“I am. I have a shoot this evening. I have rented out a space at the rooftop gardens downtown. But Tinsley has been in my messages telling me she can’t be my model.” He walked over to his camera bag and started rifling through it. “I thought I had another model’s contact info in here. She was handing out magnets at a meet and greet last year.” He stopped and switched his weight from one foot to the other.

Axel hopped up onto the velvet chair Austin had in his bedroom sitting area.

After I followed my dog, I sat on the edge of the chair. When I looked back at Austin, he was tilting his head, looking hard at my face. “Can I see something?”

“Sure.” I held still while he pulled out his phone and took a few pictures of my face. When he scrolled back through to review them, he went quiet. He was quiet for so long, I had to remind him that I still didn’t know what the hell he was thinking about. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Well, this brand I’m working with really liked Tinsley’s style for their lip balm campaign, but I think you could work. If you were willing. It would really, really help me.”

I already knew I'd say yes. This man could ask me to jump a mountain and I'd try.

“Is Tinsley okay? You didn’t mention why she can’t do it.”

Austin took a deep breath before answering. “She knows that I went to help Endgame last night and she’s mad.”

“Oh. Okay. Will she be mad at me if I do this for you?” That would suck because Tinsley was cool and I really liked the vibe we had together when we had hung out.

“No. She makes sure to hold the grudge with whomever it truly belongs to.” He took a few more shots and I started to feel my skin heat up with his scrutiny.

“She wants you to leave him there? With Julian?” That seemed like a horrible idea considering how much of a beating he took.

“Tinsley wants me to let him experience the consequences of his own actions.” Austin set his phone down and motioned for me to follow him into his huge closet.

“She has a point.” I waited in the center of the small room as Austin pulled dresses and hung them on the garment rack.

“I know she just wants what’s best for me. I get that. But in the heat of the moment, when I knew his safety was in jeopardy, it really was hard to draw a line in the sand.” He pulled out a white off-the-shoulder outfit with see-through cut-outs in the legs.

I took it from him and he turned his back. Oh. He wanted me to change right here. And my privacy would be his turned head. I contemplated my choices.