Before You: Standalone Contemporary Romance (18 page)

I had so much more to lose now.

“Willa?” André’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I looked at him questioningly. “You just got that look on your face – the one you get just before you freak out.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. I’m just...I’m glad you’re back. I really missed you while you were gone.”

He reached over and took the takeout box from my hand and set it on the nightstand with his before he took both of my hands in his. “I don’t ever want to leave you again,” he said.

I pressed my lips together. “But you have to – your job...”

His brow creased, and he shook his head. “I hated every moment away from you – felt sick to my stomach knowing that I couldn’t reach out and touch you. Before you, I didn’t think I needed anyone, but I need you, and I want you. I love you, Willa.”

He loved me...

His hands moved up to cup me on either side of my face. “I love you too, André,” I whispered, just before our mouths met and our bodies ignited. Then we spent the rest of the night saying those words and showing each other what they meant with our bodies.

––––––––

“W
hat’s he going to do for work?” Milly asked as we sat down to lunch during our lunch hour the next week. I hadn’t seen Dave in days since he was spending of his time with her. I’d hoped it wasn’t because of André, but both Dave and Milly assured me that it wasn’t – they were simply having a lot of fun together. I could tell by the way Milly’s mouth was curving at the side when she spoke about it that she was most likely telling the truth.

“That’s what I was worried about – he loves his job – so he’s going to talk to his boss about working on the team that’s based here. Supposedly there’s a spot open. So if they agree, he’ll help select photos and cut footage together without having to go out there and actually be responsible for getting it.”

Milly stirred her plastic spoon through her thick yogurt. “Do you think he’d be happy that way?”

I shrugged. “Short term, sure, he’d be fine. But, if you saw his photos, Milly, you’d be floored by his talent. I really think he belongs behind the lens. I can’t see him being happy behind a desk long term. At least if he stays with the same company, he can always change his mind and go back out there.”

“Dave actually showed me one of the documentaries they worked on together, and even his active footage is beautiful.”

“Was it the hippo one?” I asked, and she smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I watched that one recently too.”

“It’s the trip where André saved Dave’s life.”

I nodded. “Are you sure Dave is OK with him? I’d hate it if I came between their friendship.”

She shrugged. “He says he is, but, as with everything, I guess we’ll find out.”

I reached across and took her hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. “I know it’s still early days, but I’m so glad that you and Dave found each other.”

With a smile, she squeezed my hand back. “Me too, Willa. I
really
like him – is it too soon to say that?”

I thought about the intensity that existed between André and me from almost the moment we met, and shook my head. “Not at all,” I told her with a happy grin.

***

M
ale laughter came from the kitchen when I walked in the front door. I almost couldn’t believe my ears and almost dropped my keys on the table instead of in the bowl.

“Hey,” I said with a smile as I approached the happy sound and saw Dave and André sitting at the counter with a pizza box open between them, beer in hand.

“You want some?” André asked, tilting his beer toward me. I took it from his hand and took a sip as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward him.

Dave shifted the pizza box toward me to offer me a slice of pepperoni with extra cheese. Thanking him, I took one and ate it as I leaned up against André’s wall of a chest.

“So, does this mean you two are cool with each other again now?” I asked after a while.

Dave shrugged. “I told him that if he hurts you, I’ll cut his dick off, so yeah, we’re OK.”

My mouth fell open as I shoved my brother in the arm in that way that only siblings can really get away with. He just laughed.

“You’re such an ass,” I told him, hearing the sweet rumble of André chuckling beside me.

“I don’t claim to be otherwise,” Dave said as he bit into a new slice of pizza.

“Speaking of losing dicks, I should probably tell you that if you hurt my best friend, I’m not going to be very understanding.”

Dave looked at the topping on his pizza. “She knows where we stand, Will. Relax.”

André pressed a soft kiss to my neck as he reached around me to grab the bottle of beer. “Be that as it may, but she likes you, Dave. Be careful with her heart, OK? I’m the one who’ll have to fix it if you break it.”

He looked at me and nodded, chewing on his pizza thoughtfully before dropping it in the lid of the box and standing up from his stool. “I’m heading out,” he announced as he wiped the grease from his hands on the sides of his jeans.

My brother was so gross. I didn’t understand what Milly saw in him.

He grabbed his wallet and keys then left out the back door.

André pressed his lips to that sweet spot on my neck again. “I guess that means we have the place to ourselves.”

His fingers dug into my flesh as he trailed his tongue lightly up my neck until he reached my ear and nibbled at my lobe.

“I guess so,” I said in a whisper, my whole body turning to liquid as I melted in his arms.

***

F
riday marked the end of the first week that André and I had been officially dating and that he was back in the house. Dave was hardly home – just as he’d promised when he first told me he was moving in. He was spending time with Milly and was only ever home to pick up clean clothes and maybe grab a quick meal or shower. I had a feeling he was falling for her just as hard as she seemed to be falling for him.

During the day, there was work – André had spoken to his boss about not wanting to travel for a while, and his boss agreed to shift him to the production team for six months before they made anything permanent. Although, he made it clear that André could put his hand up for any project he was interested in, if he decided to get back out in the field.

I was kept busy with my work, trying to fit everything in around my weekly therapy appointment, and just to find the general concentration needed to complete my job successfully.

I had André on the brain, a constant smile on my face, and a full feeling in my heart. Everything in my life felt good. It felt right, and each night I couldn’t wait to get home and into the arms of the man I’d fallen head over heels for.

“Coming tonight?” Catherine asked at the refreshments table before the morning meeting. “I’m bringing Carlos. He was in that ‘Sunshine in Winter’ shoot we did. That man looks divine in a pair linen pants and an open shirt.”

“I’m sure he does,” I responded with a smile as I placed a mini croissant on my plate and placed a coffee cup under the spout. “And yes, I am coming out tonight. I’m bringing André.”

“The hot German?” She made an appreciative noise. “I remember him.”

“Of course you do,” I laughed as I added cream to my coffee then turned to carry it all to the table.

Everyone in the conference room was sitting and talking with their food and drink, and I went to sit by Milly who was in the middle of talking to Sara, who normally wrote a column about life for the typical twenty-something female in Downtown LA. She was our version of Carrie Bradshaw.

“Cancelled about ten minutes ago. The shoot is happening today. They are
freaking
out,” I overheard Sara say.

“What got cancelled?” I asked as I took my seat.

Milly turned to face me. “The photographer for the fashion shoot up in the Hills today. They paid the location fees upfront and will lose it all if they don’t find someone in time.” I saw her eyes go wide with an idea. “We could get Dave or André to do it.”

Twisting my mouth slightly, I tilted my head to the side. “Dave is strictly film, but André might do it. I’m not sure how he’ll feel about photographing fashion, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

“That would earn you huge brownie points with Vivienne. Go and call him now, I’ll stall for you.” Milly nudged me until I got out of my seat and pulled out my cellphone, heading into the hall outside the room.

“Oh. Hey,” I said, almost bumping in to Jasper. He looked anxious.

“Hey,” he said quickly.

“I heard about the problem with the photographer. I think I might have a solution if you don’t mind me calling in André?”

He paused, and I saw something flicker past his eyes, but it quickly went away and he released his breath then nodded. “If you could, you would seriously be saving my ass. Vivienne is on the warpath over it.”

“OK,” I said, turning my attention back to my cell before stopping and grabbing Jasper’s arm lightly to get his attention again. “Listen, I never thanked you for taking care of me that night before I got really sick. I just wanted to make sure you know how much I appreciate you looking out for me.”

Sliding his hands into his designer pants pockets, he gave me one of his perfect smiles, although it didn’t touch his eyes. “It was no problem. Although, I hope your friend André understands how special you are, Willa.”

“He does,” I replied, feeling a little guilty knowing that Jasper was interested in me, and I never noticed. He deserved more than what I gave him, and I hoped he’d find some girl who saw him for more.

“I should let you make that call.” With a nod, he walked into the meeting room. “See you in there.”

I waited for the door to close then I dialed André. He answered within two rings.

“
Liebling
.” He said it like a name, a soft upward tilt to the sound of his normally deep voice.

“
Liebling
?” He’d said it a few times, and I was yet to ask what it meant.

“It’s German for ‘darling’.”

A grin spread across my face, and my cheeks flushed as the sentiment flowed through my body. “I like that.”

“I’m glad. Was there something you needed,
Liebling
?”

My grin became a smile as he used the term again. “Yes, actually. I kind of have a photographic emergency, and I was hoping that maybe you’d be able to solve it for me.”

“What kind of photographic emergency?”

“A fashion shoot. I know it’s not your thing, but the guy cancelled last minute, and if you could fill in then it would earn me some major kudos here, which is kind of something I really need after needing so much time off lately.”

I could hear the smile in his voice. “Of course I’ll help you. Text me the details, and I’ll clear my schedule.”

“You’re amazing,” I told him.

“I’ll see you soon.”

We ended the call, and I hugged my cell to my chest happily. In my excitement, I burst into the meeting room and yelled, “He said yes!”

In my haste, I’d interrupted Vivienne in the middle of her morning address. The room went so silent that you could hear each and every person blinking. I looked over at Milly who was trying to stifle a laugh, then at Jasper who simply nodded and mouthed, ‘Thank you’.

“Care to explain your outburst, Miss Henderson?” Vivienne said, her eyebrows high on her forehead as she looked down at me from where she stood. An ex-model herself, Vivienne was almost six foot and always impeccably dressed with dark glossy hair and a face frozen by botox in her fight against her forties. She was quite frightening and ruled the magazine with an iron fist and a clipped tongue.

I held my cellphone out as if it were some kind of proof. “I got a photographer for today’s shoot.”

“Do I know him?”

“I’m not sure. His name is André Bauer. He works for Phoenix Productions who supply to Time Magazine and National Geographic...” I continued to explain André’s credentials to her, noted the awards he’d won for his work, and that I’d personally seen some of his lesser known work and thought he would do wonders with our original concept.

“So you’re sleeping with him?” she asked directly.

My face went bright red.

“I...I don’t think that’s appropriate...” I started, and she waved me away with her hand.

“Oh please, we all do it. How else would you be able to get an award winning photojournalist to agree to a last minute fashion shoot? Well, let’s see what he can do. Jasper, work with Willa to make sure Mr. Bauer has all of the details sent through to him. You’ll need to do it now. You can find out anything you missed when the meeting minutes are sent out when we’re finished.”

Nodding, Jasper and I left the meeting room.

“Do you have your car?” he asked. I nodded. “Then let’s go and get him. I can explain everything on the way there.”

***

“T
ilt your head. I want the ends of your hair breaking the surface of the water.” André instructed the model, who was sitting on the edge of the pool at the property that had been hired for the shoot. Her male counterpart was standing in the water, wearing an Armani suit and shivering slightly from the cool breeze.

“Your boyfriend truly is exceptional at this,” Jasper noted, his focus on the laptop as we watched the images pop up on the screen each time André hit the shutter button. “It’s practically art.”

“He certainly has a skilled eye,” I agreed, remembering the photos he took of me just after he moved in. I’d never seen myself like that. His eyes made everything more beautiful.

“Jasper, if you had to cast a movie about my life, who would you cast to play me?”

His eyes left the screen and scanned my body, down then up to my eyes. “Megan Fox. Pre-surgery. She ruined herself with all those enhancements.” He said it so simply, and I wondered if maybe my eyes weren’t seeing my reflection in the mirror the same way others saw me. I wondered if perhaps my eyes were unwilling to any beauty in myself after being witness to the horror of my parent’s death.

“Why do you ask?”

I shook my head and made an excuse for my seemingly random question. “Just a game we were playing. I couldn’t come up with answer.”