Chapter 134 A Rugged Cowboy
Unlike Byron’s jacket fitting, the tailoring of Carter’s new fashion line went smoothly, and everyone agreed the new designs suited him. They were rugged, masculine, and practical.
Emily chose an outdoor location for his first photo shoot. She felt Carter would be more comfortable outdoors rather than in a studio, and it made for an appropriate background for the kind of clothes she had created for him.
She envisioned a sort of cowboy or adventurer type like the models from the classic Camel cigarette ads.
The design and photography teams met up outside a classic log farmhouse. Horses grazed in the background, and a pine forest stretched out beyond.
Katie had to be there of course, overseeing everything. Emily wondered when the kid found the time to do her homework.
“If it isn’t the face of Freerange Rider,” Emily greeted Carter when he arrived on his motorcycle.
“It’s not just the face, but the whole package,” he bragged.
“All right, you can change over there,” Emily said, pointing to a tiny booth that was set up for him. “And have fun on your first photoshoot!”
“Thanks, Emily,” he said, “I really appreciate the work. Helps me pay the bills and stay here on the west coast. If there’s anything I can ever do for you…”
“Just do a good job on the shoot,” she said, giving him a friendly smile.
“Oh, I will do, baby,” he replied with his usual ridiculous confidence.
Carter really was a natural. When he came out of the changing booth and starting posing in his jeans and suede jacket, the photographer had nothing but praise. Carter leaned on the wooden fence of the horse enclosure, then walked around looking free and independent, then sat down on the porch, giving the camera a few smoldering stares.
Emily could already see the looks were coming together. When the photographer, a short young woman with purple-dyed hair, gave Emily the thumbs up, it just confirmed what she was thinking.
“Thanks, Carter,” the photographer said. “Take a break while I look through these shots.”
Carter went over to the other side of the porch, where Emily and Katie were sitting. Katie was doing some paper work, but she paused for a moment to say, “Good work out there. You need a touch-up on your powder.”
She went to get the makeup artist.
“I always meet really cool people at your parties,” Carter said, settling down beside Emily. “I’m so glad I met Katie… And thanks again for this modeling work. I can’t believe how much you guys are paying me!”
“I like my models to be well paid,” Emily said. “And I’m glad you like the work.”
Katie came back with the makeup lady, who dabbed at Carter’s face with some swabs.
“Are you kidding?” Carter said enthusiastically, “I could do this for a few weeks and then go skiing all winter without worrying about money.”
Katie’s face fell as he said this. It was clear she had wanted Carter to stick to the modeling work as a more permanent career instead of his usual piecemeal way of getting work whenever he could or whenever he felt like it.
Maybe Carter really did embody the Freerange Rider, and no woman could tame him.
“Are you sure you don’t want to give modeling a chance?” Katie asked. “You could make so much more if you got an agent and made a career of it.”
“It’s not going to work for my lifestyle, babe,” Carter said, “I need to be out there in the wilderness, doing my thing.”
“Okay…” Katie looked even more glum.
He went back to the set, while Emily put her hand on Katie’s shoulder.
“I guess he’s never going to be a billionaire,” Emily remarked. “You gave it your best shot, though.”
“Yeah,” Katie said, swiping at a lock of hair that whipped in the wind. “It’s okay, I half expected Carter to say something like that. I guess I learned that some guys can’t be changed, no matter how hard you try.”
“And you still have Brandon, who is perfect in every way?”
“Yeah, I really like him. Maybe the bad boys are not for me after all.”
Katie was not as lively after that for the rest of the shoot, and Emily knew she was disappointed even if she tried not to show it. Brandon seemed like a promising young man, though, and Emily hoped that dating him would cheer her friend up.
