Chapter 56: Coming Ashore

[Chapter 56: Coming Ashore]

Irina Shayk stood out in her form-fitting leather jumpsuit and towering heels, which added several inches to her already impressive height of 5'9". With her striking red lips and bold black eyeliner, she exuded a fierce and striking presence; her hair was completely straightened and pulled back into a thick ponytail that cascaded down her back.

Jack instantly turned the camera toward her, and Irina introduced herself on camera, blowing a kiss to the lens. She was the star of the show thanks to Ryan, and she wasn't going to pass up any opportunity to gain more visibility.

Her attention then shifted to Ryan, and she greeted him warmly.

Previously, Irina's makeup had been youthful, but this dramatic look suited her far better.

"Once the shoot wraps up, I'll let you know where to go. Make sure to keep that outfit and heels on, and don't wipe off your makeup," Ryan instructed.

"Sure..." Irina was about to respond but was quickly whisked away by Trey.

"Let's start with a rehearsal," Trey said, as the venue was rented for just one day and time was limited.

The entire music video was divided into two parts, with Irina being the sole character for the scenes they needed. Ryan, who had written the song, was simply there as an observer. With Trey's vast experience and the project managing team of over thirty people working smoothly, Ryan realized he was unnecessary at this point.

...

Just then, Ryan's phone buzzed with a message from Taylor.

"Why are you here?" Ryan asked as he slid into the car.

"Hope no one noticed?" Taylor, seated in the driver's seat, nervously glanced around, clearly trying to stay under the radar.

Though Trey wouldn't broadcast it, the presence of staff moving in and out meant they could be spotted, which was the last thing Taylor wanted.

"No one saw you," Ryan replied, shaking his head.

"Good. How's the shoot going? Is it running smoothly?" Taylor grabbed Ryan's hand resting on the armrest, her thumb brushing against his knuckles.

"Is that why you came all the way here?"

"Of course! I came to check on you."

"It's running smoothly since Trey is here," Ryan assured her.

"Then that's great," Taylor nodded, looking like she was just here to take a look.

This was the first time she came to see Ryan after work.

"By the way, what exactly is the MV about? You didn't even change clothes," Taylor remarked, noticing the "GAP" logo emblazoned across Ryan's chest.

"Right, Scooter has started organizing staff around me..." Ryan mentioned, shifting the conversation to another subject.

"You have to act fast! If his team gets fully set up, you'll lose your freedom completely! They will control everything!" Taylor warned.

"Where am I supposed to find someone now?" Ryan furrowed his brow, realizing that he only had one social media assistant working online.

Taylor took a moment to think, "How about this? I'll have some key team members help you during this transition. You can take your time to find someone."

Ryan understood that a lot of work lay behind such a statement.

"Sounds good to me," he nodded in agreement.

"You still haven't told me how the MV is coming together. What's it like?" Taylor steered the conversation back.

"Who knows where Scooter found that model," Ryan said, shifting the blame onto Scooter.

"That guy is so irritating. Thank goodness the contract is only for a year," Taylor muttered, she visibly disliked Scooter for reasons yet to unravel. Given the original timeline, he knew they would eventually clash over copyright issues in a few years.

"No worries, just head back. I'll catch up with you tonight," Ryan said as he got out of the car.

...

"Okay, last take was perfect," Trey said while checking the monitor. "Great job, everyone! That's a wrap."

The shoot itself was brief, totaling barely two minutes of visual, and wrapped up just after Taylor left, leaving behind a few extra minutes of footage for editing. The production company Trey worked with handled everything, and once the raw footage was given to the record label, it would be ready for release.

Ryan heard a sigh of relief from Irina behind him.

"Feeling nervous?" Ryan asked.

"It's just that this outfit is too tight," Irina laughed lightly, her response keeping the atmosphere light.

"Have you filmed a music video before?" Ryan noticed how confidently she had handled the entire process, clearly an experienced performer.

"Not really, but I did shoot for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition last year," Irina explained. Though not overly famous, Irina had certainly made a name for herself; a quick Google search would pull up plenty of her photos.

"Mary's quite impressive," Ryan responded, somewhat surprised.

"She has connections in Florida and knows a lot of wealthy individuals. Her company is right next to the largest private yacht marina in Tampa Bay, most luxury yacht rentals in Tampa go through her," Irina detailed.

That made sense, Ryan thought.

"What about you? Do you also work in Tampa?" Ryan inquired.

Irina quickly shook her head. "I'm a professional model."

She continued to say that she was the spokesperson for a European lingerie brand and had done static ads for an Italian brand, besides walking in all four major fashion weeks.

"How many shows do you do in a year?" Ryan asked next.

"Probably less than five," Irina replied, her gaze suddenly evasive.

Generally speaking, given the twice-a-year major fashion weeks, a professional model would need to do around twenty shows each year while living in New York to cover their expenses. Even that considered a modest lifestyle. More shows would be required if they didn't focus on the big four.

Irina couldn't rely solely on that income to "live independently." She likely supplemented her earnings through boyfriend support, side work, or family help - or a mix of all three.

Ryan suspected her relationship with Mary stemmed from their side endeavors.

However, he decided not to confront her about it directly.

With Ryan standing close by, Irina realized there was no way to avoid it, so she told Ryan she wanted to change and asked him to wait by the exit.

...

Ryan nodded and noticed Trey glaring in their direction, clearly displeased. However, with other staff present, she only shot Ryan a look. He guessed he was in for a stern talk once he got home.

As Ryan turned his attention back to Jack, the accompanying photographer who had stood at a distance but avoided capturing any footage of Ryan and Irina together.

"I know the rules, Mr. Ryan. I'll still be counting on you for future work," Jack stated with an awkward smile.

Ryan remained uncertain of Jack's background and didn't fully trust him, so he headed toward the exit.

...

Inside the room, someone's ponytail was being pulled, and someone was hitting.

Once everything settled, Irina nestled in Ryan's embrace, showering him with kisses. The brief distance between their previous two encounters had infused her innocent approach with an unexpected flavor of emotion.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Irina suddenly asked.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Ryan countered.

"Sorry," Irina shook her head repeatedly.

She felt Ryan was still young, giving her a glimmer of hope.

"I'm asking you. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Again, Irina shook her head, sensing a chance. "Will I get to see you again?"

"Probably not," Ryan answered candidly. Those video girls were typically one-time encounters.

Since Taylor had already settled for being a shadow girlfriend, adding another model was likely to upset her. Besides, many models like Irina were readily available. Ryan didn't see the need to sacrifice a whole forest for just one tree.

Irina kept quiet, straightened her back, and repositioned herself.

"However, I can introduce you to a new work opportunity," Ryan suddenly declared.

He picked up his phone and called Fizz.

"What the hell are you doing?" Fizz's voice blared from the phone, immediately realizing Ryan was in the middle of something, prompting her to snap.

*****

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