Author's Note: Pants (American) = trousers (European) in this chapter.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ethan had been back home and back at work for the last couple of days now, and his reputation at the company had changed since his return.

The COO had found a new kind of confidence in his step, as people were applauding Ethan for his success at securing the big manufacturing deal with one of the biggest clothes manufactures in South America.

Ethan felt his life was advancing forward. Thomas had called Ethan last night, and pointed out how Ethan was his own positive change in life. With the constant reminder to be the change he we wanted to see, Ethan was working on flipping his internal feelings, so that he could positively reflect them onto his outsides.

His life was getting even better as Ethan felt honoured going down to floor 7 for his special interview. Ethan was too embarrassed to admit it to Thomas, but Ethan found himself on another level of conceited for being featured in the city's most eligible bachelors under 30.

This was Ethan's 3rd year in a row that Ethan was in the top 5, and he wanted to surprise people when they saw he had a centrefold cover once again. Although his ranking when down since last year, Ethan felt weirdly accomplished for making it into the top 5.

Ethan recognised the same interviewer that was also holding the camera for today's photoshoot. He showed off his pearly white teeth as he smiled at Clarissa.

"Ethan Shelton!" Clarissa beamed, "It's so lovey to conduct your interview once again. Thank you so much for your time."

Ethan shook her hand as he insisted, "The pleasure's all mine. I feel like I get my best shots every time I do this interview each year."

Clarissa laughed as she then gestured towards the large white backdrop that was the spotlight of several bright lights. It was the stage for Ethan's photoshoot as he was now modelling for his centrefold cover.

"Should we get started?" Clarissa suggested as the sound of her camera clicking showed how she was ready.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ethan has always been used to taking great looking pictures - professionally and unprofessionally done. Even his Instagram photos were mostly of selfies, with a couple of teasing photos and a few scenery shots.

Clarissa started with a few lighthearted questions to ease Ethan, and allow him to become more comfortable. Ethan was used to it as he always had generic answers whenever he was given certain questions, because he rehearsed them so much that they were perfect - confident with a touch of bashfulness.

The first outfit Ethan changed into was the one he wore for the model show, which got disrupted during the attack from Mr Checkstone's men. Clarissa wanted a photo of Ethan in that outfit, after the buzz of how Ethan defended everyone from those vicious men.

Ethan was now stripped out of his crisp white shirt, as he kept the jacket and pants on to look more seductive. The camera was constantly flashing as Ethan kept switching up his poses in between several takes.

"Are we ready for the next outfit?" Clarissa asked.

Ethan nodded his head, "I'll be at the back."

Clarissa returned to her questions as Ethan was now changing his costume behind a makeshift changing room. "Just a couple of quick fire questions as you lose the jacket, if that's alright with you Ethan?"

"Go ahead, but I'm pretty sure you're going to get my same answers." Ethan laughed.

Clarissa was recording the interview on her phone, as she interned to capture all of Ethan's answers so that she could write them up later. "We ask all of our winners these same questions because our readers love advice. What does your dieting and exercise routine look like? And styling wise, do you hire someone or do you pick your clothes out yourself?"

Hidden behind the screen, Ethan began to do several pushups as his shirtless photos were going to be taken soon. He wanted everything to looked bigger as thousands of people were going to see his body.

"I do intermittent fasting, depending on wether my schedule is busy for the day." Ethan managed to say in between heavy breaths. "I generally avoid eating after 8pm. And I probably do some sort of cardio and weight lifting every other day."

Ethan moved back into the camera's view as one of the stylists approached the COO. "I don't have a personal shopper that assists with picking my clothes. Everything I choose is from top designers, and they are probably more expensive than some people's salaries."

Carrying a spray bottle with him, one of the stylist began to spray water onto Ethan's chest, so that his entire torso looked glistening in the light.

After being given the signal, Ethan moved back onto the backdrop as more photos of him, just in his pants and water dripping down his chest, were captured by the camera.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ethan's next outfit was of him wearing the Shelton branded underwear, with the opaque crotch and the transparent thighs region.

Ethan used this as an opportunity to promote the Shelton brand, and Clarissa praised his business ethic. "You're a COO of a very large and well known company. Given the success you've provided the company over the years, what are your life ambitions - outside of work?"

Ethan got up from the floor as the camera had stopped taking pictures. Ethan immediately ran behind the screen so that he could cover himself up slightly.

Ethan wasn't hiding because he was naked - he was confident with how he looked. What he lacked confidence in was how real his answer was going to be, and he was feeling shy because of it.

"I think my life ambition would be for people to know the real me," Ethan nervously chuckled. "I'm always used as a connection piece for people to climb the social ladder, and it's hard to leave that shadow behind me."

Clarissa was visibly surprised by Ethan's answer. Ethan couldn't see it, but Clarissa was shocked. After all these interviews they conducted together, Clarissa knew that this was a new side of Ethan that people were about to see.

Ethan walked out from behind the screen naked, with a bedsheet that was tied around his waist. He was ready for his last set of photos as he moved back onto the backdrop.

~~~~~~~~~~

The photoshoot had recently finished and Ethan was now dressed in his regular clothes. He had been sitting with Clarissa and her team for a while now, as they were collectively adding a few touch ups to Ethan's photos.

Now that the photos were sorted, Ethan had to finish his interview as he was now sitting across from Clarissa.

Clarissa began to delve into the most interesting topic the magazine's readers loved to learn. "Why do you think you're still a bachelor?"

"I feel like I come off as very intimidating towards a stranger," Ethan lied. "My success and crazy good looks are scary to some people." He said honesty.

Clarissa joined in on the laughter as she would agree, Ethan was devilishly handsome and successful. "My job usually involves flattering the interviewee, but you're doing my own job for me!"

Clarissa checked to see if her phone was still recording, and it was. She then asked a juicy question that Ethan was expected to answer. "What do you fancy in a person?"

This was another generic question that Ethan knew he had to answer, and normally he would repeat the same words he would usually convince himself.

However Ethan didn't need to fake his answer, because over the last couple of days, Ethan had an awakening on what he truly wanted in someone.

"I want someone that can make me laugh," Ethan admitted. "I want someone who likes spending time together, and makes me think about them constantly."

Ethan wasn't going to take anything he said back, because it felt refreshing to say it out loud. The dam was broken as Ethan was willing to spill his secret desires to thousands of different people.

"People will think that I'm this sort of person that is all collected and kept together, but the other person will still look after me, and take the time to understand me." Ethan was admitting his own personal faults, and that's why he needed the yang to his yin. "So that's why I need them to challenge me - to call me out on my bullshit."

Ethan was keeping a straight face as he talked to Clarissa, he could hear his own words that was coming out of his mouth. There was no fault in his brainwave, because Ethan was repeating everything Thomas recently told him. 

Ethan was reminded of Thomas' deep and meaningful words, as he repeated those words in the interview. They were no longer a thought that was plaguing Ethan's mind, because Thomas was describing the best kind of things Ethan craved for, and Ethan knew that it was resembling Thomas - it is Thomas. 

Clarissa interrupted Ethan's life changing thoughts as she confessed, "I was actually asking about physical looks..."

"Oh." Ethan was sat there feeling flushed as he was voluntarily spilling his secrets like a pining teenager.

"But this is good!" Clarissa insisted. "The more we know and learn about you, the better our readers will engage with you."

Ethan nervously laughed as he became shy. "Well I'm glad my embarrassing meltdown helps entertain the readers."

Clarissa didn't let it go unnoticed on how Ethan rambled all of his answers, without a single hesitation. "All of that was very specific, is there any reasons on why you said all of that?"

Ethan wanted to become an honest man that didn't need to feel scared of his insecurities. Thomas has always been helping him bring out the real Ethan, and Ethan was really liking the new him.

"I think I want to be real me in this magazine issue. I want to be authentic when I say just want someone I can spend all my time with, and not realise days have gone by since we saw anyone from the outside world."

And that's when Ethan knew Thomas made him feel those exact feelings. Ethan couldn't bury those feelings anymore, as those feelings he initially doubted and denied, were now flooding his everyday thinking.

'I have a crush on Thomas.'

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