breath, “I think.”
“I don’t mean you’re not teaching me. I meant interning here gives me an edge over everyone else because it isn’t traditional.” He walked forward and I thought maybe he was going to put a hand on my arm—like he was the adult and I was the child in need of consoling. “You’re teaching me things without even knowing what you’re teaching because you didn’t learn from a book.”
And thank fuck I didn’t. I wouldn’t have lasted.
I didn’t last.
I turned back to Grace. Our eyes met, and for the quickest second, her eyes widened, the emerald green of them darkening with desire. But I didn’t have time to consider what it meant, because then she was all over me.
“What the hell are you wearing?” She’d secured one hand in the crook of her opposite elbow.
“Clothes.” I looked down at myself. I’d been proud of putting on these khakis this morning.
“Where are your jeans? Cargo pants?” She looked up at me, a weird scrunch to her face I’d never seen before. “And your hair is pulled back.” The hand that had been secured now waved in front of me as she got more curious. “You look like a fraternity reject.” She laughed.
“I’m a teacher now.” I straightened my shoulders. No one else needed to know that when I pulled these pants out of the closest this morning the tags were still on them.
“Any reason why you’re filming blow-up dolls?” She jerked her thumb to the couch.
Now that Grace was here, my creative juices were flowing. All right, maybe they weren’t exactly creative, but the juices were flowing. And if Cory had to practice, I could think of no better human specimen to get on film.
“I was just teaching Cory a few tricks and it would be much more useful if he had live subjects.” I rushed over to where she stood. “Stand right here.” I pried her coat and purse out of her hands and urged her to stay in place. “Look at the camera.”
“Don’t film me.” She waved her hands in front of her, seriously uncomfortable with it.
I remembered her being uncomfortable with filming porn before, too. She had tried to audition, but ultimately had decided that it wasn’t for her. I admired the hell out of her from that moment on. Most people would just do it. Especially given the fact that she was already an escort.
“Relax. I’m not asking you to take anything off.” I looked up and gave her a wink. “At least not in front of the kid.”
Cory groaned. “You do realize you’re only five years older than me, right?”
I had been a teenager once, but I didn’t remember ever having such a great are-you-kidding-me face. Besides, Ellie probably would have smacked it right off me if I’d ever used it.
“Five years in age, but a hundred in life experience, kid.”
I directed Cory to look through the lens. “We’re going to practice.”
“Wait.” Grace’s voice was high-pitched, about three octaves higher than the sultry timbre I was used to. “What are you practicing?”
I didn’t even acknowledge her question. Instead, I turned to Cory and asked, “All right, director. What’s your vision?”
Excitement flowed through my veins. I missed this. I missed being behind the camera, even though at this moment it wasn’t me calling the shots. But the chance to be creative again, to be around something creative, had me happier than I had been in a long time.
Cory tapped his finger against his lips, taking his time with figuring out his vision. “I got it.” He snapped his fingers. “Grace, you stay there. Ben, you come in from outside the shot. Then Grace, you’re going to give him the go-ahead look and Ben you’re going to dip Grace and kiss her, then pull her up and walk away, leaving Grace looking shocked.”
“A dip?” He might only be a teenager, but he acted like he was an eighty-year-old man.
He shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to do that with a girl.”
“I didn’t say yes.” Grace bit her lip. Did she have any idea
“I don’t mean you’re not teaching me. I meant interning here gives me an edge over everyone else because it isn’t traditional.” He walked forward and I thought maybe he was going to put a hand on my arm—like he was the adult and I was the child in need of consoling. “You’re teaching me things without even knowing what you’re teaching because you didn’t learn from a book.”
And thank fuck I didn’t. I wouldn’t have lasted.
I didn’t last.
I turned back to Grace. Our eyes met, and for the quickest second, her eyes widened, the emerald green of them darkening with desire. But I didn’t have time to consider what it meant, because then she was all over me.
“What the hell are you wearing?” She’d secured one hand in the crook of her opposite elbow.
“Clothes.” I looked down at myself. I’d been proud of putting on these khakis this morning.
“Where are your jeans? Cargo pants?” She looked up at me, a weird scrunch to her face I’d never seen before. “And your hair is pulled back.” The hand that had been secured now waved in front of me as she got more curious. “You look like a fraternity reject.” She laughed.
“I’m a teacher now.” I straightened my shoulders. No one else needed to know that when I pulled these pants out of the closest this morning the tags were still on them.
“Any reason why you’re filming blow-up dolls?” She jerked her thumb to the couch.
Now that Grace was here, my creative juices were flowing. All right, maybe they weren’t exactly creative, but the juices were flowing. And if Cory had to practice, I could think of no better human specimen to get on film.
“I was just teaching Cory a few tricks and it would be much more useful if he had live subjects.” I rushed over to where she stood. “Stand right here.” I pried her coat and purse out of her hands and urged her to stay in place. “Look at the camera.”
“Don’t film me.” She waved her hands in front of her, seriously uncomfortable with it.
I remembered her being uncomfortable with filming porn before, too. She had tried to audition, but ultimately had decided that it wasn’t for her. I admired the hell out of her from that moment on. Most people would just do it. Especially given the fact that she was already an escort.
“Relax. I’m not asking you to take anything off.” I looked up and gave her a wink. “At least not in front of the kid.”
Cory groaned. “You do realize you’re only five years older than me, right?”
I had been a teenager once, but I didn’t remember ever having such a great are-you-kidding-me face. Besides, Ellie probably would have smacked it right off me if I’d ever used it.
“Five years in age, but a hundred in life experience, kid.”
I directed Cory to look through the lens. “We’re going to practice.”
“Wait.” Grace’s voice was high-pitched, about three octaves higher than the sultry timbre I was used to. “What are you practicing?”
I didn’t even acknowledge her question. Instead, I turned to Cory and asked, “All right, director. What’s your vision?”
Excitement flowed through my veins. I missed this. I missed being behind the camera, even though at this moment it wasn’t me calling the shots. But the chance to be creative again, to be around something creative, had me happier than I had been in a long time.
Cory tapped his finger against his lips, taking his time with figuring out his vision. “I got it.” He snapped his fingers. “Grace, you stay there. Ben, you come in from outside the shot. Then Grace, you’re going to give him the go-ahead look and Ben you’re going to dip Grace and kiss her, then pull her up and walk away, leaving Grace looking shocked.”
“A dip?” He might only be a teenager, but he acted like he was an eighty-year-old man.
He shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to do that with a girl.”
“I didn’t say yes.” Grace bit her lip. Did she have any idea
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