Hot Pickle - J.J. Knight Page 0,33

with me.

I haven’t confessed to anyone that I’m competing. So I don’t have anyone else to come along.

Amy will be there for a pep talk before I go on stage. But mainly I’ll be dealing with my nerves on my own. At least I don’t have to worry about my tan. And other than this photo shoot Camryn talked about, I should know the drill.

Camryn gives me a quick nod when I come out. “Excellent. Come over to the stool and let’s make sure everything is in good shape. I expect with a week’s worth of quality moisturizing, you’re going to be fine.”

I take a seat. Even her voice sounds different, like I’m a stranger. A client.

She takes a quick walk around me, only touching lightly in a few places. Lotion goes on one spot near the middle of my back.

“That’s probably hard for me to reach,” I say.

“You’re doing great,” she says. “Makes my job easy.”

In no time flat, she’s leading me over to the tanning tent.

“Did you want to check the pale patch?” I ask, kicking my knee out so she can see the inside of my thigh.

“I think since the color rubs off so easily there, we will have to patch on the last day. I might send something with you in case you need to touch up at the end. I won’t be able to see you right before you go on.”

She picks up the spray wand and steps forward, then stops, her lips all scrunched. “Can you roll that waistband down a little? And maybe lift them in the back to make sure we cross that tan line?”

“Sure.”

I fight with the tight trunks for a moment, trying to get the waistband to budge. It doesn’t want to move down. They are fitted to my skin.

I hold out my hands in defeat. “I don’t think it’s gonna move. So, I guess that means it’s not an issue.”

Camryn frowns. “I was afraid of that. This is a lot easier with the physique competitors with their loose trunks.”

“I don’t mind doing the spray without the trunks,” I say. “The look is the important thing.” I give her a big grin to ease her mind. “I’m not shy.”

But her face is as serious as it was when I arrived.

“Let me give it a shot.” She sets the wand on the canister and tugs on my trunks. She succeeds in getting the back part up an inch, but the top won’t roll down no matter how hard she tugs.

She sighs with frustration. “I’m going to turn around. You pull the trunks down and back up again. I need to see if they ever change position or if they’re steady in their spot.”

Turn around? When she’s seen every inch of me before? I’m not sure what’s happening, but our old camaraderie is completely gone.

Still, I do what she says. I slide the trunks down to my ankles, then pull them back up.

“All good,” I say.

She turns around. “Shoot. It’s lower than it was the first time. I can see the indentions in your skin from the elastic line.” She taps her bare foot in annoyance. “Okay. The trunks have to go. It probably has to do with your water percentage. Until you’re wearing them the way they’ll sit the whole day, like on Saturday morning, I can’t risk a tan line.”

This is what she said before. I’m not sure what changed her mind. I grab the waistband, and I’m about to pull them down when she says, “Where’s your modesty pouch?”

Okay. Something is up. “It’s in my bag.”

“You might want to put it on behind the screen.”

“Okay.”

I’m halfway across the room before I decide that no, I’m going to hit this head-on. “Camryn, what’s going on? Why all the concern? We were joking about it last time. Did someone say something to you?” I couldn’t imagine who. I don’t tell a soul that I’m here or what goes on during my tanning sessions.

Camryn opens her mouth, then closes it again. “Maybe I was acting inappropriately before.”

She won’t meet my eyes. I walk up to her. “Camryn, I don’t think anything of the sort. But if you’re more comfortable with me being covered up, absolutely I will do it. The last thing I want to do is make you anxious.”

That gets her attention. “I’m just, I don’t know. I got some advice. And I don’t know what to do.”

I want to draw her into my arms, but I know it’s not the