|
Photo Shoot - A Short Story
Copyright © 2008 by Addison Albright
Copyright © 2009 (2nd Edition) by Addison Albright
Blurb:
Eddie's
a good guy who'd do anything for a friend, especially Trent, but that good-nature is sorely tested when Trent asks Eddie to
be the model for a nude photo shoot. Trent's grades depend on it, so of course Eddie says yes. It's not easy being naked in
front of the guy Eddie wants. There are so many ways he could make a fool of himself. Why does Trent want to take pictures
of him, and why does it seem that Eddie's not the only one blushing?
Excerpt:
Eddie
kicked out of his sneakers and shed his sweaty workout clothes in record time. He questioned his sanity as he headed for the
shower. Trent was nuts. Eddie wasn’t a model. Why did Trent want him to pose for photos at all, let alone artsy nudes?
And what the hell had he been thinking agreeing to that crap?
He reached into the shower stall and turned on the water.
He’d caved because Trent was his best friend and needed this for a large class project. But he’d only agreed on
the condition that Trent give him a month to get into a little better shape first. He’d never spent so much time running
or working out at the fitness center. Damn, or nursing sore muscles.
The month was up and it was way too soon. Eddie
turned and looked at himself in the mirror. He saw nothing that appealed to him. He wasn’t overweight by any stretch
of the imagination, but there still wasn’t any real muscle definition. He was just—there. His face wasn’t
anything special to look at either. Again, it was just there.
A guy would have to be pretty desperate to ask him out.
Okay, so maybe his situation wasn’t that dire, but he was in one hell of a dry spell. Eddie sighed and stepped under
the hot shower spray.
Trent, on the other hand, was on the wrong side of the camera. He sure didn’t lack for
dates. Although to be fair, Trent didn’t have much luck with boyfriends, though.
In Eddie’s dreams—well,
in his wildest dreams—Trent would look at him and suddenly discover the error of his ways and see how perfect they’d
be together. Okay, so it was beyond his wildest dreams, but definitely another good reason why it was a big mistake to get
naked and pose his scrawny ass for Trent. Shit.
Even dragging his feet it only took Eddie twenty minutes to shower,
get dressed, and find himself standing in front of the door to Trent’s loft. He closed his eyes for a moment and silently
begged. “Please don’t be home. Please, please, just don’t be home.”
But he had no such luck.
The door swung open. Eddie opened his eyes to see Trent’s smile beaming at him. “I knew I could count on you,
Eddie. I can always count on you.”
Trent’s words stole Eddie’s resolve to try and beg off. He couldn’t
do that to Trent. Double shit.
Trent led him toward the back of the loft where there was a bare brick wall. There was
a professional looking lighting set up aimed at the wall. Lights? Couldn’t they just do this is some kind of subtle
gloom?
Trent must have sensed Eddie’s nervousness, because he kept his tone light. “It’ll be fine,
Eddie. You look great.”
Bullshit. Eddie had a mirror. He shook his head dejectedly. “I don’t look
great, Trent. I don’t know why you’d want me for this. I’ll probably trash your grade.”
Trent’s
tone turned serious. “Eddie?”
Shit. “What?”
“You look great. You’re exactly
what I want for this. You have a grace that muscle bound oafs only wish they could duplicate. You’re perfect—a
normal guy that people can look at and relate to, only with a poise that’ll make ’em green with envy.”
Huh?
Eddie didn’t ask—didn’t want Trent to think he was fishing for phony compliments. It helped hearing that,
though. He supposed he was average enough. Not hideous anyway, but grace? Who was Trent trying to kid with that?
Trent
cleared his throat, obviously wanting to move things along. “Well, um, can I get you something to drink or are you ready
to get started?”
Eddie’d never be ready to get started but figured the sooner he sucked it up and got moving
the better off he’d be. He mumbled something about getting it over with and made his way to Trent’s bathroom to
get undressed.
|
