Atlantis

by Jessica Rosberg

"And…that's a wrap," the photographer said after he'd snapped the final picture. Sloane was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.

  "Fantastic job, ladies." Brendan, the guy who'd hired them for the photo shoot smiled brightly.

  "Thank you," Candice said. "It was a lot of fun." Not really, thought Sloane. "These cars are gorgeous."

  "Yes, they really are," Sloane agreed with a smile.

  Brendan clapped his hands. "How would you ladies feel about hanging around an extra night or two? We're having a private show and auction tomorrow evening. I'd love to have you two be here to help present the cars, mingle with the VIPs."

  Sloane and Candice glanced at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking.

  "The magazine would cover the cost of your stay, and of course, you'd be paid for your services."

  They spent the next twenty minutes negotiating payment. Then Candice said, "Would you mind giving us a moment?"

  "No, of course not, take all the time you need," Brendan said. He walked over to where the photographer was and looked over his shoulder at the photos that were just taken.

  "Well, what do you think?" Candice asked Sloane.

  "I think we're being pimped out."

  Candice laughed with disbelief. "Why on earth would you think that?"

  Sloane rolled her eyes. "C'mon. We'll be paid for our services? He's offering an awful lot of money for what he described." The girls simply stared at each other for a few moments. They could really use the money. And taking a job like this at the last minute could do wonders for their reputations. Finally, Sloane said, "I'm not having sex with any old man car collector."

  "Neither am I. If things get weird or out of hand, we leave. Simple as that," Candice said and Sloane agreed.

  *****

  And that's how things went for them for the next couple of months. If there was an enthusiast group or expensive hobby, they were there. They did shoots for car magazines, boating brochures, water sports magazines, an off road Jeep club, an aviator's club. And it was always the same – a photo shoot followed by some sort of private event that they were paid to attend. No one had ever propositioned them for sex, which was good. A few guys at a couple of the events had gotten a little too drunk and started to grab at them, but the men were escorted out by security before things got out of hand. It wasn't too bad.

  During her last phone conversation with Jason, he mentioned that the Parker name wasn't as tainted as it had been a few months ago. That was an improvement. The girls were in demand, just not with the photographers they would prefer to be working with. In time, Candice kept saying. In time they'd be back on top. Sloane was starting to wonder if Candice really believed that or if she was just saying it because it made her feel better. It sure didn't make Sloane feel any better.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Candice wiped a tear from her eye when Sloane released her. "I can't believe I actually did it."

  Sloane smiled and fought to keep her own tears at bay. She didn't want her make-up to run. "My sister, a college graduate…who would've thought?"

  Candice laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

  "You know I'm only teasing." Sloane flung her arm around her sister's shoulders. "C'mon, we have some celebrating to do. Jason has something special planned at his place." She half expected Candice to protest and try to get out of going, but she didn't. Sloane was impressed, and hopeful that maybe Candice would start to get back to her former, fun self and not be so focused on school and work all the time. Sloane missed her sister and how they used to hang out and just talk. It was time they got that back – starting tonight.

  "I thought Jason was coming to my graduation," Candice said, looking around for him.

  "He was here. Then he left as soon as you got your diploma so that he could prepare for your party." Sloane led Candice through the crowds and toward the parking lot. They'd splurged for a car service today even though they probably shouldn't have. But if a college graduation wasn't a time to go all out; then what was? Besides, they were doing a little better financially. They now had steady work, even if it wasn't glamorous, and they were paying their bills with a little left over.

  "Oh, I get a whole party?" Candice batted her eyelashes and giggled.

  "Yes! Jason has gone all out, too. He's invited a lot of photographers, and some of our old contacts." Sloane grinned with excitement. "This could be our big break, Candice. We could get back on top after tonight."

  "That would be nice. I hate having to worry about money all the time."

  "Me too." They stopped in front of their car, and then got in. Sloane gave the driver Jason's address. Today, Candice graduated from college. Tonight, they would get back in the world they loved so much. Finally, things would go back to normal for them.

  *****

  "Hey! Wake up!" Candice jumped on Sloane's bed and yanked the covers from her sister's head.

  Sloane groaned and covered her head with her arms. "God, it's too early."

  Candice laughed. They'd been out late last night, partying at Jason's house, and Sloane was no doubt hung over. Candice hadn't had that much to drink and was feeling just fine this morning. "C'mon, get up. I have to talk to you."

  "So talk." Sloane yawned and rolled over.

  "If I talk to you now, you won't remember anything I say." Candice turned Sloane back toward her. "This is really important. You have to get up."

  "Fine," Sloane grumbled as she sat up. "I'm awake. Now, get me coffee or I still won't remember anything you say."

  Candice hit her sister with a pillow. "Okay, I'll be right back with coffee. Don't fall back to sleep." Less than five minutes later, Candice returned with two steaming mugs of coffee. She handed one to Sloane, who took it and sipped greedily.

  "So, what's so important you had to wake me up before noon?"

  "Last night, I was talking with Becky Woods; she's a professional business manager who specializes in working with models and actors. Anyway, we were talking and she offered to help us out."

  Sloane's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" Then she added, "Can we afford her?"

  "No, but that got me thinking…what if we start our own modeling agency? We can call it Parker, Inc., and we can represent a few up and coming models while using it to manage ourselves. If we hire Becky, she can draw a salary from the business and we won't have to pay her out of our own pockets." Candice was so excited about the idea she could barely sit still. Hot coffee splashed out of her cup and onto her hand. She barely noticed it. "Well, what do you think?"

  "You want to start our own agency? We can barely manage ourselves. How the heck are we going to manage others?"

  "That's where Becky comes in. That would be her job. We would be her clients even though we own the company. Now that I've graduated, I have the ability to do this. We can get a loan from the bank. Our credit is good…" Candice hoped her excitement and enthusiasm was contagious because she knew she'd never do this without her sister by her side.

  "You really think we can do this?" Sloane asked, sipping her coffee.

  "I know we can."

  Sloane smiled. "Then let's do it."

  "Really?" Candice bounced up and down on the bed and squealed with delight. "Oh my God, Sloane, this is going to be so great. Once we get things up and running, we can hire an agent, too."

  With a laugh, Sloane said, "What do you need me to do to help?"

  "Well, I'll have to write a business plan for the bank. I can finish that this weekend and we can go to the bank Monday morning. In the meantime, I suggest we invite Becky over for dinner and offer her a job."

  "Shouldn't we wait to find out if the bank will give us money, first?" Sloane asked.

  "Probably, but I'm afraid if we wait, we'll lose her. She's in between jobs right now."

  Sloane nodded. "Okay, I'll cook and you can pitch this idea to her."

  Candice clapped her hands. "Yay! Okay, we also need to start looking for office space."

  "Shopping?" Sloa
ne grinned. "I'm up for that."

  *****

  "Well, what do you think?" Candice folded her hands on the table and looked expectantly at Becky.

  Becky dabbed her mouth with a napkin and took another drink of her wine before she responded. "For starters, this lasagna is fantastic."

  Sloane laughed. "Thanks. It's really the only thing I know how to cook."

  "Honestly, this sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. I'm tired of taking jobs with well-established firms that require me to follow their rules. Getting in on the ground floor, being able to find and develop new talent…I'm in." Becky smiled.

  Both Candice and Sloane let out excited squeals and laughter. "Thank you so much, Becky, you have no idea how much this means to us," Candice said.

  "Who's ready for dessert?" Sloane asked, standing. "I didn't make it, but I bought a delicious looking cheesecake from the deli on the corner."

  "Oh, they have the best desserts there," Becky said. "I'd love a piece."

  "Candice?"

  "Yes, please." Once Sloane left the room, Candice turned her attention back to Becky. "We'd love to be able to hire an agent, too. In light of everything that happened with our prior manager, we're slowly rebuilding our reputation and we don't have any contacts anymore. I'm really hoping you do." Candice laughed nervously. That was both a curse and a blessing in this business – everyone always knew everyone else.

  "I do." Becky nodded. "You girls get to the bank first thing Monday morning and I'll make some calls."

  Candice wanted to cry she was so overwhelmed by how helpful Becky was being. "Thank you, really, just, thank you."

  Becky smiled again. "I always did like you girls. I've followed your career from the start. You two are going places."

  That was it. Candice felt a few tears break free from her control and slide down her face. She hastily wiped them away. She had no idea what to say to that. Even their own mother hadn't had that much belief in them. Geraldine had only ever been concerned with how the girls looked, how much time they had in front of the camera, and how much money they made.

  "May I ask, why didn't you ask your friend Jason to be your business manager? He's great with this type of stuff," Becky said.

  Candice sighed. "After the fiasco with our mother, Sloane and I decided, other than each other, we're not going into business with family or friends ever again. It's too difficult and just not worth it."

  Becky nodded. "That makes sense."

  "Here we are." Sloane returned carrying a tray with three plates of cheesecake. They spent the remainder of the evening drinking wine and discussing their plans and goals for Parker, Inc. It was the best night they'd had in a long time.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Two months later…

  Candice leaned back in her chair and looked around her office. Her office – man, she loved the sounds of that. Parker, Inc. was growing, slowly, but it was growing. Becky was fantastic, and she'd managed to get one of the top agents, Larry Hedland, to work with them. He's been fantastic, too, getting both Sloane and Candice some high profile, high paying jobs. It felt good to be back in the world they knew so well. Candice was doing a lot of photo shoots while Sloane was doing quite a few commercials. They were both happy with what they were doing – and with the fact that they didn't have to attend VIP parties for car enthusiasts anymore.

  With Becky and Larry's help, Candice and Sloane had signed four new, up and coming models to their agency. They weren't superstars, but hopefully with the help of Parker, Inc., they would be. It was just going to take some time. That's what Becky kept telling Candice. And Candice knew that, but she was impatient. She wanted the business to thrive overnight. It was a ridiculous goal, but one that was hard for her to give up just yet. Besides, the business was doing well, so it's not like Candice had anything to be ashamed of.

  The door to the office swung open and Sloane came sauntering in, looking like a million bucks in all of her designer clothes and expensive jewelry. Candice glanced at the clock – 1:42 p.m. Candice had been in the office since eight thirty this morning. She rolled her eyes at her sister. "Well, it's about time you showed up."

  Sloane smiled and gave Candice a dismissive wave. "Really, sis, why do we both need to be here so early every day?"

  This was the same argument they'd had every day for the past month and a half. "This business won't run itself."

  "Exactly." Sloane flung her designer Louis Vuitton bag onto her desk, and then sat. "You're here running things, and I'm out networking."

  "Is that what you call hanging out in clubs and partying all night? Networking?" Candice smirked.

  "Yes." Sloane laughed. "Seriously, Candice, I'm out there meeting people and making contacts. It's good business."

  Candice, despite her smile, shook her head in disbelief. Maybe Sloane was right. Maybe being out there talking to people was a good thing. Sometimes the contacts made in a bar room were just as important as those made in the boardroom.

  "In fact," Sloane continued, "I met a man last night who's looking for representation. I told him to stop by the office later today." She smiled with smug satisfaction.

  How could Candice be annoyed with Sloane when she really was networking and bringing in new clients? "What's his name?"

  "Johl Edwards, and he's gorgeous," Sloane gushed with a goofy smile.

  Oh, that was just great. If Sloane was smiling like that; then chances were good she had her eyes on Johl for more than a potential client. She had the hots for him – which might work in their favor if Sloane and Johl hooked up. What was wrong with me? Candice wondered; am I really willing to pimp out my sister to ensure this business succeeds? No, of course not. But, if Sloane had her eyes on this guy; then nothing Candice could say or do would change that.

  "We spent all night talking. He's got a great look," Sloane said.

  "Well, let's hope he decides to sign with us then. He could be exactly what we need," Candice said.

  "Last night wasn't the first night I met him. I've seen him a few times before. We'd spoken, but nothing more than passing hello's. I'm seeing him again tonight."

  "So, are you two dating?" Candice raised a brow.

  Sloane shook her head. "No, I told him I'd take him out for dinner…on the business…as a business expense…that's what all the other agencies do when they're trying to sign a new client."

  Candice sighed. "Yes, but we're not all those other agencies. We want clients who want us, not clients who want us simply because we feed them." She laughed.

  "Don't be so dramatic. It'll be fine."

  *****

  Johl smiled. "Sloane, you look as beautiful as ever," he said, standing to greet her.

  She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Johl." She sat in the chair he had pulled out for her and waited for him to take his seat across from her. "Candice was really impressed with you today."

  He smiled and Sloane felt her knees go weak. Wow, he had a great smile. Everything about Johl was great – from his deep brown eyes to his chiseled jawline and muscular abs.

  "She's nice," he said. "And she seems to know what she's talking about."

  Sloane nodded. "She does, and she's very excited to sign you to Parker, Inc."

  He chuckled softly and reached over to touch Sloane's hand. "Let's talk about business later, huh?" Johl winked.

  She smiled. "That sounds like a good idea." The waitress arrived, filled their wine glasses, and took their food orders. "So, what made you decide to get into modeling?"

  Johl waved his finger at her. "Uh-uh, no business talk, remember?"

  "Right. Well, what would you like to talk about then?"

  He shrugged. "The weather…politics…religion…"

  Sloane put her hand up to silence him. "Why don’t you just tell me about yourself? Your childhood…your parents…your first girlfriend…" She giggled.

  *****

  Two hours and three bottles of wine later, they left the restaurant. The temperature had dropped a fe
w degrees and the air was cool. Sloane pulled her shawl tighter around her, but it did little to warm her. Johl put his arm around her shoulders. "Cold?" he asked.

  "A little."

  "Maybe this will warm you up," he said, bringing his lips down to hers.

  Sloane knew they'd both had a little too much to drink, but she really hoped he was kissing her because he wanted to and not because he had too much alcohol in his veins. She put her arms around his neck and welcomed his kiss. His tongue explored her mouth with expertise and she moaned softly.

  "Mmm," he hummed, pulling away and licking his lips. "Want to go back to my place?"

  "Yes," she said without hesitation.

  Johl hailed a cab, but before they got one to stop, a man jogged down the sidewalk toward them.

  "Excuse me, Miss Parker?"

  Sloane turned to look at the man. "Yes?"

  "Hi." He was clearly out of breath, and she wondered how long he'd been chasing them. It couldn't have been too long considering the restaurant they'd just left was only around the corner. "I'm Maddox Hunter, designer."

  She smiled and shook his offered hand. "Hello, Mr. Hunter." She searched her mind to figure out if she'd met him before or knew him at all. She didn't, but his name did sound familiar.

  "Sorry to catch you on the street like this…I'll get right to the point. I'm launching a new line of swimwear and I'd like you and your sister to be the face of the new label."

  "Wow." Sloane tried to shake the fuzzy alcohol barrier from her mind. "Uh, okay, well, why don't you stop by our offices tomorrow and we can discuss the details." She dug in her purse, retrieved one of her business cards, and handed it to him.

  Johl came up behind her and kissed her neck. "No business talk tonight, remember?" he whispered.

  Maddox smiled and nodded. "I'll give you ladies a call tomorrow morning. Enjoy the rest of your evening," he said with a knowing stare.

  When he was out of earshot, Sloane playfully elbowed Johl. "We agreed no business talk between us. You never said I couldn't make deals with tall, dark, handsome strangers on the street," she teased.

  "I'm going to show you tall, dark, and handsome." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again.