Four hours later they had photographed the dances, the toasts, the cake cutting, the groom and his buddies singing their fraternity song to the bride, the bride and her sorority sisters reciting a chant, and finally the sparkler send-off. By now Charlotte’s feet ached, her back was stiff, and if the best man hit on her one more time she was going to very calmly punch him in the face. She was also in desperate need of hydration.
“Do you want to go to the bar and get some water? Or a soda?” she asked Lauren. “Normally I’d say we could leave now that the couple’s gone but…”
“I know. The groom’s mom has practically shadowed us all night. It’s only eleven forty-five.”
Even though there wasn’t much left to shoot once the couple left, they were contractually required to stay until midnight. “Right? She’s driving me crazy. She’s acting like she paid for this. I’m certain all of the checks came from the bride’s father. But I’ve learned that one bitching family member is like a cancer. They start creating doubt in everyone’s mind, and before you know it you’re trying to defend every shot that didn’t get taken.”
Lauren waved a hand. “It’s fine, let’s just hang for fifteen minutes.”
Charlotte agreed and they headed for the bar.
“I can’t believe you guys are still here,” Jen said. She was Charlotte’s favorite bartender at the Stag, and worked almost every wedding. There was no missing her big personality, her sleeve of colorful arm tattoos, or her dark-as-night hair. And she was funny as hell.
“Crazy, isn’t it?”
“It was a pretty good night, though,” Jen said. She was restocking the row of Stag shot glasses on the bar. Guests could take them as a favor. Charlotte had snagged a few for herself over the years.
“It was. Can’t complain. Still, it will be better when I’m in bed,” Charlotte said.
Jen winked. “Isn’t everything better in bed?”
“Stop being inappropriate,” Dean warned, walking down the bar behind Jen. Charlotte loved how he always seemed to appear when she stopped and took a time-out. After they’d left him in the break room, she hadn’t seen him at all. She’d figured he’d disappeared to the offices, which had been a little disappointing. It was one of her favorite things when he came up and chatted with her while she photographed people making fools of themselves on the dance floor. And she’d scored no new photos for her Dream Man stash, either.
“Please, you’re the most inappropriate person in this place,” Jen said to Dean. She took a damp bar towel and flicked him on the butt.
And just like that a sinking feeling came over Charlotte. Did Dean flirt with everyone? He didn’t seem like the type at all. Actually, she’d always had the feeling that she’d managed to pull that side out of him despite himself. Not that she truly thought he liked her in any serious way, but … she’d always hoped and assumed he was attracted to her even if he was too much of a professional to act on it. She liked to think that the flirting between them was something he did only with her. But why should she assume that was the case? He was an insanely handsome single male. In his prime, some might say. Other photographers came here. They had other employees, bridesmaids, vendors. He probably had endless opportunities to flirt and even hook up with women.
Thankfully her worries were eased just a little when Dean turned and instantly scowled at Jen after the towel flick to the rear. He pointed a finger at her. “Don’t do that again.”
Charlotte had never seen that side of Dean. The angry, employer side. It suited him somehow, and she had to admit it was kind of hot.
Jen turned and gave Charlotte and Lauren a wink. “Ignore him, he’s decided to be Boss Dean today, which means he’s grumpy and no fun.” She grabbed two pint glasses and began to fill them with ice. “Charlotte, do you have any new sexy man photos?”
Dean’s head jerked toward Charlotte, his attention obviously caught by Jen’s question. She felt her face warm in response. It was a little embarrassing that Jen had mentioned it in front of him. Not that Charlotte was ashamed of the extra photo work she’d started taking on recently, but still, it was a bit awkward, even for her.
“She absolutely does. She did the hottest guy on Thursday,” Lauren said, adding to Charlotte’s discomfort in front of Dean.
Charlotte wanted so badly for him to see her in a certain light, although she wasn’t quite sure what that light was. Hopefully the one that led to him asking her out one day. Or at least making out. Part of her feared that maybe he saw her as too young, but the truth was, for a single woman of twenty-nine she was incredibly successful, and she’d always been mature for her age. She owned her own business, had a five-digit savings account, and hadn’t bought anything in the juniors clothing section in at least a year.
Charlotte glanced up to find Dean’s eyebrow raised in assessment of her. She’d love to know what he was thinking, and of course because she was infatuated with him, she feared the worst. He stepped a little closer to their end of the bar but continued to count liquor bottles and write things down on a clipboard.
“It’s not how it sounds,” Charlotte said quickly in her own defense. Not that she needed one.
“I’m so jealous. What an amazing gig.” Jen poured Charlotte and Lauren a soda out of her fountain gun.
“I keep begging her to let me come over and help her with them, but she never does,” Lauren said, giving Charlotte a teasing scowl. “She’s stingy with her sexy guys.”
“It’s just photography.”
“Of … men?” Dean asked. His face was neutral, but there was a bit of an edge to his tone. Interesting.
Charlotte opened her mouth to speak, but Jen beat her to it. “She photographs hot guys for book covers. Like ripped abs, big pecs, cut hips. The whole package. If you know what I mean.”
Lauren and Jen giggled like teenagers, but Charlotte couldn’t take her eyes off Dean, whose lips had tightened. What was he thinking, knowing that she did this? It wasn’t like they were pornographic. Just … sexy. A little raw sometimes.
“So these guys are naked?” Dean asked.
“No!” Charlotte said immediately. “They’re not naked.”
“Well … they might as well be,” Lauren said. “Show him.”
“Yes please, show us.” Jen leaned on the bar, waiting.
Charlotte pulled out her phone and opened up the Cloud app, which accessed her online portfolio. The truth was, she loved taking these photos. For the obvious reason, hello, hot guys. But also because it was artistically challenging. The light, the muscles, the emotion.
It had been a complete accident that had landed her the first cover gig. Another of her specialties were boudoir shoots, which were often booked by her brides as a surprise for their fiancés. A year ago, one of them had shown her album to a friend who happened to be a romance author. That was all it took for her to build up a little bit of a side business to her wedding clientele. Plus, she really enjoyed it, and wouldn’t mind if she could start supplementing her wedding income with this work.
Opening the most recent set of photos, Charlotte held out her phone to Jen, who eagerly snatched it from her. Dean leaned forward a little to glance over Jen’s shoulder.
“Oh damn, look at him,” Jen said. She swiped through several photos and then paused on one. “Good Lord.”
Charlotte was pretty sure she knew which it was, because it was her favorite, too. Kye, the guy in the photo, had the most insanely gorgeous body. They’d done the session in an empty, filthy warehouse. He was in dangerously low-hung jeans, his abs dirty, chest sweaty (although that was courtesy of a spray bottle), and he looked up at the camera through hooded lids, his lips slightly pouty.
“He nailed that one, didn’t he?” Charlotte found herself asking.
“Yep, and he can nail me while he’s at it,” Jen said as she lifted the phone to her face and imitated licking the screen. Dean’s head jerked back and he stared at Jen with unveiled disgust.
“Oh, sorry.” Jen smiled and held the phone out to him. “Did you want a taste, too?”
Dean just shook his head and walked back to the other end of the bar.
“He’s just jealous,” Jen whispered, loud enough for anyone within ten feet to overhear. Just then her eyes went wide, and she gasped. “Oh my God. Dean! You should do Dean. Dean, you should let Charlotte do you!”
Grateful that most of the guests had left for the evening, Charlotte’s eyes darted from the bartender to the guy who was glaring back at her, his lips parted in shock.
She laughed nervously. “Don’t worry, Dean. I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I hope not,” he replied, sending a wave of embarrassment through her. What did that reaction mean? Did he think her work was stupid? Or did he mean in reference to the innuendo? She wasn’t sure which would be worse.
“But you should,” Jen urged, clearly inspired by the idea and not willing to let it go. “I’m telling you, it’s the best idea ever. I mean, I know a lot of these guys are super young and hunky, but Dean is … you know, middle-aged hunky. And he is built like a brick house.”
“Wow, you really know how to make a guy feel good, Jen,” Dean said. His glaring eyes were insisting that Jen shut the hell up.
A twinge of jealousy came over Charlotte as she wondered how and why Jen had any knowledge of Dean’s body. But the idea of photographing him did intrigue her, there was no denying that. She was already imagining what she’d do to him. Or … with him. Or to him. God, she was just imagining him shirtless and it was scrambling her brain. Clearly this was all wishful thinking that was never going to come to fruition if the horrified look on his face was any indication.
“Tell her,” Jen said to Dean, her voice revealing her irritation with him. “You could totally pull that sexy stuff off.”
“Hush, Jen.”
“Sorry, Dean, I know this totally isn’t your style,” Charlotte said, hating that things were getting uncomfortable for her and obviously for him, too.
He stared at her for a long moment, and she desperately wished she could read his thoughts. Secretly, she hoped he would counter, say that he did indeed think it was a good idea, that her talent was obvious and he wanted to be a part of it by stripping off his clothes and playing the part of sexy alpha male. But that was her living in Dean Dream Guy Land again. The truth was that having a scantily clad Dean in front of her lens could be the worst kind of torture.
A light touch on Charlotte’s shoulder had her turning to find the mother of the bride standing there with a smile. She surprised both Charlotte and Lauren by handing them fifty-dollar bills and thanking them for putting in such a long day. They rarely got cash tips, but it was always a treat when they did.
When the conversation ended, Charlotte disappointedly found the bar empty. It wasn’t like him to let her leave without a good-bye, and now it frustrated her to think their conversation about her work had possibly turned him off.
She and Lauren headed back to the little powder room to get the rest of their gear packed up. Trying to focus on a hot shower and sleep, Charlotte forced herself to look casual as they made their way toward the old metal elevator. Of course she was hoping to catch sight of Dean before they left. He was nowhere.
When they stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby, it was also void of Dean and his handsome face. How had such a fun evening taken such a depressing turn? With a heavy sigh, she recalled she had another job at the Stag for the following weekend. There was always another wedding.