It had been an ingenious suggestion there too. Everyone was playing with “revamp,” given Natalie and our friends did that to the clothes, but the puns since vampires were real was too much. Recast had that magical hint but didn’t scream it.
I arrived with Mel and Izzy fairly early since the goal was to have as many lighting options as possible. Plus, the hobgoblins had snuck in some new designs they wanted to launch as coming soon for fall. And of course they were clothes for business and would place me in the setting perfect for also saying I was the owner.
Mel had worried saying it so loudly could backfire but I agreed, even if I didn’t like the attention. There would be no taking it back or brushing it aside. The councils kept assuming that it was only me standing before them and there was no one at my back. Or that I didn’t have any pull as they didn’t know the estate and assets.
It was time to make them take a step back and want to reassess before making their next move.
The photographer Katrina Calloway had hired for the first shoot was who we were mainly using again. He was great, but uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting for the wrong reasons. That was fair, and we appreciated him being honest, so this time we weren’t saying it was him.
I hoped Izzy could take over for him soon. She needed just a bit more experience, but had also worked hard all summer and taken some online photography classes. She loved it and it was… Cathartic for her? It was something her parents would never have allowed and she loved. She could make a career and life from it, free of them, and not being my “sidekick” as several people accused her.
It was funny that she didn’t hate being called that. She had simply said she wanted a fabulous costume then.
We had all died laughing. That was so Izzy to say.
The photographer was already hard at work with his team, getting as many early morning shots as he could. We started on the beach with me running and the resort in the background, plus a few with all the water crafts available for rent.
Next was the ultra luxurious and super inviting pool. I had learned to swim officially with one of my guards, Zack, teaching me for real. I had “learned” when staying with an abusive foster family that used to toss me in their pond, but honestly, it wasn’t much more than a doggy paddle sort of ugly… Thing. I was glad I really knew now and loved swimming.
There was just something so cleansing about water that I couldn’t get enough of. So I simply wanted to use the pool, and I didn’t care if they took all the pictures they wanted. They put me in a seductive one piece that had a lot cut away, but wasn’t over-the-top. I actually liked it a lot.
I had to wait a few minutes though, as they wanted one shot of me diving in, but once they gave me the green light, I didn’t hold back. Though I had forgotten he had said someone on his team would do underwater shots because when I opened my eyes and saw someone else already underwater, I had almost freaked out. I kept it together and surfaced at the right spot they wanted me to, pulling myself up and holding there.
“Perfect, you’re perfect, and so easy to work with, hon,” the photographer praised when they got it all in one take. He waved me out to change and focused on Izzy, going over her shots and giving her some pointers.
I really liked him for that. He was awesome enough not to be territorial and selfish. I knew Izzy sent him stuff on the side for feedback and looked to him like a mentor.
That sort of nice behavior should be rewarded, which was why I bought dozens of his prints from his personal collection online and used them to decorate the havens. It was a perfect fit as they were all relaxing and gorgeous.
We needed that after what those women had been through.
Next was a very pretty bikini and he had me lay so my head was at the foot of the chase lounge with my feet perched at the head. The goal was to show off my toned legs, plus the bikini, but he also had my hair hanging off and cascading into the water, which I thought was cool.
The fourth was a racing suit with shorts, full coverage, and honestly was pretty slick. The shots were of me popping up as I swam, so easy on me.
The last was not as easy. This was the super sexy, super typical, smaller bikini and shot coming out of the water. It wasn’t over-the-top, but it was more than I was comfortable with the supe world seeing of me.
So was the lingerie, but I’d have to get over it.
“Holy fuck me,” a guy groaned from off to my left as I stepped out of the water. “She’s single now, right? She broke up with the vampire?”
“Darby,” a different guy said. “Yeah, I think they’re done, but they’re private, so there wasn’t the official announcement like we’re used to.”
“Right, Darby. Good guy, but I’m not sad for him if she’s back on the market,” the first said with a chuckle. “I want to lick every fucking inch of her and—”
“Shut up,” Hudson snapped. “She can hear you.”
“Let’s go again,” the photographer said, clearly getting why I messed up the shot.
Whoops. I hadn’t even realized I had stopped walking. I glared over at the gathered group to let them know Hudson was right and
