The Model Couple

🌻 Chapter 18

🌻

I'm just about ready to push myself up so I open my eyes, only to see a sleepy pair of crystal blue eyes smiling at me. "Mornin' Buttercup. How'd ya sleep?"

"Aarghhh!" I scream and roll, landing on the floor on my butt.

Hayden is instantly standing, "What happened?! What's wrong?! Who is it?!" His karate chop hands have come up ready to fight someone.

Ryland sits up slowly as he chuckles, "You alright?" I just nod, I do not look at him again. Ohmygosh how embarrassing.

Scott moans, "Well, that's one way to get us up. Spider? Bad dream? What's happening over there?"

My cheeks have got to be as red as stop signs. I quickly grab some clothes and my bathroom bag and speed walk to the bathroom. "No, sorry. We're all fine here. False alarm." I shut the bathroom door behind me, lean back on it, and take some deep breaths. How do I ever show my face again? 

One step at a time. I start the shower.

---

After breakfast in the Dolphin dining room, we all board the white vans from last night and drive back over the bridge to the mainland. After a short drive, we stopped at the Johnson Community Center, a large building next to a big parking lot.

I immediately start looking around for my family but there is no one here yet. We are ushered behind the building to a field speckled with picnic tables. I can see a baseball diamond and a football or soccer field behind the picnic area. They get us all together on a couple of picnic tables to start the filming. But first, Rhiannon tells us a few things like the bathrooms are located in the community center if we need them.

I'm wearing a salmon colored skort that goes to mid-thigh and a cropped short sleeved white blouse with embroidered flowers around the collar. If I raise my arms my belly button peeks out, but if I keep my arms down everything is covered. I have my hair mostly down with a small section in the front held with a clip. I'm wearing a little bit of make-up.

Chris joins us wearing a white short sleeved shirt with cargo pants. He looks much more casual than usual. "Alright models! Welcome to Galveston, Texas!" We cheer. "Today you will be competing for this week's advantage. But first we have a little surprise that I think will have everyone excited." There is a tittering among the models. I look at Hayden, we both know what it is. I can't look at Ryland yet, this morning's cuddle session is too fresh in my mind. "We have invited a few special people for a visit. There will be someone joining us for each one of you. First up is Chrissy."

Chrissy steps forward. Chris walks her over to a smaller parking lot bordering the picnic area as a limousine pulls up. Chris opens the door and out steps an elderly couple followed by a blond man about Ralph's age. Chrissy immediately starts bawling and hugging them. Chris talks to them for a minute, then motions them to a picnic table and a cameraman follows them.

Rhiannon is standing next to us. She says, "Chase, you're next."

I look down until he passes but look up after he's gone by. He looks so good in his deep V long sleeve navy t-shirt with a leather braided bracelet peeking out. He's wearing fitted grey dress shorts that come to just above his knee and grip his perfectly proportioned tush so well. Sigh, I'm not supposed to be thinking of other boys' tushes. But with Ry it's hard to look away.

A limo pulls up and a pretty young women steps out holding a baby boy. She is smiling and she hands the baby and a diaper bag to Ryland. My mind is doing cartwheels to think of who this could be. 

He hugs the baby tight and they talk with Chris for a minute. The boy is maybe two or three years old with a head of blond curls. He seems really excited to see Ryland, giving him big neck squeezing hugs.