Relish: A Vicious Feast Book 2 (9 page)

“I’m sorry for the commotion, sir,” I said when he joined me in front of the photos.

He crossed his arms and hummed, studying my project with a critical eye. “I should have known better when you proposed Vicious as your subject. Initially it shocked me since I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but you have nothing to apologize for. Each photo speaks for itself. I speak for myself when I say you’ve done this institution proud, Ms. Collins.”

My heart swelled to three times its size at the dean’s words. He might as well have called the defense a formality. But I couldn’t sit on my laurels. I still wanted to get the best grade I could, and explaining my work to a panel accounted for fifty percent of the total. The dean may like the photos, but there were other panelists whose opinion mattered in all this.

“Thank you for moving the defense to today.” It had to be said.

He harrumphed again. “Ms. Visraya is a very persuasive individual.”

“That she is.” I knew of only one person who could withstand Yana’s convincing powers. I let out a laugh. It eased some of my tension.

The backstage door opened again and in came the panelists, all four of them. Two were my professors while the other two were distinguished alumni of my program. One was a freelance photographer who worked with all the top magazines in the world while the other worked as a correspondent for a major international news outlet. My heart galloped the second the dean shook hands with each of them.

Everyone took their seats after giving the photos a last look over. I stood behind the podium facing the panel and spread my paper in front of me. I didn’t need a copy, having memorized everything inside. But its presence gave me the measure of comfort I needed to begin.

The next hour passed in a blur. I spent ten minutes introducing Vicious and explaining how and why they became my inspiration for the introspective. The rest of the time was used for answering all the questions the panel threw at me. Some I’d anticipated, like how I came up with each concept for the individual photos, while others gave me pause. The news correspondent asked me how it felt to live with the band for thirty days. I likened it to being in the trenches. Without elaborating because of the NDA, I shared as much of the experience as I could. From the sour look on his face afterward, I got the feeling he was just fishing for a gossip tidbit. The next question didn’t give me time to dwell on the annoyance that sparked in me.

By the end of the defense, I received firm handshakes and congratulations. The dean said he looked forward to following my career after I left the walls of Wexler. I couldn’t have asked for more when I slumped down on one of the front row seats. The seat next to me creaked as Yana sat down and crossed her fishnet-covered legs. I inhaled her lilac perfume before sighing. I knew she came for more than just the photos.

“I didn’t see you come in,” I said as a greeting.

“You were in the middle of your presentation when I arrived.” She pouted. “Traffic was horrible. I should have taken the helicopter from the hotel instead.”

“And make more of a spectacle of me?” I chuckled. “Thank you for arriving by car.”

“It put Eli in a mood because he wanted to watch your entire defense as well.”

We peeked over our shoulders at the distinctly surly bodyguard. His shaved head displayed his prominent scowl, even from the distance between where we sat and where he stood by the door. I suspected other bodyguards guarded all the other entrances and exits to the auditorium. Yana rolled her eyes at him before she faced forward again.

“God, they are gorgeous.”

It took me a second to understand that she’d meant the pictures. She pushed off the chair and climbed the stage. I remained seated, rehearsing my response to her offer. I had one more defense to get through before I left this place.

She leaned in and examined Luka’s solo photo—my favorite of the bunch. One shot was all it took. At the back of my mind, I wanted to experience the exhilaration of that moment again. It wasn’t every day that a photographer got the shot in a single shutter release. The panelists didn’t believe me when I told them this, but I merely shrugged. So what? I knew what really happened, and I cherished every second of it.

“It’s so freaky how well you know him,” she said.

I sucked in a breath at the possible meaning of her words. I shifted in my seat. “It’s all Luka. I just took the picture.”

She faced me. Her skirt swished at the movement. “But you wouldn’t have been able to capture the moment if he didn’t trust you.” A flicker of sadness crossed her face before she replaced it with a megawatt smile. “Please tell me you’re taking the offer? I want more pictures like these for the tour book.”

Exhaling slowly, I scanned the photos before landing my gaze on the Gothic Lolita that also wormed her way into my heart. Her lips twisted when she saw the expression.

“Oh don’t you dare.” She waved a finger at me. “Don’t you dare break my heart by saying no!”

I rubbed the armrests of the seat to rid my palms of the sweat there. “I’m sorry.” I winced at her keening wail.

She ran from the stage and kneeled before me, burying her face in my lap the same way she did with Luka when he’d refused the interview she wanted him to do for the history-making millionth download of Poison. I’d asked Luka why he refused and his words still resonated with me. He’d said Poison was a personal song for him. At the time I had no idea just how personal. Just having the song out there was enough. It didn’t matter if it did well or not.

“You can’t do this to me,” she sobbed. “You can’t.”

I believed she only did this in front of those she really cared for. Otherwise she’d remain all business. I stroked the back of her head, which I knew was little consolation for my refusal.

“As much as I’d love to keep taking pictures of Vicious, I have the rest of the world to explore, Yana.” She continued to wail. I hoped she listened. “Getting to live with all of you and taking all those beautiful pictures meant a lot to me. It still does. I put my heart and soul into this introspective and I believe it shows.”

Yana looked up, tears streaking down her lovely face. “But there’s no one else.”

“I don’t believe that.” I smiled at her, swiping my thumbs just below her eyes.

“But there’s no one who understands the band better than you.”

I knew this too, but I remained firm. “Thank you so much for the offer, Yana, but I really need to take this time for myself. I want to take pictures of the world. I hope you understand.”

Her expression hardened even if her eyes stayed watery. “I don’t understand.” She picked herself up and rearranged her full skirt. “But I respect your decision.”

The disappointment in her tone almost made me change my mind. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from telling her I’d made a mistake. Instead I said, “I’ll leave the photos here with you. They are yours.”

Without waiting for Yana to respond, I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way to where Eli stood. I patted his arm and he gave me a curt nod before opening the door for me.

For the first time since leaving Lunar Manor, lightness entered my chest with each inhale. My steps floated off the ground. I’d made the right decision. I kept telling myself this as I jogged down the steps outside the auditorium. The sun remained shining, no sign of snowfall. The weather gods were with me on this.

“Ms. Collins?” someone with a distinctly British accent said.

I turned around to face a woman in a yellow trench coat. “Yes?”

“I’m Diana Adler.” She reached out and I took her hand in a firm shake. She smiled when she mentioned working with one of the panelists. The freelancer. I almost didn’t catch her words, my heart beat so hard in my ears. I must have been blushing if the heat radiating from my face was any indicator. Thank God I managed to keep my cool instead of babbling like a fool.

“Anyway,” she continued. “I’m the editor-at-large for Rebel. Are you familiar?”

“It’s only the biggest fashion magazine in the UK.” I smiled so hard my face hurt.

“Good.” She took out a sleek silver case and handed me a crisp white calling card. Her name along with her title and the magazine’s stylized R logo were on its face. “Are you free for lunch? I would love to talk to you about a job.”

C
HAPTER
T
EN
J
OB

Two weeks of frantic packing and adjusting my travel plans later, I found myself behind a camera in one of Rebel’s massive studios directing a photo shoot for the Trendy Under Thirty spread. Silvia said she’d take care of sending all my stuff to my mother’s farmhouse. Larry looked over my contract with Rebel and gave it his stamp of approval. With the job starting soon after the Spring Showcase, I hopped on a plane and missed graduation. Not that I lamented the fact. My diploma would be arriving along with my things soon.

Between set ups, I still couldn’t believe I was at a freelance job in London for one of the top fashion magazines in the world. I might have pinched myself several times despite Diana’s assurances that this was really happening. She rolled her eyes and grinned at me the entire time.

The
this
meant taking pictures of ten of the most fashionable movie actresses under thirty. Okay, I may have blabbered like a fool upon meeting Angela Ansell, a rising star in Hollywood with Oscar buzz hovering around her. Silvia dragged me to one of her movies. The one about a girl who loses her boyfriend in a tragic accident only to have him reincarnated as a dog that helps her let go and find love again. I cried like a damn baby.

Some of the starlets proved to be easy to work with while others were complete divas. The group shot I planned turned into a nightmare fast. One particular girl wanted to be in front. I’d envisioned her standing at the back. Since she was the tallest and slimmest, I thought she’d work well as an anchor for the rest of the layout.

Diana sidled to my side as the girls took a five minute break—courtesy of our tall diva. “Courtney’s giving you trouble?”

Hands on my hips, I stared at the stands of different heights I’d requested for the actresses to sit on. In mounting frustration, I whisper-hissed, “She’s being a royal pain in my ass.”

Instead of the admonition I expected, Diana actually tilted her head back and laughed. It was a full, throaty sound that caught the attention of everyone in the room. The pause was palpable for about five seconds. In her impeccable silk suit and knee-high boots, Diana looked like she belonged in the shoot I led. She crossed her arms and leaned closer.

“It’s all about attitude, my dear,” she whispered. Her buttery accent never failed to give me goose bumps. “You need to learn how to handle the divas if you want to succeed in this business.”

“Sometimes I lie awake at night in my hotel room thinking how I landed this job.” I squinted at the light stands as if doing so would change the way I had the crew arrange them for maximum effect. “I know I’m not sounding confident here, but I can’t deny that I’m untested.”

“Oh but you are.” She poked my arm. “Thirty days with Vicious is no joke, I would imagine.”

The mention of the band made me miss them terribly. If I’d accepted Yana’s offer, I would be with them right now. But I’d made my bed and I had to lie in it. Diana was right. I’d survived Luka. I could certainly handle a little wannabe diva.

Excusing myself from Diana’s company, I moved over to the crafts table where my target stood all long and lanky limbs nibbling on a cube of cheese. She raked her smoky eyes over me like I was some servant she couldn’t wait to boss around. A corner of my lips twitched. Oh, she had another thing coming.

“Cora—”

“Courtney,” she interrupted. “I’m. Court. Ney.”

I bit down on my tongue to keep from laughing at her. She spoke as if I hadn’t been directing everyone in English for the past couple of hours. “Right, Court. Ney.” I pronounced her name the way she did and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. I did my best not to smile outright. I’d unsettled her, especially now that she stared at my patch. The other girls gave it discrete glances while whispering to each other when Diana introduced me to everyone. I didn’t mind. Let them talk. But when Diana mentioned I’d taken the pictures circulating on the Web of Vicious, all of them shut up faster than someone struck dumb. Some of them were even so bold as to ask about the band. I merely mentioned signing an NDA and they backed off. I silently thanked Yana for the contract. Everyone in the entertainment industry seemed to understand what it meant to sign one.

“Now that I have you alone,” I continued. “I know that you want to be in front for this set up—”

“I should be.” She flicked her ironed blond hair over a boney shoulder. The corset did nothing to enhance her boyish figure. Personally, I wouldn’t have put her in it, but Rebel called the shoots when it came to wardrobe. The only artistic control they’d given me was for how the pictures would look. Not complaining at all. I loved my first job to bits to snark about anything. Well, except for the divas acting uppity. “I’m in the biggest movie of the summer. The magazine would do well to give me more exposure because my fans would like that.”

I vomited in my mouth a little. Just because Courtney landed the role of the flattest, most static main character of a highly popular young adult novel didn’t mean fans of the books were automatically fans of her. I’d read the first book on the plane ride across the pond and stopped at that. I found myself unable to continue on for two more books. Even so, I took a deep breath and plastered a coy smile on my face.

“I completely understand,” I said.

“Then you’ll put me in front?”

“No.”

The win on her face shattered then was quickly replaced by mounting anger. A tic began in her left eye and her lips disappeared.

To cut off the tantrum before it began, I leaned in as if to tell her a secret and whispered, “I’m not putting you in front because you are the center of the ensemble.”

“The center?”

I saw the gears in her head working. “Yes. You may be standing at the back, but you are the anchor of the entire photo. When I’m done, all eyes will be on you.”