Breaking Free (Tom Holland) Book Two

BFB2 Chapter 15

The level of noise in the room next to me was no joke. I had been sitting in my chair for an hour and a half getting my hair and makeup done. It had been so long since I had last done a modeling gig that my butt hurt from sitting so long. My stylists had flown in the day before so they were moving a little slower than usual. I empathized with them but my butt had other ideas.

"Stop squirming. I've had to redo your eyeliner three times," Susan pleaded.

"Sorry. My butt really hurts," I responded.

"Well it's going to hurt more if you don't sit still. The more I have to redo your makeup is the longer you have to sit in that chair."

I did my best to sit as still as possible. After thirty more minutes of torture I was finally ready. I strutted onto set and began my first photoshoot in months. It felt exhilarating. A rush of confidence washed over me as I switched poses and facial expressions. The photographer shouted praise as we moved through the set. The lights were hot and the camera flashes were bright. I barely noticed them though. My eyes were trained on the camera lens. There was no stopping me.

When the first set was done I was rushed off to get changed into my next outfit. Uncle Travis entered the room as the stylist was fixing the length of my pants. "How are you holding up? I know it's been a minute since you've done this."

I scoffed. "What do you take me for? This is nothing."

"I figured you'd say that," Uncle Travis chuckled. He went to leave the room but I stopped him.

"Hey Uncle Travis do I have a gig with a model named Kyle?"

Uncle Travis cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I'm not sure. I only know the company names I haven't received any information about any of the other models. Why?"

"No reason. Just wondering."

Uncle Travis didn't look convinced by my answer. The stylist finished fixing my pants and ushered me out of the door. The set was a short walk away from my dressing room. Large hot lights shone down over a stage with black painted walls. Red accents were scattered all over the set. A large black leather couch sat dead center. I climbed onto the arm of the couch and waited for the photographer to be ready.

"You okay?" Uncle Travis asked one last time. He lifted a handkerchief and wiped away the sweat I didn't even know was on my forehead. Susan glared at him as she went to fix the glitter foundation he had just messed up.

"Uncle Travis stop worrying. I'll be fine," I chuckled.

The photographer called for everyone to get ready. My team vacated the set. I perched on top of the couch and fell into my first pose. The flash of the camera went off. As quick as lightening I changed poses. I watched the photographer's expressions and subtle directions and molded myself into the model he wanted me to be. His face lit up when I laid upside down on the couch so that my feet were dangling off of the back and my head was near the floor. I sighed inwardly. Why did they always love this pose?

When the photographer was done he held his hand up in the air to signal it was time for the next wardrobe change. I was immediately whisked away to the dressing rooms. I shed my second outfit and wiggled my way into the third one. Susan altered my makeup to match the new outfit. When all was said and done I was led back to set. This set was made up of white walls and baby blue accents. A white plush couch replaced the leather one. The carpet was a baby blue plush that felt good against my bare feet.

Five more costume changes and three hours later the photoshoot finally wrapped up. I was exhausted and sweaty but you couldn't tell by looking at me. I peeled off my last outfit and changed back into my street clothes. I didn't bother removing my makeup since we were headed to another shoot. Since Uncle Travis wasn't legally allowed to drive we had hired a driver to take us around. He was waiting for us outside as we left the building.

"I might need to add a massage to my schedule. My shoulders are so stiff," I said as I settled into the backseat.

"I'll look around and add it to the schedule. Should I make it a couples massage?" Uncle Travis replied.

My face went red. "That is not necessary."

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled.

"What happened to the person who wouldn't even let me be in the room alone with him?"

Uncle Travis shrugged. "You've grown so much over the past year and a half. I've realized I need to stop treating you like a little girl. Plus you've literally been living with the man for several months now."

I laughed. "That is true."

I arrived home late that evening. I was worn out and my body ached all over. The only thing I wanted to do was take a long hot bath before crawling into bed. Unfortunately for me I still had to walk Tessa. My stomach growled as I fumbled with my key. Uncle Travis had refused to buy me any dinner even though I had told him I was starving. Eventually I got my key in the lock and opened the door. Tessa didn't greet me at the door like she usually did. As I stepped into the flat I also noticed that the lights were on. A savory scent hung in the air. I followed it into the kitchen and was surprised to find Tom.

"What are you doing home?" I wondered.

"We had a bunch of equipment malfunctions so we couldn't film. I figured I'd surprise you," Tom replied. He licked the spoon he was holding in his hand and nodded in approval. Then he held the spoon out to me. I walked forward and leaned to lick the spoon. At the last second Tom moved the spoon and replaced it with his face. I laughed as our lips collided. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. I grabbed his face and pulled him in harder. I could feel his grin as he bit my lower lip. We were both out of breath by the time we broke contact.

After we peeled ourselves off of each other I went to go take a shower. When I emerged I found Tom putting the last bit of food on the table. We talked about our days as we began to dig in. Our conversation flowed naturally at first. But as the night wore on I noticed Tom becoming far more hesitant with his words than I was used to. "Is something that matter?" I finally questioned him.

Tom sighed. "I can't keep anything from you can I?" He shifted nervously in his seat before continuing, "So the director has changed one of our filming locations. I'll be flying out to Italy for three weeks."

I sat still for a moment. If he had told me this a few weeks ago I would have been devastated. But now that I was working again the news didn't faze me much at all. "When do you leave?" I asked casually. I leaned forward and swiped a piece of broccoli off of his plate.

Tom raised an eyebrow. He had obviously been expecting a different reaction from me. "We leave in a month."

I nodded. I stole another broccoli before he could stop me. "And the three weeks is relative right?"

He blinked slowly. He seemed to visibly relax. "Yes it'll be relative. It's supposed to be three weeks but it could end up being as little as two and as many as four. It all depends on our luck."

My broccoli attack was thwarted at last. I pouted as I retreated in defeat. "That's fine. I'll just take on more work at that time. I have ways to keep me busy so I can make do while you're gone."

Tom stood up suddenly. He bridged the gap between us and grabbed my hand. I felt myself being pulled up into a standing position. Then his arms wrapped around me and drew me close. My face became buried in his chest. Tom's face was buried in my neck. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would do without you," he whispered.

I wrapped my arms around him and smiled. "I'm sure you'd be okay," I reassured him.