“Not when you’re calling.”
“Put it on speaker,” Gabi whispers.
I pull my phone away and put it on speaker so the girls hear.
“Charmer as always,” Lucas says. The girls all listen intently. “So, are you ready?” he asks.
“For what?”
“The photoshoot,” he clarifies. “I know you’ve never done one before, and I wanted to check in on you. I would hate for you to embarrass yourself or anything.”
I press my lips, glancing at Leila to prove to her that her ‘friend’ manages to get on every one of my nerves.
“Don’t worry,” I reply. “It’s just a photoshoot. You do it. How hard can it be?”
He laughs, and the sound radiates through the room. It’s smooth and husky, and I hate it. “Very hard,princesa.” The girls widen their eyes at the term, and I look away, my cheeks feeling hot.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll see about that,” he says. “The photo shoot is at ten. Don’t be late.”
I let out a scoff. “I’m never late.”
“Are you sure?” he says. “It would be very unprofessional for the crew to have to wait for you.”
“Trust me,” I say, my eyes narrowing. “I’ll be the first one there.”
He chuckles again. “Can’t wait. I’m heading into the gym now. But if you change your mind and decide to ask for my help for the photo shoot, I’ll expect a please.”
“I don’t need your help,” I reassure him. “I have class in a few hours, and as fun as this was, I’m going to hang up and go back to sleep.”
He hums. “Night. Dream of me.” I can picture the stupid grin on his face, and I resist the urge to groan.
“That would be a nightmare,” I say into the phone before I hang up.
“Well,” Gabi says. “That was… interesting.”
“He calls you princess?” Rosie asks, smiling.
She’s so sweet it hurts. I mean, her boyfriend calls herangel. “Hate to break it to you, but he doesn’t use that in a good way.” Lucas’ term is laced with sarcasm, reminding me that he thinks I’m a princess who gets everything my way.
“Lucas was right, though,” Leila says. “Photoshoots can be hard for someone who’s never done them.”
I know that. I was just trying to get under his skin like he has mine, but the thought of asking him for help is not an option. I give Leila my sweetest smile and flutter my eyelashes at her. “Help me?”
She laughs. “Of course I will.”
I let out a breath. I’m going to show up at that photoshoot and prove to Lucas that I don’t need his help, nor will I ever beg for it.
He’s going to eat his words, and I can’t fucking wait.
Chapter 10
Picture perfect
“You’re late.”
Lucas startles when he hears my voice and glances down at his watch. When he lifts his head, his glare stabs through me. “It’s ten thirty-five.”
