Until We Collide

by Charlotte Fallowfield

  ‘Won’t you get into trouble squeezing me in?’

  ‘Not if he knows you were referred by Alec, they’re good friends. Just do me a favour. If Jean-Claude takes you, ask Alec to come for a visit. He’s so gorgeous and we haven’t seen him here in a while. Is he seeing anyone?’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ I replied, feeling my hackles rise at the thought of her wanting to flirt with him. ‘But I’ll certainly ask when I next see him.’

  She smiled and gestured me over to the already overcrowded seating. I smiled at the girls, who looked me up and down with contempt. A couple glanced at each other with raised brows, implying they didn’t feel I was up to standard. None of them made any effort to move up to accommodate me on the bench either. Instead, I put my handbag on the floor and leaned against the wall. Was this what modelling was like? Catty attitudes and only looking out for yourself? Could I really cope with that sort of behaviour? Who was I kidding. I wasn’t going to get a job as a model. I giggled as I thought of what Dad’s reaction would be to my outing today. I realised as far as my parents knew, I’d gone to town shopping. I really ought to let them know where I was. I bent over to rummage in my bag for my phone.

  ‘Out, out. Mon Dieu, I am casting for swimwear, not famine victims,’ came an irate French accent behind me. ‘At last, you, with the Kardashian derrière, you’re next.’

  ‘I’ve been here for hours,’ moaned the blonde next to me as I triumphantly retrieved my phone and started sending Mum a text.

  ‘I’m not operating a doctors’ surgery here, it’s not first come first served. You, brunette in black, white, and red, your phone is more important than my time?’ his voice snapped. I looked up in surprise.

  ‘I’m sorry, were you talking to me?’ I asked, pausing mid text.

  ‘Do you see any other juicy rumps in this line up?’ he asked, folding his arms across his chest as he gave me a disapproving scowl that my dad would have been proud of. I nearly gave him one back for comparing my backside to a piece of meat.

  ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise that you meant me. I was just texting my mum.’

  ‘In or out, my time is precious,’ he snapped, flicking a hand to the door. I hastily shoved my phone back in my bag.

  ‘In, in, most definitely in,’ I confirmed, nodding my head vigorously. ‘Sorry, Mum,’ I whispered as I trotted over and through the white door into his room. I waited just inside the modernistic-looking office as he shut the door behind me.

  ‘Sit,’ he ordered, pointing to the white and chrome leather chair in front of his glass desk. I did as I was told immediately, putting my knees together and resting my hands in my lap as I tried to remember not to slouch. He moved in front of me, leaning back on the desk as he studied my face for a moment, while I did the same in return. He spoke with a French accent, but with his jet black hair and piercing green eyes, he looked more Italian. He was dressed in a pair of expensive, black designer trousers and a bright green shirt. He actually had quite a kind face, or he would if he wasn’t so intimidating right now. ‘Portfolio, please.’ He held out a tanned and immaculately manicured hand.

  ‘I don’t have one,’ I whispered apologetically.

  ‘A model without a portfolio? You came here to waste my time?’ he snapped.

  ‘I came because my friend recommended I see you,’ I advised, reaching down to grab my iPhone. ‘He took a picture of me, I have it on here.’

  ‘A friend? Do you have any idea how many “friends” recommend me? You have a classically beautiful face and on first glance, a body made for swimwear, but if you are untrained, you are of no use to me now. Go, get some advice from a professional, practice, practice, practice, then get a portfolio made up. Only then come back, I will give you one more chance.’

  ‘I promise I’m a quick learner. I wouldn’t have come at all, but Alec was so sure I could do well,’ I stuttered, trying to multitask and find that damn photo he’d taken of me.

  ‘Alec? Alec Wright?’ he responded, his interest piqued.

  ‘Yes, he took the photograph of me. Here, here, I’ve found it,’ I announced proudly, handing my phone over to him. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at the shot.

  ‘Alec has an exceptional eye. Very well, I need to see you in your underwear,’ Jean-Claude advised, handing me my phone back.

  ‘Underwear? O God, I mean, I had no idea I was even coming here today and I’ve no idea if I’ve got a matching set on.’

  ‘What’s your name?’

  ‘Paige, Paige Taylor.’

  ‘Paaaaige,’ he breathed with a knowing smile. He picked up his phone and I watched his thumbs move across the screen with lightening speed. ‘I see. Now I understand. Well, Paige Taylor, I want to assess your body, not your delicates, so please kindly remove your clothes.’

  ‘O, ok. Please could you direct me to the changing room then?’ I asked, desperately trying to remember when I last had a bikini wax. Flashing my bush hadn’t been on the agenda when I got up this morning. None of this was.

  ‘Changing room?’ he laughed. ‘A model is comfortable in her own skin, she will strip anywhere the need demands. Don’t worry, I don’t bite, and if you haven’t guessed, I’m as gay as they come, so you have nothing to fear.’ His phone pinged a response and he chuckled and sent a reply as I stood up and took a deep breath. This was no different to me living in a bikini abroad. I kept myself in good shape, as much as my curvy figure would allow, and my once-pasty porcelain skin was a deep golden brown from days spent lazing on the beach or by the pool. I cringed to see I did in fact have on a black v-string and a white minimiser bra. I really ought to sue the manufacturers because it did nothing to minimise my chest at all. If anything, I virtually had an extra two breasts from where they were spilling over the top of the cups.

  ‘Leave your shoes on and walk to the door and back for me,’ he ordered. I did as I was told, swallowing the lump of anxiety in the back of my throat. I’d never been really confident about my body, too many stick-thin girls calling me fat over the years. I turned and walked back towards him, trying to read his reaction. ‘Your walk needs serious work, but I see potential, yes. Alec has a very good eye indeed. You may dress now.’

  He walked around to the other side of the desk, sat down, and turned to face his screen as I quickly pulled my clothes on. I stood waiting, not sure what to do as his eyes moved back and forth and he muttered under his breath.

  ‘Thank you for your time. Do I leave my number with the receptionist in case you want to contact me?’ I eventually asked, but he didn’t reply again. It was a good minute before he sat back in his chair and looked up at me.

  ‘Monday, six p.m.’

  ‘I’m sorry?’ I looked at him, confused.

  ‘I am a very busy man, but I like you, Paige. You will be here at six p.m. on Monday and every night after that until I am satisfied that I have whipped you into shape. Then, and only then, will I arrange for someone to come and do your portfolio and cast you in your first swimwear shoot. My time and the portfolio I will offer for free, but you won’t be paid until I’m confident I can make money from you. Be under no illusions, this is an exceptional offer, one you won’t get elsewhere and I need an answer now.’

  ‘Right now?’ I looked at him wide eyed. I was shocked enough that he was willing to work with me, to help me, let alone for me to start on Monday. That left me five days to pack up my life and move to London. And I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a model, I’d only come to rub Ruth’s face in it.

  ‘Right now. I have hundreds of girls who would chew off their right arm for an offer like this. I will work you hard and I expect the same in return, but I see a promising future for you.’

  ‘I don’t even know the salary, I didn’t expect … I mean it’s just …’ I stalled, actually lost for words for once. My jaw nearly hit the floor when he gave me an indication of what I could expect to be paid for each shoot. Even Dad wouldn’t be able to complain about that.

  ‘In or out?’
>
  ‘In,’ I replied without hesitation. A Cambridge degree in languages wasn’t going to earn me anywhere near as much as I could doing this. Plus, fashion. I might be able to make a hobby of mine into a career, with free clothes, makeovers, world travel. The possibilities were endless.

  ‘Monday at six then,’ he smiled.

  ‘Thank you so much, I promise I won’t let you down,’ I beamed. I grabbed my bag and virtually skipped to the door.

  ‘Paige?’ he called, making me look back over my shoulder. ‘Say hello to him for me.’

  ‘To who?’ I asked.

  ‘Alec, he’s waiting for you outside. He lives around the corner and was made-up to hear that you’d shown up in my office.’

  ‘Thank you!’ I flashed him my best excited schoolgirl grin and he laughed and shooed me out of the door with a flick of his wrist. Alec was here? What were the odds?

  ‘Rosalie, cancel the rest of my appointments, I’ve found my girl,’ Jean-Claude chirped over the phone system as I shut his door. His announcement echoed over the speakerphone in reception and there was a collective groan from the waiting crowd. I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue, especially when I caught a glimpse of Alec through the window, leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets. He seriously got better looking with each year that passed. I was so excited that I ran to the exit, and the last thing I remembered was pain radiating through my face and the weird sound of something vibrating as I hit the granite floor.

  Nose Out Of Joint

  ‘Paige, can you hear me?’ came Alec’s voice.

  ‘Hmmm,’ I groaned, trying to open my eyes and sit up.

  ‘Hey, hey, careful. You knocked yourself out by running into the glass doors. It looks like you’ve broken your nose as well, an ambulance is on its way.’

  ‘What?’ I asked, feeling completely dazed.

  ‘I told you that you have a habit of falling at my feet,’ he chuckled. ‘How are you feeling?’

  ‘Like I have the worst hangover ever,’ I moaned, slowly blinking and adjusting to the bright light. My nose and forehead were throbbing. Had I seriously run into the glass doors? When I was hoping to make a good impression this time?

  ‘You scared me to death, I heard the sound from outside. Here, lie back down, I’ve put my jacket under your head. I would say it’s great to see you, but I’m not sure it’s appropriate when you’re in this state and have blood all over your shirt.’

  ‘I need to go home, I’m not supposed to be here.’ I tried sitting up again, but felt really dizzy and didn’t object when he gently pushed me back down again. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on not being sick. It was bad enough I’d made a fool of myself in front of him again, without vomiting all over him.

  ‘The only place you’re going is the hospital. Is your phone in your bag? I’ll call your parents and let them know.’

  ‘Yes, Dad’s going to be so mad. Please don’t tell him about the job, I need to tell him.’

  ‘I won’t, I’ll say you came to see me, ok?’

  ‘Ok,’ I sighed. I smiled when I felt his free hand gently stroking my hair. Was it wrong that the first thing I wanted to tell him, when I could open my eyes and look at him properly, was that I was single again and about to move to London? Maybe fate was on my side after all.

  I had to fight really hard not to cry when the doctor came to my bed and told me that I was going to need an operation to fix my nose, to make sure it didn’t end up wonky. That would be a great look for the start of a modelling career. More upsetting was the news that Alec had a girlfriend. A model he’d met in New York not long after we’d last seen each other. I mean, what did I expect? That a man that desirable would just wait around in the hope that I’d become free for him? That he’d turn to religion and ensconce himself in a monastery with a vow of chastity until we could be together?

  ‘She lives with you here?’ I asked.

  ‘No, she’s American, she lives over there, but …’ he hesitated and ran his hand over his mouth.

  ‘But what?’

  ‘We have to have the worst timing in the world, Paige,’ he sighed, taking my hand in his as he sat at my bedside. ‘I just took on a studio in New York to set up my own business.’

  ‘You’re moving to New York?’ I tried to sound happy for him. His own business was something we’d talked about last year, and he was doing phenomenally well. Part of me was so proud of him, but part of me was dying inside. I was moving to London and he was moving to another continent. And he had a girlfriend! I hated her already. Possibly more than I hated Ruth, which was saying something.

  ‘And you’re moving to London. Pretty ironic, huh?’

  ‘When?’

  ‘Saturday. I was just here sorting out my apartment, packing up most of my things.’

  ‘Ships in the night,’ I sighed, dropping my chin to my chest.

  ‘Paige! Thank God, I’ve been so worried,’ came Mum’s voice. I looked up to see her approaching at speed, Dad hot on her heels, and I burst into tears. Alec let go of my hand and stood up, making room for Mum to barge past and grab me in a bear hug.

  ‘Nose, Mum, nose,’ I winced as she caught it on her shoulder.

  ‘You, young lady, have some explaining to do,’ Dad warned in his stern voice, but the look of relief on his face said how he was really feeling. He kissed the top of my head when Mum sat up and started blowing her nose.

  ‘I’ll leave you all to it and come and visit tomorrow, Paige, ok?’ Alec asked. I nodded, wincing again and reaching up to clutch my head, which felt as if it was full of spanners.

  ‘Thank you so much for staying with me.’

  ‘Anytime,’ he smiled. ‘Not that I want to see you in the hospital again, but you know what I meant.’

  ‘Thanks for looking after her for us, Alec. Really good of you.’ Dad shook his hand and slapped him a few times on the back. I craned my neck to keep him in my sights for as long as possible, until he turned and gave me a wave from the ward door.

  ‘Honestly, why you and that boy aren’t together is beyond me,’ Mum sighed.

  ‘He’s moving to New York,’ I sniffed, snatching the box of tissues out of her hand.

  ‘Less of Alec, I want to know what my little girl’s doing in London,’ Dad demanded as he sat on the bed and took my hand.

  The Following Morning

  I was woken up after breakfast by a nurse checking on me again. I’d hardly slept as they were monitoring me every half an hour, given I’d been out of it for a few minutes. A CT scan had shown no permanent damage, to my brain anyway, so I was likely to be released this afternoon. Dad had insisted that I was having my nose done privately, in case I ended up looking like Frankenstein’s bride with a botched job, but I had to wait for the swelling to go down first. He’d taken the news of my job offer better than expected, Mum too. I supposed having already lived away from home for three years, they hadn’t expected me to move back in with them permanently. I’d not mentioned the lack of pay though, that might tip him over the edge. I had plenty of savings put by to tide me over, but London was an expensive city to rent in. I’d have to use the next few days to pack up my things and find a hotel down here, then I could try and find a studio or something. I just couldn’t believe as I was moving here, within reach of Alec, he was leaving. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table. I’d been so headachy and tired last night, I hadn’t even rung Poppie to find out if she was engaged, or to tell her my news. I grimaced when I saw six missed FaceTime calls from her. She was going to be in a mood. I pulled the sheet over my head, not sure if by using my phone to call her, I was about to get shouted at for setting off someone’s pacemaker or shutting down the intensive care ward.

  ‘Paige?’ Poppie answered immediately.

  ‘O. My. God,’ we both exclaimed at the same time, looking at each other horrified. Poppie was hard as nails, I’d only ever seen her cry once, at her beloved family pet’s impromptu funeral service in their back garden when she was tw
elve. But her face was red and blotchy and her eyes were swollen, really badly. ‘What happened?’ we demanded in unison. ‘You first,’ we said together again. ‘No, you first.’

  ‘For goodness sake,’ I sighed. ‘Mine’s a quick one, I have a feeling yours isn’t. I ran into a glass door and broke my nose. I’m in the hospital, but I should be coming home later today. I’m fine. What’s wrong? Talk to me.’

  ‘My boyfriend … no scratch that, my ex-boyfriend is a cheating piece of scum,’ she sobbed, reaching for some tissues off screen, then honking her nose really loudly and wetly. She reappeared with tears pouring from her eyes and I figured it wasn’t the time to tell her she had some serious booger leakage as well. A snot moustache was going to be the last thing on her mind.

  ‘Reece cheated on you?’

  ‘More than once. And I’d never have known if his last fling didn’t threaten to call me to show me evidence. He only told me first to try and earn himself some brownie points.’

  ‘O, Poppie, I’m so sorry. I’d never have believed he’d do something like that. Not to you. You’ve been together so long. I’m going to kill him the moment I get home.’

  ‘That’s not the worst news,’ she snuffled.

  ‘It gets worse?’ The mind boggled. What could possibly be worse than your long-term boyfriend screwing around behind your back? ‘You’re not pregnant, are you?’ I gasped.

  ‘No, thank God.’

  ‘He hasn’t given you VD or something?’

  ‘He’d better not have, but I’m going to have to get myself tested now, aren’t I? What if I have some horrible disease because he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants?’ she howled.

  ‘We’ll go to the clinic tomorrow to be sure and if you have something, we’ll deal with it together. Right after I castrate him,’ I growled. How dare he put my best friend through this. It was inexcusable. ‘So what could be worse?’