Page 24 of Strut

When my gaze landed back on Rhys, he had a knowing smile in place. “Oh, shut up,” I told him, taking a sip of my steaming coffee. “You know damn well the man is gorgeous, with an epic arse to die for. And he was half-naked, for fuck’s sake. There isn’t a red-blooded gay man around who could tear his eyes away fromthatexit.”

Rhys laughed. “I’ll give you that. So, what’s happening in the Big Apple? Have you hit your favourite clubs yet? Working your way through your current top wanna-fuck list of gay varietals?”

I snorted. “You make me sound so shallow. But no. Too busy.” I took a swallow of coffee and avoided his gaze, but the silence said all that was needed about how much he was buying that and so I switched tack. “I did happen to run into Alec the other day.”

“Alec!” A huge smile spread over Rhys’s face. “Wow. How is he? What’s he doing? Is he getting work? Did you yell at him for not keeping in touch?”

“Slow down.” I grinned and told Rhys about meeting Alec for a late sandwich after his work and then the walk on the High Line, omitting a few key topics of conversation.

When I was done, Rhys gave a low whistle. “Wow.Berlini Man? Holy shit. If Alec nails that job, it’ll be huge for him.”

“He certainly deserves it.” I pulled a face. “I had my cab drop him at his agency apartment last night, and although I’ve heard all about model apartments and how the agencies can do a fucking number on their new models in that regard—it was still a shock to hear the stories first-hand. For all that Cage is supposed to be one of the better agencies, Alec still shares a three-bedroom apartment with nine other guys.”

“Ten guys in one place?” Rhys’s eyes bugged. “What the actual fuck? I thought that shit was supposed to be changing?”

I grimaced, remembering how obviously uncomfortable Alec had been when he’d described the apartment to me. “Yeah, so did I. And if he gets this campaign, he can hopefully move. But you know as well as I do that casting directors, labels, and agencies hold all the power. And if you thinkIhave to wait too long to be paid for some of my jobs, Alec said the models can wait months and months and sometimes still don’t get paid.”

Rhys’s jaw worked in anger. “Jesus, what is it with our fucking industry? I hope he’s okay. I feel kind of responsible.”

I’d been thinking the same thing. “I know, but I really do think he’s fine. He says he’s still loving it, and he’s smart and he’s a few years older than a lot of the others. He reads his contracts and gets advice when he needs it. And if he lands this job with Berlini, he should be golden.”

“I hope so.” Rhys paused as if considering his next words. “So, how was it for you, seeing Alec again?”

I froze, thrown by the knowing look that accompanied his seemingly innocent question. “How was it for me? I don’t understand.”

Rhys sighed and arched a perfectly coiffed brow. “You know exactly what I mean. You can’t think I was blind to you mooning all over the guy last year?”

“I... what?” I scrambled for an answer. “I didnotmoon over him. He’s a great model. He has amazing potential. If you saw anything, it was nothing more than professional admiration.”

Rhys scoffed, “Really, Hunter? You’re really gonna go there with me? I’ve known you since we were two and you can’t bullshit a bullshitter. You were crushing on that poor guy so hard, I’m surprised he didn’t finish Auckland Fashion Week the size of a toothpick. Not that it was one-sided. When you were shooting inside Flare for that editorial spread, the sexual tension between the two of you was thick enough to spread like molasses on your dick. Kip deemed it a work hazard and sent me an expense claim for soothing gel to treat his chaffed cock.”

“Kip?” It came out a strangled cry because, oh my fucking god,Kipknew? My life was over. Heat spread up my throat to join the flames consuming my cheeks.

“Yeah.” Rhys rolled his eyes and fell back in his chair, stabbing a finger my way. “You owe me big time for making him sit on the shit he had lined up for you.”

I snorted. “I can imagine. Thank you. Which reminds me, how is our resident Queen of Snark dealing with you handing over more of the business management to him? The only response I get to my texts is an exploding head and a single upright finger.”

Rhys waggled his eyebrows. “That pretty much says it all. He’s exactly as you’d imagine. A pain in my freaking butt, even with the pay raise. But he’s an efficient pain in my butt, so there’s that.”

I laughed. “So, whydidyou tell him to leave me alone? It’s not like you to be overly concerned for my dignity when it comes to my social life.”

Rhys studied me for a long minute before answering, his gentle voice catching me off guard. “Because Alec is different. Jesus, Hunter, I’ve witnessed the famous and the infamous and all the wannabes in between that you take to your bed, and you never so much as looked twice at any of them as you walked away.”

His words stung. “That’s not true. Steven—”

“Was a jerk. A selfish man-child. And he hurt you.”

“I knew what I was getting into. The fuck-up was mine for ever getting involved. I learned my lesson.”

“You learnedalesson. Namely, don’t fuck with immature men who can’t pass a shiny surface without checking their reflection.”

I snorted. “You have to admit it was an excellent lesson.”

Rhys scowled. “But one that doesn’t apply to Alec, or I hope it doesn’t.”

And there it was. “It doesn’t.” A truth that had taken me a year to understand, and then it came too late.

Rhys sighed and leaned forward, putting his face close to the laptop. “I remember getting some unwanted home truths aboutmylove life not that long ago. The wheel has turned, my friend, so listen up. You can’t keep running from men you like, Hunter. You’re a good man but guys pass through your life like laxatives.”

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