“A mirror,” she said easily. “That way I could see from any angle and not be shy about feeling around, as well, to make sure I had the angles and contours right.”
She could have sworn she heard him cover the phone with his hand. Regardless, his side of the line went very silent for a brief moment before he said, “Makes sense, I guess. It would be kind of awkward to get that close and personal with another girl.”
“Oh, not that weird,” she said, biting her lip against a smile as she felt his reaction through the phone. “Just more convenient in this case. I mostly get to work in off hours. It would be hard to arrange consistent times that both a male and female model could meet late at night.”
“So you’re staring at a naked dude right now and molding his ass out of clay while you’re talking to me?”
No. “Basically,” she lied.
“And that isn’t weird to you?”
“Why would it be?”
He let out a short laugh. “Like if I were sitting here with a naked woman, taking pictures of her while I was talking to you?”
“Well, pardon me for multi-tasking,” Rori said, even as the sick flavor of jealousy filled her mouth. Had he ever taken nude photos? Did he currently? She should ask.
“Uh, you owe me a secret, by the way,” Rori said lightly. “Deep, dark, and damning.”
“While you’re in the same room as a naked man? No thanks.”
“I exaggerated a little,” she confessed. “He’s not here right now. I’m just working with pictures.” Mental pictures, that is. “I was just trying to be scandalous.”
“So it’s just you there?”
“Me and a big wad of clay that looks like an ass,” she said, smiling for some reason she didn’t quite understand.
“And you just want me to toss out a deep, dark secret?”
“Yep.”
“Just like that? No segue, no nothing?”
“Quid pro quo, tit for tat, and all that.”
“Wow. You’re awfully perky for someone who is asking me for blackmail material.”
“And it had better be good, too,” she countered. “I didn’t hold back with you. That’s some grade-A dirt you have on me. I can count on one hand how many people I’ve told that tidbit to, so you’d better dig deep, Cannon. I want something messy.”
“Yeah?” he teased. “And if it’s not messy enough?”
“Then I do have this issue of not being completely content with my current model. Maybe you could trade a deep, dark secret for a 360 of images of your hips that I will sculpt into a centerpiece that would scandalize your mother, should she ever see it. I might consider that a trade.”
She’d said it. Maybe just in jest, but she’d actually asked him for naked pictures. It felt so wanton, so reckless, so… necessary. Rori bit her bottom lip to resist against saying anything else out of pure nervousness until he answered.
“You’re right. My mother would definitely be scandalized by that. She made me promise not to get naked in front of any cameras when I moved to L.A.”
“I see,” Rori teased. “And do you always do what your mother says?”
He hesitated, and she felt the levity in him even before he uttered the word, “No.”
“Oh?” she said carefully. “Are we going with truth then, and not dare?”
Again, he was silent for a few moments. “I would prefer we did neither.”
“Yeah? Well, now you totally have my full attention.”
He laughed lightly. “Yeah, I guess I do, don’t I.”
“So, tell me, Mike. What dark deed did you do that you don’t want your mother knowing about?” She kept her voice light, not sure whether she would regret it later or not. He certainly seemed serious, but at the same time Rori couldn’t imagine he could say anything that would shock her or make her think any differently about him. “Leap of faith time, Cannon. I can tell you from personal experience that you’ll feel better after you share. I did.”
“You did?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I mean it,” he pressed. “I’m serious here, Rori.”
She sobered quickly. “I am too, Mike.” She let that sink in. “I really thought you’d think less of me after I told you that. In fact, that’s why I told you. I was trying to prove to myself that you were fair weather and just trying to get into my pants—that if I started making myself more three dimensional you would split. But guess what? You didn’t. You’re the first guy I ever told that story to. It was hard and messy and