Free Heartsville 04 - Clique (Jayden Brooks) by Heartsville Page A

mouthpiece for the pair more commonly referred to as the dilapidated duo. Now, it’s not what I call them, because that’d be mean, but I can totally see where it came from. They were a hot mess of appalling hygiene and lurid comments slimy enough to make a person shudder in revulsion hours later. They were the sort of dirty old men who accidentally-on-purpose flashed their nads. It’s not a pretty picture.
    Joey and Max helped me lug the lighting and the rest of my gear to the bench-press area. The two college-aged guys using the equipment stopped to watch me set up.
    “Uh, do you need us to move?” asked the tall blond who introduced himself as Sam.
    There was plenty of room, and it wouldn’t be a problem. I studied them both; they didn't appear to be overly interested. “Nah, no worries. I can work around you.”
    While I completed the setup, Joey said, “And we’d like to work around you.”
    At first, since my back was to him, I thought he was angling to get in invite to hook up with Sam. So I went about my business and left them to make the connection or not. Joey and Max were well-known for their open but committed relationship. I didn’t care one way or another. Quite frankly, I had no time and less energy to give a fuck what anyone else was getting up to in their bedroom.
    I was lost in my grumbling thoughts and concentrating on getting the type of shots I knew they were after when Max spoke.
    “Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?”
    I lowered my camera. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch what you said.”
    He waved a hand in my direction in greeting. “Do you have plans for after we’re done?”
    I sent him and his Joey a tired smile. “Sleep, hopefully.”
    As we wrapped up the shoot, I confirmed the best time for Joey and Max to visit the studio to look at proofs.
    “Or we could come over now, and help you unload… your gear,” Joey murmured.
    Did he just…. As I turned to reply, Max and Joey closed the space between us, leaving me sandwiched between them, and began kissed passionately over my head.
    My sleep-starved brain wasn’t able to keep up. Their actions brought every neurological function to a standstill.
    “Um.” I squeaked, too startled to say much else.
    They both looked down and grinned as I tried to shift to the side. “We want to give you a hand,” Joey explained.
    A sharp voice cut in, “If he needs a hand, I’ll be the one giving it.”
    Max stepped away from my back to face a Brandon like I’d never seen before. And Max appeared determined to make it worse. “Is that so?”
    Barely contained rage exploded in Brandon’s gaze. It was enough to jump-start my vocal cords. “Yes, he’s right. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Brandon.”
    Joey muttered from behind me, “Make a mental note, honey. Your boyfriend isn’t the sort to share.”
    Of course Brandon heard him. “No, I don’t fucking share.” He glared at Max, whose stance clearly conveyed his readiness to intercede if necessary, and scoffed, “Is that what this is about?” The look he turned on me was filled with anger and hurt.
    I wanted to fucking cry. “No, not at all.”
    He stared at me for a heartbeat, then shook his head. “I don’t do scenes like this.”
    “Brandon. Hold on a second and listen.”
    He didn’t stop. Just left without a backward glance.
    I couldn’t fall apart. I had to hold it together. Because regardless of feeling like my heart was being torn from my chest, I couldn’t make this more of a spectacle than it already was. I spun around, wanting to know who had witnessed my personal disaster.
    “I don’t think anyone else was close enough to hear,” Joey assured me in a quiet tone. “This is our fault. We can explain it to him.”
    With a shake of my head, I gathered my gear, said my good-byes, and headed back to Clique. On the way, I tried calling Brandon, only to get his voice mail. I shot off a text asking him to call me. I considered heading to his house