Model Behavior

by Claire Highton-Stevenson

  “That would be lovely, but I would need to inform the school and send them a photo of you before they would let her leave. Mom will get her, but if you want to take her out after, I am sure you will get no complaints from either of them.” Olivia noticed the clock on the dashboard. “I have to go. Have a great day. I love you,” she said with a quick kiss, and then she climbed out, ran up the steps of the house, and was gone.

  Hilary grinned to herself, pulled on her shades, drove the car back out of the gates, and headed straight for the garage.

  ~MB~

  With the bulb changed, Hilary considered what to do with her day off. At 11 a.m., it was still early. She hit the play button on the stereo and sang along to the music.

  It was surprising just how easily she had gotten the hang of driving again. She swung a left and headed towards the ocean. Driving along the coast, through Malibu and out towards Zuma Beach. It was a beautiful day, cold in the breeze, but when that dropped it was reasonably warm and so she parked up and got out, stretching her legs as she walked towards the ocean. A fine spray fell over her now and then when the wind whipped it off the crest of the rolling waves.

  She laughed as she considered how much her life had changed in these past few months. Having to come home from her travels had been the biggest disappointment – she hadn’t been ready – and yet, it had led her to the most wonderful woman she could meet.

  Thinking about Olivia made her smile. She wanted to run into the ocean and kick up the water and scream to the world just how happy she was. Instead, she wandered back to the car. Gracie would be finished with school soon, so she headed in the direction of Olivia’s mother’s house. A few hours with her favourite little person would be fun.

  ~MB~

  The door opened before Hilary had come to a halt. Cynthia smiled at her and waved. Both women liked one another. A mutual interest in Olivia and Gracie’s well-being had meant that both of them connected.

  Switching off the engine, Hilary waved back. She smiled when she saw Gracie’s dark head pop out between her Nanna and the door. The grin on the little girl’s face warmed her heart.

  “Hilary, Olivia said you might pop by,” Cynthia acknowledged as her daughter’s partner exited the car and walked towards them.

  “I hoped you wouldn’t mind, I thought I could spend some time with this one,” Hilary answered as Gracie ran out to greet her with a hug.

  “Of course, come on in. Let’s have some lunch and then you two can go wherever.”

  “I’m starving,” Gracie announced, tugging Hilary by the hand to hurry her up.

  Hilary laughed as she was dragged into the house and down to the kitchen, where lunch was already laid out. “I took a guess that you’d arrive around now.” Cynthia laughed at the bemused look on Hilary’s face as she took in the third plate. “Come on, tuck in.”

  Hilary did as she was told, sitting down and beginning to pile her plate with salad. She laughed as Gracie reached out and stuck her fork into the biggest piece of chicken she could find. Just as she was about to take a bite, Cynthia reached across and took the fork. Putting the chicken down on the plate, she began to cut it into bite-sized chunks. “So, how are things with you?” she asked, looking up at Hilary as the knife slid through the meat.

  “Oh, pretty good, actually.” Hilary smiled. “And you? Liv said you might be joining the cast of Backstreet?”

  “’Might’ being the operative word.” Cynthia winked. “I’ll hold out a little longer just for the fun of it.”

  Gracie swallowed the mouthful she had and grinned. “Nanna’s gonna be on the TV.”

  “I know. So exciting.” Hilary chuckled.

  “Mummy said I can even stay up and…and watch…but.” She held her finger up. “I’m not allowed to see it all. Just Nanna.”

  “That’s the most important part.” Cynthia laughed. When the laughter died down, she said, “Olivia seems much happier now. Thank you.”

  Hilary blushed a little. “I don’t…”

  Cynthia raised her palm. “No, don’t do that. You have been very supportive at a time when many wouldn’t have.”

  “I love her,” Hilary stated. It was that simple.

  “I am aware, and very happy about it,” Cynthia replied.

  When lunch was finished, Hilary took Gracie to the park for an hour and wore her out. For which, Cynthia was grateful.

  ~MB~

  By nine p.m. Hilary was pulled up in a space just by a large window to the left of the front doors to the set, ready to collect Olivia. She was early, so she played some games on her phone until it was time for Olivia to appear.

  It wasn’t long before Olivia knocked gently on the window, smiling at her. Hilary opened the door and climbed out, greeting her with a kiss.

  “Hm, I really missed you,” Olivia purred as she deepened the kiss a little.

  “I saw you this morning.” Hilary laughed, remembering how she had scuttled naked from her bed and into the shower.

  “Well this morning was far too long ago. Are we going out, or…?” She waggled a brow that made Hilary laugh out loud.

  “I was thinking takeout and then…” Hilary waggled a brow in reply. She ran around the front of the car and jumped in. Buckling up her seatbelt, she noticed someone at the window of the house: Ava.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Ava watched Liv through the window as she kissed a very attractive blonde woman. Until now she had been calm, and her hard work was being rewarded. Her reputation was growing again; even Olivia had seemed more comfortable around her. But this was not part of the plan.

  She might be locked inside a house with what had been twelve, and was now ten, other people she didn’t know, but that didn’t mean she didn’t get news from the outside. Jenny was the perfect little snitch, keeping her up to date with any information; after all, Jenny was currently on the winning side, and it hadn’t hurt that Ava had flirted a little with her. Maybe she could get her to do some more digging.

  Right now though, Ava felt a wave of fury intensify as she continued to watch the blonde smile and kiss her Olivia. A woman who drove a high-end Porsche, but didn’t look particularly well-to-do.

  Jealousy flooded her being.

  The only reason for being here was to win Olivia back. She had turned them down when they had first approached her agent, but then someone mentioned Olivia working on it, and that had swung Ava’s decision. She could stick this crap out if it meant having the chance to show Olivia that she had changed. After all, she was Ava, a supermodel superstar; it shouldn’t be that hard to win Olivia back.

  As the car pulled away though, Ava quietly seethed. What could this woman possibly give Olivia that she couldn’t have with her?

  ~MB~

  Ava woke the following morning, still in a foul mood, and still thinking about the other woman with Olivia. For the next task she was paired with Tariq, an up and coming young rapper with an attitude, and she wasn’t too impressed. She was halfway through the mission when she caught sight of Olivia speaking to Belle Kelso off camera. They were speaking quietly, smiling at one another. Ava looked away and concentrated on the task. When she looked back, she caught Olivia’s eye. The left side of her mouth turned up and created that cocky smile she knew Olivia used to love. Her spirits lifted when Olivia returned the smile. Although hers was a tight, thin-lipped, barely noticeable smile, it was better than nothing.

  Ava felt jubilant. Finally the ice-cold façade was cracking, and it would only be a matter of time before Ava was out of this house and this ridiculous competition that she didn’t give a fuck about. Being seen by the world as nice wouldn’t hurt. She needed that lift in the public’s opinion of her if she was to get her career back on track. But walking out of here with Olivia by her side again would be the cherry on the cake.

  Everything had been good when Liv was around. Ava was the star; Liv got her all the best jobs, kept her in line to a certain extent. Without Olivia she was nothing. The other women didn’t mean anyt
hing; they all knew that it was Olivia Copeland who held Ava’s heart.

  She was dragged away from her thoughts by the whining voice of her co-star. Tariq had noticed she wasn’t paying attention and called her out on it, smirking to the camera as he tried to gain one-upmanship with the public. Who the fuck did he think he was talking to like that? She turned quickly to face him.

  “Do you want to say that again?” she seethed, clenching her teeth as she stood to her full height, which was almost a foot taller than him. He wasn’t about to back down on national television to a woman, so he repeated it.

  “You need to step up. I am not going down cos you ain’t paying attention.”

  He was concerned about the eviction vote, where the two celebrities with the lowest scores were put to the viewing public’s vote, and he knew that Ava was well ahead in the points and the polls, that even if she did get put up for eviction vote the likelihood was that she would stay and it would be him that was out.

  She pushed him, both hands to the chest, and then he pushed back. All hell broke loose as crew members jumped in between them and dragged them apart. Jenny dragged Ava out of the room while Greg had a hold of Tariq. Olivia looked on in horror. Just when she thought Ava was getting somewhere, she went and threw it all away in an instant.

  An hour later and Ava had a first and final warning: any more of that kind of behaviour and she was out.

  Chapter Forty

  Hilary had passed her nursing qualifications with flying colours.

  Olivia had been adamant that the minute she got the news, she was to call. Of course, Olivia hadn’t been able to take the call immediately because she was running around after idiots, but finally she had gotten the messages.

  “I told you it would be a breeze,” Olivia said jubilantly into Hilary’s ear the moment she got the chance to call back.

  “Hey, you were right. Now I just need to get a job.”

  “Easy, they will snap you up, the moment you apply. Hey, we should celebrate. Tonight, my treat.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Sure, invite whoever you want.” There was a lot of shouting in the background. “I have to go. Let me know who you invite and I will book a table. Gotta go.”

  ~MB~

  They would go out for dinner to celebrate with her father, Olivia’s mother, and Gracie. She had asked Debbie, but her sister was exhausted and promised to do something at the weekend to celebrate.

  It was only now that Hilary remembered that it would be the second time their parents had been introduced, and Hilary was nervous – mainly because she knew, and hadn’t told Olivia, that her dad still had a huge crush on Cynthia.

  Hilary once again had Olivia’s car. It had been easy for Hilary to drop Olivia off at the house and then use the car during the day, then come back in the evening to pick Olivia up.

  Olivia said she enjoyed being chauffeured around much more than she did driving, and it meant that Hilary was able to visit her family a little bit more. Olivia loved that she could do something so synonymous with being a couple. They had been together for months now anyway, and Hilary would be working soon too, so if she needed the car then she could have it as far as Olivia was concerned.

  As usual, Hilary had arrived early and waited in the car in the spot that she had kind of adopted as her own. She wore a dress, one she had saved up for in order to wow her girlfriend, and tonight was the night she was going to do it. It was pale blue, hugged every curve and moulded against her svelte physique. Even she knew she looked good tonight.

  Ten minutes later and a woman appeared at the car window. Hilary lowered the glass and smiled at her.

  “Hi, you’re here for Olivia, right?” the woman said, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

  “Yes.” Hilary smiled, hoping she wasn’t about to be told off for parking here.

  “Cool, follow me.” She grinned that Hollywood smile. “I’m Jenny, by the way.”

  Hilary nodded. It would be nice to stretch her legs and take a look inside. She grabbed her purse and followed Jenny into the house.

  “If you want to just wait in here, she won’t be long.” Jenny showed her into a small study off to the left of the hall as they entered. She took a seat and waited patiently, closing her eyes as she thought about the night ahead and her plans for afterwards. It made her smile, and with the click of the door handle, she opened her eyes expecting to see Olivia. Instead, it was…

  Ava.

  The supermodel stood in the doorway. Her full height would have made her three or four inches taller had Hilary not been wearing heels. Ava stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The woman was stunning.

  “Sorry, I thought the room was empty,” Ava said, staring right at Hilary. The accent threw Hilary. She had expected Eastern European, not the clearly English accent that Ava spoke with.

  “I’m Ava.” She said it as though Hilary would know who she was instantly. And she was right, of course; everybody knew who Ava was. When she stepped forward and held out a hand to shake, Hilary didn’t take it.

  “Hilary,” she replied confidently.

  Ava sniffed and withdrew her hand, a little irked by the refusal. She was Ava. Nobody refused her. “Do you work here? I haven’t seen you,” she asked, already knowing the answer.

  “No, no I don’t work here,” Hilary said, her eyes following the woman as she moved around her. She really didn’t want to be here in this room with the woman who hurt Olivia.

  Perching herself on the edge of the desk, arms folded across her chest, Ava asked, “Oh, so why are you in here?”

  Hilary decided that the truth was the only way she planned to go with this. “I’m meeting my girlfriend actually, she works here. She should be finished work soon. You know Olivia, right?” She smiled sweetly.

  Ava was nodding her head. “Ah Olivia, you’re Olivia’s new...” She paused before adding, “plaything.”

  So that was how Ava was going to play this. It was obvious to Hilary now that Ava had known she was here. She had come in deliberately to try and set the cat among the pigeons. Probably had organised the entire thing. Well two could play this game, Hilary thought.

  “Yes, that would be me, we play quite a bit. Morning, noon, and all night.” Hilary let her tongue stroke across her lips before biting down on the bottom one. “God yes, all night.” Hilary could see the change; the way Ava had gone from cocky arrogant to furious jealousy in an instant. “I should thank you really, for everything, I mean if it wasn’t for you and what you did to her—”

  “Don’t you dare talk about me like that!” Ava stood and moved to within an inch of Hilary.

  “Like what?” Hilary stood taller and glared back at her.

  Ava was about to reply again when the door swung open and Olivia stood looking in at them. She was livid.

  “What the…Ava, get out!” Olivia shouted, holding the door open. “You shouldn’t be in here; this is a restricted access.”

  Ava took one last look at Hilary before turning and walking to the door, towards Olivia.

  “Enjoy the plaything. I’ll be waiting when you finally wake up and realise what you’re missing,” she sneered as she pushed past her ex-lover.

  Olivia closed the door and placed a finger to her mouth indicating Hilary shouldn’t speak. Instead, she reached for her hand and tugged gently, walking them both out of the room, and in turn, the house. It wasn’t until they were safely ensconced inside the car that she finally spoke.

  “I am so sorry.” Olivia ran her fingers through her hair. “I didn’t send Jenny to get to you, Ava did.” She sighed and turned to face Hilary. “I should have been finished on time, but I had to fix an issue. Caused by Jenny, I might add.” She sneered a little at the woman’s name. “I can’t believe she would do that.”

  “It’s okay, she just said—”

  “I know what she said. The room is wired for sound and vision. Everyone heard what she said.” She wiped her face as Hilary processed that information.
r />   “And therefore they heard everything I—”

  Olivia nodded. “Yes.”

  “Oh shit, Liv, I am so sorry. I didn’t know, she was goading me and I just thought, ‘fuck you.’ And if I am honest, I wanted to hurt her, just a tiny bit.” She shook her head, furious with herself. “I am so sorry, Liv.”

  “Don’t be,” Olivia lifted her head. “I have done nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing I am not proud of. I am not ashamed of you, and I am definitely proud of us. So Ava Janko can go and do one.” She slid her hand expertly into Hilary’s hair and pulled her mouth closer, kissing her furiously. “You look fabulous by the way, breathtakingly beautiful.”

  Hilary blushed and then laughed. “Shall we go?”

  “Yes, I hate being late!” Liv laughed loudly, but she didn’t miss the figure in the window watching.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Cynthia Copeland and Michael Palmer were already waiting at the table with Gracie when Hilary and Olivia arrived.

  Both women watched with raised brows as their parents laughed at something one of them had said. Gracie’s head turned one way and then the other as she tried to keep up.

  “Looks like they’re getting along,” Olivia whispered to Hilary as they neared the table themselves.

  Cynthia threw her head back at something Michael had said as he gestured with his hands, something that looked quite rude to anyone not in on the joke. Other diners looked around at them to see what all the noise was about, but neither of them seemed to care.

  “Oh hey girls,” Michael said, standing to greet them.

  “Hi Dad.” Hilary winked and chuckled at her father’s cheeks reddened. “Hi Cynthia.”

  “Hello Darlings.”

  Olivia leaned in first and kissed her mother’s cheek before Hilary followed and they both did the same with Michael.

  “Mummy, kisses.” Gracie smiled, reaching up as Olivia bent down to her level.

  “Hey, sweet girl. Have you had a good day?”

  Gracie nodded. “Yep, I been making a card.” She produced a large folded piece of paper and held it out for Hilary.