by Clay, Verna
How wrong she had been. When he'd hinted at marriage, she'd jumped in with both feet and talked about children. Even to this day, she cringed when she remembered how exuberant she had been and how he'd suddenly grown quiet.
Pushing hurtful memories aside, Skye tossed the covers back and jumped out of bed. She needed to be alert and fresh so she could encourage Kade this morning. He had to be nervous about his first day of working with cream-of-the-crop professionals. Lifting the receiver of her phone she dialed his room number. He answered after one ring.
"Kade speaking."
"Hey, you. Are you ready for the Meet and Greet?"
"I don't know that I'll ever be ready, but I'm dressed. How about you?"
"I just need fifteen minutes."
"Okay. I'll be at your room in fifteen."
"Hey, cut a girl a break."
"Okay, sixteen minutes."
Skye laughed and hung up.
Twenty-five minutes later they were entering the lovely dining area and being greeted by a hostess who led them to a private banquet room. Mandy, with clipboard in hand, rushed toward them. Smiling brightly, she made a waving motion and said, "Let me introduce you to everyone. Looks like we're all here except Galena. She called and said she's running a little late and not to wait for her."
Skye noticed the barely perceptible rolling of the eyes of another woman just seating herself at the table. She was obviously a model because of her beauty, youth, and stature.
Mandy started at one end of the table of six people and motioned to each in turn. "Kade Blackwell, Skye Rutherford, I'd like to introduce our photographer, Marcus Ferguson."
Marcus lifted a skinny arm to shake hands with Kade and Skye and said in a soft voice, "It's a pleasure meeting you. I hear you're from Arizona, Kade. I once hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, which was great fun, but then I had to hike out, which wasn't so much fun." He chuckled. "I'm from Colorado, myself."
Kade responded pleasantly.
Marcus turned to Skye. "And Skye, I believe we met in Paris a few years back. I was doing a spread for a fashion magazine and you were working on one for a travel magazine."
Skye remembered the photographer as being not as thin and less congenial. She wondered what had happened to bring about such a physical and emotional change in him. She greeted him warmly.
Mandy made introductions of the next two people, a man and a woman. Their names were Susan Zimmerman and Peter Nolan. They were Marcus' assistants. Both seemed friendly enough.
Next, she introduced the model, Claire Vargas. Claire rose and stepped in front of Kade. She grinned and said with a Spanish accent, "It's always nice to meet a man taller than myself." She kissed one of his cheeks and then the other, in a European greeting. She turned to Skye and bent way down to kiss her cheeks also. The woman had a forthright personality and honest eyes and Skye liked her immediately.
Mandy introduced the last two men at the table. "And now I'd like you to meet brothers Fleming and Holland Soto. They are our makeup artists and we'd be lost without their magic. Skye stifled a smile as she and Kade returned greetings. The men had the physiques of wrestlers, certainly not what one would expect of makeup artists.
Everyone talked for a few minutes and Skye discovered they were all from the United States except for Claire, who was from Venezuela, but said she'd moved to the U.S. as a teenager.
Mandy shifted her clipboard to her other hip and said when there was a lull in the conversations, "Mr. Viceroy will be flying in sometime during the week to join us. He sends his greetings and looks forward to reuniting with old friends and making new ones."
Again, Skye caught that almost imperceptible roll of Claire's eyes.
The door to the banquet room opened and the friendly hostess led another woman into the room. Skye had to blink twice. The woman was beyond stunning, and whereas Claire was dressed casually in jeans and a pale green, lightweight pullover knit top, and wore no makeup, this model was dressed to the nines. Her fire-engine red heels probably made her taller than Kade, and she wore black, skin molding leather pants, with a red halter top.
The first person her gaze settled on was the photographer, Marcus, and something flickered in her eyes, then she jerked those heavily made up eyes to Kade.
Without missing a beat, Mandy said, "Perfect timing, Galena. Kade, Skye, I'd like you to meet the other model in our entourage, Galena Donati from Italy. Galena, this is Kade Blackwell and Skye Rutherford, and I believe you know everyone else."
Galena kept her gaze on Kade and walked to stand close to him. Her height bested his by a couple of inches and she grinned widely with her full, bright red, pouty mouth. In English, with a lovely Italian accent, she said, "Since Mandy emailed me your photos, I have…how do you say…longed to meet you." She bent forward slightly and kissed both Kade's cheeks with air kisses and then lifted a perfectly manicured index finger to remove nonexistent lipstick.
Kade politely returned her greeting.
Skye now understood why Claire had rolled her eyes; she wanted to do the same. Galena was an over-the-top diva. Skye glanced around the table and from their expressions it appeared no one was happy to see Galena. Marcus' expression held the most distaste.
Galena now turned to Skye and glanced down from her towering height. "And you are the photographer who discovered this God, are you not? Have you come to put Marcus to the test?"
Skye inhaled sharply. The woman was unbelievable. She responded, "Of course not. Marcus is the best in the profession."
Mandy quickly interjected in her cheery voice, "Skye is here to offer support to Kade during his first magazine spread."
Galena said, "That is so sweet of you. I shall offer my support to Kade also. And with all this support, he will make beautiful pictures and become famous, and one day we shall be on the runway together." Having had her say, she pranced like she was on a runway to an empty seat at the head of the table.
Skye had to keep from rolling her own eyes as she sat in the chair Kade pulled out for her.
A waiter entered the room and spoke with Mandy for a few seconds. She faced everyone and said, "The chef has prepared a lovely variety of breakfast items that will be delivered shortly. In the meantime…" she lifted her ever present clipboard and flipped a page, "I'll briefly go over the schedule for the next few days." She glanced up and grinned. "Although we're here to work, and work hard, Provence is a wonderful place to explore in your free time. I always love visiting the area and Mr. Livingston, the designer, has a fondness for having his clothing photographed here. So…" She glanced again at the clipboard, "today we're not going far from Avignon. We've hired a local crew to set up equipment in all our locations; that way we can begin work as soon as we arrive. As you know, time is money. Beginning tomorrow, and for the remainder of the shoot, we'll be meeting here for a quick meal at six, leaving at six-thirty to drive to location, applying makeup and dressing in selected clothing on location, and then shooting until around mid morning when the sun is no longer our photo friend. We'll break until mid afternoon, resume shooting until sunset, and then return to our hotel."
She then proceeded to outline their itinerary.
Chapter 30: Truce
After breakfast the group was transported by limousine driven by Mr. Bellew to Eygalières, a quaint village surrounded by the Alpilles Mountains. During the forty-minute drive, Kade was quiet. He was reflecting on his idiocy of getting himself into this situation. He should have just sold his motorcycles and taken a loan out for any additional money needed for his grandmother's care. Now he was stuck with a bunch of egomaniacs. He revised that thought. The coordinator, Mandy, seemed nice enough and Skye was definitely not driven by ego. He shot a quick glance at Galena sitting across from him. She smiled seductively and he wanted to groan. Then he wanted to cuss when he thought about several days of close quarters with her and the other model. The women obviously hated each other and he didn't want to get caught in the middle of a cat fight.
Gl
ancing out the window he thought about how awesome it would be to explore the beautiful countryside and villages with Skye.
Mandy ended a cell phone call and pointed. "There's Eygalières. The château ruins at the top of the village will be our backdrop for pictures. We'll follow the main street as far as we can and then walk the Rue de l'Eglise to the top. I just got off the phone with our crew and the location is ready for us."
Galena whined, "Why couldn't you pick a place we wouldn't have to walk to?"
Mandy said cheerily, "Oh, it's a lovely walk past stone houses. I was there last week with the crew finalizing our plans and I have to tell you the view is spectacular."
Skye, who hadn't spoken much during the drive said, "I've been there, Mandy, and you're right, it's an amazing place. It's a photographer's dream."
Mandy and Skye continued talking about the village until Mr. Bellew pulled the limo over and parked. Everyone exited the vehicle amidst mumbled protests by Galena. Claire, obviously tired of listening to Galena, said, "Give it a rest, will you. You're getting paid a fabulous sum to stand still and look pretty, so spare the rest of us your complaints."
Galena, about three inches taller than Claire, looked down her nose at the other model, and replied, "Touché. My competition speaks out of anger because I received the Versace layout and she was passed by."
Claire looked like she was about to punch Galena and that's when Kade decided to step in. He lifted a hand to stop Mandy, who had taken a step forward to jump into the fray. Stepping between the women, he placed an arm on each of their shoulders. "This is going to be a long week if you two can't call a truce." He kept his voice as smooth as honey and rubbed up and down the arms of each woman. He continued, "Ya'll know that I'm a novice when it comes to this business, and I was hoping you could give me some pointers. Maybe I could ask a favor?"
Both women stared at him; Galena with adoration and Claire with amusement.
Galena said in a seductive voice, "What's that, Kade?"
Claire said, "Yes, what's that?"
Kade replied in a silky voice, "Maybe you both could join me for drinks this evening and share tips on my new career."
Galena glared at Claire. "At the same time, Kade?"
Claire narrowed her gaze at Galena.
Galena said, "I have a better idea. Why don't you meet me alone?" She leaned and whispered something in Kade's ear.
Kade gave her a sexy look and replied, "No. We all meet for drinks or not at all. Afterward, we can discuss…other options."
Galena grinned. "You are very persuasive." She glanced at Claire and said, "I am willing."
Claire laughed and replied, "You're smooth, Kade. When and where?"
Kade said, "Tonight. After dinner."
Galena placed her hand on his chest. "Mmmm. I cannot wait."
Claire stepped away from Kade. "It's a date, sweet cakes."
Galena began walking up the narrow roadway with Claire. Kade turned to see Mandy, Skye, and the others gaping at him.
Mandy said low, "Kade, that was awesome. Perhaps you should take over my job."
Kade laughed. "Not even if you paid me."
Everyone followed behind the female models and Skye cast a sideways glance at Kade. He puffed a breath and said quietly, "What the hell have I done?"
Chapter 31: Exploring
Skye stood at the edge of the hilltop gazing across the valley below. The magnificent scenery filled her with a sense of awe. For the moment, she forgot the previous three hours and basked in the beauty of Provence. Lavender fields, punctuated by sunflowers the color of the glorious sun, dotted the rolling terrain. Sunshine masquerading as flowers. She laughed at her lapse into sentimentality.
She returned her thoughts to the photo shoot. After a few missteps by Kade, something she tended to believe was deliberate on his part because of the help it elicited from Galena and Claire, the photos had been incredible.
Whatever mood Marcus instructed the models to elicit—joy, reflection, seductiveness, anger—they achieved it with perfection. Sometimes Kade worked with only one model, sometimes with both. There were a couple of clothing changes that made Skye again admire Mr. Livingston's talent. Of course, the setting chosen for the layout was beyond stunning. It evoked feelings of nostalgia, romance, mystery, all at the same time, and the clothing enhanced that feeling. Skye had asked Mandy who was in charge of scouting locations and she'd grinned and said, "I actually scout them out after the designer and the photographer decide on a theme."
"So you found the places for this spread."
"I did."
Skye was curious about Mandy. "I've heard you speak French and Italian, have you spent much time out of the States?"
"Not until I was hired by Mr. Viceroy. I think one of the reasons he brought me on staff is because I have a gift for languages. It was my major at University. I also speak German, Spanish, Portuguese, and some Romanian."
Skye said, astonished, "That's amazing!"
Mandy shrugged. "I think foreign language is in my family's DNA. My father speaks ten languages and my mother twelve, and I won't even go into my brother's ability."
After their conversation they had continued watching the models and photographer from a distance, and then Skye had asked, "Is Marcus doing okay? I haven't seen him in a long time. He seems to have lost a lot of weight."
Mandy hesitated and then replied, "He has cancer. He's been receiving treatments that make him very ill. When I suggested he pass on this shoot, he refused. He said if he was going to die, it would be doing what he loved, not lying in bed wasting away. He said that as long as he's able to get around, he's going to hold us to his contract, and we'd have to take him to court to break it. We love Marcus, and Mr. Livingston said that as long as his work doesn't suffer, he has a job."
Skye exhaled. "I'm so sad to hear about his illness, but I can understand what he's saying."
Mandy kicked a small stone at her feet. "Ah, there's something else."
Skye waited for Mandy to continue and watched her chew the inside of her cheek. Finally, Mandy said, "Maybe I shouldn't tell you this either, but perhaps you already know; it was never a secret. Marcus and Galena were once married."
Now that was shocking to Skye. "I never knew!"
"They've been divorced for a couple of years and sometimes I think Marcus still carries a torch for her."
Skye said, "Thanks for telling me so I don't stick my foot in my mouth by saying something stupid. Do you mind if I clue Kade in?"
"Not at all." She grinned. "Seems like he's going to be spending some time with our ladies." After that, Mandy had excused herself and walked over to talk to Fleming and Holland, the makeup artists.
Skye was brought back to the present when she heard footsteps behind her. Kade said with a sigh, "We're free until three. Shall we go to the restaurant with everyone or find another place?"
"What do you want to do?"
He grinned. "I think you know. I want to escape and explore with you." He grabbed her hand. "Come on. Let's get out of here." As they ran toward the road, Galena intercepted them. Before she could say anything, he said, "Thanks for all your help, honey, I'll see you this afternoon and then tonight for drinks." He lifted a hand and waved to the crew and Mandy. "Skye's going to be my tour guide. See ya'll later."
During their free time Skye and Kade wandered the village along cobblestone pathways, found a secluded table inside a tiny restaurant to avoid running into any of the crew, and visited quaint little shops in search of a gift for Shiloh. Skye helped Kade choose a lovely yellow pendant in the shape of a sunflower. She said, "This is beautiful. I think she'll love it."
"You're right. I wish she was here."
"Maybe someday you can bring her to Provence?"
"Maybe." Kade changed the subject. "So, are you joining me tonight with Galena and Claire?"
Skye jokingly lifted her hands in a protective gesture. "You're kidding, right?"
He lifted his eyebrows.
She laughed. "There's no way I'm getting in the middle of that fight. Besides, you appear to have everything under control."
Kade chuckled. "That remains to be seen. If I don't show up for work tomorrow, you better call the police to search for my body."
After a wonderful afternoon of wandering the village they returned for the evening's work. Skye gave Kade a little wave as he stepped inside the makeup and dressing tent.
Although Marcus looked exhausted, as soon as everyone was in place, he began calling instructions and taking pictures with renewed energy. Everyone was cooperative and there were no "diva" moments; probably because everyone was anxious to return to their hotel.
Dinner was pleasant enough and once again, after dinner, Kade asked Skye to join him and the models for drinks. If she hadn't been so exhausted she might have agreed, but the thought of conversing with two women vying for Kade's attention, while at the same time tossing verbal jabs at each other, was beyond her capability.
The next morning, however, when Kade knocked on her door, she rushed to open it. She was bursting with curiosity. He was leaning against the doorframe, grinning.
Her first remark was, "Well?"
"Coward. Thanks for leaving me to the barracudas."
"That still doesn't answer my question."
His azure eyes twinkled and sent warmth all the way to her toes. She waved him inside. He walked to her window and gazed out. She still waited, refusing to goad him for information.
He said with his back to her. "Actually, drinks with the ladies went very well." He turned and said with humor, "But that doesn't excuse your absence."
A surge of jealousy hit Skye and she hated the fact that she was feeling it. Kade was gorgeous, he was working with beautiful models, and he was going to be famous and probably date movie stars. She had to get over this infatuation she had for him.