by Olivia Besse
“Wow,” she heard Tyler say as he turned to look at her. “You look good, friend.”
She couldn't help but laugh at his comment, but was annoyed at how they had basically done nothing to his face and hair. Apparently, Tyler was photo ready just as he was, while she required an entire can of hairspray and countless layers of makeup and adornments.
“Ooh, you look hot!” Mia told her when Elodie sauntered over to the makeshift dressing area. “This is your first look,” she explained as she held up a very short and stiff white dress with a structured bell skirt, thick with intricate beading and hand-sewn designs in a slightly darker ivory. “So hot, right?”
Elodie nodded with a big smile on her face as she stepped out of her own dress and Mia assisted her in slinking into the Ero creation. Though there were no mirrors around to take a look, she knew that it was breathtaking from just looking down at it.
Mia handed her a pair of custom-made matching ankle booties. “I love you right now,” she uttered as she surveyed her creation.
“Very nice,” Margot commented as she marched over. She picked a stray strand of hair out of Elodie's face and tucked it into wild loose curls. “Polaroid?” she asked Didier with a wave of her hand. He nodded eagerly and snapped a photo of the final look.
Daishiro's assistant came over and ushered Elodie over to the middle of the “set”, where Tyler was already waiting in a very sleek, very slim black suit and white tee shirt.
“Could you just stand still next to each other, legs apart? Hold hands,” Daishiro instructed them as he prepared to shoot. “No smiling.”
They did as he instructed, staring straight ahead with dead expressions on their faces, alternating between legs far apart or close together, hands held or fallen to their sides. As Daishiro and his crew checked images on their computer, Tyler whispered to Elodie without moving a muscle, “You're making it really hard for me to be your friend right now.”
She turned to look at him with a bewildered expression, at which Didier called out from his chair, “Ooh, that! Right there! Get that! Do not move, Elodie.”
Elodie held her gaze with wide eyes as Daishiro snapped more frames, encouraging Tyler to deliver his signature smirk. She saw his jaw clench tightly as she stared at him, her eyes shaking as she obeyed Didier's instructions. “That's hot!” Mia called out from the sidelines.
“Tyler, come forward towards the camera and stand sideways,” Daishiro instructed as he looked up at them. “Elodie, you retreat to the back and stare straight ahead at me.”
Margot nodded in approval at these shots. “Get the back of the dress,” she instructed as the camera clicked away.
Daishiro signaled to them to move closer together. “Tyler, stand straight. Elodie, turn and face him. Closer! Get closer. Just press up against each other.”
Elodie swallowed the lump in her throat as she shuffled closer to Tyler, who looked at her nervously. She got as close as she could, their bodies barely touching, holding her chin close to his broad shoulder. The scent of his cologne wafted into her nose and she thought that she might collapse from the dizziness that overcame her.
“Beautiful,” Margot commented. “Put your hand on the skirt, Tyler,” she instructed coolly.
As Tyler did as he was told, Elodie could hear him gulp as well. They were pushed so closely together that she could hear his every breath as air entered and escaped his nose. She closed her eyes, attempting to steady herself as blood rushed to her head.
“Smirk!” Didier ordered loudly, and Elodie couldn't help but snort. She heard Tyler let out a spurt of laughter as well, at which Didier chastised him harshly.
The photography crew stopped once again to check the proofs, but Elodie didn't tear herself away from him. Instead, they stood still, doting on the other's every breath.
“Next look!” Didier called out, breaking their thoughts. Elodie shook her head slightly as she pulled away from him, catching the confused expression in his eyes as Mia teetered over to lead her back to the dressing area.
“Fuck the woods!” the stylist whined loudly as she unzipped the back of the dress. “My shoes are covered in mud!”
“Put these on,” she ordered as she fetched the shorts and jacket from the lookbook shoot, but this time with no bra or shirt. Elodie did so obediently, being careful not to mess up her hair or makeup. After Mia adjusted this and that, she pushed the young model towards a giant fallen tree trunk around which everyone was now congregated.
They took a few shots with her laying on the tree trunk with Tyler standing stoically below, with Intern #2 standing on a ladder and constantly adjusting the edge of the jacket over Elodie's bare breasts so as to show just enough skin as would be allowed in national advertisements. Elodie couldn't help but shake with fear as she lay there, perched up ten feet high, fearing for her life as she tried her best to pose seductively while maintaining a pretty facial expression.
Margot's face lit up in excitement as she suddenly came up with a seemingly brilliant idea. “Tyler, lay down on that branch,” she ordered, motioning to a wide, sloped branch that connected the fallen tree trunk with the dirty ground. A grimace flashed across his face as he did what she told him to do. “Get Elodie down, please,” she ordered to one of the production assistants, who carried the ladder over to retrieve the frightened girl.
Margot then ordered Elodie to sidle up next to Tyler and perch with him on that same branch, leaning into him with one leg over his and her ass perked up in the air. “Lay your arm on his chest,” Margot instructed as she observed her handiwork. “Lift your chin up slightly, my girl, and stare at his lips. Tyler, you just stare at her nose.”
As Elodie followed the woman's directions, she felt her heart beating like a drum. She felt Tyler's heavy breath on the tip of her nose as they tried their best to stay still.
“Elodie, raise your leg higher so we can see the shoe!” Margot called out in an annoyed voice. Hélène rushed over with a damp napkin to wipe the dirt off of the creamy leather, after which she ran back to her post behind Didier's chair. “Arch your back more,” Margot barked out as she circled the two. “Tyler, straighten your neck and clench your jaw more tightly.”
The two mannequins did as they were instructed, trembling ever so slightly as they tried to steady themselves on the flimsy branch together. Daishiro snapped away, moving his camera tripod to and fro as he tried to capture different angles. “Now look at each other,” he suggested innocently.
Elodie raised her eyes and felt her stomach drop as she looked into his. His eyes shook ever so lightly, looking almost clear as they caught the sunlight that shone on them through the trees. She could see the edges of his nostrils flare with every breath, his jaw tightening as he stared directly at her. “Ooh, sexy,” she could hear Mia murmur from behind the camera crew.
“I think we have enough,” Didier whispered to Margot as Daishiro checked the shots on the computer. “What do you think?”
Margot smiled victoriously as she gave him a small nod. “That was the easiest shoot we've ever done.”
“We are good!” Didier called out to everyone, who all cheered that the day was over so early. “We do not need to hike to the summit! We can spend the leftover production costs on champagne!”
“Oh, fuck!” Mia cried out bitterly. “No sexy monastery time?”
Twenty-seven
Elodie and Tyler listened to the assistants chatter in Japanese as they rode back to the villa in tense silence. Neither wanted to address what had happened in the woods, and Elodie knew for a fact that they definitely could not be “just friends”.
“So,” Tyler broke the silence, clearing his throat loudly. “The pictures look really good.”
Elodie nodded. “Yes, very good.”
Silence.
“Do you think we will head back to Paris tomorrow morning, then?” she attempted.
“I'm thinking yes,” he replied.
Silence.
“Are you heading back to New York stra
ightaway?” she inquired. She prayed to the gods that he wouldn't be on the same flight back as her.
He gave a shrug. “I have nothing better to do.”
“Oh.”
“Yup,” he said with a forced smile.
She gave him a small smile in return as she fidgeted with her hands. They didn't even bother to attempt a conversation as they stared out of their respective windows, both waiting desperately for the villa's iron gates to appear.
As the van pulled onto the driveway, Elodie let out a small sigh of relief. The assistant parked the car and turned around to give both of the models a big smile. “Great job today!” he told them with a thumbs up before clambering out.
Tyler opened the sliding door and jumped out first, with Elodie following suit. “I'm going to head in first and wash up,” he told her before bolting for the front door. She frowned as she watched him run up the stairs, seemingly unable to hide the fact that he wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible.
The SUV pulled up and Didier stopped the engine, climbing out of the driver's seat and smiling at Elodie. “Good job today!” he told her as he walked over to open Margot's door. As the frosty woman stepped out, she smiled at Elodie and gestured to the girl. “Come with me?” she requested, motioning for Elodie to follow her into the house.
Elodie gulped in fear as she shuffled after her. Margot and Didier led her to the grandiose dining room, where they pointed to the heavy chair across from them for her to sit down in. Elodie obeyed and looked at them nervously. Had she done something wrong?
“I sent Clément and Olivier the proofs,” Margot began as Didier asked the housekeeper to brew up a pot of coffee. “They were delighted.”
“Oh,” Elodie managed to say, unsure of how to react.
Margot let out a tinkling laugh as she smiled warmly. “Olivier likes your look. And another thing that Olivier really likes is consistency,” she began. “He would like to book you for a beauty exclusive. Ero cosmetics and fragrances. What do you think?”
Elodie sat frozen, her mouth slowly sliding open. Trying not to gape, she nodded her head slightly and squeaked out, “That sounds lovely.”
“Adorable,” Margot commented with another laugh and a wave of her hand. This was the most emotion that Elodie had ever seen cross the apathetic woman's face. “We are prepared to offer you $250,000 USD for a one-year contract, if that sounds fair to you. We have discussed it with your agency, and they are on board. What is your opinion?”
Play it cool, Marais, she told herself as she tried to keep her eyeballs in their sockets. “That sounds fair,” she repeated with a slight nod.
“Excellent,” Margot said as she accepted a cup of coffee from Didier, who was nodding at Elodie enthusiastically. “Olivier would like to start right away. Since we ended this shoot early, we were thinking that we could get some photos for the Ero Petit Lavande fragrance ads tomorrow. Does that sound good to you?”
Elodie nodded absentmindedly as her head spun, inundated with hundreds of screaming thoughts and emotions. “Excellent,” Margot repeated as she took a sip of her coffee.
After signing the contracts that her agency had faxed over, Elodie numbly ascended the stairs and headed straight into the bathroom. She stared at her shocked expression in the mirror as she turned on the shower and a light fog steamed up the glass. Was this all really happening?
She took a quick shower and dried her hair, pattering towards the bed happily while donning the plushy robe that had been hanging on the bathroom door. With a tiny feeling of hopefulness, she pulled her phone out of her bag and checked the screen. Nothing but a text from Heddi that she had returned home safely. That is, there hadn't been a peep from James.
A numbness overcame her as she frowned slightly. Was it over? He had sounded so annoyed with her on the phone. Maybe that would be for the best, Elodie thought with a shaky breath. Maybe their lives were too different.
Elodie let out a long sigh as she sat down on the floor in front of her suitcase. She shook the sad thoughts out of her head as she got to distracting herself from the matter. The entire crew was planning to head to town for a celebratory dinner, so she needed to decide on an outfit quickly. She pulled on a fitted white tee and a structured Balenciaga skirt that she had borrowed from Tatiana, pairing them with a dramatic black ribbon Marni necklace and her black Alexander Wang platform ankle booties. At least you look cute, she told her reflection sadly as she thought of her ruined chances with James.
A soft knock could be heard from the hallway, and Elodie spun around to look at the door quizzically. “Hello?” she called out as she tied the necklace around her neck.
The door opened and Tyler stood at the entrance, a sheepish grin on his handsome face. Elodie tried to remain calm as a force came and knocked the wind out of her lungs, as well as the thought of James from her head. “Hey,” he said softly as he walked in and gently closed the door behind him.
“Hi,” she replied with a nervous laugh. Why are you laughing, Elodie berated her mouth. Stop beating so loudly or I'll rip you out too, she then threatened her heart angrily.
“You look nice,” he said as he took a seat on the edge of her bed.
“You do too,” she told him back. And he did, in his black cashmere sweater and slim blue pants. He was even wearing Paul Smith driving loafers for once, in place of his usual choice of sneakers.
“They wanted me to tell you that they want to leave in an hour,” he began, staring off in the other direction. “I don't know why I'm always their messenger, or whatever.”
“I see,” was all that she could come up with.
Tyler swiftly turned to look at her, his brow furrowed and mouth turned upward at one corner. She stared back at him with big eyes as he blurted out, “Okay, today was fucking weird and we need to stop acting like this.”
“Like what?” she asked cluelessly, all the while knowing very well exactly what he was talking about.
She was fooling nobody. “Oh please,” he said as he shook his head. “You're all tense, and I'm all tense. You're acting like I have cooties, and I can't stop wanting to be near you.”
“Cooties...?” she asked curiously. What were cooties?
“Forget that part. Didn't you hear what I just said?”
Elodie dropped her eyes to the floor as the silence rang in her ears. “I did,” she finally said.
“And?”
“I think,” she started in a trembling voice before looking up at him. He was looking at her with expectant eyes as she sharply drew in her breath. “I think that sometimes I want to be near you too,” she finally allowed herself to admit.
Tyler's face broke into a relieved smile as he got up and made his way over. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she watched him approach where she stood. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he pulled her close and held the side of her face gently with his other hand. “I fucking knew it,” he said quietly with a mischievous glint in his eye. The smell of his cologne was overwhelming as she allowed her shoulders to finally relax.
“Shutup,” she whispered back almost inaudibly as he leaned down and slowly approached her lips with his.
Twenty-eight
“Do you think it's time?” Tyler asked lazily as he lifted his head up from where it had been buried in the crook of Elodie's neck.
She let out a happy sigh as he massaged the edge of her hand with his thumb, the fingers of his left hand intertwined tightly with those of her own. “Probably.”
“I don't want to get up,” he croaked out as he rolled over onto his back, pulling the girl across his chest and wrapping his free arm around her.
“We have to,” she murmured, listening to his heartbeat with blissfully closed eyes.
“I don't think they'll miss us,” he countered as he smoothed her long hair.
Elodie sat up and let go of his hand, patting him playfully on the stomach. “Come on, we should go downstairs. They are all probably wondering what we are doing.”
&n
bsp; The two had made out like teenagers on the brink of puberty for the past hour, eventually stopping due to lack of air and pure exhaustion, at which point Tyler had announced, “I'm going to cuddle the fuck out of you.” Which he did, to be fair.
“We didn't even get to the fun part yet,” Tyler pouted as he pushed himself up.
Elodie shot him a playful glare as he scrunched his nose at her. “Fine,” he agreed as he got out of the bed. “But let's get you really drunk so you can say all the shit that you wouldn't say when you're sober.”