"You do?" I asked weakly, shocked at her words.
"Yes!" she almost shouted, grabbing my head in her hands again, "Have you not been paying attention to how crazy I am about you? You are so sweet and caring, smart and thoughtful. You make me feel special, beautiful, safe. Every second I am with you, I can't keep myself from touching you, kissing you, making love to you! I have never felt like this about anyone else before! Or that I ever will again."
"But... But..." I stuttered, trying to think of an appropriate response but my brain had stopped working!
"No buts," she continued, staring into my eyes with anger and passion, "You could be the poorest guy in the world, and I would still love you! You don't have to be like that loser; I like you the way you are. It's you I fell for. No other stupid, handsome guy, with a perfect smile, or a great body, is going to change that! I like my man with all of his flaws and shortcomings. He is mine, and that's all that matters."
She was almost breathless when she finished her rant. Her eyes were glimmering with anger, even some tears. Her cheeks were flushed red, "And I know you feel the same way about me, right?"
"I love you too..." I whispered in a low voice and just nodded numbly, completely blown away by the force of her passion. "I just can't believe that I am so lucky to have you."
"God! You really are an idiot.," she whispered before pulling me towards her again, pressing her lips against mine in a heated kiss. We sat there kissing furiously for a while until we had to pull apart to catch our breath, "So no more doubts and insecurities."
"Ok... No more insecurities, I promise," I said, nodding my head.
"No more panicking about your bully or whatever," she stated, narrowing her eyes at me.
"I won't."
"And we are attending the shoot tomorrow," she concluded firmly.
"Ummm... Do we really have to?" I muttered awkwardly, "I mean I still hate the idea of Samar even looking at you!"
"Ignore him. You are a brilliant photographer. I know that already. You just need to impress his uncle for an internship or something," she said firmly.
"Ok... is that all, or do you have some other orders for me now?" I joked, hoping to lighten the mood.
"One last thing," she laughed and kissed my cheek before climbing out of the bed, "Both of us haven't had anything to eat all day, so first you need to take me out for dinner, mister. You don't know how to appreciate your girlfriend!"
"Done!"
"And when we get back, you are going to make love to me, hard, again and again and again, until there is no doubt in your mind about how much I want you!"
"Really?" I asked in surprise as I followed her out of bed.
"Yes, dumbo... Really!" She patted my head mockingly before turning around to go change, "I think you might be the most clueless guy ever, but you are MY clueless guy!"
***
That night, Ileana made sure to show me that she really loved me. She must've moaned out, "Oh God! Vivaan... I love you!" at least two dozen times. I knew she was just doing it to make me feel more confident, but honestly, hearing those words come out of her lips while she was in the throes of ecstacy and cumming over and over again was the ultimate ego boost!
So I was pumped to meet one of my idols, Nikunj Anand, and maybe impress him with my photography skills!
***
It was still a bit dark and probably an hour before sunrise by the time we reached the spot that Samar had messaged Ileana about. It was set up near a beach, just off the beach, right next to the water.
"So, are you ready to meet him?" she asked me, staring into my eyes and looking for any signs of hesitation or panic.
"Abso-fucking-lutely!" I grinned at her.
"That's my man!" Ileana winked, before pulling me into a kiss. Her lips brushing against mine, our tongues brushing together for a moment before we both pulled apart.
"Now, I think we shouldn't mention that we are dating. Keep it professional?" Ileana said, as we rounded a bunch of trees, "Mr. Anand seems like a nice enough guy. We'll tell him that you're my rep, or something, so if he wants to shoot me, he needs to give you a chance too!"
"Sounds like a plan," I agreed. It wasn't a good plan, though. Mr. Anand didn't need to give in to her demands. He was way too big for that.
"Hey! You're here!" A familiar, irritating voice called over to us, and I could see a silhouette of Samar. In the back, I could see the portly figure of Mr. Anand, standing with another guy, who was setting up the lights. A couple of small shacks in the background had their lights on.
There were two other girls, who I couldn't recognize from the distance, both models for the shoot probably, who seemed to be busy on their phones.
Ileana stepped forward and waved at Samar, "Hi! Good morning."
While I wore a pair of comfortable pants and a loose T-shirt, Ileana went with an oversized sweatshirt of mine, on top of a pair of pink shorts and sneakers. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She had applied no makeup at all, yet she still managed to look gorgeous.
"Well... good morning beautiful!" Samar chuckled, checking her out before stepping forward to kiss her cheek. That made me grit my teeth in annoyance.
It was only then that he glanced at me and did a double take, "Vivaan?! What are you doing here?"
"Ummm.. this is my rep," Ileana replied quickly, "I did message you about him last night!"
"Oh... of course," Samar turned to me with a fake smile and shrugged, "Sorry Vivaan! You were the last guy I expected to see here. I expected a professional, of course."
"Sam," Mr. Anand's booming voice called over, "Is that the girl from yesterday?"
"Yes, Uncle. She's here," Sam replied with a polite nod.
"Sam, you can go help out Varun. I'll explain to her the setup." The older portly gentleman stepped up as Sam rushed off to help Varun. Mr. Anand held out his hand, "Hello, my dear! I'm Nikunj Anand. I am glad you were able to make it."
"Oh... ummm... Hi!" Ileana shook his hand awkwardly, surprised at the sudden introduction.
"Wow! Now that I've had a good look at you, I can see that my nephew wasn't joking. You do look great," Nikunj laughed, staring at her face for a moment before releasing her hand, "You are the perfect girl we need right now. I always look for a fresh face for my calendar and you could just be the one."
"Mr. Anand, I'm Vivaan, Ileana's photographer and rep, or agent, if you prefer," I spoke up, trying to be assertive, "I could help out on the shoot if you want, as an intern. I can handle the equipment..."
"Oh, no, no, no..." Mr. Anand laughed and waved me off dismissively, "My assistant, Varun here is the only one who helps me with all the shots. We have a very strict timetable. I appreciate your zeal, son. But I can't just take in someone I know nothing about. I can barely handle one intern, as is, Sam over there. However, if you want to watch, and learn, you can observe."
"But... But..." I tried to interrupt, but Mr. Anand just turned his attention back to Ileana.
"So, the shoot is for two days. Me and Varun will be busy with Rosanne and Simi today. To take the pictures when the light is right," he explained, waving towards the two beautiful girls in the back, "You'll model for me tomorrow, IF you have what it takes!"
"If?" Ileana asked nervously.
"Did you assume that I'll take you as my model before I can assess how good you really look in some of swimwear. We first have to do a test shoot." Mr. Anand continued, "I usually let Sam handle those. He can do the test shots, and we can check those out in the afternoon. If it works out, then great, if not, then it'll be a tough break, kid!"
"Uhmm... What if Vivaan takes the test shots along with Sam?" Ileana immediately suggested, "I mean, I am more comfortable with him. He is extremely good and you could assess both of us at the same time." She had this captivating smile, full of confidence, and even a bit of arrogance.
Mr. Anand raised an eyebrow at her determined expression, and she didn't back down, "Sam told me that you needed another model. This way, you may get your model, and as a bonus, a good intern too."
Man, her smile was devastating. I couldn't believe the way she was handling the situation.
"Fine..." Mr. Anand laughed and shrugged, "I like your passion, kid. And It's not like you're giving us much of a choice, right?" he chuckled at her, "I'll be a sport and give the boy a chance to show me what he's got! But I have to warn you, warn both of you, don't let me down. I don't have time to waste on idle claims. I've been mentoring Sam for more than a year. He's got a good eye. He's going to be hard to beat."
"I am one hundred percent sure that you'll be pleasantly surprised. You'll have to keep an open mind, though," Ileana persisted.
"She's a feisty one, isn't she," Mr. Anand gave me a smirk and shook his head confidently, "I am a fair man. If that does happen, then we can discuss an internship with me. Fair deal?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!" Ileana replied excitedly, "So, what do we do next?"
Mr. Anand directed Ileana to one of the shacks in the back, where his makeup crew was stationed. He asked Ileana to finish her makeup with his assistants and join Sam, who would then suggest what she would wear. Then, a shout from his assistant, Varun, called him over and he turned around and quickly headed back to the other two models. I saw him say something to Samar, who was clearly not happy with things.
"See you in a bit!" Ileana winked at me and headed inside, leaving me standing around alone outside the shack. Minutes later, though, a furious looking Samar rushed over to me.
"I don't know what you're playing at, Vivaan," he growled angrily at me, "How the hell did you convince Uncle to give you a shot? But I've always been the better photographer, and this is just another chance for me to show you your place."
***
It was a good half hour, while we both waited for Ileana outside the shack. The other models were already ready and posing for Mr. Anand by the water. But Sam and I sat sullenly with not a word between us, until Ileana called out that she would be ready in a few.
"So, how do you want to do this?" Sam asked me with an air of indifference. "I mean we're only going to have good lighting for about an hour and a half, and I don't want a buffoon like you getting in my way, or distracting my model!"
"I am not a buffoon, Sam, and you know it. I know how to shoot!" I snapped back at him.
"Well, that's up for debate," Samar sneered and shrugged his shoulders, "Look, this is what we'll do. There is a nice little cove a little bit away, just around those rocks over there, with nice, high trees in the background, hiding it away. Let's do it there so we don't disturb Uncle. Each of us gets 45 minutes with Ileana, while the other hangs out near Uncle, so that way you don't cheat and steal ideas!"
"Fine... whatever. But who goes first?" I asked knowing that the light would be best at the start of sunrise, making it an unfair deal.
"I'm the professional here, so naturally I go first," Samar replied confidently. I nodded in agreement. He continued, "And before she comes out, let's go pick out the bikini we want her to wear."
"We're making her change between our shoots?" I asked him with a look of confusion. Sam just grinned at me and headed inside the shack.
"A good photographer should know his model and what would look good on her and also what suits the setting. So, no, you don't get to see my selection for her," he said by way of explanation, "And this is supposed to be a steamy tropical summer shoot, not some stupid Holi or Navratri photo collection you've been posting on Insta!"
I bit my lip and waited for him to come out with his selection a few minutes later, before heading in.
I saw a small chest in one corner and several racks of bikinis, swimsuits, shorts and shirts for the models to select from. There were way too many options, and I was confused within seconds. I had never shot anything like this before and was unsure what to pick.
"What's taking you so long?" Samar poked his head back inside with an impatient look on his face, "She's going to be out any minute. We are going to miss the sunrise!"
"Just a minute!" I shouted back and rummaged through the stuff quickly, until a wide grin appeared on my face! 'Perfect!' I thought to myself.
"About time!" Samar muttered in irritation when I emerged with a small bag in my hand.
"Oh, and one more thing, I have no idea how a loser like you ended up becoming her 'agent'!" he added, making finger air-quotes when he said the word agent, "But I promise that by the end of the shoot, she's going to be dumping your sorry ass for a private shoot with me! If you know what I mean!"
"Hey guys! Sorry for keeping you waiting," Ileana's voice cut through my retort. Both Samar and I turned around to see her stepping out of the shack.
My heart skipped a beat and Samar's jaw dropped as he stared at her. I couldn't blame him. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Her long hair had been styled into loose, wavy curls and hung down to the small of her back. Her beautiful eyes were accentuated by a touch of black mascara and eyeshadow.
Samar wasted no time in getting over his initial surprise and quickly ushered her off towards the cove hidden behind the trees.
I watched them go in silence, knowing I would get my chance after 45 minutes, and turned around to head over to Mr. Anand's set, hoping to learn something new from such a huge professional.
***
Mr. Anand was a genius with the way he could bring out the sensual and sexy sides of his models with just a few simple words and gestures. I watched in fascination and made some quick mental notes on his techniques, and the poses that he was commanding, while also trying to sneak a few nervous glances back at where Sam and Ileana were shooting.
I glanced at my watch, there were still 10 minutes left before their session ended. And with every minute ticking away I could feel myself getting more nervous and oddly excited. I had a good plan--I hoped--but I wasn't really sure how it would work out until I were to try it out.
The sun was now out, the soft morning light was shining down on the beach. I couldn't help but plan for which poses Ileana would look best in this lighting. Should I just chuck it and do the same kind of poses Mr. Anand was using? Would he judge me if I copied him!
I was lost in thought when a hand brushed my shoulder and I looked up to see Mr. Anand standing beside me. I glanced back to see that he had asked the girls for a costume change behind the makeshift tent.
"Nervous?" he asked, breaking me out of my reverie.
"Uh... a bit," I replied honestly, "Your shoot was amazing. I mean the way you guided and directed them. It was really impressive."
"It comes with years of experience," he chuckled, "But your shoot will also be great. You are in love with that girl, right?"
"Ummm.... Well...errrr... we aren't," I stuttered, surprised at how quickly he seemed to have found me out.
"It's written all over your face, kid!" He laughed again, clapping me on my shoulder. "And it is obvious from the way she defended you and bargained for you with me. Don't worry, I know you aren't her 'agent'! Nor is she a professional model."
I was stunned at how perceptive he was. I was about to deny it again but then just nodded, blushing furiously.
"I started this way too, you know. I was quite young, and my wife, who was then my girlfriend, was my first model. We used to have so much fun taking those pictures!" Mr. Anand continued, lost in memories of his youth, "I can see some kind of spark in the two of you. So, I'll give you an honest shot at this. My advice would be to go with your instincts. She's absolutely gorgeous, so you lucked out there, and I hope you chose the right outfit. But the key advice I have for any sexy shoot is that you just need to bring out the 'Inner Slut' in your model!"
My eyes went wide at his words. Was he serious? Her Inner Slut?
"Make her feel sexy," he winked, "Get her in the mood. Make her want to tease you a bit. But she needs to be shy at the same time. And you'll have it!"
He turned around to walk away, leaving me with my thoughts. His parting words were, "And don't try to copy me. That'll just piss me off."
"I won't," I replied while wondering at his suggestion. 'The inner slut', that had me thinking about some things!
***
"Hey! Your turn!" Sam called out to me, walking around the treeline on the dot at 45 minutes. Despite me hating the guy, he seemed to be playing fair.
"She's a natural, dude! I've never met someone like her. She's so hot and yet so pure!" he added with a whistle. His eyes flicking back to where Ileana was waiting, "Uncle will have a blast, shooting her tomorrow! I think we have the next big thing on our hands."
He was in such a happy mood that he barely registered my words, "So I have 45 minutes alone with her? No one will disturb us, right?"
"Yeah... yeah... I'll be busy helping with Rosanne and Simi," he waved to the other side of the cove, "We'll all be busy with the post-shoot editing and stuff, in the van! So, I wager you have two hours if you want. Though I doubt the light will be any good after the first hour!"
"Awesome. Then make it two hours. No one interrupts!" I nodded firmly, and he rolled his eyes at me.
"Extra time won't help you, my man. But I'll give you a decent shot if you want. For the next two hours, I'll make sure no one interrupts your little private shoot!" Sam replied with a smirk, "But seriously, don't bother! Judging by the looks she was giving my rock-hard abs during the shoot, the girl is already mine."
I shook my head at his cocky attitude, before heading towards Ileana, wondering what Sam had meant by those words, 'She's so hot and yet so pure!'
***
"Vivaan!" Ileana called out to me with a beaming smile the moment she saw me. She was sitting on one of the rocks near the beach, her beautiful figure silhouetted against the sun behind her.
He wasn't wrong. He'd dressed her in a sexy orange bikini that hugged her curves perfectly. Thin straps supporting two tiny triangles of cloth, showing off her huge tits and ample cleavage in the most perfect way. Her toned body shimmered with oil, glistening under the early sunlight. And her dark black hair contrasted beautifully with her tan.
God damn! She looked hot!
"I'm sorry..." she frowned and apologized as I walked up to her.
"Sorry for what?" I raised an eyebrow at her as I quickly dropped the bag and unzipped it.
"I was fully intent on being a perfectly horrible model for Sam. But he was so damn professional about it once the camera started clicking that I didn't have the heart to cheat and make him lose," she said with a look of disappointment, "I can tell you that he took some really good pics of me!"
"Don't worry about it. If I don't win this thing fair and square, then I wouldn't accept the victory. There is no honour in it," I smiled at her as I handed her the bag with her outfit, "Go quickly and change. We're running out of good light."
She just grinned at me, seemingly proud of my answer, took the bag from my hands, and rushed to the back of the shack to change. Meanwhile, I surveyed the location for some good spots. The shack was built just like the other shacks, and there was a large mat behind it, probably kept out by the crew. I quickly decided that this angle would look really bad, so I turned to the other side.
I quickly noted a few spots by the rocks that looked good for our shoot, but I was sure Samar would have selected them, probably. Then my eyes landed on a large log, around 2 feet wide and a few feet across, which seemed to be bobbing up and down at the edge of the water, just a little distance away.