Page 31 of Blue Eyes & Paris Vibes

“Hi, Adam. What’s up?” I greet him in a whisper, grimacing when the door squeaks as I pull it close behind me.

“You never called after the photoshoot,” he says accusingly. I take a deep breath as I slide down on one of the chairs, putting my feet on the other one, leaning my head back to watch the blinking lights of a plane making its way over Paris.

“Hi, Adam,” I repeat with more emphasis. “Let’s try this again, shall we? This time with manners?”

“Are you for—”

“Oh, I’m very much for real. You’re the one who taught me manners, so go on, be a good example.”

I know teasing him might get me into hot water, but then again, who am I to tolerate him speaking to me like that? I mean, this kind of behavior is exactly what’s getting that Constance chick on my blocklist.

“Hello, Reed,” he grits out and I nod, happy with myself.

“When I wanted to call you, it was already the middle of the night in your time,” I say pointedly, noting that I’m taking his call close to midnight while he’s always preaching for me to get enough sleep. “But I was going to call you once I’m back.”

“Well, I’m talking to you now. Did anything happen?”

“Please put her on my ‘never again’ list. She was really fucking rude.”

“That explains why Dimitri is already feeling so much better,” he mutters, and I narrow my eyes, now turning my gaze to a lit window on the other side of the street. Looks like a couple is arguing in there.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, but I put him on time out for two more weeks so he can ‘heal properly.’ Now, is there anything else you want to tell me?” He sounds like he knows something I don’t.

“No. Should I?”

“Maybe about a certain brunette you were spotted with today?”

My heart sinks. Fuck. Memories of today shoot through my head, heart thundering in my chest. Please tell me they didn’t catch us in the car. Teasing about it is one thing, but I checked. The car windows were tinted so darkly there’s no way anyone could have looked in from the side and we should have been good from the rear and front window.

“I got some pictures of you two walking through some kind of garden,” he continues and I deflate at once as relief washes over me.

“Oh thank fucking God,” I mutter, freezing when I realize I said it out loud.

“So?”

“So, she’s a new… friend,” I explain, angry at myself that I let my guard down. My sunglasses have protected me from getting recognized so often, I forget they don’t make me as invisible as Clark Kent’s glasses do.

“A friend?” he asks skeptical and I roll my eyes. “Really? You two look awfully friendly for just ‘friends.’”

“Adam, I say this with all due respect, but it’s none of your business. If I introduce her to you as ‘friend,’ that’s what she is.”

“But—”

“No ‘but,’” I continue, annoyance burning in my chest. “You keep behaving like my boss, not my brother, so I’m treating you like one. And it’s definitely not my boss’ business who I’m friends with, who I’m dating or who I’m sleeping with, as long as it doesn’t turn into a scandal. Will this turn into a scandal?”

“I don’t think so, because nobody knows who she is, but—”

“Well, keep it that way.”

“What’s going on, Reed?” Adam sounds angry, and I’m not surprised. He’s used to getting his way, but after he keeps going back on his word, I’m just done.

“Consequences. That’s what’s going on. You send me here for a last minute walk under the guise of a week off afterwards, but I arrive here under the worst fucking circumstances, no ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry your trip was rough,’ just ‘well have fun.’ And then you go back on your word and book me for a photoshoot you send me no briefing for, for a fucking horrible designer that treats models like ‘how much can we insult him?’ voodoo dolls and now you’re calling again, can’t even say ‘hello’ and I swear to God, if it’s because you’re trying to make me do more work here, I quit.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a fucking heart attack.” I take a deep breath, glancing inside to check if my little outburst woke Abby up. Thankfully, she’s still sound asleep, her hair falling over her face and the sheets draped over her rising and falling with each breath.

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