Joel nodded, waiting for her to get to the point.
“We had booked a male model to appear in the photos with Mel, to showcase the men’s range. But we’ve just had a call and it turns out that his agency double booked him, and he’s gone to the other shoot.” She looked chagrined. “We might have to reschedule, if that’s okay?”
Joel shrugged. “No need to reschedule – I’ll do it if you want.”
I gaped at him.
The Goth looking woman eyed him appraisingly. “Let me go and talk to my boss.” She trotted off.
“Joel, what do you think you’re doing?” I grated from between my teeth.
He grinned. “I’m saving us from having to come back and do this another day.” The twinkle in his eyes contradicted his reasonable tone.
I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes. Well, it wasn’t like he couldn’t be a model – he had the right body, the right face. The right everything. Damn him!
The little Goth came cantering back. “She’s happy for you to do it.” She handed over a bundle of men’s underwear.
Joel looked over at the Dudz rep: a power-suit clad Amazon with long, straight blonde hair and a pair of rimless glasses, which made her look hot in a dominatrix sort of way. I dragged my eyes away from her as she pulled the glasses down her nose and gave Joel a very suggestive stare over the top of them.
Nope – not going to react, I told myself as that weird pang in my chest throbbed again.
Joel traipsed into the change room that I had just vacated and changed into the men’s underwear. I stood outside and tapped my foot impatiently. Or nervously. I wasn’t sure what they wanted from this shoot, but posing in underwear with Joel suddenly seemed terrifying. Or exciting. Ugh.
Heels clip-clopped our way, and I turned my head to see Amazon strutting towards me.
“Now, Mel,” she began, getting straight down to business. “You know that Dudz is a fun, flirty range of casual underwear.” Her face was cold and businesslike.
I nodded, wide eyed. Up close she was even more perfect than from a distance. Did she evenhavepores?
“So, what we need from you and Joel today is fun and flirty. We’ve decided to go with the tennis angle for the campaign, so we’ll start you out posing with racquets, but interacting with each other in a teasing way. Understand?”
I nodded again, but I felt a thrill of nerves tingle through me. Flirting with Joel. This was not good.
The change room door opened, Joel stepping out in a pair of lime green trunks, his ripped chest and shoulders glowing with his golden tan. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. He looked so hot! This wasreallynot good. I was on a razor-edge of giving in to the hormones raging through me and dry humping his leg.
It’s Joel, it’s JOEL!I repeated to myself. Somehow it wasn’t working as well as it usually did.
“Well, hello stranger,” Amazon cooed at Joel. He smiled that heart-melting smile and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.
“Georgie, great to see you. You look lovely as always.” He let his eyes rove over her suit-clad body, as if he was mentally undressing her. Amazon actuallyblushed.
Apparently, Joel could make even the coldest woman feel hot under the collar. I scowled.
Amazon turned back to me. “Okay, let’s get this over and done with.” Clearly she was hoping to get it finished so she could have lunch with Joel. Or maybe have Joel for lunch.
“What’s with the long face?” Joel muttered as Goth handed us a racquet each.
I refused to look at him. “How do you know her?” I asked. He knew exactly who I was talking about.
“I met Georgie at Uni. We got our Bachelor of Business together.”
Yeah, I bet that’s not all that they ‘got’ together, either.
“I didn’t know you had a degree,” I hissed.
Joel smirked at me. “Well, Stink, there arelotsof things you don’t know about me.”
Amazon clapped her hands, and I snapped to attention.