Raw Deal (Beauty for Ashes: Book One) (33 page)

“Get out, Dan.”

Carl’s phone broke in with a loud gangster rap song. “I’m on my way,” he answered. He looked at Dan and then at me. “Gotta go, Lexi.”

I gave him a hug. “Thanks for breakfast. Do you want us to do something tonight?”

“I’m not sure what I’m doing tonight, yet. I’ll let you know.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll call you.” He gave Dan a frown on his way out. Dan waited until the door at the end of the corridor slammed, and then he shut my door.

“You are out of your mind, Dan. I can’t believe you just did that.”

He shrugged looking maddeningly gorgeous.

“What?” I asked when he didn’t say anything.

“I can’t believe he just left with me here,” Dan said in disbelief. “He’s just watched me flirt with you, and then he leaves us alone together. Is he for real?”

“He’s got soccer.”

“I don’t care if he’s got a gold ticket to see God. Most guys would stay and defend their territory.”

I reached for my coffee and sipped the creamy foam. It was just how I liked it, sweet and frothy with chocolate sprinkles on the top. “Dan, please get out of my room.”

He came and sat beside me on my bed. “Sorry.”

“You’re not sorry.”

“I am,” Dan insisted, not looking sorry at all.

“And why are you strutting around in your boxers?”

“Can’t a man wear boxers in his own house?”

“Point of correction: this isn’t your house.”

He was like Jace Washington before salvation, and it was too weird.
God
, I yelled internally.
What’s up with this?

***

I decided to go home and tell my mom that I was going to New York. I omitted the part about lingerie, and she was delighted. I took the opportunity to pick up my car, too.

Sheena called again with more details of my stay in New York. She’d booked me into the Holiday Inn for the duration of my stay. I could hire a car if I wanted, but that would be on me. I was booked with Roz Petroz for Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, I had a ‘go see’ with
Teen
magazine at eight and could possibly be called back at twelve to do a photoshoot that would feature as part of their campaign against bullying. My flight back was Thursday morning at six forty-five.

Carl and I went for dinner that evening. He was tripping over Dan, and I assured him nothing was going on. I did feel really guilty though.

Chapter 42

I’d never been to New York before. My nose was pressed to the window as the cab driver weaved through the city to The Sherrington. I wondered if I’d get a chance to go out and explore the city during my stay. As we neared the hotel, I caught a glimpse of the Empire State Building in the distance. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t brought a camera. My phone had to do. I zoomed in and took a couple shots. I was actually in New York. It was unreal!

I walked into the hotel lobby half an hour early for my appointment. The elegant Asian receptionist directed me to the Phoenix suite where four other models were waiting. A light breakfast of croissants, fruit buns and hot drinks was set out on a table at the back of the room.

“You must be Lexi Dixon,” one of the girls said as I helped myself to a cup of coffee.

“Yes.”

She offered me a piece of paper. “I know because that’s the only name that doesn’t have a signature next to it.”

“Thanks.” I signed in and then studied my competition over the rim of my plastic coffee cup.

We were all dark-haired except for one, who had a short blond crop. The girl who’d spoken to me had the strongest looks with her poker straight black hair and pale skin. The other three girls were each standing on their own; one staring at her cell phone, another reading a copy of
Vogue
, and the other sitting on the floor. “What’s your name?” I asked the one who’d spoken to me.

“Terry.” She moved over like she’d been dying to talk to someone.

“Are you from New York?”

“No, San Francisco. What about you.”

“LA.”

“What agency are you with?” Terry asked.

“Transition. I’ve been with them for a few years now, and I think they’re okay.”

“I’m with Visage.”

The girl who’d been sitting on the floor got up and came over. She poured hot water into a cup and tossed a spoonful of coffee into it.

“Hi,” I said. She was the blond.

“Hey,” she returned. “I’m Sadie.”

“So are we all doing this lookbook, or are they gonna sift us?” Terry asked.

I shrugged. “I have no clue. I only got told about this on Friday.”

“I think we’re all doing it,” Sadie said. “I told my agent I couldn’t come all the way just to get cut out. This is my final year of college, and I really need to be in classes unless there’s a good excuse.”

“I’d say Roz Petroz is a darn good excuse,” Terry said.

“Not if you come all the way just to get rejected,” I said in agreement with Sadie.

“I’ve worked with Roz Petroz before. I did dresses for their lookbook last season,” Sadie said.

“I’m told we’re doing lingerie?” I asked.

Terry’s eyebrows lifted. “Really? I was told I’m doing nightwear.”

I shrugged. “Maybe we’re doing different things.”

“I was told I’m doing the same as last time. Their dresses look like lingerie anyway,” Sadie said.

“What about you guys?” Terry asked the other two who’d been silent so far.

“I was told that it’s swimwear,” the phone girl said.

“I’m doing lingerie,” the
Vogue
girl said.

So
Vogue
and I were both doing lingerie. Maybe they didn’t want to take too much of a chance on me. I studied
Vogue
. She had thick dark hair that tumbled past her shoulders in easy waves. It was lingerie girl hair. I hoped we were both doing it and not competing to do it.

I blew my coffee to cool it. Roz Petroz was mainly about lingerie, which made me feel like
Vogue
and I were probably the main girls since we’d both been told we were doing lingerie. But the fact that I was such a late addition to the squad made me nervous, like maybe they only wanted to check me out. I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled again. Whatever happened, being here was bound to be good for my career.

At nine-thirty, a scarily tall woman entered the hall to welcome us. We all grinned and said hi like we were really happy to see her, but all I could think was ‘you’re late, you moron.’ Just because you’re the client doesn’t mean treat the models like trash. But it was the same nearly everywhere. Modeling was like having a daily diet of humble pie. You couldn’t say what you thought. You could only smile or nod.

“I’m Anita,” the woman said. I couldn’t believe she was wearing heels too. “And I’m sure you all know why you’re here.”

We all smiled and nodded.

“The shoot will take place in this hall and on the balcony. Set up will start at ten and should take about an hour and a half. In the meantime, you lovely ladies will go through to the suite next door for hair and makeup.”

She looked at the signing in sheet. “Which of you is Lexi Dixon?”

I raised my hand.

“Have you brought your portfolio?”

“Yes.” I removed it from my purse and handed it over.

“The rest of you, hair and makeup,” Anita said taking my portfolio.

The other models left the suite and Anita opened my portfolio. “I did ask for it, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it. We thought you were blond.”

“A client dyed my hair for a particular job because they were expecting a blond.”

Usually people just flipped through my portfolio, but Anita pored over every picture on each page like she was reading a novel. I watched her, but her expression gave nothing away.

Finally, she closed it. “You haven’t done any lingerie.”

“I’ve done it on the catwalk quite a few times, but I’ve never done it in a photoshoot.” I hoped that wasn’t a problem, because I knew I could do it. “I’ve done swimsuits and bikinis though,” I reminded her. That was like lingerie. It was a good thing I kept my portfolio up to date. Some of my bikini shots from January were in there.

“Well, you have a great skin tone for what we want to do today. You won’t look too pale against the black back drop we’ll be using.” She gave me back my portfolio. “Why have you never done lingerie before?”

“Um, my mom wouldn’t let me.” I felt my face reddening. Now I sounded like such a baby. I could have given a better answer than that.

“Right.”

“But I’m eighteen now, so she’s cool with it,” I lied.

“Go and get your hair and makeup done. Rob wants to do one test shoot anyway, so we’ll see how you do during that.”

“Okay, thanks Anita.”

I went to hair and makeup. It didn’t take as long as many of the fashion shows I’d done because they were going for natural not dramatic. A lot of body makeup was used on the other girls, so that they didn’t look so pale, while I was just dusted over with a shimmery powder.

We went for the test shoot. It was more for the photographer than for us. He shouted directions about lighting and cursed throughout. It was getting close to one o’ clock when we started the actual shoot. I was starving, but the breakfast table was gone. Anita reappeared as we were starting the shoot. Apparently, she was the creative director.

Sadie was up first. She was wearing a deep violet dress that stuck to her like a second skin.

I watched her shoot along with the other girls. She was really good. I could see why they’d asked her back. She moved in front of the camera like a pro and looked completely at ease, like there wasn’t a nervous cell in her body. “She’s good,” I whispered to Terry.

Terry pursed her lips, but she didn’t say anything. Sadie’s shoot took a while as she had quite a few changes, but she worked really fast. I could tell that everyone was impressed. She needed little direction from Anita and Rob. I crossed my fingers behind my back.

After Sadie, the swimwear girl was led to the other side of the hall for her shoot. Her set was brightly lit, and there was sand and rocks and even a makeshift rock pool to create the illusion of a tropical beach. I went to watch.

“Yes, Lizzie,” the photographer drawled. “I’m liking it.”

Lizzie looked just as experienced as Sadie had.

Terry was next. Her set was dark and moody with tables and chairs for her to pose on. I thought Terry was a great poser, but I also thought she needed to do less posing as it was only nightwear, even if it was very sexy.

“Great pose,” Rob growled as Terry raised her leg onto a chair.

I thought she looked pretty men’s magazine. Maybe I was on a different wavelength.

After Terry’s shoot, Anita announced that the girls who were done could go and grab some food in the hotel restaurant. My stomach grumbled. I needed food, or at least a drink.

“Has anyone got water?” I asked.

Terry produced a bottle of Volvic water from her purse. “You look like you’re going to pass out.”

I unscrewed the cap and downed half the bottle. “I hope you’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

“Girls,” Anita said, standing up from her seat behind a computer from which she was viewing the shoot. “We start again at 7 p.m. tonight. It shouldn’t take too long because the set is all ready. We’ll try to be done within two hours. And just to let you know, it’ll be all lingerie. We’ll do some group shots, and we’ll have two male models to help us out.”

Terry’s grin was ear to ear. “Male models? I can’t wait.”

She scooted off out of the hall with the other two models, and I looked after them in envy. They were going to eat, while I stood here, famished and only barely hydrated by half a bottle of water.

“Lexi, next,” Anita said, resuming her seat. “By the way, we’ll be dying your hair for the shoot tonight, so you’ll have to wait behind after this shoot is over.”

“Okay.” That was pretty exciting.

The makeup artist sidled over and brushed over my cheeks and forehead with her brush. She touched up my lipgloss, which was torture. It smelled so fruity and edible, and I was starving!

Look on the bright side
, I thought as I took my place in front of the camera. The fact that I hadn’t eaten since touching down in New York meant I was at my skinniest, which had to be good.

“Relax, Lexi,” Rob said, looking at me over the camera.

“Sorry.” My set was dark, and a spot light shone over me. A nearby fan whizzed cold air all over me, and I shivered. I let the blower catch my hair, and Rob took a few shots.

He clicked away while I moved as best as I could even though I felt ridiculous. I’d never really had to act sexy before.

“How many changes does she have?” Rob asked eventually.

“Just two more sets,” the wardrobe girl said. She was holding my lingerie.

“Okay, shall we do a change now?”