“Gross, would you stop?” I said as I shook my head and looked over my crew. “How are you guys doing? I’m really sorry, I had no idea this was what they had in mind when they said, ‘photoshoot’. And I’m sure once Angelique sees what the pictures actually look like, she’ll nix them, and no one will be any the wiser.”
“I kind of like these,” Jillian said, spinning around in a slow, sexy circle as she shook her booty. Jillian would like this kind of outfit, seeing as how she made money from designing, sewing, and selling her own bikinis and bathing suits.
“They have a time and place, Jillybean. I don’t think that time is now, or the place is in a hockey rink,” I said, shaking my head at her.
“Let’s just get this over with. I’m frozen in places that were never meant to be frozen. Tell the French dude to hurry up so the photographer can snap his stupid camera,” Niki said, always the pragmatist. I was going to correct her and explain that Pierre was the stylist, not the photographer—but I decided time was of the essence.
I walked over to where Pierre and the photographer stood. “Okay, guys. Can we start now? My girls are freezing.”
“We could have started twenty minutes ago if you’d been ready. Don’t blame them. They aren’t the ones holding up the process,” Beau said, now standing beside me.
I felt the heat of shame rising up to my face as I suddenly forgot my left from my right. Anger swelled in my gut as I gritted my teeth.
If I wasn’t currently living in fear of my boob suddenly popping out of this fabric, or of my team catching double pneumonia, I would turn to Beau and give him a piece of my mind.
Right now, if I turned, I’d likely give him an eyeful of my chest. Which I had no desire whatsoever to do. “Thanks for the lesson in tardiness,” I said to him, only catching his eyes for the briefest of seconds. It’s all I could handle. Why was he so good looking?
“Keep it in mind, Captain. You’re supposed to be leading by example. And so far, you’re not doing a real great job of that from what I’ve seen.”
Did he really just say that? To me? I could practically hear the blood rushing through my head as I stepped toward him. Risking a wardrobe malfunction in the process, I put my hands on my hips. “You have no idea how I lead my team, Captain,” I spat out at him as I tried my best to ignore how hot he still looked.
His eyes traveled down to my chest for a split second. I’d allow him that. It was rather shocking, even I had to admit. But if it happened again, I’d poke his eyes out of their sockets.
Besides, I may have very briefly looked at his chest for a second. Or two. I’d been daydreaming—and night dreaming—about that chest for many years now.
And damn if it wasn’t even hotter in person.
Up close.
“I disagree, Captain,” he threw back at me. “Your actions and your attitude speak for you. These two gentlemen, my team, and your team have all been waiting—half dressed, I might add—for you to get a move on. Don’t speak to them as though they’re the ones holding up production here. Because that would be solely your fault.”
His words cut. Deep. I could feel the burn behind my eyes, but I would not give him the satisfaction of watching me cry. “Gosh, who would have thought you’d be such a whiny little baby. Color me surprised,” I snarked at him and his eyebrows raised.
I turned back to Pierre and the photographer. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had a small issue with the extremely small costume choices and felt it was my right as a human being and the captain of my team to voice those issues. However,” I said, moving my hands down my body, “as you can see, I lost my battle. My team is ready whenever you are.”
Taking a deep breath, I looked at Beau. “Captain, I’m sorry for delaying you and your team. Please convey my apologies.”
With that, I whirled around and strode back to my girls.