Page 6 of Taylor
“Oh, come on. You can’t tell me you already have friends in London; you’ve only been there a fewweeks.”
“Well…”
“Exactly. This weekend, yeah? I’ve got it all planned. Soho,Camden—”
“Right, yeah, okay,” I say, caving to him. I don’t want to admit he’s right, but he is. My flat is still full of boxes because I’ve been so busy. I definitely haven’t had time to find any possiblefriends.
Moving to London after returning to England with my family last year from America was always the plan. I dreamt of landing a great job to move down here for, but I wasn’t against working any job I could find just so I’d hopefully be in the right place at the right time with the agencies to get one Iwanted.
Moving here on my own with no friends or contacts didn’t really faze me. Moving across the world as a teenager and not really fitting in anywhere made it lessdaunting.
I’d never intended on being a model. I wanted a very different kind of job, but when I got discovered while I was at college, I found out it really helped with the money side of things. Not only that, but it was great fun. I was travelling to all sorts of places, meeting loads of new people—people I actually fit in with and could have a conversation with. That was a bit of a novelty after being the misfit Brit for so manyyears.
I never in a million years thought the one agency I really wanted to work for would even get in contact after I sent them my details, but they did, so I found the first available apartment I could and high-tailed it down here to get started. The apartment looked pretty grotty online but I was about to live my dream, so I rationalised that I could find something better once I was more familiar with the place. What looked grotty online was a proper shithole in real life. But for now, it’s home, and I’ll make the best ofit.
* * *
Irunup the stairs to my apartment, knowing Taylor’s going to be here any minute. This afternoon’s shoot over ran thanks to the airhead I was modelling with. I’m pretty sure she was drunk or high—or both,actually.
“Shit, for fuck’s sake,” I curse as I try to get my front door open. The lock’s sticky and it takes a certain amount of skill. Finally, I manage it, slam the door behind me and start to strip out of my hoodie and jeans en route to the bathroom. I make the best of the pathetic dribble of water that drips from pipe sticking out of the wall and wash that woman’s scent off me, although it was so strong I’m sure it’ll linger around for a fewdays.
I just pull on a pair of boxer briefs as I hear my front door being knocked. “Fuck,” I complain as I grab a shirt and shove my arms throughit.
“Whoa, I knew this was a good idea,” Taylor says with a beaming smile as I pull the front door open. His eyes run the length of me twice before eventually finding my eyes. His look darker and more intense than I remember. I try to fight the zing of excitement that rushes through me but I can’t. “Fuck going out, lets have ourselves a partyhere.”
“Come in,” I mutter, standing back to allow him to enter as I start to do up mybuttons.
“Aw, you’re ruining it,” he complains when he looks back atme.
“You’re here to introduce me to some clubs. That’s it.” The look of disappointment on his face almost makes me change my mind, but I don’t. I’m standing firm by my decision to find someone for more than the night. “Let me finish getting ready. There’s some beer in the fridge,” I say over my shoulder as I head to the wardrobe. This studio apartment might be a shithole, but thankfully it’s big enough to have defined living and sleeping areas, even if they are all in one room. And unlike many others I looked at, there’s just enough space for a bed and a sofa—bonus!
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” I hear Taylor say as he heads to the kitchen. I’m not entirely sure it can actually be described as a kitchen; it’s so small you can’t really prepare any food in it—not that I ever cook. “But this place is a bit of adump.”
“I’m well aware,” I say with a laugh. “I only saw it online before moving here. I just wanted somewhere cheap for now. Once I get settled I’ll look for somewherebetter.”
“That won’t be hard,” I hear himcomment.
I finish getting ready and leave Taylor to whatever it is he’s doing. I’m aware we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Being alone with him in a small and confined space will do nothing for my willpower. I hoped he’d turn up and have become really fat and ugly since I last saw him. Not the case, though; I think he’s hotter than I remember,actually.
“Caleb West,” I hear him announce from thesofa.
“Yeah?”
“Caleb,” he repeats, making me turn around to look athim.
He’s not looking up at me like I expected. Instead, he’s staring down at the coffeetable.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself, because in my rush, I forgot to put my photographsaway.
“You’re an underwear model?” Taylor asks, but it’s obvious he doesn’t need an answer. “Of course you fucking are. You’re too fucking hot not to make use ofit.”
I feel heat rush to my face. I’m not shy or easily embarrassed but here I am, trying my very best not to fall into bed with this guy who has made it very clear that those are his intentions. I didn’t want him looking at me practically naked. It was bad enough I was barely dressed when I answered thedoor.
“I knew you were familiar to me somehow,” he continues, thankfully without looking up to see my humiliation. “I never would have thought it was from a magazine though, or from when I went underwear shopping,” he says as he pulls the waistband of his boxers out from behind his shirt, showing me they’re the same brand as I’m modelling in the photograph he’s holding. “I’m practically wearing your underwear. That’s pretty hot,right?”
I rush over and scoop up all the photographs before snatching the one he has in his hand away from him. It slips from my fingers and flutters down to the floor, landing facedown.
“Hey,” he complains. “I was looking at that.” I watch as he reaches out to grab it but instead of turning it over to get another look, he focuses his attention on the back, at the sticker of company who took the shots. I don’t think anything of it and have another more successful go at taking it away fromhim.
