Fan Service

8,000 Per Pose

"I don't know what you're talking about," shouted Kelly from across the room as she stuffed swimsuits and shaving cream into a small duffel bag that had the letters PINK running across it. "I didn't spend the night with Michael, he simply had a few of us models come over for a painting session. It lasted longer than expected."

Zayn's eyes burned with the kind of fiery anger only present in Hades himself.

"Are you kidding?" His British Cockney accent intensified underneath the quivering of his voice. This always happened, he'd worked so hard to perfect an acceptable accent — a sexy accent — while in America, but she knew just how to bring out the worst in him. 

"Kelly, are you taking a piss right now? You're telling me that you," he pointed at her demanding her attention, "went to Michael B. Solomon's house, stayed there until bloody 3am, "modelling" for some goddamn painting? No calls. No texts. No emails. Nothing. Radio silence. Have you gone mad?"

Kelly didn't seem to care. She searched her room for her razor, she couldn't find it anywhere. Perhaps she forgot to move it from inside of the bathroom cupboard.  She had a swimsuit photo shoot at 3 and with LA traffic, it'd take an hour and a half to reach the location. it was already 12:45 pm and she wanted to be there early.  Punctuality, after all, is a virtue. "Kelly," Zayn whispered as he tried to move in closer but stopped short just as her phone lit up announcing a new text from Michael. 

They both lunged for the device at the same time. He was quicker.

"Last night was fun, can't wait to see you and the girls again. 'Preciate your willingness to pass boundaries, really helps me grow as an artist, xoxo." Zayn read the text aloud. He wanted to throw the phone at the wall. Or maybe he wanted to jump out of a window. 

"Relax, that's just how he talks, Zayn. Last night was a paid gig, its money coming into the house, you're not working so someone has to pay the bills..."

"Are you fucking serious right now?" he bellowed. 

Kelly's head immediately shot up. Zayn never cursed. Her eyes drifted to the cross chain precariously hanging from his neck and wondered if Jesus would even think of saving her if things went sour. Seeing someone who is usually as calm as the Dead Sea very angry is terrifying. She briefly considered all possible routes of escape should he get so upset he'd hit her.

After all, she knew she wasn't innocent.

"Zayn, you need to calm down."

"Calm down, don't you da-"

"Can't you see you're just letting your insecurities get the better of you?"

"This isn't some bloody insecurity, this is you not respecting our relationship!"

"How could I respect a man that doesn't even provide for me?!" she retorted and immediately regretted it. She hadn't meant to say that.

Zayn's mouth snapped shut and a single tear fell from his left eye. "I love you so much, Kelly. Why do you do this to me?" he whimpered, his cockney accent in full effect. Another tear followed, but this time it was hers. She didn't know why she was this way but she knew that she wanted to change. Or at least, at that very moment, she wanted to change. 

Zayn walked towards her and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in that unconditional love she'd grown so accustomed to over the last four years. She knew she loved him, in a way she'd never loved anyone else. But he was just so...available. There was no struggle, no pushback, no passion. She wanted more from life but she also didn't want to lose him. Sleeping behind his back seemed like the perfect halfway point between her two desires.  

"I love you too, Z. I'm sorry I said that." Her conscience did an eye-roll at her apology. Truthfully, her "photo shoot" was going to turn into an orgy of hot models and up and coming rappers who were looking for video vixens who could model in more than one capacity. And she had no intention of missing it, even if it meant leaving at such a vulnerable time.

But like always, she smiled, wiped away his tears, gave him some empty rhetoric of true love never failing and walked out the door while blowing kisses knowing full well she was on her way to sleep with another man.