Shouldn't Have Dealt

by Mara Lynne

  Chapter 15: Suddenly

  Dennis Paige, the owner of Beetz, stands erect near the large glass wall inside the conference room, his back greeting Ms. Ross and me as we enter the room. How did I know it was Dennis Paige? Well, just when I arrived at the building, I saw how tensed up the people were. When I asked Dolly, the receptionist, about the sudden tension in the working area, she spoke about Paige’s unexpected visit.

  I clearly remember what Ms. Ross told me yesterday about how clients easily demand total modifications in a project that is almost done. I fear Paige is here to do just that. He must have found Colin’s photos underwhelming. Although, in my opinion, the shots were extremely top notch. Pablo is in a league of his own. Hence, I think the photos were superbly taken. I just can’t identify a possible motive to hate on them. Perhaps, Paige just wants more.

  “Good morning, Mr. Paige!” Ms. Ross exclaims with a forced smile on her face. She was shaking the entire time we were approaching the conference room, and this time is no better. Her tremors have gone worse that she almost trips on her way to making a handshake.

  “Cut the introduction, Ross!” Dennis angrily says as he rejects Ms. Ross’ kind gesture. He moves away from us to the divan and easily makes himself comfortable with a sip from his cup of coffee.

  Honestly, I have zero ideas why Ross dragged me here. I know it’s not my job to accompany her into this type of meetings, but I can only guess that I am at fault for belonging to the group responsible for the photos. Of course, Donnie and Pablo are the ones in operation, but they don’t directly answer to the clients. Unfortunately, although I am new to this, I am the only employee available, despite the fact that there are people who are higher than me in the organizational chart.

  “We are sort of surprised of y-your arrival,” Ross says, stuttering a bit.

  I stand behind her like a wallflower.

  “This is Angel Mohr, our new PA. Sit down, Angel.” She gestures her hand toward the vacant seat on her left.

  I’m not sure if I have to accept the invitation, but I suppose I should. After all, Ross is my boss, and I have to follow her order. And so, I sit next beside her with an unsure look on my face. Paige eyes me critically as though I am the first on his list to receive his wrath.

  “I believe my secretary has called you this morning,” he says after he shifts his glare back to Ms. Ross.

  “Yes. I was most surprised, Mr. Paige. We sent the photos yesterday, and yet we received no complaints about them not until this morning.”

  “Yes, I am aware of that, and I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused your team at this early hour. However, it is not until this morning, as you say, that I came to realize that there is something wrong with the photos,” he states.

  Immediately, one single thought crosses my mind.

  Hunter Stone must have something to do with this.

  I thought I am completely free of him as yesterday ran smoothly. That thought is gone now. I am completely sure he has something to do with this. With his immeasurable business connections, I think he paid Mr. Paige to make MediaOne suffer his wrath or worse, blackmailed him. It just so happens that Beetz is not as big has his empire. Thus, it is simply natural for poor Mr. Paige to get intimidated.

  While these are all baseless assumptions, I could not think of other reasons for this untimely misfortune. I think I am to be blamed for the bad luck I brought upon this company. This always happens! No one gets spared.

  “Your secretary told me that you want to do a reshoot, is that it, Mr. Paige?”

  “Yes. The photos are a joke.”

  Hold on right there! So he’s not going to pull out from this project? He’s just going to demand a reshoot? Did I just hear him right? Or is my head crammed with so much hate against Stone that I misheard what Paige just said?

  “One male model just doesn’t justify the theme. What I asked for from you, Ross, was sexy and classy. Yes, the model looks gorgeous and sexy, but the photos could look sexier if there was a female counterpart,” he explains slowly. “My point is, posing with just the pants and slabs of muscles can’t make my denim’s debut remarkable. I want something the fashion world will talk about after the magazine is released, and creating a story will definitely make that possible. Am I clear?”

  Is this another way of torture Hunter Stone has recently developed? Has he gone tired of directly cutting me off from a job, choosing instead to let me suffer slowly?

  Or perhaps, the man has nothing to do with this? Is it by chance?

  With the manner Paige talked about his disappointment over the photos, he sounds genuine about wanting just the best for his business. There is no tinge of Stone manipulation as far as I can see. Perhaps, the man has regained his senses and finally thought of surrendering.

  A flash of enlightenment shines on Ms. Ross’ eyes in an instant, and she hurries to raise her finger. “I will inform Donnie and Liza to prepare everything you want in two hours. We have a variety of good-looking female models in our catalog we can call on any time of the day.” She signals me to do the contacting.

  Standing from my seat, I pick up my phone from my pocket and walk to the door where Mr. Paige can not hear my conversation with Donnie.

  “Angel, any update about Paige?” Donnie asks, sounding breathless.

  “I really have no idea what’s happening, Donnie, but I think he wants a reshoot.”

  “Ross called me this morning and told me about that. That is why I had Colin informed right away. He’s already here. We’re just waiting for Ross’ signal to start.”

  “So everything’s ready then? Have you and Liza contacted a female model? Is she already there?”

  “A female what?” The rise of his voice tells me he is taken aback. “I didn’t know we are in need of a female model. I was not informed.”

  Alright. So it’s a problem now, but we cannot make room for panic. As what Ross said, Liza and the team have a catalog of female models whom they can contact any time of the day. We’ll just have to call them.

  “Listen, Donnie.” The side of my eyes catches a glimpse of Paige frowning and shaking his head and Ross turning pale like paper. “We need a female model. Apparently, Paige is not satisfied with just Colin on the photos. He wants a story.”

  “Okay, okay, okay…” he pauses, then I hear him let out a deep sigh. “I’ll tell Liza to produce an instant solution to this problem. I’m sure she can pull someone out from their busy schedules. Everyone’s pretty busy for the upcoming fashion week. I just hope someone’s available today.”

  “I think Paige is going to watch the pictorials,” I say under my breath as I watch Paige walk towards the door, followed by Ms. Ross who is mouthing me words I barely comprehend. I can only read ‘studio… prepare… now.’

  “Do we have the models now?” Paige turns to me and asks. I am stumbling for words to say. If I tell him that the team is yet to secure one, I know he’ll burst into madness and might resort to doing the unthinkable.

  I search for answers in Ross’ eyes.

  “You don’t have a model, do you?” his voice slightly rises.

  Ms. Ross steps forward. “We are doing our best to contact a female model, Mr. Paige. It’s not possible to pull out one in just thirty minutes, considering that it’s fashion season this week. They are all doing rehearsals with the designers in New York. Maybe we can find one in two to three hours if we’re lucky enough.” Her voice dies down at the last sentence.

  “I can only wait for half an hour,” he responds coldly but sharply. “I have an appointment in an hour, so I can only monitor the entire reshoot for another thirty minutes. Time is of the essence, Ms. Ross. If you can’t produce a single photo with a female model, I will find another company to take care of this.” He goes straight across the door, into the elevator, and Ms. Ross follows him.

  It seems that it is my duty now to warn Donnie and the team about Paige’s arrival.

  “Have you found one?” I immediately ask while I wait
for the next ride in the elevator.

  “Liza has already called everyone she knows who are in town, but it appears that they are jammed with rehearsals until six tonight,” Donnie answers. “It’s impossible to find one now.”

  “Paige is coming to the studio. He’s with Ms. Ross, and he’s giving us only thirty minutes to find Colin a female counterpart.” The elevator door pings and opens in the middle. I quickly step in and push the button.

  I can only cross my fingers for a miracle today. I don’t have the slightest idea about how Donnie will get through the eye of the needle. It all just seems so hopeless right now.

  When I reach the studio, I see Mr. Paige sitting on the couch with a magazine under his nose. Ms. Ross, Donnie, and Liza are at the table just across Paige’s couch, talking in soft voices. Engraved on their faces is the telltale signs of immeasurable worry.

  “You do something about this,” Ms. Ross says with a tinge of warning although it was delivered leniently. She walks over to Paige, who might actually need some company to keep him away from boredom.

  “We could just pick from anyone here,” Liza says, the idea clearly made out of desperation. “Transform one of the girls into a print-ad supermodel.”

  I am about to laugh at her idea, but when I realize that it is the remaining hope for us, I bite my tongue and keep the amusement to myself

  “Who do we ask to fill in then?” Donnie’s eyes narrow and scan through the sea of female staff in the room. There were Kim and Sophie in the wardrobe area, busy with selecting the models’ clothes; Jessica and Kate engrossed with making Colin Verne look fierce and sultry with his hair and make-up; and a couple of young women whose name I cannot recall.

  “Maybe Ms. Ross can do the modeling,” I say. I have always regarded the woman as a super beauty. With her looks as capital, she can sell Paige’s denim jeans in an hour the moment they hit the market.

  Donnie groans.

  “Ross is thirty-five. She’s got two three-year-old boys. Do you think a single mom with wide hips makes a good jean model?”

  Liza rolls her eyes and nods as though agreeing with Donnie.

  “Not to mention, Ross got flabby stomach now after liposuction,” whispers Liza. “She will need weeks to tone her tummy area, and we are in need of a girl who has the perfect body frame and a pretty face in less than an hour.”

  “Kim is stall!” My eyes glow as I imagine a Mulan-beauty gracing the covers of magazines.

  I see Donnie slowly bobbing his head as though in deep thought.

  “With a little transformation, Kim will be a better replacement,” I add, beaming. This brilliant idea might save us from a catastrophic situation.

  “She’s too thin!” Liza remarks right away. “Kim’s got no boobs, unfortunately, and we can’t change that in thirty minutes.”

  “What do boobs get to do with doing a pictorial?” I innocently ask.

  “We’ll get a little more sensual this time. We need some skin and heat. Selling sex in print media makes good money,” Donnie answers.

  “But we do this classily, okay? We’re not a hub of porn stars here.” Liza giggles as soon as she finishes her sentence. “And before you suggest another name, I’ll tell you right away that I see no one in here today who’s worthy of Pablo’s frames.”

  “Except for one.” A sneaky smile erupts on Donnie’s once rigid face.

  Our eyes turn to him, waiting for him to lead us to the only girl whom he thinks will be the best substitute.

  Chapter 16: Vesuvius

  “Take the robe off now, Angel.” Kim eyes me as though she is ready to take my head off me anytime I slip away from the mirror. Donnie has to literally hold me to my seat so I could not get away.

  “I can’t do this,” I say while trying to stop myself from breaking into tears or else, I will smudge my eye-make up all over my painted face. Another foreign-looking creature in the mirror stuns me. I could hardly look at her because she makes my stomach twirl. The last time I looked so different was when I personified a fictional character I so badly want to be swept off the face of the planet. I am seeing that very face now. She looks exactly similar to the pretentious Angel Grant.

  “You do this, Angel, or we’ll lose this huge project.” Donnie is gritting his teeth while he keeps his grasp around my wrist.

  Unbelievable!

  I feel like I a new kid in school being bullied by the big boys. Although it is true that I am new here, it is just not fair for them to force me into doing something I am not prepared to do. My skills fall short for sure.

  “I have never done something like this before. Mr. Paige will not like the photos when they come out.”

  “This is a gamble, sweetie,” Donnie responds as he strokes his fingers through the strand of my hair. Kate ironed my hair for fifteen minutes and parted it in the middle so that it falls down my shoulders like a waterfall. Then Jessica put so much dark metallic colors on my eyelids, it feels like she used charcoal.

  “Why does it have to be me?” I feel like crying now. Donnie helps me get up from the chair and walks me out of the dressing room.

  “We really have no choice, haven’t we, Angel? You’re the best option now.” I am instantly reminded that Kim is following me behind, raring to get me off the robe.

  Even Ms. Ross agreed to this.

  Well, if I fail on this, at least I cannot blame myself. I have already expressed my utmost ignorance about posing in front of cameras, especially when I feel heavy on my face and completely uncomfortable with the clothes I wear.

  While they are fixing me, Donnie lent me four fashion magazines to browse and study. I don’t really know if I have the confidence to pull off even just one of the poses I have seen in them. They look awkward and unconventional.

  “Now, let me take the necklace,” Donnie speaks as he wiggles his fingers like he is summoning the necklace to come to him.

  “Can I keep it?”

  For a little while, Donnie falls silent.

  “Can I?” I don’t want the necklace to leave my body.

  He winces but beams shortly after I made some cute expression with my face.

  “Okay. It might possess some power that attracts positive energy,” Donnie says.

  “And it might even alter Paige’s mood,” Kim add. “Now, off with the robe, missy.”

  We reach the area where Pablo’s professional cameras and lightings are ready. Mr. Paige and Ms. Ross surround Pablo as he takes photos of Colin who is standing on top of a blue box, showing off his perfectly sculpted abs. I can see on Paige’s face that he is quite satisfied with Colin’s performance. He doesn’t miss a second gawking at him.

  I am afraid I’ll be the biggest disappointment of this photo shoot.

  “Oh, here’s Angel!” Ms. Ross cries out as soon as she sees me coming.

  Pablo stops, and Colin as well.

  “Are you sure about this, Ross?” Paige’s voice sounds cynical and stern.

  “You asked us to produce a female model in thirty minutes, and she’s the only alternative we have found,” Ross answers. “There’s no harm in trying, Mr. Paige.”

  He croaks but doesn’t argue anymore. His glare goes back to Colin who has been staring at me like he has seen Queen Elizabeth in her prime years coming off the plane.

  Pablo calls for me and instructs me to take center stage.

  “I said off the robe, Angel!” Kim raises her voice. I have just realized she has been repeating it many times now.

  She unties the robe and helps me slide the sleeves off my arms.

  “Now the jacket,” she adds.

  “The jacket?”

  “Aha! Weren’t you briefed about this shoot’s theme—steaming, sexy, but classy?”

  I have nothing else underneath the denim jacket but the lacy ivory bra she had provided me earlier. Now I realize why she insisted on me changing into these super tight brassieres.

  “You want me to pose almost naked?”

  Donnie notices my distress, and
he quickly approaches me and explains. “Angel, this is part of the modeling job.” He kept his voice calm and low.

  “I am not a model, so I am not obliged to do something like this.”

  “But you are today. Listen, you are doing this for the company, and we take this with paramount gratitude. This will not be forgotten.”

  Why do I hear greater work benefits singing into my ears when Donnie said that?

  A light touch at my elbow suddenly pushes me to turn to my right.

  “What seems to be the problem?” Colin is so near me that I almost feel the heat of his body and the smell of the pungent essential oil that Kim and the team spilled over his skin.

  “Everything is fine, Colin,” Donnie replies with a smile. “Isn’t it, Angel?”

  I nod.

  “Are we good now?” Pablo starts as he sets the camera to stand a few inches away from where it used to be.

  Donnie makes a thumbs-up sign and proceeds to where Paige and Ms. Ross have been watching us. They all look at me like their lives depend on me.

  “Angel?” Colin’s fingers reach for my face and brush the heat off my cheeks, but it only made the burning worse.

  I pull back, shunning away his hand.

  “I am sorry you have to get involved in this mess,” he whispers. “I know it’s new to you and it feels absolutely unnerving. I’m going to help you. Just trust me, okay?”

  How will I do that?

  How will I make this whole thing work like a walk in the park?

  “Do you trust me?”

  I am forced to withdraw my doubts.

  “Good,” he states after I nod. “Just follow my lead. You don’t have to put much effort. Leave the rest to me, okay?”

  The music in Calum’s Disco Bar pierces through my head like large pins. The alcohol has taken its toll on me, and I am beginning to see only hazes of light. My head feels like it’s about to break. Three hours after the photo shoot ended, Donnie and the team declared victory. When Paige saw the photos. He was ecstatic. He even promised Ms. Ross he’d bring the company more clients after the first batch of the magazines is distributed to the market.