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1750 Words
Finishing her first gig out of high school, Sky was staring at the mirror as she adjusted her makeup. Cleaning a bit of lipstick from the corner of her mouth, she gratefully accepted a bottle of water from the assistant assigned to her. Looking the bottle over carefully, she determined that there was no sign of tampering.
Taking a drink, she recapped it. “Anne, tell me the truth. Was I good?”
“You have the simplistic beauty he was looking for. As for the pictures, I think it went quite well, Miss Marks.” The woman told her.
Simplistic beauty? Did they think she was stupid? She didn’t survive this long just to lose her footing now. If her brother hadn’t talked her into following her dream, she wouldn’t have even bothered to return the director’s call. In fact, if they tried to pull one over on her, she knew her daddy would make sure they disappeared.
“So, what was the deal with that other girl? Was she not up to par?” Skylar asked as she pulled on her summer blazer.
Anne shook her head, “No. It wasn’t like that with her. She actually assumed that the boss would give her the best work if she flirted and slept with him. To be honest, if anyone can take my man from me, they can keep him. It says here that you’re almost nineteen and yet, you’re fresh out of high school. Would you mind explaining that?”
Oh, snap. So the assistant dealing with her was the directors woman? On the one hand, it was great. It meant that the man would think twice before being lewd with her. On the other, if she didn’t watch out, it could be her career getting axed instead.
“I missed a year because of my birthday and because I skipped Kindergarten. By the time my mother finally registered me, I ended up being an entire year behind my age group.” Sky said, smiling gently as the woman walked her to the front door.
Anne smiled. Her light, airy laugh danced on the air around them. “I am. Well, just so you know, there’s a no-flirt policy here. We work modelling, not porn. As well, I already enjoy your attitude and honesty – it’s very refreshing this day and age. Are there any medical, physical or otherwise, needs that require attention?”
“Nope, I get a full physical once a year since I was a child. I can provide copies of everything if you need it. Was there any other questions?”
Pleasantly surprised that the girl was being so straight with her, Anne shook her head. “I only have one thing to say to you, Miss Marks. Welcome to the Desert Rose Agency. You’re hired.”
Shock rooted her to the spot as Sky felt the world around her come to a full halt. “Sorry? But I thought…”
“Honey, this was your interview. You kept it nice and professional, unlike the other girls we had come in today. Welcome aboard, Sky. I look forward to collaborating with you,” Anne said before she walked over to her car.
Looking up as the familiar roar of her boyfriend’s car surrounded her, Skylar brushed the tears from her eyes. Watching as her brother and his best friend got out of the car, she squealed happily. “I did it!”
Russell stopped, staring at her with wide eyes. Walking up to her, he ran his palms over her arms and tried to read her eyes. “You did what, baby?”
“I got the job!” She squealed, happily bouncing in place.
“You… really? Sky, that’s fantastic! I’m so proud of you, baby. Know what, I think this calls for a celebration. You wanna go out to dinner tonight?” Russell asked.
He was genuinely happy for her, loving that she had chased her dream and landed the modelling job on the first try. There was just something about the way her eyes danced and her smile lighting up her face that made him feel giddy with delight.
She looked at him, shaking with a combination of anxiety and pride. Sky knew that he wasn’t being fake. Russell wore his emotions for her on his sleeve, something that always had a way of calming her down. When she knew what he was feeling, she was more relaxed and less jumpy.
Russell’s smile faded slightly, as he realized that she seemed to be less recluse when the younger boys of her crew were around. Wondering why, he watched them walk back to his car with renewed vigour. Pulling out his phone, he dialled a number that had called him when he was back at the Towers with the boys. When the other line picked up, he said, “So, that was a call to confirm her ID?”
A woman laughed, “Honey, anyone can say they have a boyfriend to get hired. I’ve had girls do it in the past only to try to blackmail my husband into sleeping with them. It was a nice change of pace to find out that Miss Marks wasn’t lying about you. She did, in fact, get the job working with our agency, and I will be screening all the industry workers I pair with her.”
“Not to sound controlling, but she happens to be more comfortable around other women. Too many men around her when she’s on her own makes her nervous,” Russell replied.
“I see,” the woman said. “I can definitely arrange that. We’re a progressive agency in this industry, and I feel that a comfortable model does their best work when she or he is not pressured. We get a more natural look that way, too. Of course, we do have to meet the parents, who should bring all identifying information on their child. This is to make sure that people who collaborate with us are of legal age and not young runaways.”
Falling quiet, Russell glanced at the car as he took his time walking over. “I’ll let you make that call, Mrs. Samms.”
Getting to the car, he realized that Skylar was watching him with a mix of expectancy and fear. He had no idea why she would be afraid. Had he done something to create it? “So, I just got a phone call.”
“Oh?” She answered questioningly.
From the back seat, Jaxon, despite just getting over having a cold, immediately perked up. “Was it Nix?”
“It was DRA’s co-owner, Anne Samms. She wanted to cross-check what you said about having a boyfriend, so I confirmed the intel with her. She seemed okay with it mostly because other’s have tried to bed her hubby.” Russell answered, watching how Sky’s eyes flickered as tears gathered.
She swallowed tightly. “Thank you. I… I’m sorry.”
Her boyfriend scowled, sending a shiver through her lithe body. “Is there a reason for you to be sorry? I mean, I know that everything’s been happening pretty much all at once lately, but you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I just,” she began, pausing to pull her phone out of her bag. She rolled her eyes as she answered. “Hey, Daddy.”
“Is everything okay, Cupcake? I didn’t hear from you this afternoon,” David said softly.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I was at a modelling job interview today and had my phone on silent. I thought I told you,” she replied.
Her father laughed, cursing his forgetfulness. “You did, Sky. I just had a momentary lapse in memory for a second. Listen, Jax is gone, and I told Russell not to leave them alone. Do you happen to know where I can find your soon-to-be-dead boy-toy?”
“He’s not my boy-toy, Daddy. He’s my boyfriend. As for Jax, I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that my baby brother and Luke talked Russ into coming to get me. Seeing as I’m in the car with them now, and Jaxon is attempting to sink into the back seat, I’m assuming my guess was right. He’s masked-up, and glaring at Russell for some reason, too.” Skylar informed him, giggling when her brother stuck his tongue out at her.
Masking her fear from the others, she said a quick “see you later” to her father. Looking at Russ apologetically, she said, “I’m sorry. Daddy still doesn’t fully trust you.”
“It’s okay. I understand. I mean, I did screw up pretty badly, and he can hold grudges like nobody’s business. So, Jaxon’s been begging for Korean barbeque, but what would you like to eat?” He asked, trying to lighten the mood.
When she said nothing, he looked over at her. Glancing down at her phone, he realized she was texting someone. He smirked, knowing that she was probably bragging to the others in her friend group about bagging her dream job.
She growled under her breath, answering yet another call that came through. “Hi, you’ve reached Skylar Marks.”
“Ms. Marks, I was informed by my wife that the information on the resume you provided has been checked over and validated already. We’re certainly happy to have such natural talent on our team, and wanted to invite you and your family to dinner tomorrow night so that we can discuss the formality of the work contract.”
“Oh, Director Samms, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so quickly, but I would love to join you and your wife for dinner. However, I’m afraid it’s just me, my dad, and my little brother in the family. My mother isn’t in the picture,” Skylar explained cautiously.
The man laughed, “Well, your father did an admirable job raising you, Ms. Marks. If that’s the case, then you and your family can join us at Clemment’s on North tomorrow evening at six sharp. Any questions?”
“Is there a dress code I should follow for this meeting?” She pressed, needing to know the level of professionalism she was required to have.
“Since we’re going to have an investor there, casual-comfortable would be fine,” the man replied smoothly.
She visibly relaxed, “Thank you, Sir. We’ll be there.”
- Writer
