american beauty // joshler

6

josh's point of view

ayden sits at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. he smiles when he sees me walk into the room like i lit it myself. "good morning, baby. you want me to make you breakfast?"

"good morning." i grab my bags and sling them over my shoulder. "i'm running a little late, but thank you," i stop to give him a small kiss. "i'll see you after?"

"sounds good. i love you. and good luck today. you'll do great." he turns his head to watch me walk to the door, the same soft look he always gives me remaining on his features. "you always do."

"thank you, i love you too. i'll see you later," i offer him a smile on my way out and close the door behind me.

i feel bad for brushing him off, but i really am running a bit late. i think i've been feeling bad about a lot of things in general lately.

thankfully, i don't pass any billboards featuring my new coworker on the way to work and i make it there on time.

everything is mostly set up by the time i arrive, which i'm thankful for. i go over the notes for the shoot and look around the room. almost everyone is here and accounted for. everyone... except tyler. to be fair, there's still ten minutes before we're meant to start, but i'm not going to hold my breath.

jayla comes up to me with a fake surprised look on her face and her perfectly threaded eyebrows raised. "mr. dun running late? what is this? everything okay?"

"ah, yeah. i'm sorry. i couldn't sleep last night and missed my first alarm." i take a deep breath, trying to relax a bit now that i'm here and settled. "how are you? everything going okay? i take it we're just waiting for-"

"waiting for who? me?" tyler bursts into the room like he owns it, which is how he enters most rooms. he unbuttons his shirt as he walks, his smile wide and charming as he walks up to me. "good to see you again, jim." he brings one hand to my shoulder and lets it slowly fall down my arm before dropping it completely, but i don't miss the way he lets it linger on my bicep.

"josh."

"i know," he winks and then looks to jayla, "good morning, miss jayla, you look lovely as always."

"good morning, mr. joseph," she smiles back at him, amused by the man and his disposition.

"oh, please. call me tyler!" he looks over his shoulder to the other models who are finishing up in hair and makeup. "alas, duty calls!" he gives a small salute and lets his shirt fall off of his frame and onto the floor by our feet, then makes his way over to get ready.

"that's exactly what he wants, you know," jayla speaks again, pulling my attention back to her as she picks up the article of clothing.

"what?"

"you just watched him walk away. he wants your attention. you're giving it to him," she means what she says but her tone is still lighthearted.

"right. i don't know, he's just... easy to get swept into."

"don't let yourself be just another thing under his rug then, yeah?"

"i don't think he'd sweep me under the rug. i think he'd see me in the dust pile, laugh, and throw me out."

she shakes her head. "it's your life. just be careful," she leaves me at that, walking away to put his shirt somewhere else.

i nod but don't say anything, because i have nothing else to say. i'm not doing anything, so what am i supposed to be careful of? looking at him? unfortunately, that has become about ninety percent of my job.