Page 37 of Hot and Bothered
When we got to the address Lizzy had given me, we parked in front of a large building and made our way to the second floor. We found ourselves in a sea of organized chaos with people rushing around and calling out requests to each other from across the room. Each corner of the large, open-concept room was decorated in a different style. One corner was designed to look like a sunny park, complete with fake grass and park bench. Another was like some Nordic-chic living room. One was even decorated like a bedroom with luxurious silk sheets and a canopy bed.
“Didn’t you once mention that Grant does boudoir photography on the side?” I asked nervously.
“I don’t think that’s what this photoshoot is going to be about,” Evan chuckled. “Lizzy’s outfits are things like skirts and dresses.”
Relieved, I looked around to find the fashion designer in question. I saw Lizzy speaking with Grant, looking serious as they consulted a clipboard with a stack of papers clipped to it.
I called out to her with a wave. She lifted her head and smiled, gesturing for us to head over.
“Are you here to be a model, too?” she teased Evan.
He put an arm around my shoulder and squeezed.
“I’m here for moral support,” he said. “I’ll stay out of the way, don’t worry.”
“Are you sure you don’t want in?” Lizzy grinned. “You’d look pretty adorable in one of my sundresses.”
“I’m good just watching from the sidelines, thanks,” he said. “Alice is the one who’s going to look adorable.”
My cheeks flamed. We still hadn’t told anyone at the bar about the two of us. But Evan was friendly with everyone. It wasn’t so weird that he would call me adorable, that he would put his arm around me. Right?
Not that I cared if anyone found out about us. It was just that, I still wasn’t sure exactly whatusmeant.
“Let’s get you over to wardrobe,” Lizzy told me. “Evan, you can be Grant’s assistant for the day.”
Evan gave a casual salute. “Can do,” he said. “I’ll make sure to keep the guy caffeinated and fed. Good luck, Alice,” he added. “You’re going to do great.”
Lizzy led me away from the guys. Once we were out of earshot, she nudged me in the side.
“So…” she drawled. “You and Evan. Is there something going on there?”
“I— uh.” Words failed me. “Maybe? Yes. I suppose so?”
“You don’t have to spill all the details,” she said. “I just want to know how hard I need to beat off those other guys with a stick.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She nodded to a group of guys over in one of the empty corners. It seemed like they were supposed to be setting up another scene, but I could see at least a couple of them were obviously trying to look over at us without getting caught.
“They’ve had eyes on you ever since you walked through that door,” she said. “Evan better watch out. He might have competition.”
I tried to protest, but Lizzy just pulled me over to a rack of clothes.
“Here.” She handed me a white dress with a sky blue ribbon around the waist. “This will look great on you.”
I took the dress from her hands.
“Where’s the change room?” I asked.
“There’s a sheet over there you can change behind,” she said, pointing.
“A sheet?”
True to her word, there was a single white sheet hanging over an empty clothes rack backed up against a wall. I clutched the dress to my chest. There was no change room? I had to take off my clothes, out in the open, right here in front of everyone?
“That’s it?” I asked, aghast. “What if someone comes up? What if someone sees me?”
“The only other models here are girls,” Lizzy said. “And the guys know to stay away or else they’ll get their heads beaten in.”
