-Ashanti-
We pulled up to a small building with a modern look to it. He parked the car and when he turned the engine off he looked at me.
"Remember when I told you I did photography?"
I cupped my hands around my mouth in surprise and he chuckled.
"No you did not bring me to your studio."
"Well not exactly mine. I'm never down here frequently because of acting and what-not, so the place is owned by my homeboy from college. We took a photography class together and we been family ever since. When I started to venture out away from photography he stayed loyal to it, and promised I'd always have a spot at his place."
"Wow, that's so sweet of him." He nodded.
"Yeah, that's my boy Terrance. I come around every once in a while just to get a few models in, update my website and shit."
"Wait, am I getting to be one of your models?"
"Yes ma'am." I melted.
"Well what are we waiting for?" I unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out of the car, and he followed suit.
"Wait, I'm not even picture ready!" I gestured to my simple gray romper that I had worn all day and my simple slick back ponytail.
He side eyed me and fumbled with his keys to find the one to the door of the studio. "Girl please, you always picture ready. Believe me, I notice."
I blushed and let out a quiet "thank you" behind him as he unlocked the door and gestured for me to walk in first.
I was amazed at the set up of the place. It looked so small from the outside but the inside was so spacious, with backdrops all over the place and props sitting on display.
I heard Jermaine fumbling around somewhere behind me and when he came back over he was holding a camera.
"So which one you wanna be at?" I immediately gestured to a backdrop with a beautiful shade of light blue. We walked over and he got in front while I stood on it.
I automatically started posing. Being in front of a camera wasn't anything new for me because I had been modeling since I was a teenager. I knew how to stand and how to position my face perfectly.
I could tell he was mesmerized - probably by my professionalism I assumed. - as he snapped photos back to back. He turned the camera and kneeled for different angles, every once in a while saying something like "perfect" or "beautiful, beautiful". He made me feel gorgeous.
When I finally stopped, he smiled at me and watched as I came over and took the camera out of his hands.
"Your turn." He looked at me in disbelief.
"Oh, I'm not a model."
"I thought you were a man of many talents?" I raised an eyebrow and he shook his head in defeat.
He started hitting quick poses, looking sexy as ever. He squatted down and smiled at the camera. I nearly had a heart attack. I snapped plenty of pictures including some funny ones and handed him the camera back. As he scrolled through both of our pictures, a smile crept across his face.
"I'm gonna get my computer so I can transfer these over. There's a hightop table over there. Don't go anywhere I'll be quick." I nodded and went to take a seat at the table.
Nearly as soon as I sat down, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it read "Landon", my close homeboy. I had always felt like he had a little crush on me, but I always denied him in fear of losing our friendship. I know, that's how every movie love story starts but we were genuinely just friends. I answered and set up the camera.
"Yo Shanti." He smiled.
"Hey Landy, what's up?"
"I gotta have a reason to call now? I ain't know it was like that."
"Now you know it ain't like that, but usually you do need something."
"I was just thinking about you, I heard you got cast in that new movie. Who you feeling like girl?"
"Boy please, you mad I'm leveling up on your ass." I stuck my tongue out in a childish, playful manner.
"Leaving me in the dust I see. It's okay, I'll get over it eventually." He made a fake sad face and I laughed.
"Nobody's leaving you in the dust Landon, I'm not gone turn Hollywood on you." Suddenly I felt a presence over my shoulder.
"Who's that?" Jermaine asked and leaned over me to wave. Landon's eyebrows raised.
"This is Landon, my close homeboy since like, high-school. Landon this is Jermaine, he's co-starring in Through The Darkness. " Landon waved back briefly.
"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Landon says.
"Kinda, we taking pictures and shit. You mind calling back later?" Jermaine said reaching over to hang up the phone before Landon even got a chance to respond. My mouth dropped at his audacity as he walked to sit in the chair across the table from me.
"You really just did that or I'm tripping?"
"Was it an important phone call? I figured you could continue it later."
"What if it was? Nobody told you to do that, you aren't my man."
"That's cool and all really, but I don't have to be. You in my studio so..."
"You're the one who brought me here. And technically it's Terrance's studio."
"You really tryna get technical with me right now?" He smiled indicating to me that this wasn't a serious altercation. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window.
"Whatever Jermaine, just transfer the photos and stop being a smart-ass."
"Will do shawty."
There was a silence for the next few minutes until he turned the laptop to me. It was one of the photos of me but the lighting was edited to make it look prettier.
"Think it's worthy of being on your website?" He studied me before answering, analyzing every feature on my face.
"More than worthy. So much that it's too good for the public to see. I'll just have to keep it for myself."
"Oh please, you sound like a high schooler making excuses about why he can't post his girlfriend." We both laughed so hard our stomachs ached.
~
About an hour later, he was dropping me off at home. I gave him my address and he pulled up in the driveway.
"I had fun today despite that boring meeting. Thanks for letting me tag-along with you." I leaned onto the rolled down car window after exiting the car.
"Of course, you know I got you." We smiled at each other for a second.
"Goodnight Jermaine."
"Goodnight Ashanti, see you on set."
I turned to walk to my door and I felt his eyes on me, waiting until I got inside to drive off. Once I was in I sat at my kitchen island and laid my head down to recap the whole day I just had with Jermaine.
I then remembered that this was one of many days to come now that we were filming together. Excitement and nervousness ran through my body at the thought of being around him 24/7.
I knew it wasn't going to take long for me to catch feelings for this man, but I was determined to hold out as long as I could.
