Ive lost control of my life

“Derek! Hi how are you?”People greeted him left and right, Braeden sat on her chair and didn’t botherlooking up until someone called her name.

“This is your photographertoday Derek, her name is Braeden Wilks.” Derek stuck his hand out to shakehers, she took it weakly then pulled back.

“I’ve seen a lot of yourwork, I cant wait to work with you.” Derek smiled at her, removing hissunglasses, she let out a light “mhm.”And went back to picking at her nails.

“Okay, well Derek let’sget you into wardrobe.” Derek’s manager ushered him away and Braeden could feeleyes on the side of her face, she didn’t bother looking up though.

–

“Can we get your thumbsthrough the belt loops Derek, head up, look straight at the ceiling.” Braedendirected from a far, taking several photos in a short time. She watched thestretch of his neck, the way his adams apple bobbed as he swallowed, the clenchof his jaw. She was staring for a while before Derek looked down, noticing she wasn’ttaking anymore pictures.

He rose an eyebrow ather.

“Uh, how do you want me?”He asked, Braeden didn’t look him in the eye, instead scrolled through pictureson the camera.

“Let’s get you uh-”

“Shirt off.” His managersuggested from the other side of the room. Braeden didn’t really want torequest it, but she knew it’d come up with shoots like these, it was less aboutjeans and more about sex.

“Yeah, shirt off buthold onto it.” She added, bringing the camera up to her eye.

He held onto the bottomof his shirt and pulled it off slowly, Braeden took a couple pictures as hedid.

“Hold it over yourshoulder but turn your back to be please.”

They took a couple morephotos like that, she wanted it to be over now. She didn’t want to get caughtlooking at his bare chest, ‘cause even though it was her job and she did itoften, for some reason it felt wrongthis time.

“Uh.” She bit her lipthinking, Derek looked over his shoulder but didn’t move anything else.

“Should I turn around?”He turned before she got the chance to answer.

She cleared her throat,her cheeks getting a little hot.

She pulled the camera upto her eye and gave him no direction. He started posing on his own and she tookas many as she could, but she couldn’t help but focus on his chest, his abs,god, his arms.

“Can we take five?” Sheyelled to the room, she left the set without waiting for a response and went tograb a bottle of water.

“Is everything okay?” Hewas so close to her she could feel his breath, warm and gentle on her neck. Shejumped.

“Everythings fine I justneeded water.”

“You looked a littleuncomfortable.”

“Just tired, why don’t youworry about your job and I worry about mine?”

“Fine.” He walked pasther and to a chair where he pulled out his phone and continued ignoringeverything happening around him.

The rest of the short whenby awkwardly, Derek forced his smile and Braeden took the pictures, as soon aseverything was done, Derek left without so much as a word. Typical.

–

About a month and a halflater Braeden was at her favorite quiet coffee shop a good 45 minutes fromwhere she lived. She loved it though so she’d drive there atleast 4 times aweek to bask in the silence and calmness that nowhere else is LA had. Sheflipped through a magazine while sipping her vanilla flavoured coffee toppedwith whipped cream and chocolate powder. She hated coffee. But this wasdelicious.

“That is not coffee.” A familiar voice crept into the seat across fromher and she didn’t bother looking up.

“Why don’t you mind yourown coffee and ill mind mine.”

“I think the photos youtook are in that magazine.” Derek added, taking a sip of his disgusting, blandyet bitter coffee.

“Probably. Don’t care.”

“Okay what is yourproblem?” He snapped, dropping his coffee cup onto the table.

“What are you talkingabout?”

“Why are you so damnrude? Ive been nothing but nice to you.”

“Nobody asked you to benice to me.”

He sighed.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Hegot up then and a pang of guilt his Braedens chest, without realizing it, shetold him to wait.

“Im sorry Derek.” He satback down.

“For?”

She groaned at him andcrossed her arms, looking unamused.

“Okay.” He got up again.

“For being such a bitch!I had no reason okay, Im sorry. Im just a miserable person.”

“Why?”

“Because when you takepictures of snobby ass evil models for six years you kind of get sick of beingnice when people don’t deserve it.”

“I don’t deserve it?” Hepouted a little bit.

“No im not saying that itsjust-”

She didn’t have anythingto say so she just let the sentence hang there.

“Well, I have to getgoing but-”

He took a pen out of hispocket and scribbled his number down onto the magazine she was reading.

“If you ever want togive an evil model a chance give me a call?”

He didn’t wait for herto answer before jogging out of the coffee shop, leaving his pen behind.Braeden scoffed and turned the page of her magazine just to see the ad forthose ridiculously expensive jeans. Derek on the front, back turned, shirt inhis hand and looking over his shoulder. The bottom of the ad read

‘Take this as a sign.’