by Lucia Jordan
I didn’t see Arlo between the fitting and the photoshoot. I was busy getting everything altered, and he was busy getting all the publicity venues set-up ahead of time. The photoshoot would only have Kerynne and Cai there, so at least there would be fewer models to manage. I kind of wished I could have picked two different models just so I didn’t have to deal with them, but they had the most impressive designs and were the face of the show. Plus, their visual couldn’t be replicated by any of the other models. At least the model who had tried to convince Arlo to find her panties wouldn’t be there. I was fairly certain I disliked her the most.
After I finished all the rest of the work, I laid out the two outfits that would be coming to the shoot tomorrow and then got ready for bed. My phone beeped while I was brushing my teeth.
“Hey,” Arlo texted. “Ready for the shoot tomorrow?”
I picked up my phone, leaving my toothbrush still hanging out of my mouth. “Yep,” I texted back. “Just set out the pieces that Kerynne and Cai will be wearing.”
“Which ones are they?”
“I chose the cerulean one for Cai and the sheer one for Kerynne, the one that I tried on first to show you in your office, remember?”
He didn’t answer right away, so I finished brushing my teeth. After a few minutes, my phone beeped again.
“Yeah, I remember that one,” Arlo texted. “I think it might have looked better on you.”
What?
I held the phone in both of my hands and stared at the text. Did Arlo just tell me that a nearly see-through dress looked better on me than it will look on one of the most beautiful, sought after models in New York City? I would have told myself that I imagined this one, too, but I couldn’t because there it was staring right back at me in text. What did he mean by that? There had to have been some sort of other meaning that he was getting because he couldn’t have possibly meant that in the way that I was taking it. I froze as I tried to think of how to reply to that comment, but nothing came to mind. I didn’t know what to say at all.
“Sleep well,” Arlo’s text came through before I’d had enough time to formulate a response.
Shit, I blew that.
“You too,” I texted back without knowing what else to say now that he had ended the conversation.
I lay in bed, trying to get to sleep but couldn’t. All I could think about were the two conflicting thoughts in my head—Arlo sleeping with the models and him telling me that the dress looked more beautiful on me then it did on Kerynne. Both of those things made my heart race in two different directions. One of them I didn’t want to think about at all, and the other, I couldn’t stop wanting to think about. Eventually, the warring ideas in my head faded into sleep.
This time, my alarm actually went off in the morning. Thank God, because if I were late for the photoshoot, Kerynne and Cai would have made me eat crow.
Since I only had the two garment bags to carry on the subway this time, my commute was quicker as I navigated around the city. The promo photoshoot was being held in the main lobby of Arlo’s office building, which had some really cool architectural features. He had said that he was going to be setting up a whole scene for the shoot, but I hadn’t expected it to be quite so elaborate. When I walked in, people scurried everywhere, setting up fake trees and lighting effects to simulate an actual forest for the shoot. It was actually pretty cool. I would have stopped to look at it longer if I hadn’t heard Kerynne’s voice shot from over the top of the bustling.
“Designer, girl!” she called. “We’re over here.”
Then she turned to Cai, who was standing next to her. “What is she blind or something?” she said.
I sighed and looked forward to another long afternoon with her. I walked over to them, and they led me toward the makeshift dressing area, where I helped them both get into their outfits. Then I took a step back and studied them. They looked amazing. The makeup and hair artists had already worked their magic, and they both came to life as ethereal beings who were stepping onto earth for the first time.
Kerynne was absolutely stunning in that dress, with her perfect body showcased from beneath the translucent fabric. Her silky, dark hair fell around her like a robe, and she knew exactly how to move her body in the dress to show off the architectural composition of it. Cai looked incredible, too. His androgynous look was accentuated to perfection in this outfit, and he looked like a wanton fairy king standing next to the most desirable beauty in the land.
His hair was spiked up on top of his head, just in the front, to give him a seductive and edgy look just like I had asked for. The two of them were going to completely rock this whole shoot, and they would set the tone for the upcoming show. When we left the dressing area to walk over to the fantasy backdrop they had created, it appeared as if everyone was almost ready for the shoot to begin.
Arlo was there standing next to the photographer, and the two of them were talking with their hands moving, busily bounding ideas off each other for the shoot. When he saw us, he looked over at gestured with a single wave. I smiled and started heading toward him, letting Kerynne and Cai go first so that I could watch the way they walked in the designs. When we got to the shoot set, Arlo looked at both models and was clearly pleased by the results.
“You both look amazing,” he said.
“We know,” Cai answered with a grin.
The photographer immediately started telling Cai and Kerynne where he wanted them positioned as Arlo scooted to stand closer to me.
“You’ve done a fantastic job so far,” he said. “The designs are beyond impressive, and you’ve used Cai and Kerynne’s natural features to play into it so well. It’s seriously expert-level stuff.”
“Thanks!” I beamed. I was pleased with the results, too, but it was extra meaningful to hear it come from him. Not only did I value his opinion as a friend and fellow designer, but I respected and desired his approval as one of the top names in fashion.
Arlo and I stood back a bit and watched, to give the photographer room to work his magic along with the clearly commanding presence of the two models. Every once in a while, he would stop to give Cai and Kerynne a water break, and when he did, he would let Arlo and I come to peek into the camera to see some of the shots.
“I have to hand it to you guys,” the photographer said, “this whole shoot looks amazing. You’re going to generate quite a buzz of excitement with these pictures. I wouldn’t be surprised if these get tossed around the internet between some of the industry greats for days.”
Arlo smiled and tipped his head toward me. “That’s all thanks to Hensley here,” he said, giving me way more credit than I deserved.
“Not at all,” I said modestly. “I’m only a single cog in the machine; there were so many other people that made all this possible.”
“Yeah, like us,” Kerynne said as she and Cai put down their water bottles and got back into position. “We’re ready, let’s go.”
About halfway through the shoot, some of the press that Arlo had called in arrived. And with them, a few of the industry’s top designers came in to see what the fuss was all about afterword had leaked about the shoot.
“Are you kidding me with this?” one of the designers said.
I knew who he was. He owned an entire building near Union Square that housed a five-story clothing boutique and was one of the most prestigious and cutting-edge designers of the time. For a moment, my heart sank. He sounded as if he were about to hurl a mouthful of insults and critique at my designs. Arlo turned around to look at him, and I just put my head down to save myself from embarrassment. I tried to mentally prepare myself to be truly saddened by a harsh jab at my concepts for the runway show. I thought that I had done such a great job on the designs, and my heart was about to be broken.
“This!” he said as he walked up closer to Cai and Kerynne, without even caring that we were in the middle of a shoot. He walked right in front of the camera and clasped his hand over his mouth, with the other hand on his hip.
“This is the best stuff I have seen since—well, I can’t even remember!”
I lifted up my head in shock and watched as he walked full circles around both models.
“I am in awe, Arlo. I am in absolute and unbelievable awe. If the rest of your show is this good, you’ll take the front seat on driving this year’s fashion trends, without a doubt.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was impossible to think that this famous designer was wowed by my work. I was literally jumping up and down on the inside of my skin.
Arlo smiled. “Let me introduce you to the designer for the entire line,” he said. “This is Miss Hensley Ward.”
The man practically ran across the floor of the shoot to take my hand and clasp it between both of his, which he then held up to his chest. “You are going to be a legend,” he said with excitement. “Your work is breathtaking. Not breathtaking like a beautiful face, breathtaking like a galaxy.”
I was so excited that I could barely breathe. “Thank you,” I said as I felt the thrilled happiness beam out of me.
He wasn’t the only one to come up to me during the shoot. Reporters and industry reps, so many people I had idolized ever since I first decided to go into fashion, and then even more I had never seen nor heard from before—all of them fawned over my designs. I didn’t know what to make of all the attention, but I couldn’t have possibly been happier about how much everyone seemed to love my work. Even Cai was smiling about it and seemed to strike some more intense poses to really work the outfit as more and more people came by to rave about what they were wearing. The only person who didn’t seem so happy about it all was Kerynne. The more the shoot got interrupted with onlookers praising my designs, the more jealous she started to get. We were just about to wrap the extremely successful shoot when Kerynne decided to pull a stunt.
I could see it coming a mile away, even if no one else could. She went from being perfectly fine to looking around and making sure Arlo was going to be watching. Then she sent Cai to go fetch her some water so that he wouldn’t be right next to her, and she started to make a noise that was a cross between a whimper and a moan. As soon as Arlo turned around to see what the noise was, Kerynne pretended to pass out. I saw it happen as if it were in slow motion.
All I could see was my beautiful, delicate dress about to be ripped to shreds against the floor simply because that damn girl was jealous and wanted attention. Thankfully, Arlo saw her start to sway on her tiny feet, and he ran toward her and caught her just before she bottomed out. I wasn’t keen on the fact that he had his arms around her, but I was happy at least that my design had been saved, especially since it was my favorite out of all the pieces and would be impossible to recreate in time for the show.
Arlo scooped Kerynne up in his arms, and she let her head fall against his chest as her legs dangled over the side of his arms. Man, she was milking this. I couldn’t believe Arlo couldn’t see it for what it was, a pitiful and childish cry for attention.
“What happened?” Cai asked as he came around the corner with Kerynne’s requested water in his hand.
“I think she’s just a bit lightheaded from the shoot,” Arlo answered. “Can you drive her home?”
“Not tonight,” Cai said. “Sorry, but I’m late for a party already.
He had already taken off his outfit and changed into his street clothes, making him look like he would fit right in with the whole underground-nightclub vibe. Cai really was a damn attractive man. He handed me the outfit and smiled before leaving.
Arlo stood there with Kerynne still draped in his arms. I could see her one eye open just a crack as she tried to pretend that she was too weak to be set down on her feet.
“Hensley,” he said as he walked toward me carrying Kerynne. “I hate to ask you to do this, but would you mind staying to finish cleaning up for me? Most of the stuff is already taken care of, but the faux forest still needs to be broken down.”
“Sure,” I said. “No problem. But where are you going?”
“I’ll need to take Kerynne home since there doesn’t seem to be anyone else willing to give her a ride back to her apartment.”
“Can’t you just call her a cab?” I asked.
“No. For starters, she’ll ruin this dress in a cab. And secondly, I would never put any half-dressed woman in the back of a cab. Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll make sure I get the dress from her before I leave her apartment. I’ll bring it to you in the morning.”
He picked up her street clothes, which she pretended to be too weak to put on until she got home and could have her roommate help her change, and then he carried Kerynne out to her car. Now, since everyone else had already left, I was the only one here to break down an entire set. It wasn’t just the dress that I was worried about; it was also Arlo with a half-naked Kerynne in his arms as he headed to her place. I told myself I was overthinking. Kerynne had a roommate who would help her get changed.
Arlo would probably wait in the living room, take the dress, and then leave. But I didn’t really think I was overreacting this time because Kerynne was totally fine, and she had other plans for when they got back to her apartment. Arlo leaving wasn’t one of them. It didn’t matter, though. I was here on my own, and I had to get things cleaned up and put away. I was a little mad that Arlo had asked me to do it. I was the fashion designer, not the set builder. Didn’t he have people who took care of these kinds of things?”
I set down Cai’s garment bag along with the empty one that didn’t have Kerynne’s dress in it since the dress was still on her, and I started to dismantle the vines and branches from the backdrop.
“What are you still doing here, all alone?” Cai’s voice came from behind me.
“Cai,” I said. “I thought you already left.”
“I did. But then I realized that I had left my wallet in the dressing area and I need it for the bar. Where is everyone else? Where’s Arlo?”
“He went to take Kerynne home,” I answered.
Cai chuckled. “Can’t believe he fell for that,” he said.
“For what?”
“For Kerynne’s fake fainting-spell act.”
“You knew she was faking?” I asked.
“Of course, wasn’t it obvious?” he said.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I thought it was, too. Not sure why Arlo didn’t pick up on it.”
“Maybe he did.”
That didn’t make me feel any better.
“I’ll help you with this,” Cai said as he set down his wallet on the table by the garment bags and walked over to help me take down the trees.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I thought you said you had a party to go to.”
“Eh, I have a party to go to every night,” he shrugged. “It won’t hurt for me to be a little late to this one.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. I had no idea that Cai even had a generous and kind side. Maybe some of these models weren’t so bad if you got to know them.
“You should come out to a party with me some time,” he said as he pulled a section of the tree down off the backboard.”
“I’m not really the elite-party type,” I said.
“How do you know? Have you ever been to one?”
“Honestly, no,” I answered.
“Then, you should come with me tomorrow night.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Cai grinned. He still had all his makeup on from the photoshoot. He was going to look magical at whatever party he was going to tonight.
6
Chapter Six (Arlo)
As if having to carry Kerynne’s ass back to her apartment last night and then waiting for her as she painstakingly removed the dress that I needed weren’t painful enough, I felt awful about making Hensley stay after the shoot to clean up the stuff I should have been able to get done myself.
When I woke up in the morning, I was already in a foul mood. After I got home last night, I had texted Hensley, but it was already late by the time I had finished with
the Kerynne debacle and gotten back to my apartment. Hensley didn’t answer. This was a little bit strange since she was usually a night owl, but I just assumed that she had fallen asleep. Later this afternoon, I would see her when I went to her workshop at F.I.T. to see how the design production was coming along for the rest of the line and to deliver the dress for the runway show back to her. When I walked into the Luscious building, things started to go horribly wrong nearly as soon as I stepped inside my office.
First, my secretary came in and told me that the date for the runway show got moved up. I told her that was impossible to do since we were already on a too-tight deadline, but she said that the booking rep from Madison Square Garden had called and said they had a conflicting booking and that one of the shows had to be rescheduled. I called them back immediately and argued that we couldn’t reschedule the runway show without suffering a terrible grievance, but since the other booking was a high-grossing pop-star performance, we got the shit end of the deal and had no choice but to either push the date up or wait another month. There was no way we could wait another month for the show, not when the clothing line was supposed to hit retail shelves soon. I had no choice but to accept the sooner date, which I feared would be impossible to meet.
As if that weren’t a big enough blow already, then I got word from Kerynne that two of the other models were dropping the show—one male and one female. When I asked her why, she gave me some vague answer about how they were going off to chase another dream or some nonsense. Apparently, their “dream” wasn’t aware of the legally binding contract that they had signed. Regardless, I needed to figure out what to do for the show. I knew of a male backup model that I could call, but all of the female models I usually worked with were currently busy with other gigs. This was a disaster, and it had all been going so well up until this point. I decided to leave work to go meet up with Hensley early. I needed to see how far along with things she was and if she would be able to accommodate the pushed-up date for the runway show.
