Page 14 of Party Animal
“I didn’t get a chance to thank you for the party.When I looked for you, you were already gone.”
“I couldn’t stay.I had plans.”
“Oh.Well, thank you.I appreciate all the effort you guys put in.It was a great welcome back.I feel like I’m home.”So was he staying in LA?I wanted to ask him all kinds of questions, but I held back and let him lead the conversation.
There were a few moments of awkward silence, and then Lee cleared his throat.“Uh, Casey, I’d like to do something for you.Do you still need that photo shoot for your portfolio?”
I’d almost forgotten I’d mentioned it to him.“Yeah, I’ve been too busy to get it done.”
“I’d like to do it for you.”
I wanted to say no.It was my opportunity to brush him off.“Okay.I’m off Saturday.”
“That’s perfect.I don’t start work at the studio for another week.Is four okay?Then we can have dinner.”
“Sounds like a plan.”Inside, my heart was pounding like a sledgehammer.
* * *
I had a few days until the shoot and I worried my way through them wondering why Lee was doing this.At one point, I decided to stand him up but when Saturday rolled around, I went through my beauty routine and showed up his door exactly at four.I even brought a bottle of wine for dinner.
Lee looked adorable.He was wearing cutoff jeans and a T-shirt.It had a picture of a camera and the phrase,I can freeze time, what’s your superpower?
“Fucking.”
Lee’s brow furrowed.“What?”
I pointed to his shirt.“Fucking.That’s my superpower.”
Lee chuckled, slow and warm.“Casey, come in.”
I handed him the wine.“I hope it goes with dinner.”
“It’s perfect.”He gave me a brief bro hug.“How about a drink before we get started?”I nodded and he led me into the kitchen.I sat at the counter and he poured pinot into two wine glasses.
I lifted my glass.“To your new job.”
Lee smiled.“To putting down roots.”
We sipped at our glasses and then Lee asked about Julie.“I missed her at the party.”
“I didn’t invite her.She only knows Joey and Paul.And you.Mostly I try to keep her out of that part of my life.”
“I understand.Maybe the three of us can do something together, her choice.”
He’d caught me by surprise.I didn’t know what to say.“She’d like that.”
“Great.”
The personal stuff was making me nervous.I wanted to get to work.“So where are we doing the shoot?”
“The spare bedroom is my studio.Come on, I’ll show you.”
The bedroom was painted white and filled with cameras, lighting equipment, stools, and tripods.The backdrop was a large piece of white fabric hanging on a frame made of PVC pipe.
“Nice.”
“It would be great to have a bigger room.Someday…” He sighed.“I already had most of the equipment.”
