by Ali Parker
He nodded his head grinning. “A friend, huh?”
“Yes. You might know her or know of her at least, Hailey Hollis,” I said.
He shook his head. “The name isn’t ringing a bell. Is she an actress?”
“No. Not yet. She’s a model.”
“Ahh,” he said as if a light had just gone on.
“It’s not like that. This woman is special. She’s smart, gorgeous and I think she would be a great actress.”
He nodded his head. “And you want me to do what?”
“I want you to talk to her. Do whatever it is you do. She wants to get out of the modeling world and get into acting. Acting was her first goal, but the modeling thing took off for her, and she hasn’t had the time to make the transition. She wants to try it now.”
“And you think she has a shot?”
“I’m not an expert, but I know you are. Will you at least meet with her?”
He nodded his head. “Sure.”
“I mean sooner rather than later.”
“What’s in it for you?” he asked.
“Nothing. She’s a nice lady.”
He grinned. “And?”
“I want to sign her to an exclusive contract. She agreed but wants to take a break from modeling to take some acting classes. I offered to help her out by hooking her up with an agent.”
He was nodding his head. “I see. Does she have representation now?”
“I guess the person isn’t exactly helpful. She needs someone good that will look out for her best interests. I consider her to be a good friend and wouldn’t trust her with just anybody,” I said, looking at him in a way that conveyed how serious I was.
“I understand. Do you have her contact info?”
I nodded my head and pulled out the piece of paper I had already written down her name and number on. “Right here.”
“So, how are things going over there at the company?” he asked.
“Good, really good in fact,” I said, not mentioning the fact I stood to lose it all in a matter of months.
“And this young lady, is she your girlfriend?”
I grinned and shrugged a shoulder, not admitting anything. “We’re good friends.”
“You’ve never sent me any of your other friends.”
“None of them were like her,” I replied.
“I’ll give her a call this week. I need to check my schedule, but I’m sure we can squeeze her in. I assume she’s got a portfolio?”
I winced. “I have no idea. She doesn’t actually know I’m here.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think she’ll figure that out when I call her?”
I chuckled. “I’ll let her know I came by, but I wanted to talk to you first, make sure you were taking new clients.”
“I’m always looking for new talent. If she’s what you think she is, then she could be my next big star. I’m going to do a little research.”
“Thanks, Gabriel. I won’t take any more of your time. I really appreciate you making the time to see me.”
“No problem. Remember you owe me one now. I’ve got a couple talented new faces that could use a break. One of your campaigns might be just what they need.”
“Let me know. I’ll do what I can,” I said, walking out of the office.
I couldn’t wait to tell Hailey I had got her foot in the door. Now it was up to her to blow his socks off.
When I got back to the office, Lena announced I had a visitor. No appointment but very insistent he see me.
“What’s the rest of my schedule look like?” I asked her.
“You’ve got about twenty minutes,” she whispered.
I turned to face the man who was seated in one of the chairs in the seating area in front of my office.
“Give me a minute then send him in,” I said, heading into my office.
I grabbed a soda from my mini-fridge before adjusting my tie and preparing for the impromptu meeting. There was a knock on my door, announcing the man was coming in.
I stood, waiting for him to walk in and immediately sized him up. I didn’t like him. He looked sleezy. The fact he had shown up, demanding a meeting without an appointment irritated me.
“Mr. Maddox, I’m Greg Farmer, it’s nice to meet you.”
I shook his hand, fighting the urge to wipe my hand on my pant leg and gestured for him to have a seat.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Farmer?” I said, taking my own seat.
“I own a small company that we like to think is on the rise to the top. We’re interested in hiring you to run our first national campaign.”
That got my attention. A national account was always going to get my attention. “What kind of company?”
“Motorcycles and accessories. It’s unlike anything else on the market. We’ve been in SoCal for a while and have developed a cult following. We’re ready to take it national, but it’s got to be done right. We’ve been courted by plenty of ad agencies, but no one has what I want.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What is that you want?”
He grinned. It was a nasty, lecherous grin that sparked the initial distaste I felt for him. He pulled out a magazine ad and slapped it on my desk. “Her.”
I leaned forward and looked down at the ad. It was Hailey in one of the more provocative poses wearing the spandex workout gear. I immediately wanted to snatch the page from the man’s meaty hand. I took a deep breath. The images were everywhere. They were designed with the sole intention of looking sexy and drawing attention to the product. I couldn’t get mad when a man noticed.
“What do you want with her?” I asked, keeping my cool.
“We want her to be the face of our campaign. I want to see her hot little body draped over one of my motorcycles wearing nothing but one of our T-shirts,” he said.
I cleared my throat. “I don’t know that she’s available.”
“That’s who we want. If I can’t have her, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
I took a deep breath, reminding myself it was just business. Hailey did this for a living. It wasn’t up to me to decide what jobs she should and shouldn’t take.
“She’s currently working on a new campaign for the sportswear,” I said, hoping to deter him.
The man shook his head. “We’ll wait.”
“I don’t know whether she’s available. She doesn’t work for us. We hire her through an agency,” I tried to explain.
“Her or nothing.”
“I’m sure there are other models who could bring a certain quality to your campaign. I’m assuming you’re looking to use sex to sell your product?” I practically snarled.
“Not just sex. I want classy sex. I don’t want any woman spreading her legs for the camera.”
“Excuse me?”
He grinned. “That is a quality piece of ass right there, and that’s exactly what we’re looking for. I want her sprawled out on one of my bikes. Do you see those tits? And those legs go on for days.”
I bit back my initial response. “She is a beautiful woman,” I agreed.
He smirked. “Beautiful? That woman is a wet dream. If I could get an hour alone with her, I’d have her begging for mercy. She wouldn’t be walking right for at least a week by the time I was finished with her. I’d bend her over the handles of that bike and ride her hard.”
I closed my eyes, willing myself not to hit him. I didn’t respond, which apparently told him I wanted to hear more about what he would do to the woman I knew very well and had a great deal of respect for.
“You can’t tell me you haven’t fantasized about those legs wrapped around your neck as you drive into her. I bet she’s a screamer. I could make her scream, pushing her face into that seat as I fucked her from behind before making her ride me.”
I felt the rage boiling in my veins. I had to mentally count to three before I slammed my fist into his bulbous nose. The man had crossed a line.
“No,” I breathed out.
“Oh, now you can admit it
. Every red-blooded man has fantasized about that hot little thing. I wonder if she’s a natural blond? Any chance you’ve taken a peek down south?” he said, licking his lips.
That was all I could take.
“No. I don’t want your campaign, and you will never get near her, I can guarantee you that.”
His eyes widened. “Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“I think I’m the man who has just turned down your business. I don’t want your kind near me or my employees. You need to leave, now.”
“I’ll do no such thing! You can’t talk to me like that!” he spat.
“I can talk to you any damn way I please. Leave now before I have you thrown out of here and don’t you dare think about stepping foot in my office again.”
He stood up, his face red with anger. “You’re a piece of shit. I’m going to tell everyone I know what a shitty operation you’ve got going here.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Tell everyone who is like you, please. I don’t do business with people like you. That woman deserves more respect than what you have given her.”
He stomped out of my office, slamming the door hard behind him as he went. I didn’t care.
Lena appeared in my doorway. “Is everything okay?”
I nodded. “Have security escort that man out of the building and trespass him. If I see his face near here, I will personally kick his ass.”
“Yes, sir,” she said and quickly went back to her desk.
I sat down, taking several deep breaths and loosening my tie. I had never had such a violent reaction. I buried my face in my hands, realizing why. I cared for her. The little green monster had taken over. I had nearly pummeled the man for the way he had talked about Hailey. It made me sick to think he was one of many men out there that had the same fantasies about her. They didn’t know her. She was so much better than that.
I would never let anyone disrespect her like that in my presence. I was screwed. I realized that. I had some very strong feelings for her which was really going to screw up my life.
“Shit,” I muttered. I left the office, heading to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face.
I had another meeting and couldn’t afford to blow off another client.
Chapter 18
Hailey
The exclusive contract with Terran’s company was not in play yet, which meant I was free to do some jobs on the side while I waited for the next campaign to be put together. This job had been lined up weeks ago. It was a catalog gig. It didn’t pay a lot, but I would bank the money. I was always saving up for that rainy day, which in the modeling world was the day clients decided you were no longer young enough, sexy enough or thin enough and couldn’t get a job. I had seen plenty of the women I had started in the business with fade to obscurity for one of those reasons. Most were either struggling to get jobs or had given up modeling altogether.
“Over here, Hailey,” the photographer called my name.
I turned, posed and waited for the series of clicks indicating he got his shot. It was a hectic shoot with backdrops changing and a location change scheduled for later. There were several photographers working, trying to get the full catalog photographed in a single week with a handful of models set up on similar backdrops around the large warehouse space. The lighting was making the place very warm, which meant lots of hair and makeup touchups.
“It’s so nice to work with someone who knows what they’re doing,” the photographer said with a pleasant smile.
Hair and makeup rushed in, fluffing and powdering while the lighting was adjusted, and props were moved around.
“Thank you,” I said as the makeup lady put fresh lipstick on my lips.
“I think we’re good with this one. Go ahead and change into the next outfit,” he instructed looking through the pictures on the monitor.
I headed behind the curtain to where my outfits were waiting on a rack. I pulled on the pretty dress and took a second to adjust the fit. It was a dress a young woman would wear clubbing if she was hoping to hook up with a man. It was a little risqué and not something I would personally ever choose to wear, but it was fun to play dress-up. I slid the stilettos on and headed back out to the shooting area.
“You look stunning,” one of the lighting crew said as I walked by.
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“Alright Hailey, this is likely going to be the cover. We need something that is going to jump off the page,” the photographer instructed.
The backdrop had been changed to compliment the dress. There was a small crowd that had gathered to watch the shoot. I wasn’t nervous. I knew one of them was the ad manager for the company. It was normal to see them in attendance.
A couple of the other models had finished and joined the small crowd behind the photographer.
“She’s hot,” one of the male crewmembers commented in a low voice.
Despite his attempt to be quiet, I heard him anyway.
One of the young blondes turned to glare at the guy. “Whatever,” she sneered.
It was then I realized the guy wasn’t a member of the crew, but her boyfriend.
“Stand back and watch. This is what a professional model looks like,” the photographer said, taking a few test shots.
“Of course, she knows what she’s doing, she’s been doing this longer than we’ve been alive,” one of the girls snickered.
“She won’t be doing it much longer. She’s a has-been,” the other one sniped.
I rolled my eyes, ignoring their attempt at an insult. They were modeling the junior clothes. They had no boobs, and with their slender, lanky builds, they were in danger of being mistaken for a man in my opinion. I had heard plenty of catty remarks over the years and no longer let them bother me. They could say what they wanted. I had made it in the business longer than most, and I knew damn well my looks and body hadn’t failed me yet.
“Shouldn’t you be changing out of those clothes?” my photographer turned to them.
One of them flicked her hair and pouted her lips. “I thought we were supposed to watch the professional.”
“Go. Get off my set,” he ordered.
Once they had walked away and the crowd thinned, I smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“They’re jealous. Don’t pay any attention to them,” the photographer said in an attempt to comfort me.
I smiled. “They always are, which means I’m doing something right.”
He chuckled. “That’s a good way to look at it. Are you ready?”
I fluffed my hair before putting a hand on my hip and giving the camera a sultry look. “Ready.”
It had been a long day by the time we were finished. I had just finished changing into my street clothes when one of the photographers who’d been working with the other girls approached me. I couldn’t remember his name. He was probably my age and nice looking, but not my type. And by that, I meant he wasn’t Terran.
“Hey there,” he said with a friendly smile.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and smiled back. “Hi.”
“I’m Jeff. I don’t think we’ve officially met,” he said.
“Hailey and it’s good to officially meet you.”
He grinned. “I know who you are. Who doesn’t?”
I laughed. “Oh, I suppose that is partially true. Is this your first session?”
He shook his head. “I’ve been around, mostly working as an assistant. This was my first solo shoot, which is why I was relegated to the purses and shoes.”
I laughed, understanding his plight. “You’ll get there. We all have to start somewhere.”
“You looked great today. I’d love the chance to shoot you.”
I raised an eyebrow.
The poor guy looked horrified. “No! I meant photograph you! I want a chance to work with you on something.”
I burst into laughter. “It’s okay. I knew what you meant. I was only teasing.”
He shook his head. “You had me going.”
“Sorry, model humor.”
“I hope you ignored those two. They’re jealous of you. They only wish they had your body and your looks,” he complimented.
“Thank you. That’s very nice. It really is part of the business. I’m used to it. Everyone is always fighting for that top spot. Sometimes, they’re willing to throw each other under the bus to get it or tear one another down. I’m not like that. I was in their shoes a long time ago. I am aging out of the industry, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’m ready for it.”
“You’re not aging out. Don’t say that.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I can either make the move back to the runways or move on. I’m ready to move on,” I told him.
“Runways are good money.”
I shook my head. “And way too stressful. I like what I’m doing now. I like being able to sleep in my own bed every night. Let the next generation do the runways and shows. They deserve their shot to get to the top.”
“That’s admirable and what makes you one of my favorite models to work with, even if I’ve never actually gotten to shoot you.”
I giggled. “There you go trying to shoot me again.”
“I picture you on a sandy beach, a white flowing dress, your hair loose as you move across the sand at sunset. You’re a goddess,” he said, admiration in his voice.
“Wow. You’ve really thought about that.”
He shrugged. “Just now, seeing you with your hair down. It’s how I see you. You are a beautiful woman. Your natural beauty is mesmerizing.”
His flowery words were leading down a path I didn’t want to go. “Maybe one of these days we’ll get to work with one another,” I told him, trying to be polite while bringing the conversation to an end.
“I hope so,” he said, staring at me with a look that was making me uncomfortable.
“I should get going,” I said, wanting to escape as quickly as I could.
“Are you headed home?” he asked.
“Yes. You?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know. I was thinking about going out for a drink.”
I smiled. “Have fun.”
I turned to leave when he stopped me. “Hailey, would you like to get a drink with me?”