Perfect Snapshots: Episode Nineteen: Perfect Straight Man

Back

Next

---

---

Episode Nineteen: Perfect Straight Man

---

That evening we spent hours pleasuring each other. Bella indulged my intense need to kiss her. She didn't seem to mind in the least. We fucked three times, twice before bed and once in the middle of the night. She started that particular time, her hand wrapping around my erection in her sleep. Then she began to massage it until I was practically vibrating in place. I didn't know what to do with myself until I finally gave in to my urge to kiss her neck. 

She moaned, her eyes fluttering open as she continued to play with me. I wasn't sure she was really awake, but she pulled me towards her in a forceful kiss. I could barely get the condom on fast enough before she slammed down on me. Bella gave herself two orgasms while on top with her fingers between her legs.  

And when she finally pulled herself off of me, I devoured her. I loved the feeling of her knees on my shoulders, her fingers tight in my hair as she called out my name over and over again.  

When I got back to sleep, it was some of the best rest that I had gotten in ages. Bella's warm ass was pressed against me. It was like she was designed to fit right there. 

I didn't know what the ringing was that woke me up. It wasn't my phone. Bella slapped her hand over on the dresser for her cell, her eyes shut tight.  

“Yeah?” She moaned when she answered it, her eyes still closed. 

“Did I wake you?” Bella pulled the phone away from her face and frowned at the loud voice. 

“Yes,” she pouted. 

“Bitch, on a weekday? It's almost lunchtime.” It was an odd male voice. 

“Well, in LA it's fucking early, bitch,” she said back very sarcastically. She looked at me and kind of shook her head. 

“Oh, you're in LA? I thought that was last week.”

“I'm on vacation.”

“Why didn't you tell me! I'm so jealous! I was going to ask you to lunch since I'm in Queens today for a doctor's appointment.”

“You should take Al to arepas since I won't be there two Fridays in a row. It's her favorite right now,” Bella responded sleepily.

“Oh, that sounds good. That place by the office has the best pulled-pork ones. With plantains and some black beans. Yas. I'll ask her. So, is it sunny? What have you been doing? Drinking? Laying in the sand?” 

“It's late October. It's a bit cold for that. There was a big storm Monday and Tuesday and rained a little Thursday but other than that it's been great weather. I've actually just been laying in bed with a sexy man,” she answered in fake boredom. I smiled to myself. She was so good for my ego. I kissed her shoulder softly.

“Oh, and what does he look like?” 

“Six five, two hundred pounds maybe, muscular. Broad shoulders and chest. Nice ass. The sharpest jaw you've ever seen. High cheekbones. Reddish hair, especially in the light. Gorgeous green eyes. Pale like he's not seen the sun... ever.”

I giggled at her compliments, pushing my face between her shoulder blades in embarrassment. She wiggled against me. 

“What book you reading? I'm going to have to borrow that. Sounds hot.”

Bella pulled the phone away from her cheek as she glanced over her shoulder at me. She whispered, "say hello." 

I put my chin on her shoulder. “Hello.” The man on the phone screamed. I pulled back slightly, laughing. “Oh, god.”

“Girl, I thought you were talking about one of those vampire books Rosalie likes. What is your name, sugar?”

“My name is Eddie. Nice to meet you,” I answered in my most respectable tone. 

The dramatic man gasped. “Wait. What? Wait! No! No, no, and no. Are you banging that homeboy you were supposed to take pictures of? The one you made me watch videos of the other day?” 

“I didn't make you watch them, asshole. I showed you. You clicked next for two hours, not me. And, I waited to 'bang' him until after I took the pictures. Like the next day and everything.” Bella held her chin up high, bobbing her head as she snapped back at her friend. There was a faint blush on her cheeks, though. 

“Bells. Honey, I need you to give yourself a high five for me,” he said to her in a serious voice. “Just imagine I am high fiving you so hard. Right now. Do it. Do it for me.”

“That's what she said,” she sassed. 

“Do it!” He shouted. 

I decided to be stupid. She always enjoyed that. “Oh, I'll help.” I tried to give her a high five at an awkward angle. Bella laughed as the phone slipped from her fingers.“Fuck, that wasn't very good.” I adjusted and did it again.  

“Oh, my god. He's so cute. Are you going to keep him?”

“He's not a lost puppy,” Bella giggled, shaking her head a little to herself. “He's coming to Thanksgiving.”

"Yay! I love it. I can't wait. I am so ready for your food. I was going to wear my fat pants, but now I'm going to have to be looking sexy if you're coming, handsome." 

She made a sour face. “You're a married man. Wear your damn fat pants.”

“Think they have sexy fat pants?” He playfully asked. 

“You still got some Juicy in your closet?”

He laughed. “Heavens, no.”

Bella shifted a little on the bed. "Well, I guess yoga pants are the new comfy fat pants, and I've definitely seen some fine looking women in yoga pants. But I mean, I might just like women's asses in general," she joked cheekily in return. 

My douchebag brain said, ‘yay, my girl likes girls’ ass too.’ I reminded myself that meant nothing for me, but it was a fact I enjoyed knowing for some reason. I wouldn't say anything about it, though and I would try very hard not to be a pervert.  

“It's because that shit is a wonder bra for your ass. I want to be buried in yoga pants, so I can be comfortable forever.”

“With a pair of Uggs, a pumpkin spice latte, some crystals, and a bottle of Chardonnay,” she retorted meanly.

“I feel personally attacked,” he deadpanned.

She yawned before she stretched out beside me some more. Bella looked delicious, all sleepy and nude. “It's because you are a basic bitch. Bitches feel attacked about basically everything. They are sensitive as fuck.”

My girl was a little mean and quick, and I loved it.  

“Boo, you whore,” he threw back. No one had hurt feelings. 

“What are you going to do? Ask to speak to my manager?”

“Yes! I'm going to call Alice. Tell her you're a heartless skank hoe.”

Bella shook her head as she rolled her eyes a little. “Alright, well. She already knows. Tell her that I love her and miss her.”

“Okay, baby! I will. Have a good time and take lots of pretty pictures. Love you!” The man concluded in a sugary sweet voice. 

"Love you, too. Try the new mini cheese and chicken empanadas. They're so good. With that creamy green sauce. Whatever the fuck it is. The stuff on the table." When she spoke, she waved her fingers around like she was imagining the setup in her mind.  

“Sounds perfect! Call me when you get back into town! We'll talk about the show then. Bye!” 

“That was interesting,” I chuckled as I pushed her hair away so that I could start to kiss along her jaw and cheek. 

“That's Demetri. He's the former makeup artist I was telling you about. He runs a sweet little vintage theater in Brooklyn now. That's where the show is. He's a doll. I've been friends with him for over a decade now. He used to be my dance partner before he got hurt. He broke his back. His husband is the most angelic person ever, being able to put up with his dramatic ass all the time. You'd love them,” she explained with a little smile on her face. 

“I can't wait to meet all of your friends,” I whispered before I kissed her cheek again.

She smiled at me charmingly. “They’ll love you.” Bella rolled over to face me some more, running her fingers over my jaw. “I am annoyingly awake now. Would you like to get a good workout with me again this morning?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” 

Watching her exercise was quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. She was so intense and impressively strong for her size. And watching her tits bounce on the elliptical was hypnotizing. 

I peeled off her sports bra as the shower warmed up, the steam starting to quickly fill up the glass-enclosed space.  

“How can you stand to touch me like this?” She questioned as my hands slid down her sweaty back. I tugged off her shorts next.

“To be honest, I think you taste delicious like this,” I told her honestly. “And I enjoy watching you get this way. You’re so graceful.”

“Thank you.” She blushed, biting her bottom lip as she helped me out of my shorts. “I like watching you too,” she admitted in a small voice as she pulled me into the shower. “But I like kissing you more.”

We made out until we were running short on warm water, which took forever in my house. It felt like a dream come true.  

I hated myself for not flaking out on the things that I had missed recording and wish I hadn’t shoved so much all in one day. Bella didn’t seem to mind, though, always easy-going. She listened to my thoughts and plans, always asking encouraging questions and giving me a lot to think about along the way. She was so thoughtful. 

I made us coffee while Bella made herself up for the day, doing extra to her hair and makeup. She looked video worthy for sure. I smiled to myself as I watched. I couldn't help but flirt with her stupidly the entire time. It was just an excuse to make her giggle and smile for me.  

When she was done, her hair was completely straight and extra shiny black. Her makeup made her face look like art. If I didn't know her age, I would have thought she was in her early twenties. Her tight little skirt and rainbow shirt only added to it.  

Seth looked Bella over hard, making an ‘impressed’ expression as he circled it with his finger. “Hey, your face! I like it! You did new fancy things.”

“It's called makeup,” Tyler said to him calmly. “You do look very nice. My girlfriend loves that thing with the eyeliner. But she gets mad every time she does it. What is it? Cat eyes?”

I knew what it was. I had four older sisters who all loved clothes and makeup. They had done my makeup many times for videos and such. I didn’t know all the terms or products by any means, though. I kept my mouth shut. 

“Yeah,” she nodded thoughtfully, “it's super hard. It took a couple tries to get it right.”

Very seriously, Tyler answered, “I've seen her cry over it. She's thrown things. It's a mess.”

Bella giggled. “I've cried too, but usually just because I've stabbed myself in the eye.”

"I've seen her do that, too." He nodded in understanding, frowning a little. He looked at me, and I shook my head a little to myself, just sighing as I headed off towards the car.  

As much as I hated having such a busy day, the Hawaiian breakfast place with Bella was the best way to start. She was so charming with the owner, flirting with the camera in her thickened southern drawl. 

We drank all morning, Bella feeding me delicious pancakes and chicken off of her fork. She kept asking the owner thoughtful questions, completely owning the shoot in a great way. She let me play while still learning about the food and the restaurant itself. Even as she got drunk with me, she was my perfect straight man. 

We had taken our time with brunch, and we had a couple of hours before we had to eat hot dogs. The beach was the closest and most interesting option. Bella had said she enjoyed the beach and the guys could always wander off to give us privacy while they took stock footage. 

When we arrived, I took Bella's hand, and we strolled for a moment until we found an empty bench. She curled into my side, laying her head on my shoulder. She seemed comfortably quiet, but suddenly a moment of anxiety hit me.  

"I should take you out and not just for work," I blurted out.  

Bella smoothed a hand over my thigh. “You didn't know I was going to be here this week. You couldn't bend your work or the weather to your will. It's okay, though. I've really enjoyed having you to myself at home.”

I really liked it too, but I was still concerned. “Wouldn't you like to go dancing or something?” She was obviously so young at heart and more adventurous than me in a different way. I worried she found me boring. Or would soon when she realized what kind of man I really was. 

She shrugged, almost as if she was bored with the idea. "Sure, when we get the chance again. We went just last week." 

"That was for work…" I sighed as I thought back on that night that now seemed so far away. "I wanted you so badly on that rooftop. I wanted to just grab and kiss you. I was actually trying not to cry." As soon as I said it, I couldn't believe it came out of my mouth. I hated that I kept babbling things out.  

"Oh, sweetheart," Bella breathed as she moved her hand on top of mine that was sitting on her bare thigh.  

“Not very manly, I know.” I felt so embarrassed. 

My girlfriend seemed to be instantly annoyed with my words. “Depends on what you consider manly. I don't see how a man who doesn't know his own emotions is much of a man at all.”

“You said you weren't much of a crier.”

Bella pouted a little. “Just because I don't cry easily doesn't mean I don't feel and understand the emotions. I just have a harder time releasing those emotions outwardly. That's a fault, not a positive. It's not a sign of strength. Boys don't cry. Big girls don't cry. It's all outdated and part of the reason people used to not live to forty. You can't hold it in. So, get that toxic masculinity idea out of your head because it's just another lie your anxiety can hold on to.”

Oh. So her dead husband didn't talk about his feelings often. I was sure that she didn't want to say that. It was hard not to read between those lines, though. I thought about what she said. She was right. She was a smart woman. Obviously, Bella wanted to be more in touch with her feelings than she was able to be sometimes. I understood how she felt. I rarely controlled my emotions and was often brutally controlled by them. Especially my anxiety.  

It took a certain level of maturity to understand some of these things. Maturity I wasn't sure that I had. She knew things I couldn't yet. Nine years wasn't a huge difference. Not enough to discourage me in any way. I think perhaps I liked that she was older. I was a dumbass on camera for fun, but in reality, I was a shy, anxious, quiet man. I couldn't imagine dating a twenty-one-year-old person, ready to party all the time. Even if I had the chance to bed even younger, barely legal models, I wasn't interested. It was hard not to wonder if it was enough to discourage Bella, though. I hoped not. 

I became lost in my thoughts.

“I hope I didn't upset you,” she whispered.

I looked over at her as I bit my bottom lip. "No. Not at all. I'm just... overwhelmed? I guess. I don't know. You're so much more mature than me, and sometimes I really feel it. It's not a bad thing, on your side. Maybe on mine." 

She tilted her head up to look at me. “You are far more put together than most adults your age. It's not fair to compare us in that sense. And I sleep on a couch most the time in footie Pikachu pajamas. You've known me a week, baby. I am a tall child masquerading as a short adult.”

I wanted to giggle, but I held it in. She had told me before that she didn't like her little twin bed very much but preferred to sleep on her large overstuffed fake leather couch. I loved the image of her in Pokemon sleepwear, snuggled up like a child at a sleepover at their grandparents. 

“Almost two weeks. Aw, footie pajamas? Really?” I needed pictures. I had to see her in them in person.  

“I have a whole collection of them sent by Mrs. Brandon," she giggled. "New York is cold, and I have no one to keep me warm. I'm kind of in love with them." 

“I'll keep you warm,” I offered up immediately.

"You going to come to Queens and snuggle up in my twin size bed, under three blankets, because it's zero outside?" She asked with a small smirk. "The couch isn't big enough for the two of us." 

Fuck that.

“Or,” I held my finger up, “or I could keep you warm by flying you to sunny Los Angeles during the long cold New York winters.”

"But I love the winters. I wouldn't get to see snow." She was not being very helpful on purpose. I went in a different direction. 

“Well... I could keep you warm by getting a nice room with a good heater and a king-sized bed. And we can snuggle up under as many blankets as you like.”

Bella looked up at me in curiosity. “The bed size is the bigger problem?”

“I'm too big for a twin bed.” 

“I can see that,” she said a little impishly as I put my arm around her and hugged her close to me. She nestled closer with her head on my shoulder. I put my mine on top of hers. 

"Maybe we should try to get a weekend away somewhere cold and snowy this winter. Since you love snow so much. Spend a couple of days in a cabin with a roaring fire, in the mountains maybe." I didn't think before I spoke, but sometimes my mouth had good ideas. Bella seemed to like it, too.  

“That sounds so romantic. Where do you think? Maine or somewhere in Poconos? Colorado would be so lovely.”

"I've not gone to Colorado yet. I've been wanting to go to Denver," I remarked as I considered all the possibilities. "It's something to think about. By the way, I have the ticket for your flight at home. It's next Friday at two. It's a nonstop one, and you should arrive back in New York at around eleven. Is that alright? Or is that too late?" 

Zafrina had arranged everything for me by my request. It was so nice to have someone to do those things for me. I wished I could get Bella to stay, but I knew that wasn't realistic. My sweet little girlfriend was too responsible to be talked into running away forever with me. Especially when she obviously loved her friends so much. 

"No, it's fine. I've gotten in later. I'll still be on LA time, and there are always taxis no matter the time. Thank you." 

I kissed her cheek softly. “It's selfish. I want you to save yours so you can use it to see me whenever you want to.”

“Just drop by anytime, unannounced?” She teasingly questioned. 

Um, hell yeah. I couldn’t hide my smile at that idea. “Yes, please. I love a good surprise.”

She looked at me in disbelief. “I wouldn't want to do that to you. You have such a busy schedule.”

Did she not realize that I would make the goddamn time for her? Also, it wasn’t like she wasn’t working with me, too.

“Okay, please. I'm not that busy. Besides, I like having you here with me. I’m honestly surprised how… It's so easy to interact with you on camera, too. You don't mind these, do you?”

“Not at all. Really,” Bella answered with a smile. “It's a lot of fun. I get to talk to people with common interests. Eat food I've never had before. I think you're just being kind to me when you praise me about being on camera, though.”

No. It wasn't just me. I knew it. Jasper saw it. Tyler and Seth had seen some of her videos now, and they agreed that her personality really came across really well on camera. I didn't have enough to prove it to her yet, I knew that. But I knew I would soon enough. The comment sections of the couple of the videos that I had posted her in had gone crazy for her.  

“Well, the only way to prove for sure is the view count. I've got plenty of videos with you coming out soon enough. You'll see for yourself. They already love you.”

She scrunched up her nose and wrinkled her forehead. “You lie,” Bella insisted in an extremely thick southern accent.

“Read the comments,” I laughed a little. “Actually, maybe don't. Perverts. Anyway, you add a little diversity to this sausage party,” I joked stupidly. She pulled back, a silly expression on her pretty face. 

“Wait. Am I the token chick for your boy gang? Am I the Webby to your Huey, Louie, and Dewey?”

She was such a cute little nerd. I loved Duck Tales as a kid and watched my sister’s copies, obsessively. I laughed again. “Only since coming to America. I had loads of female friends back home. I'd do videos with my mates Lucy, Kelly, and Melly all the time.”

“It sounds like you made up those names,” she quipped.

“Melly and Kelly are twin sisters. Her name is Melanie, really. But she goes by Melly.” 

Bella got a mean little smirk on her face. It reminded me of Jasper’s. “Honestly, it still sounds made up. It sounds like the names you'd make up for fake twins in a Penthouse letter. Dear Penthouse, the greatest thing happened to me today. I met twins with big boobies named Kelly and Melly. They let me play with them!”

“No,” I chuckled nervously, blushing in embarrassment. “Okay, well, only Kelly. A little bit. Over the shirt. And that was a drunken pash in college. It was weird. I instantly apologized afterward.”

"Aw," she giggled. Bella scrunched up her nose in that way when she thought I was being cute. At least she thought my weird liquor-fueled snog was adorable. It wasn't too awkward for long, though. Kelly started dating my friend not long after.  

“She's engaged to a mate of mine now. It's nice. They're a good match. I'm happy for them.”

I missed all my friends, and I needed to talk to them more. I was just so busy. 

“Well, that’s nice,” she commented, snuggling more comfortably into my side. “It’s always nice to watch your friends find happiness.”

She let me hold her until it was finally time to go to the hot dog place to eat. 

Bella had agreed to try the spicy hot dog so that I wouldn't have to suffer through it. She seemed to like fiery things way more than anyone in the group by far. She sampled the sodas first before getting her tiny hot dogs. She tried to eat them as neatly as possible with a fork and knife. Answering every question, she gave me detailed feedback about the food. It was a dream for the video and exactly what I needed.

Then she got to the spicy one.  

Her face got very serious. Bella quickly drank some of the root beer that she had liked before. 

“Think I could handle the other bite?” 

She shook her head. “No.” She covered her mouth with her hand and a napkin. “Zero hot dogs out of five. The heat is a gimmick. Just have the regular chili dog and enjoy the flavor of something.” And then she shoved a bunch of french fries into her mouth.

I had never seen her dislike something so much before. I decided to be a jackass. 

“Hey, Seth, man. You wanna try the spicy hot dog? Bella said it was nothing,” I called loudly to my friend when he came out of the kitchen. 
“Fuck no, I'm not stupid. Her mouth is asbestos,” he answered as he flipped me off. He saw right through me. I laughed hard.

“Oh, okay. I guess you're not man enough to even try,” I smiled wickedly. It was easy to egg him on. 

Seth took the bait right away, putting his hands on his hips as if I challenged him to a fight. “Spice level is not the measure of a man.”

“Okay,” I dryly replied. 

I loved fucking with him. It was payback for any betting he was doing behind my back like the asshole he was. He stomped over to the table and reached for the food, but Bella hurriedly pulled it from his reach. 

“No. Don't. He's a lying liar who lies. You'll die.”

All my brain could spit out in response was, ‘hahaha d'aww my girlfriend is cute.’ Thankfully, I didn’t say it out loud.

“Oh, you see that!” Seth pointed at me aggressively. “She's nicer than you! You're a punk ass bitch.”

"I should have let you eat it," she stated to me with a sassy little smirk. Bella was right. She should have. It would have been hilarious, but it was too late now.  

Tyler got tired of not being involved in the stupidity. He went over to the table and put the spicy hot dog into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, chili staining the corners of his lips red.  

“No.” He shook his head as he tried to wash the taste out with his own root beer. “Yeah. That was a mistake,” he calmly clarified.

Bella looked so unimpressed with all of our dumbasses. 

“Y'all are going to hurt yourselves one day. You're going to ruin your stomachs trying to impress each other. Burn a hole like battery acid.”

Yeah, probably.

“Nah,” I laughed as passed off the camera to my friend. “Now, let's eat us a five-pound hot dog.”

Seth and Tyler made me suffer for my antics. They knew how to play me, egging me on to eating way too much food. I wasn’t sure why I thought it was a good idea to eat a five-pound hot dog in the first damn place. Bella rightfully joined in my mocking on the ride home. 

---

Back

Next

---

This episode goes with Episode Eighteen of Imperfect pictures!

Click to read episode eighteen of Imperfect Pictures!

---

Click to download the epub of this Episode!!

Click to download the pdf of this Episode!!