I was just editing some photos. Come, let me show you around.” He walks in front of me into a wide-open studio. Soft music is playing and I stop in my tracks about five steps in. There are canvas photos displayed on every wall. They are all just as breathtaking as the photos we saw on his website, but not as racy. To my immediate right, is an elaborate set up with all his photography equipment. I don’t know much, but it looks like a dream set up. Maybe a photographer’s heaven with four lights, the umbrella looking thing, and backdrops that hangs from the ceiling to the floor. My eyes scan over to the left…to a bed. Holy shit! An elaborate black headboard is against the wall with a matching nightstand to the left. The bed is made with a white down comforter and large fluffy pillows. Now I’m in the front of the building. Windows, windows, and more windows end at a wall and door.
“Emily and I will be explaining the equipment to you today,” Ty’s voice pulls me back to our conversation. “This is where all the magic happens,” he sweeps his hand over the studio and equipment. He leads me through an open door into a bathroom, well, a bathroom the size of my bedroom! It has a garden tub shower, front-end loading washer and dryer, toilet, and a very oversized vanity with dual sinks. Next to the dryer are several shelves with multiple sets of the same white sheets and pillowcases that I saw on the bed in the studio. There are white, fluffy towels piled high, robes, and laundry detergent.
“Wow…this is the size of my entire bedroom,” I say, still taking it all in. “You live here as well, Emily said?”
“I do. I’ve been here for about two years.” He gestures me out of the bathroom and we pass the desk to enter the sitting area with all the chairs. I go over to the windows and look out. I can see to my right a door that leads to a big balcony. Ty walks over to the sheer curtains and pulls them back. “This is my living space. I keep it closed off with the curtains when clients are here. I open them the second they leave…I like the wide open space.”
I just want to see his bedroom. I wonder if he will show me.
He does not give me a tour. We just stand inside the curtains he pulled back. “This place is like a dream, Ty, with all the open space and windows. The cocoa color walls are a great match.” I look up and meet his eyes. They have some weird emotion in them. “I promise I’ll stop gawking soon. Well, maybe after a couple days.” I can’t stop the smile and awed expression on my face.
He chuckles and says, “I really enjoy it here. The location is great. My favorite part is that I don’t drive an hour to work every day,” He turns away for a moment then returns. His stare is intense. My knees are shaking a bit. I’ve never been alone with a more perfect man. “Stella? I don’t think I mentioned that we do location shoots. There will be times we will meet here and drive together. There will also be times that you can make it easy on yourself, and just meet me at the location. Is that going to work for you?”
“I figured as much, with all the pictures taken in parks and in the downtown buildings.” I look down a bit, embarrassed. I have to explain my transportation dilemma. “My car is a total POS, Ty. So, if the location is far away, I still may need to ride with you. I worry how much longer I will get before she blows up on me. If you don’t want me to ride, please just say it. Zoey will have no problem letting me borrow her car.”
Another chuckle as he leads me out of his living space. “I really have no problem just saying anything, Stella. I don’t hold my tongue. Maybe it’s a fault of mine, but I normally have no problem saying exactly what I feel.”
“Then we will work out great together. I have this box inside that I push everything into. I don’t speak my mind. It is a definite fault of mine.” I look up at him as he turns from the curtains he pulled back together. He looks down at me as if I’ve just told him I’m a serial killer. I dart my eyes directly to the floor and softly say, “Sorry, TMI.”
“Not at all, it’s good to know you aren’t going to bitch me out or boss me around,” he says with this sexy little half smile. I look up surprised. “I’m kidding, Stella.” The reassurance on his face is comforting.
Ty walks over to the big desk and slides his perfect ass to rest on it. His look has changed to concerned. “Um, Stella?”
“Yes,” My heart beats fast every time he says my name.
“There is one thing I want to make sure is going to be okay.”
Oh, gosh what?
“Like I said, we will spend a lot of time here at the studio. We’ll travel locally. We will definitely do some lunches or dinners together. Is…ummm…your guy going to be okay with that?” I think a minute.
What?
My brow knits together with confusion.
My guy?
“I just don’t want to have to field a boyfriend you know? I know for a fact that I wouldn’t want my girl spending the weekend with a man in close quarters. I just don’t want the drama. You understand, right?”
“I…I…understand your concern, Ty, but I don’t have a boyfriend.” I haven’t had a guy touch me in one year and four months to be exact. “That’s the one positive I can offer. No jealous boyfriends here.” My voice sounds a bit shaky.
His expression completely relaxes, as does his posture. He lets out a breath, “I thought that you and Max…you two looked like a couple. The way he grabbed you in the bar, I mean, his hands were all over you. I was sure you two were together. Sorry for assuming, I just thought that you two had some sort of sexual relationship going on.”
I giggle. “Max is very good looking, but he’s like my big bro. He acts like he wants to ravish my body. Trust me when I tell you that he very much does not. We have known each other forever.”
“He doesn’t look at me like he is my biggest fan. I just didn’t want any trouble.”
“I completely understand, but no boyfriend worries over here.” The door opens and Emily comes in with several reusable shopping bags and three coffees in a holder.
“You made it! Yay! I can’t wait to spend the day together.” She stops, and looks at both our faces. Instantly, she realizes she interrupted a conversation. I run over and take the bags off her arm and she hands us all a coffee. “You look adorable. I bet Ty wishes I would dress cute like you and not like a lazy college student.” She darts her eyes to him and giggles.
“You do look great today, Stella. I’m going back to editing while you two do…stuff,” Ty winks at me and rounds the desk. He looks great today. His hair is a little wet and he smells fresh out of the shower clean. He has on sexy, worn jeans, a vintage red shirt and some Doc Martin black shoes. Prying my eyes off him, I look to Emily for direction. She waves me to the bathroom.
“Did I interrupt something between you two?” She asks after shutting the door.
“No, he just showed me around.” Fuck. I’m busted. She must have caught me gawking at her man. “He…he did ask if Max was going to have a problem with me working here...”
She interrupts, “He was worried about that. He did not want to give Max any reason to doubt your relationship with all the time that you will spend together. Ty would NEVER want Max to feel like he was the dick that was stealing his girl, or worse, you cheating on your boyfriend.”
“Em… Max is not my boyfriend. I’ve known him since sixth grade. He’s more of a brother to me. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not blind. I know that he is attractive, but we are just not like that.” Her face is surprised. “I’m a bit confused though. What about all the time I will spend with Ty? Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable at all?” Now I’m a bit aggravated thinking that they think I’m a cheater that strays from my boyfriend!
What the hell!
Emily’s smile quickly turns to laughter. In a moments time, she’s laughing so hard that she can’t breathe. When she can finally speak she says, “You think,” More laughter, “You think that Ty and I are a couple? Oh, my God, that’s just great, Stella. Okay, let me get it together.” She wipes the mascara out from under her eyes while she tries to stop giggling. Finally, she succeeds. “Okay, no, Ty and I are not together. We never have been or will be. We are too much alike, we would kill each other. I’m just like you. I can see how attractive Ty is, but it’s just not there for us. He has major trust issues that would drive me insane.” Emily slaps her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not my story to tell. Plus, wait until you see these sluts he gets in the studio. They literally throw themselves at him. They barely know his name and they are ready to jump in his bed. Honestly, I think the studio bed would work for them. One has asked me if joining them would entice him. She was down with whatever. I mean, do I look like I like girls? Well, I don’t,” I don’t speak, she does. “I’m glad we got that straight. Ty is a single guy. Unfortunately, you are about to see just how single.” I look at her confused. “Follow my lead, Stella, and you will pick this up easy.”
Emily explains the lights, lens, and how to change the backdrops. She shows me what would be needed when we leave the studio and go on location. There is a lot of information to take in, but she assures me that Ty will be more than helpful when I ask him what I should pack. We move on to the bed. With the amount of skin that lies across it, they change the sheets after every client. She shows me how to tuck it so you don’t see it in the photos. The sheets are also to be wrapped around the body for that ‘I just left the bed in a sheet sexy look.’
That explains the washer and dryer
. We go over the weekly shopping list. I won’t do as much as Emily did…she had more time than me.
I feel giddy going into Ty’s living space, which I will tidy up a bit on Fridays. There are three bathrooms that need to be cleaned. One bathroom is in the studio. Another is Ty’s private bath, which is almost identical to the studio, but it has a huge shower stall. The floors are going to be my nemesis, but it comes with the job.
Emily and I arrange the lights and Ty makes me sit in for a lighting check. He holds up the camera and snaps a couple shots. I plead with him to stop. He is relentless until I give him a genuine smile.
A young couple comes in to have one year anniversary pictures. They are so cute and in love. Ty is amazing to watch in his element. He takes control, and is sexy as hell when dealing with the clients. It goes smoothly and they are very pleased.
While we wait for the last client, we eat a late lunch. I’m quickly shown the computer and we divide up duties of booking shoots, managing the website and Facebook, between Ty and me. We all exchange contact information. It’s so much to take in, but Emily effing rocks and has started a printed reminder list for me. The job is really basic; nothing I can’t handle. I’m completely out of my element when they get into a conversation that only photographers can understand…aperture, lens size, shutter speed, F-stops? I hope that there is not a pop quiz at the end of the day.
In walks Ty’s last client who is scheduled for a boudoir shoot. She’s, maybe, all of twenty with her bleached blonde hair and obvious large breast implants. Emily hands her a robe and shows her where to put on the first of her three outfits. Ty introduces himself, and she has her chest about two inches from his. Ty asks why she wants the photos. Apparently, it helps him decide how the end result should look. She makes up some bullshit excuse and disappears into the bathroom.
“Is she even eighteen?” Emily asks Ty. “You might want to check her ID if you plan on spending the night with her.” He looks uncomfortable when he meets my stare. “She’s the one that called and asked if you have a girlfriend fifty times before booking. She had seen your picture on your Facebook page. The last time we talked, she wanted to know if I was your girlfriend…so damn immature, Ty. Please try to refrain.”
“Don’t be so jealous, Emily. You’re showing Stella what a pain in the ass you are, and you’re so very angry that I don’t crave your body. I know it’s hard for you to accept, but I just don’t see you that way.” Ty’s eyes light up with his sarcasm that is so over the top, I can’t help but laugh.
She giggles, “Whatever, punk…in your dreams. I haven’t told Stella you’re in love with me, and that you beg me for sex. I’m always telling you ‘No, Mr. Caulder, please stop pressuring me’. It ultimately borderlines on sexual harassment, to tell you the truth.” They are so good at fucking with each other. It comes way too easy. I hope that one day, we are this comfortable with each other.
“You, of all people, Emily, should know I do NOT do love. Now, sex, that’s different.” He gives her a suggestive look. Now that I have spent the day with them, it is very obvious that they are just friends.