Free Society Girls: Neveah by Crystal Perkins Page B

camera.
    “She’s gone now, so I want you to think
about the girl you want. The one who makes you horny,” the
photographer says.
    “I’m not popping wood for your pictures,” I
tell him with a laugh.
    “You have final photo approval. I promise,”
the owner tells me. “I would like to see what Dylan Gallagher looks
like when he’s thinking of a special woman. That’s what we’re
talking about, isn’t it?”
    “Yeah, she’s special,” I say, and I can’t
help but smile. A real smile, and not just my usual “camera ready”
one.
    I hear the camera clicking as I stare out
the window, turning my body so that my crotch is partially
shadowed. I know sex sells, so I’ll give them some. Just some,
though, not all. Only one women gets all of me. She’s the only one
who’s ever had all of me, and thoughts of her bring out my best.
Both at this photo shoot and in life.
    The shoot ends, and we all gather around to
look at the pictures. There’s no doubt they got what they needed
from the solo shots, and there are a couple of me and the blonde
that work out as well. I choose the solo ones carefully, balancing
my package with my loyalty to Nev. We finally all agree on a
handful, but I hang back when everyone else moves away.
    “You want that one for her, don’t you?” the
photographer asks, pointing to my favorite picture. I didn’t choose
it on purpose because it was too much for me to share with the
world.
    “Can I have it?”
    “Yeah. The boss said I could have any unused
ones. This one belongs to you—and her, whoever she is.”
    “She’s everything.”
    “I think we all got that. Would you like me
to make a print and send it to her?”
    “That would be great.”
    I jot down her work address, and then throw
on my clothes after thanking everyone for their hard work. Eric
falls into step with me as I head for the elevator. He smiling, and
right now I think he has a reason to. Unfortunately, our reasons
don’t coincide.
    “Good news, Dyl,” he says, using the
nickname only my siblings call me. I wince, but he ignores it.
    We’ve had this conversation too many times
already. He knows I don’t like it, but he doesn’t care. He lucked
out by charming me into a contract with him when I was a rookie,
but once I was signed, the charm fell away and his jackassery has
prevailed since then. He’s got me stuck in that contract for
another six months, and then I’m gone. Until then, I have to play
nice so he doesn’t sabotage me from the inside, because I wouldn’t
put it past him.
    “The shoot went well.”
    He waves his hand like it was nothing.
“Yeah, but I’ve got something better.”
    “Okay.”
    “Your co-model has agreed to be your date
for the gala.”
    “Not okay. I told you already that I wasn’t
taking a date.”
    “She’s the hottest thing Hollywood has seen
in years.”
    “She couldn’t keep her hands to herself at
the photo shoot.”
    “Since when has that ever bothered you?”
    “Since now. No. I’m not going with her.”
    “You have to. We’ve already leaked it to the
press.”
    “You what? When?”
    “About an hour ago.”
    Oh fuck, this is not good. I pull my phone
out of my bag, and see the missed texts. Some are from my
teammates, alternately ribbing me and congratulating me on my date.
My mom texts that the blonde seems like a nice girl, my brothers
send me a range of emoticons, and Ellie sends a Snapchat of her
gagging, with the tagline “I heard she’s a bitch.” And then there
it is. One line that sends my heart plummeting.
    My Heaven: Is it true?
    There’s nothing more from her after that
message came in just under an hour ago. I have to call her. Damn
it, I need to do more than that. I need to go to her.
    “I’ve got to get back to Vegas. The gala
will have to go on without me.”
    “You can’t do that!”
    “The hell I can’t.”
    “What about the kids? You do remember you
have mini-camp every afternoon starting tomorrow, right?”
    Damn it. I can’t