1
My hair whipped with every strong gust of wind from the fan before me.
A crew member flicked it on and off for each shot, which gave the photographer, Paolo, time to snap pictures before being prompted to do it again.
We had been at this for hours, and the heat was getting to be unbearable as it reached early afternoon. The California sun beat down on us without a cloud in sight, and for the last ten minutes of the shoot, the only relief I had was from the industrial-sized fan.
Paolo excitedly mumbled as he got in various positions to snap the desired angle. I giggled to myself, and his eyes widened with the last shutter of his camera.
“I think I’ve got it, Ms. Aster! You look absolutely stunning!”
With those words, he got up and rushed over to view the flicks. I was given an ice water and silk robe to hide my skin from the sun before being ushered to Paolo.
He clicked through the photos, desperate to show me each one he took. “Oh, I like that one,” I said. I pointed at one of the photos on the screen, and he blew it up for me, but I immediately dismissed it. “Ew, never mind. I look awful there.”
Paolo gasped, clutching his chest, “Don’t you dare say that about my masterpiece!”
I laughed and apologized. The man returned to showing me the pictures and gave me a pointed look any time I grimaced at a photo, but as he went through them, I noticed that as time went on during the shoot, I tended to do the thousand-yard stare. I never saw it until I started vetting my photos with Paolo, which I usually didn’t do, but I had taken more of an interest in the artistic process of photography and modeling rather than just showing up, posing all day, and then going home. It gave me something to look forward to—a real conversation.
His Italian accent was thick as he spoke under his breath, “So, Ms. Aster, these last photos are what I am submitting to the magazine, and if they don’t like it, they won’t get any more shoots out of me,” He covered my eyes with one hand as he brought up the photo, “Feast your eyes on the best candid photos I have ever snapped in my career.” Paolo removed his hand from my line of sight, and my eyes drank in the screen before me.
I was immediately taken aback by what I saw because, I agreed, they were the best candid photos that had ever been taken of me. His silly antics made me laugh, and he just happened to take the pictures at the opportune moment. The sun shone behind me but didn’t overpower the lens; the sky was a beautiful blue, and my smile was beyond perfect, even how my hair was positioned.
“I honestly don’t think it will need much editing. Maybe brighten the sky and your bikini, but there is nothing else I want to fix here, darling.”
I blushed, “How do you know when you’ve got the picture?”
Paolo looked at me and then back at the photo, his old eyes squinted when he did, “For me, it’s the feeling the picture inspires when you look at it. The last few snaps of you are breathtaking, and I know you felt this, too. It’s like a spiked fruit drink on a hot summer’s day, sweet but with a little kick,” He made eye contact with me and laid his hand gently on mine, offering a soft squeeze, “You’re a special girl, Ms. Aster. The camera loves you.” He then gave me a reassuring pat on my hands and promptly shooed me away, “Now go get dressed; the shoot is over.”
I smiled hard and began to back away. “Okay, okay! Thank you for letting me pick your brain a little, Paolo. You’re the best!”
“No, you are!” He hollered over his shoulder as he continued looking through more of his snaps.
I went behind the privacy screen and changed back into my clothes. It had been extremely hot, and summer was fast approaching, so my crop top and mini skirt combo was a smart choice. I put the bikini set where the wardrobe team could find it before making my way to the front of the studio, where Becca, my assistant, usually waited for me.
“Hey Aster!” She shot up from the couch she was sitting on with a bright smile and fell into step with me, “I called Maya again like you asked, but she didn’t answer. I even texted, but it’s been radio silence all day. I can try to reach her again for you.” As we pushed through the big glass doors, my driver waited patiently beside his vehicle. Once he saw us coming, he opened the car door for Becca and me to get in. “Oh! Also, Hunter has been texting and calling, trying to get ahold of you.”
“What?” I stopped dead in my tracks, “Hunter was calling, and you didn’t tell me right away?” My heart began to beat harder than it was a minute ago, and I clenched my jaw, trying my best not to let my worry get the best of me, “Give me my phone, Becca. Now.” She knew not to move a muscle to follow as I slid into the backseat of the car, and Harvey closed the door behind me.
They both waited outside to give me some privacy, and I took a deep breath as I read over the slew of messages Hunter had sent, each getting angrier and angrier as time passed. My phone began buzzing, and my breathing hitched when his caller ID popped up on my screen.
Once the call connected, I immediately heard Hunter’s voice on the other side of the line: “Oh! So now you answer AFTER I had been calling and texting you all day long.” I tried to apologize, but he cut me off. I hope you realize how lucky you are that Maya wouldn’t tell me where your shoot was being done today. I was going to show up and see who was more important than me.
“What?! Did you go to the agency’s office? Hunter! You know what Maya said: If this happened again, I could lose my contract!” Maya ignored Becca today because Hunter went to the office this morning. How could I be so stupid?
He laughed maniacally, “In what world do you think I would care about your stupid modeling shit? You’re dressed in skimpy clothes in front of other men, posing and parading your body around for their cameras. You know, now that I think about it, you’re practically making porn. Fucking slut.” My heart ached, he promised me after the last time that he wouldn’t mess this up for me, but as always I was an idiot for believing him.
A lump began to form in my throat, and I tried choking back my tears, “Hunter, this was my dream. This is the only thing I’ve ever wanted, and you took it away from me. Why? What did I do to deserve this?”
“I thought you said I was the only thing you’ve ever wanted?” Hunter’s voice was laced with venom as he spoke, “You still need a lesson on how to appreciate the people in your life after what you did to your parents? I didn’t know I needed to remind you, but what happened to them? That was all your fault. Being a useless slut gets you nowhere, Aster.”
My efforts to keep from crying were futile, and I full-blown sobbed into the phone, “Why are you being so mean? I love you, Hunter; I don’t want to fight with you! I’m so sorry I forgot to get my phone from Becca before the shoot. I should’ve had it on me. I’m sorry.” I wiped tears from my face, “Please,” I whispered into the phone, defeated, “Please, don’t be mad at me. You’re all I have.”
Hunter returned soft-toned, a complete 180 from his previous demeanor: “That’s right, darling. Don’t you forget that,” I sniffled and told him I loved him, but he brushed it off and said, “Come home, now. I want you,” before he clicked on me.
I sat in silence, gathering myself, and when I looked up, I caught a glimpse of my appearance in the rearview mirror. I looked like shit, my makeup was streaky, and my eyes were racooned and bloodshot, all things Hunter hated to see me like.
Becca needed to fix this since she was the one who caused it.
I knocked on the window, and Harvey opened the door for Becca, who slid cautiously into the back with me. She looked over, and I could see the pity written all over her face, “Stop looking at me like that before I fire you,” I snapped at her, “It’s your fault Hunter is mad at me. How stupid can you be? Like, be honest with me and tell me why you deserve this job because I am so close to kicking your ass to the curb.”
Becca’s eyes widened, and she shook her head, “I-I’m sorry, Aster, really! You told me that when you have shoots with Paolo, I shouldn’t bother you with anything, so I thought I was doing what you asked. I didn’t mean to cause a fight between you and Hunter. I’m sorry.”
“We don’t fight,” I said defensively. After a few beats passed, I huffed and turned toward her with an icy glare, “Fix my makeup before we get back to my place; I can’t let Hunter see me like this.”
She nodded and immediately dug into one of her many touch-up bags as Harvey drove toward my home.
