When supermodel Brandi Knox is hired for a tropical-themed magazine spread, she insists on having her favorite photographer, Justin Malone, do the job. He arranges the shoot on Sunset Key, near Key West. The two have been involved on and off for several years, in a friends-with-benefits situation. This time, their feelings for each other seem to have developed into something deeper. When the sun finally sets on their latest assignment, will they still be just friends, or something more?
“That’s perfect!” Justin said. “Hold that pose!”
He took a few quick steps closer to Brandi, focused his camera on her lithe, bikinied frame resting against a palm tree, and took several shots from different angles. He zoomed in to get some close-ups of her face, accented by high cheekbones, a button nose, and shoulder-length brown hair. Her brown skin had taken on a sheen from the humidity and perfectly contrasted with her white string bikini.
“Now face the tree, toss your hair back and give me one of those over the shoulder, come-hither looks.”
She smiled as she got into position. “You mean the look that always gets you hot?”
“Me and every other red-blooded male, babe.”
He took a few shots from different distances and angles. “How about that other pose, with your leg cocked and your hand on your hip.”
Brandi rested her weight on her right leg, cocked her left leg inward, rested her hand on her hip and looked over her shoulder again, giving him her patented smile. “Like this?”
“Perfect.” Justin snapped a few shots, then glanced around the immediate area to make sure they were alone before making his next request. “Show some cheek.”
Brandi looked astonished. “You can’t use that for the magazine!”
“It isn’t for the magazine, it’s for me.”
She sighed while pulling down one side of her bikini bottom. “You always were a naughty boy.”
“Yeah, but you’re still crazy about me.” He lined up the shot and squeezed the shutter a couple of times. “Come on, Brandi, show a little more ass. Make it provocative.”
“Provocative or pornographic?”
“There’s a difference?”
Brandi hooked her thumb in the other side of her bathing suit, pulled it down to completely expose her butt, then resumed her one-leg weight-bearing pose while giving a sultry over-the-shoulder smile. Justin took a few more shots then decided they’d done enough for one day. “That’s a wrap.”
Brandi gathered up her white mesh throw and sandals while Justin fluffed his hair, which was damp with sweat. He walked to the water’s edge. Sunset Key was a small island a short distance from Key West. He focused his camera on the crowded outdoor deck of The Westin Resort on Key West and took a few shots. He refocused, then took some pics of the numerous sailboats against the bright blue-sky backdrop in the Gulf of Mexico.
Brandi joined him and looked ahead. “Only five-hundred yards away, yet it seems like a whole other world.”
“This entire place is like a whole other world.”
“This isn’t one of the original Keys, is it?”
“No, it’s a man-made island. The U.S. Navy built it in the 1960’s as a fueling station for submarines, but when that plan fell through, it was eventually sold to a private owner.”
“Who?”
Justin pointed at the resort hotel across the water. “That one. They built these cottages and restaurant and turned it into a sort of boutique resort.”
He placed the camera into his gadget bag, slung it over his shoulder, then accompanied Brandi along the white beach to Latitudes Restaurant. They climbed the steps to the open-air deck surrounded by palm trees, and took seats. The overhead ceiling fans slowly gyrated, expelling some of the heat.
“Did you get anything good?” she asked.
Justin retrieved his digital camera and reviewed the shots. A smile spread across his face as he viewed each one. Brandi has to be one of the prettiest models I’ve ever photographed. I’m glad I snared this assignment with her. His smile broadened when he came to the shots of her exposed butt.
He held the camera for her to look at. “Best ones I got all day.”
She groaned and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you want more pics of my ass. You’ve already got a portfolio full of them.”
“You can never have too much of a good thing.”
He continued scanning the pics until he found some they had taken earlier. Brandi wore a light blue sarong with a floral pattern, her hair pulled into a bun with a few strands carelessly outlining her face. In the first frames, she walked barefoot along the beach at the water’s edge. He stopped scrolling when he came to a close-up shot. Brandi stood next to a hibiscus bush and held one of the pink and white blooms near her nose, with her eyes partially closed and a trace of a smile adorning her face. He held the camera out for her to see.
“Actually, this is the best one,” he said. “It captures your true essence.”
Brandi stared at the image for a few moments and smiled. “I like it, but what essence does it capture?”
“A degree of innocence with a bit of sultriness. You look very attractive and sexy, just out for a walk on the beach, but you’re stopping to enjoy the simple things, like the scent of a hibiscus bloom. It’s very down-to-earth and realistic.”
