Meant to be Yours

by Sequaia

  “You are only shooting one of us—her.” Nijah’s tone was clipped, causing me to wonder why she seemed irritated with this guy already.

  “Hey, when two beautiful women walk into my studio looking camera ready, it’s only right that I ask.” He shrugged, then gave me another once-over. There wasn’t anything creepy about the way he looked at me, but the lustful stare he gave Nijah let me know that he had to have some sort of crush on her.

  “Okay, if you’ll follow me this way.”

  “What’s the deal with you two?” I asked Nijah once he walked off.

  “Girl, we used to work together when I first moved out here. He’s always had a little thing for me, but since he didn’t give me a discount on this photoshoot, he can keep dreaming.”

  “Okay,” was my simple reply before the two of us walked over toward the set. There was a white curtain behind a bar stool and lights on each side.

  “Okay, Aúrea?” David’s face scrunched slightly, letting me know he wasn’t sure if he had said my name correctly.

  “Yes.”

  “Good, I thought I was going to mess it up. Okay, so you can take a seat on the bar stool. Don’t sit all the way back. Use the edge of it, just enough to where your bottom isn’t hanging off. I want your legs turned away from us and your upper torso facing front, if that makes sense.”

  “I got it.” With my head held high and his instructions replaying in my head, I took my seat on the bar stool as directed.

  “Perfect.”

  I sat up straight with my hands in my lap and looked right into the camera. There was no smile on my face, but I was sure to smile with my eyes, as Tyra Banks would say.

  “Yes, slay, A.” Nijah’s excitement forced me to blush right as the camera flashed.

  “Okay, so from this angle, your only job is to serve face. Smile, don’t smile, smirk, sad face, any and every expression you can think of,” David directed, and I performed.

  The hour went by rather quickly, and I had taken over fifty photos, which included hair and makeup changes.

  “You were truly born to be behind the camera, Aúrea.” Nijah practically screamed in my ear as she hugged me tightly before walking over to David.

  “Hey, David, what’s the best way for Aúrea to find castings and stuff?”

  “Go grab one of those papers by the door. It has a list of websites and agencies. I only ask that she uses my name as a referral if she gets anything. It helps me get more work.”

  “No problem, I will.” And I would. I was grateful that he so quickly provided me information that he didn’t have to on top of taking some bomb-ass photos of me. Yes, my charisma, face, and being photogenic helped. But his skill with lighting and direction made everything so much better.

  “Thanks again, David,” Nijah said as she took the envelope of my photos he printed. She grabbed me by the arm, pulling me toward the door, barely letting me thank David as well.

  “Girl, it was time to go before he started trying to ask for a date he’ll never get. Besides, I want to hurry and get home so that we can check out these photos. Aúrea, you did that.”

  “Thank you. That was so much fun. I needed that. You have officially lit a fire under my ass.”

  * * *

  “We’ll call you.” I seemed to hear those three words continually after every audition I walked in. Even with the barrage of compliments I received, “We’ll call you” was all I left with.

  For the past few months, I’ve been going to auditions and doing what was called TFP photoshoots. TFP stood for time for prints, so I gave a photographer my time, and they gave me prints. It worked in both of our favor as I could use the pictures for portfolio building. Still, with the few connections I made, I was still struggling to be chosen.

  With my folder full of my photos in my hand, I walked into a café not far from the last two auditions I just had. One was for an agent because since things hadn’t been working out with me doing this all on my own, I figured getting an agent would help me land some gigs. What I didn’t expect was the price tag. Apparently, the agents around here knew that aspiring models needed them more than they needed the model, so they were charging exorbitant prices from their clients and client hopefuls. When the application asked how I would be paying, and “in prayer” wasn’t an option, I had to go with the next best thing. The agent would get paid when I got paid. In my opinion, that’s how it should work anyway, but as I watched a few men and women shake hands with agents who handed them contracts, I knew the “we’ll call you” statement meant I wouldn’t be hearing from anyone. When I left there, I auditioned for a commercial. It went well as far as I’m concerned, but I didn’t leave with any paperwork again.

  “Hi, can I get you anything to drink while you look over the menu?”

  I lifted my head from staring at the table and began staring at the waitress. “Sure. Can I get a Sprite?”

  “Coming right up,” she smiled and walked off.

  Since today hadn’t gone the way I expected, I made my way to something that would surely brighten my day: food. I’d been gone all morning, only eating fruit because I didn’t want to look bloated behind the cameras. So, needless to say, I was starving. Scanning over the menu, I saw that the prices were right within my price range, and everything looked amazing. The crowd in this place couldn’t have been for the atmosphere, so there was no doubt I’d find the food excellent.

  “Here’s your Sprite. Have you had a chance to look over the menu?”

  “What’s popular here?”

  “Girl, everything. We have specials every day. Today is Wednesday, so the special for today is garlic noodles and shrimp with sourdough bread. It’s amazing. And because it’s the meal of the day, it’s way cheaper than it would have been yesterday.”

  “That does sound good. I’ll take it.”

  “Okay, I’ll put your order in.”

  “Thanks . . . and um . . .”

  “Chanelle.”

  “Chanelle, are you guys hiring?”

  “We need to be. I’ll send the owner, Ms. Jackie, over here, and she can help you. Between you and me, I hope she does hire you because, as you can see, an extra hand or two won’t hurt.” She winked at me, then walked off.

  It was time for a job. Modeling wasn’t going how I expected, and I was broke. Nijah was the reason I had money right now, and I was over getting money from her. It was time for me to face reality. My dream was not going to take off overnight, no matter how ready I was, and I couldn’t keep going on auditions without money. It was time for me to put as much effort into job hunting as I had been putting into modeling.

  “Hi, young lady. You wanted to meet me?” The most pleasant voice I’d heard in a while grabbed my attention.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I made my way to stand, which she halted by raising her hand, and instead, she took the seat across from me.

  “So, how can I help you?” Her smile was inviting, and she reminded me of a dark-skinned version of Debbie Allen.

  “I wanted to know if you were hiring.”

  “Do you have reliable transportation, and can you adhere to the schedule I set for you? Including overtime?” The sweet tone she used moments ago had transformed entirely to no-nonsense. Ms. Jackie cared about her business, and if I weren’t ready to commit, she would not hire me. My foot tapped against the floor as I contemplated my answer. Currently, I had all the free time in the world as I wasn’t doing anything but going to auditions and sitting in the house. The downside, however, was most of the auditions I went on were sporadic. Some, I didn’t find out about until the night before. If I took this job, that meant I’d have to prioritize it over my dream.

  “So, are you still interested?”

  “I am. I can get here.”

  “Okay, I’ll grab you an application. Fill it out before you leave, and I can have you on the schedule as early as next week, possibly.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie. What’s your name
anyway, and how old are you?” she chuckled, and so did I because those are the two things we probably should have gotten out of the way first.

  “Aúrea, and I’m 19.”

  “Okay, Aúrea, I’m Ms. Jackie, and it’s nice to meet you. Make sure you get the application to me before you leave.”

  “I will.”

  “Chanelle, give Aúrea the employee discount for her meal,” Ms. Jackie told her as she got up from her seat and left.

  “Hey, girl, you’re in. And your meal is free.”

  “Huh?”

  “That’s the employee discount. We get free lunch.” Chanelle shrugged.

  “Oh, wow, thanks.”

  “It gets hectic around here, but Ms. Jackie is like a mother to all of us. This is a business, but we’re like a little family . . . most of us anyway.” She placed my food down, then walked off, quickly returning to bring me the application and a pen. I enjoyed my meal, and since this one was free, I placed a to-go order for Nijah and me to eat at home. Even with things not going as planned today, getting this job was the silver lining.

  7

  Aúrea

  Excitement rushed through me as I laid my uniform on my bed. Tomorrow would be my first day working at the café, and I was ready. Finally, I would be making my own money. Nijah never complained nor cared about all the extra help I needed. She helped me and gave to me with no reservations. But at 19 and having lived with her for over a year, I needed to make my own money and take care of myself.

  My cell ringing caught me off guard. No one called me because only Nijah had my number. I’d terminated my Colorado number, opting for a California one because this was home now. Changing my number was also my way of making sure to leave everything and everyone behind me. Prentice had reached out, and I ignored him. This was extremely hard to do because I wanted to tell him all about Nijah and how she invited me to live with her, but I knew he would want to come here, something I knew he couldn’t do. So to avoid it, I avoided him, then changed my number, which, in a way, erased him.

  I saw the 213 area code, and my brows furrowed in confusion as the number was not familiar to me at all. Curious about who was calling, I hit answer.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi, I’m looking for a Ms. Aúray Shepard.” the woman’s voice on the other end of the phone was pleasant, though she also sounded unsure of the pronunciation of my first name. That was likely due to how she’d just butchered it.

  “This is Aúrea,” I politely corrected before releasing a light chuckle. No one had called me Aúray before. Not everyone got my name right, yet this woman’s pronunciation was a first.

  “My apologies. Aúrea, that’s very pretty.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, my name is Katherine, and I’m calling from Gates Studios, where you auditioned about a week ago for the clothing commercial.”

  “Yes, I remember.” My lips had spread so wide that the corners were possibly inches from my ears. I had no clue what this woman wanted, but my gut told me she wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t for something good.

  “Great. Well, the casting director loved you and would like to give you the job.”

  “Really? Yes, yes, I’ll take it.” My voice had reached an octave even I hadn’t known it could extend to. I heard Katherine snicker, and it did not bother me one bit. Hell, she’d laugh until her stomach hurt if she were able to see how I was going to celebrate after we ended this call.

  “Awesome. The shoot is tomorrow morning. You need to be here at the studio at 7:00 a.m. sharp. You don’t need to bring anything other than yourself, as a hairstylist, makeup artist, and wardrobe are all provided.”

  “Tomorrow at 7:00 a.m.?” My tone was still full of enthusiasm, even though my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I start my new job tomorrow, and Ms. Jackie made it crystal clear that she didn’t play. No way could I not show up on the first day.

  “Yes, will that be an issue?”

  “No, not at all. I’ll be there. I do have a question, though.”

  “I’m sure I have an answer for you. It’s good to get your questions out of the way now because once filming starts, they’ll be less time to ask anything.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, do you mind telling me what to expect and if there is anything specific I should do?” That wasn’t my original question. I wanted to ask how long the shoot would last to gauge how late I would be to my first day of work or if I should call Ms. Jackie and tell her I wasn’t going to make it. The way Katherine asked if I was okay with the time frightened me a little. There was no way I wanted her to think that I couldn’t show up.

  “Sure. The shoots last a few hours, usually. The length of time really depends on how well the shots go. If it takes you too long to catch on, the shoot could last all day. So be sure to pay close attention to everything people tell you to do. You’ll be paid at the end of the shoot as well. Oh, and you will also receive a call or email when the commercial airs.”

  “Thank you. I’m excited.” And that was putting my emotions lightly. Hopefully, I’ll get to meet her at the shoot. If not, this call was still cool. I really appreciated her taking the time to explain how things should go when I doubt she had to.

  “I’ll more than likely be the person checking you in. Have a good rest of the day. See you tomorrow.”

  “Same to you.”

  Removing the phone from my ear, I looked at the screen to make sure the call had ended. Seeing my home screen, I tossed the phone onto my bed and began dancing like I’d caught the Holy Ghost. Tears immediately began to fall from my eyes, but I did not stop stomping my feet nor waving my arms. This moment I have been waiting for—no matter how bittersweet of a moment it was.

  “Girl, what is going on with you?” Nijah asked, inviting herself into my room as usual, minus the knock this time.

  With tears still streaming down my face, I turned to her and smiled.

  “Um, what’s going on? I’m not sure if I need to hurt somebody or have you committed.”

  Laughing, I used the back of my hand to wipe my tears before walking closer to Nijah, who had the nerve to back away from me. Maybe I was looking deranged.

  “I did it, Nahji.”

  “Did what?” Nijah’s tone was full of skepticism.

  “Got my first modeling gig, and I’m being paid for it.” There was no need to make her guess or have her sitting around in any more suspense than necessary. I was too excited to even play around like that. This kind of news deserved an immediate announcement.

  “Yes,” she screamed and began jumping up and down. “Wait, with whom? What’s the job? Tell me everything.” Nijah grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit with her on my bed, anxiously waiting for me to give her the run-down.

  “Aúrea, that is big. I’m so proud of you, and I’m going with you. I will sit my happy ass in the parking lot in my car with no problem.”

  “Really?”

  “If you think I’m missing out on this, you have lost your mind.”

  “Good. It’ll mean a lot to me having you there even if you’re not in the building. Knowing you won’t be far is comforting. Plus, I’m going to need your NASCAR-SKILLED driving ass to get me to the café after the shoot.”

  “Oh, shit, you are supposed to start your new job tomorrow. Are you sure you’re going to make it? Maybe you should consider not going or asking for one more day.”

  “That’s not something I can do, Nahji. You’ve met Ms. Jackie. She don’t play, and even if I’m late, it’s better than not showing up at all. Letting her down isn’t an option. This is only one acting gig. Who knows how long it’ll be before I get another. I need to keep this job.”

  “You’re right. Tomorrow is going to work in your favor. You’re going to kick ass in the commercial and make it to work on time. When you get off work, we’ll celebrate.” She grinned before wrapping her arms around me, an embrace I not only welcomed but also I reciprocated.

  “We have to be there at 7:00 a.m., so I want to
get there no later than 6:55.”

  “We can get there at 6:30. Why you bullshittin’?”

  “Thank you, Nahji.” Hugging her tighter, I made a mental promise to knock tomorrow out of the park. I was going to slay the commercial and be the best waitress I could be right after that.

  * * *

  Six forty, that was the time on the clock of Nijah’s car. I planned to sit with her until that forty turned into fifty, but my adrenaline was booming. I couldn’t stop my legs from shaking. My palms were sweaty, and sitting in this seat was becoming harder and harder.

  “Girl, just go,” Nijah laughed.

  “I’m about to. Just pulling myself together.”

  “You’re going to do fine. Go in there and show them they made the best choice.”

  With my head held high, I exited the car, making my way toward the building with wobbly legs because I still hadn’t gotten my nervousness and excitement in order. I coached myself to feel every emotion flourishing through my body because once I got in front of the camera, there was nothing for me to feel other than the character they needed me to be.

  “Hello, I’m here for the commercial.” I walked up toward the front desk, and a Hispanic woman with deep red hair and heavy makeup, which included a handmade mole above the right side of her lip, smiled at me.

  “Aúrea.” Her greeting was one of expectation.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Katherine. Nice to meet you, and you’re early. Let’s get you to the back so they can start on hair and makeup. Your promptness is going to be appreciated.” She stood from the desk, motioning for me to follow behind her.

  When we made it into the studio, the setup wasn’t different from any other shoot I’d been on. There were curtains, stage lights, chairs, and props. I’m not sure why, but a part of me expected to walk into something much more extravagant.

  “Hey, Monica, this is Aúrea. She’s here for the commercial.” Katherine introduced me to a petite Black girl with a short curly ’fro and flawless makeup.

  “Nice to meet you. Have a seat, and I’ll get started.” She pulled the chair back, and as instructed, I took my seat. There was no small talk, only silence as she stood in front of me and applied my makeup. A few people came in and out of the area where she worked on me, asking my size, and one lady tossed my hair around. She made a comment, which I’m sure she didn’t think I heard about being happy that I came with my hair already straightened. That bothered me slightly, but if she were happy about it, I would be too because, hopefully, that meant I didn’t have to worry about her burning my tresses with whatever products she used. Plus, she wasn’t Black, and though that may not mean much, not everyone knew how to handle the kinks of a Black woman’s hair.