Camera Shy (Lessons in Love, #1)(37)

“That’s awfully considerate of you.”

“Well, I respect hot people problems, you know? It’s not like I have them, but I respect them.” Avery snorts at her little joke while I plunge into the water without testing the temperature. I know the heat is turned all the way up the way Avery’s skin is so pink and raw.

“Do you work out?” I ask.

Avery rolls her eyes. “Finn, you’ve seen me pretty much naked. You know the answer to that question.”

“I don’t know the answer. That’s why I asked.”

Avery flicks a little water in my direction across the tub. “I like to walk sometimes, but that’s about it.”

“I work out a lot.”

“Shocking,” she says with a wink.

“Not to look good,” I admit. “For stress relief. It’s the only way I can work out my anxiety and frustration. So you may see a hot body”—I gesture to my chest—“but this is all the product of a lot of shitty stuff I’m working through.” I shrug. “Looks can be deceiving.”

Her smirk flattens, and the corners of her lips turn down in concern. “What stuff?”

“Nope. Not going there tonight. The hot tub is for relaxation.” I waggle my finger at her before I wade across the tub to stretch out my legs, and quickly return to the six-pack I brought. I pop the lid on two Alaskan Ambers and hand Avery one. I stay standing, lingering by her side. “How was your day?”

“Good,” she says, smiling wide.

I’m silent as I take a swig from my beer. But she doesn’t continue. She clearly doesn’t like being the center of attention. “What did you do?”

“I just worked a little.”

“On what?”

She lets out a little huff of annoyance, understanding what I’m doing. I’m trying to get her to talk. I’m trying to give her some much-needed attention.

“I think I accidentally overfed one of Dex’s fish today. I feed his saltwater fish this nutrient thing from an eye dropper every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It ate and then went belly up for a minute but seems to be okay now…I think.” Her eyes widen in concern. “I don’t know, actually. It’s not like I can reach in there and snuggle the damn thing. I didn’t realize how high-maintenance fish are.”

I laugh. “Just Dex’s fish. They are all exotic.”

“Yeah, I really didn’t know what I was getting into when I said I’d help. I have to feed them and check their water temperature twice a day. The auto lights over the tanks upstairs are broken, so I have to adjust them manually until they get repaired.” She shrugs her shoulders, unintentionally pushing her breasts together. I don’t even bother looking away. I thoroughly enjoy the view of her cleavage in a black bikini halter top. “I’m just going to say it—Dex hustled me.”

We both break out in laughter. Dex is the kindest, goofiest dodo on the planet. It’s from all the years of breathing in an oxygen tank underwater. He couldn’t hustle someone if he tried.

“How much is he paying you?”

“Nada. Free rent for the summer.” Avery licks her lips before she hangs her head. “I would’ve done anything to get away from home.”

I suck down half my beer in one glug. “I take it you live with Mason?”

“Yep.”

“What’s your game plan when the summer is over then?”

She drops her jaw before showing me a cute pout. “I thought we said the hot tub was for relaxation?”

“True.”

She drains her bottle and I move across her to get us another round, but she stops me. “Wait, I want a clear head when I talk to you tonight.”

“Oh? About?”

“After I unintentionally poisoned Dex’s fish this morning, I did run an audit on your website…your entire business actually. I went through your service page and looked at the packages you offer.”

I grumble. So much for relaxing. “All right, tell me. What am I doing wrong?”

I watch her entire demeanor change. Her shoulders straighten. She sits up a little higher. Even her chin slightly elevates. This is exactly what it looks like when a queen is about to give a command.

“You’re not doing anything wrong. Your portfolio is great, but you are missing out on a lot of opportunities for revenue. First and foremost, you’re not charging enough for any of your services. Second, you have headshots, family portraits, and boudoir photography on the same service pages.” She purses her lips and shakes her head. “I understand the need to be versatile, but you have to separate your boudoir clients. My suggestion is to keep your current website and place a link to a private site—eighteen and up. Require an age confirmation for entry and then show a warning of explicit images. All tasteful examples. Tease the idea, don’t become a landing page for perverts. But I think you need to demonstrate that you are capable of more risqué shoots. You said you photograph full nudity sometimes, right? I checked out your competition. They are far more forward with the services they provide. Bold sexuality and female empowerment are welcome in the current market. Women don’t want to hide anymore. It’s a great time to be in boudoir photography. You just have to give your potential clients a way to find you.”