Page 34 of His Choice

“Made you look,” Aaron said before sipping his orange juice.

I turned to James. “Can they shoot some edgy shots of Aaron when it’s time for his session with the photographer? I’m thinking a bondage theme where they tape his mouth shut.”

James grinned.

“Now, Mikey, save your kinky fantasies for the confessional,” Aaron called out while James and I began walking toward the house. I looked around the patio and noticed others had heard Aaron, too. There were curious expressions, including Cliff’s.

“Ass-wipe,” I mouthed Aaron’s way, only to have him laugh in return.

Once inside, James escorted me down a long hall toward the room that had been set up for the photographer to do his work.

“Are you feeling okay this morning?” James asked as we passed more doors than I remembered seeing in my high-school corridor.

“Yes,” I answered. I had planned to say nothing of James ratting me out to Cliff, but the one-on-one opportunity to have a chat was too tempting. “Why did you tell Cliff about our conversation? I thought you were going to get back to me to think through a plan.”

James blushed. “I’m sorry. It was just that I had accompanied Cliff to his room once everyone had dispersed. I usually take care of nighttime preparations, even though Cliff asks me not to. I just feel I’m falling short as a butler if I don’t.” He stopped us from walking, as we must have neared the destination. “You know, turn down the bed, take his clothes to be washed, lay out his toiletries.”

“Like he’s a patient in rehab,” I muttered.

James raised an eyebrow. “Like he’s a wealthy gentleman. Anyway, I asked him how he thought the day had gone and what his friends and family thought. He shared with me that one of the men that had impressed him and others was Aaron. Cliff seemed really into him. I just couldn’t hold back. I didn’t want to see him taking a liking to a straight guy pretending to be gay. I explained the reasons why, though, and I assured him that you were genuinely interested in him.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised that Aaron had risen to the top so quickly. When he wasn’t being an immature thorn in my side, he could charm anyone. And, of course, he was darned easy on the eyes.

I nodded. “Okay, I get it. Cliff told Aaron that we should proceed with the plan that Aaron’s attention begins to shift from Cliff to me.”

“Yes, he told me this morning as I helped him get ready,” James acknowledged.

“Let me guess, laying out his clothes and toiletries?”

James nodded. “I don’t wipe his butt, if you were about to ask.”

I hadn’t been. “I’m not judging or meaning to imply Mr. Walker is lazy or anything. I guess I just wouldn’t be as comfortable with a butler doing all that stuff for me. No offense.”

James leaned in. “Like I said, I don’t think Cliff is either. But he’s getting used to it. He’s a busy man. I remind him that every little thing I can do to shave minutes off his routine is time he can spend thinking about or doing the work that is important.”

He had resumed walking and stopped us again when we reached the next doorway. James pointed inside toward a man who was waiting with a camera. There was also a woman holding a case of something.

“Thanks,” I said to James as he retraced his steps back down the hall.

“You must be… Mikey?” the photographer asked. I nodded. “My name is Tyler. Please step in front of the backdrop screen so we may begin.”

I made my way to where he had asked, and the woman practically pounced. Before I could ask about what she planned to do, she opened the box she held, whipped out a makeup brush, and began powdering my face. At this point, I wondered if I was actually in Mar-a-Lago as opposed to an estate in Vermont, considering how much crap they kept applying to my skin.

“Um, should I do any specific pose?” I asked when she was done.

“Just stand with your hands in your pockets for the first few shots,” Tyler suggested. Once I did as he instructed, he began taking pictures. “Good. You have nice bone structure.”

“I do?” I hadn’t meant to ask it out loud and with such surprise.

Tyler lowered the camera. “Yes. I’m surprised you don’t hear that all the time. If it weren’t for your height, you could be a model.”

I snorted a laugh. “I won’t ask for what.”

Tyler had me turn slightly to take more shots. After a few profile poses, he had me crouch with one knee on the floor as I rested an arm over the raised knee. “Very nice. I love the almost frightened look you have. So innocent and sexy.”

“It is?” Oops. I had asked that out loud, too.

Tyler ignored me. “Let’s lose the shirt now, shall we?”