“And that’s a promise. I assure you.”
I dashed out the door and ran as fast as I could back to my tent. One last look over my shoulder revealed to me that he was standing on the walkway watching me run, all naked-chested and sexy, smoldering eyes and hushed lusty tones.
He was definitely going to bring this up again. He was not going to let this go. Well, in that case, I would simply just have to avoid him for the rest of this journey, and for the rest of my life . . .
Or not. Because right now, my body seriously disagreed with that statement.
CHAPTER 32
Max
I loved watching her work. It had become my new favorite thing to do. The way she flitted around as if she’d been sped up. She also talked to herself as she went. At one stage I’d gotten close enough to make out her one-way conversation.
“Hang on, maybe if we do . . . Nah! Where is the light coming fr—Aha! This, yup . . . we do this. Lens . . . Um . . . Maybe not. Shit, we need a crane . . . crane . . .”
I couldn’t help smiling every time I heard her have one of these one-sided debates with herself as she climbed around, shooting things from different angles and taking light readings. She had a pencil behind her ear, her hair was messy and it was so hot that the neckline of her shirt was drenched with sweat.
The manager had shown me around the houseboat, our next location, when we’d arrived. The flight had been a short one from the tented camp to here. A quick transfer had taken us over to a small island on the Chobe River on the Namibian side where we’d boarded the houseboat. The houseboat was incredibly impressive, and I could immediately see what an asset this location would be. Not only would it make a great location for shoots, but also the perfect private holiday for a celebrity I had in mind, who loved fishing.
I did not love fishing, though, and the manager had already asked me at least three times when I would want to go tiger fishing. It was one of the main entertainment options offered on the boat. I declined several times and decided that if my client asked me what the fishing was like, I would simply lie and tell him a story about how it took me half an hour to wrangle the fish onto the boat, and how it was the size of my leg, or something like that.
The houseboat had five rooms, each one more luxurious than the next, each one with a small balcony that was accessed from large sliding doors. And with the doors open, the room felt as if it was simply hovering over the river. There were two decks, one with a lounge and dining area and the upper deck had a small plunge pool and a tasteful bar on it. And right now, I was standing on the upper deck by the pool, looking at some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. A herd of elephants had made their way down to the water’s edge and I watched as two babies played in the shallow water, somersaulting and splashing like toddlers might do. I knew my friend Vincenzo was looking for a location for an upcoming stills shoot. He ran a very successful fashion-design company, and they were launching a new sunglasses range. He’d initially wanted me to find a beach location where they could shoot their models shirtless and in bikinis, while enjoying the sun. Sexy and aspirational. But I could see that whole thing playing out better here. I could see them here in this plunge pool, glasses on, champagne in hand, elephants in the distance, cruising down the river. This would make a much better location, I thought, not that I was their ad agency, but in my opinion, a luxurious houseboat cruising down a river in Africa felt far more interesting and unique than a bunch of models sitting on a beach.
I took my phone out and started taking photos, then sent them to him in a message. I’m sure the agency was going to be pissed I’d done this, but I didn’t care. Sometimes agencies came up with such bland ideas, and I was often on locations that seemed better and more interesting than those the agencies had imagined. You couldn’t blame them, really. Most of the people coming up with the ads sat behind desks. They didn’t travel to some of the most remote and unique locations around the world and see what was on offer, like I did.
Vincenzo:Oh my God. It’s like heaven. So sexy. I love it. I’ll tell the agency. You’re a genius, my friend.
Max:I think this will sell the concept of luxury far more than a beach.
Vincenzo:Sand is not sexy.
Max:Hahah! No.
Vincenzo:How is work going?
Vincenzo:Still in lust for your ex?
Max:Think it may be more than lust.
Vincenzo:Careful, my friend.
Vincenzo:Love is too much work. So inconvenient. Too much stress.
Max:Think it might be too late for that.
Vincenzo:Take her to the jacuzzi then.
Max:The idea had crossed my mind.
Vincenzo:I know you too well. I know that many things have crossed your mind.
Max:Too many.
Vincenzo:I change topic then.
Vincenzo:Maybe I don’t ask the agency this time, because I can already see it in my mind.
Vincenzo:For our jewelry line. I want naked models, only wearing diamonds, but I don’t want another studio shoot. I want them somewhere messy. Somewhere old and broken. Somewhere dark. Like construction site. Abandoned factory. But close to home.
