4 × New Job, New Faces

× New York City ×

"Good morning."

"Hi. I'm Kel. Sorry if I smell like a hospital hallway. Got off my shift and went straight here."

"I'm Jessi. Or just 'Jess'. And I don't mind at all." Jessi finished applying some highlighter on Kel, the soft-spoken model sitting in front of her. She gave the model a smile to convince her that she didn't mind how Kel's dark hair and pale face smelled of rubbing alcohol. Both of the model's hands also smelled of hand sanitizer and some cleaning product. "At least you smell clean."

"Been sleeping in the quarters for about a month now. Training requirements," Kel muttered as Jessi worked on her dark brown eyebrows now. Kel's dark lashes and rather thick brows were such contrast to her pale green eyes. They looked beautiful and striking at first glance. "That place reeks of bleach most of the day."

"Quarters?" Jessi repeated in a mumble while flicking a smaller makeup brush. She would be using it for the model's eye shadow.

"Doctors' quarters," Kel replied. She closed her eyes and tilted her head a little to give Jessi better access.

"You work in a hospital?"

"Still interning, but, yeah."

"Wow. I didn't think you were older than me," Jessi commented with another smile.

"Almost 28 now." Kel grinned for a second. "How old are you again? You're so pretty, by the way. You ever tried modeling?"

"Thank you." Jessi giggled and started applying eye shadow on Kel's other eyelid. "25 soon. Little too old and short to be a model but, yeah. Just some small print jobs back home. Some makeup gigs."

"You definitely have the face for catalogue and runway. Commercials, too." Kel eyed her and sat still in the chair.

They were still alone in the dressing room. The other models were being photographed now.

Jessi could hear the photographer yelling instructions and counting off every half-minute or so. "Thank you. Runway's just not for me but I did some catalogue work last year."

"I wish designers today would opt for older models and girls under five-foot-six. For a change." Kel tutted. "You definitely have the symmetrical doll-face look for makeup, though."

"Really? I always thought my mouth was crooked. But thanks." Jessi smiled at the compliment and put some concealer on the model's eye bags.

Kel had slightly wrinkled and dark eye circles but Jessi didn't expect the model was old enough to be a doctor. Well, medical intern for now, as she had explained. "Yeah. Your look's great. Like a Middle Eastern-Southeast Asian mix."

"Thanks. I actually am part Asian. Mom's side." Jessi picked up another makeup brush. "So, you're in residency training and doing modeling on the side?"

"Before I went back to med school, I did this full-time," Kel muttered. "In Italy."

"Wow. Italy."

"Needed to save up a lot for tuition."

"Oh. I see."

"I miss living there," Kel murmured with a faint smile that drew small lines beside her pale lips. The semi-matte lipstick looked almost the same shade as her smooth ivory skin, but a few tinges pinker. "I miss Miles."

"Your boyfriend?" Jessi asked. "Is he in Italy?"

"No. My best friend. Lived with him for a bit, in Brichese, when I was modeling full-time."

"For how many years?" Jessi checked Kel's brows and decided she needed more gel, even after she already threaded off some baby hairs above the model's lids.

Simple, fresh, but not too formal or bland.

"Daytime chic" was the look for the day. Minimal color gradients. Mostly white outfits. It was what the shoot's creative director said during the early morning brief Jessi received the moment she got here.

The venue was a studio-type unit that looked more of an office now. The other half of the unit looked like a clinical laboratory, but the production set-up on that side was still ongoing.

"Almost a year," Kel replied. After the scheduled hour-long photo shoot with the other models, she would be doing the commercial shoot.

At the moment, the photographer and the four other models were still doing some test shots. One looked no older than 18, and the rest of them didn't look older than 25.

Zach, her new boss and supervising, wanted her to do this "quick New York gig" before he would give her the details of her new job in LA. This must be a quick test run.

Did Zach want to test her abilities on the job? To check if she could hold up with grace under pressure?  Zach's brother was co-owner of the production company. To show off her guts, Jessi said yes to Zach's request, packed up her stuff, booked a flight to New York.

Another big, unfamiliar city. It was her first time here, but, she shouldn't let the nerves get to her.

"Just do your best. You're fully capable. Show them you're reliable. Just be there early and be professional," her parents advised through a quick phone call last night.

Best case scenario: Zach would commend her for a job well done, and the photographer or creative director would ask for her contact details at the end of the day for a possible side-gig.

"Dunno if Enzo will make it but he said he'll try to drop by and watch the shoot since I can't be in New York first thing. He's the client. Italian businessman trying to market his biotech company. Please be early at the shoot," Zach explained over the phone before midnight.

"You known Zach a long time?" Jessi asked the model sitting quietly.

Her gaze centered on the door in the corner. Kel's manicured fingers gripped her phone, as if her peace of mind depended on it. "Sorry. What was that?"

"You met Zach, right? My boss."

"Sure." Kel shifted and nodded faintly. "Enzo finalized today's itinerary with him. Lotsa video calls."

Enzo? The client? 

"They tried their best to keep my schedule intact." Kel forced a grin. 

Some more chit-chat and Jessi ended up sharing her family background.

Kel seemed quite reluctant to share more personal details, though. "How're you likin' LA so far? I'm guessing, it's not much like Minnesota?"

Jessi chuckled. "Not by a long shot. My parents live in a sleepy town."

"Same. My mom's still in the quieter part of Schenectady. And sorry if they sent you here on short notice, Jess. It's mainly Enzo's fault." Kel rolled her eyes. "But, you'll love working for Zach."

"Yeah. I think so." Jessi smiled back, sanitizing another brush and fighting off a yawn.

Kel stifled a loud one. "Sorry. Didn't sleep much before my shift."

"If you wanna take a break, go ahead."

"Break? No. I'm good." Kel squinted at her. "And you? Need a breather?"

"No. I'm okay. Really excited, actually."

Kel smiled weakly when Jessi giggled.

A little jet lag and missing four hours of real sleep wouldn't kill her. It was her official first day at work. Zach must be testing whether she had what it takes, before he gave her a serious full-time job working for the production company. Be it in a TV series, a movie set, a news program, or something else.

She was sleep-deprived, her back was hurting because of the long flight, and her eyes were heavy because of the temperature. The venue's large A/C units had been running since dawn.

But no complaining now. It took years of patience, waiting, and lengthy prayers on her part. She'd waited so long for this great job opportunity. Now was not the time to act like a diva. She had a lot at stake.

×

After the photo shoot with the models, Jessi had to wait for Kel to finish her lunch break.

The commercial would be a couple minutes of video recordings in the lab-inspired part of the set design.

"Hey, Jessiah. Could you check on Kel? See if she's still in the bathroom," the photographer requested with a polite smile. He fiddled with the round lights.

"Yeah. Sure." Jessi put down her bottle of juice.  

"Thanks," the photographer replied. "Ask her if she wants some salad instead. She didn't finish her sandwich."

"Yeah. Okay. Be back in a minute." Jessi proceeded to the other side of the building and found the door to the bathroom ajar.

Kel stood by the sink, leaning over it. The faucet was running and her hips pressed onto the edge of the sink. Her head hung low, almost touching the bathroom mirror. She sounded like she was making an effort to vomit, but unsuccessfully.

Jessi froze before she could knock on the door. Was it stomach flu or...bulimia? She waited for Kel to turn off the faucet.

When Kel stopped retching and turned the faucet off, a heavy silence in the spacious bathroom prompted Jessi to step inside. She had to check on the model. "Hey. You okay?"

×

"Oh. Hi." Kel gave Jessi nervous glances. Her nose and her eyes looked puffy. Had she been crying the past half an hour?

"Hey. All good?"

"Yeah." Kel coughed.

"Sure?" Jessi stood closer to the model. She locked the door to give the young woman some privacy.

"Yeah." Kel smiled timidly.

"If you're not feeling well, we could reschedule tomorrow. So you can rest a bit."

"No.  I'm good." Kel gave her another smile and wiped the tears off her eyes with some tissues. Her smile looked less fake this time. "Sorry. Messed up the mascara."

"It's nothing. It's a quick retouch. Want something to drink?"

"No, but thanks." Kel cleared her throat. Her soft voice sounded nasal. "Let's get this done so you can go back to LA tonight."

"I seriously don't mind if we reschedule the commercial shoot. My boss doesn't need me back in LA yet, far as I know."

"No. Let's finish the shoot. The photographer and the crew might be busy tomorrow."

"Okay," Jessi murmured.

Kel coughed and leaned against the sink. "You guys been waitin' for me? Sorry."

"No. They just wanted me to ask you if you wanted something else to eat. Nigel noticed you didn't finish your sandwich."

"Oh. Yeah. Couldn't finish the whole thing." Kel sniffled and blew her nose.

"Stomach flu?"

"I wish." She chuckled.

A nervous laugh. Jessi stayed put, intrigued. "Acid reflux?"

"No." Kel focused on her reflection in the mirror, staring at her lower abdomen. Her hands neatened the mild creases on her white blouse.

An awkward silence filled the bathroom. Jessi ignored the gut feeling telling her that Kel needed some comforting.  When Kel started sobbing onto her palm, Jessi stepped forward and stroked the model's back.

"Sorry. I just need to..." Kel took deep breaths, fanning her pretty face with her hands. "To stop being such a crybaby and get it together."

"Want me to tell them to reschedule?"

"No. No." Kel massaged her foreahead. "I'll be fine." She cleared her throat.

"You need something?" Jessi handed her clean tissues.

"No, but thanks."

"Can I ask? What's the matter?"

"Ugh! It's just—" Kel blew her nose onto the crumpled tissues. "The pressure, y'know? Gets to me all the time."

"Yeah?" Jessi muttered while stroking the woman's arm.

"Just the training and fatigue. Loans. And everything else." Kel massaged the bridge of her slightly swollen nose. "I miss my dad, too."

"He doesn't live here in New York?"

"Passed away last year." Kel sighed, carefully wiping off her tears. "Or was it two years ago? Not sure." She smiled weakly. "Been training nonstop sometimes I forget what day it is."

"Sorry to hear." 

"I ruined my makeup. Sorry."

"No problem." Jessi shook her head. "You still got a full commercial to shoot, girl. It could take an hour or longer."

"I bet. Wish I could just switch it off. Really." Kel tilted her head. "But life's really testing me this year. And I'm just..." Kel scoffed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Failing so bad."

"Hear, hear," Jessi mumbled. What's she regretful about? "Anything I can do to help you feel better?"

"You listening to my midday rants is more than enough."

Jessi laughed and stroked the model's shoulder. If they were actually friends, Kel would be like an older sister to her, something she'd always wished for.  Being an only child and her parents moving away a lot since she was a teen didn't exactly help her form lasting friendships over the years.

"You got a boyfriend?"

Jessi made a face and shook her head. "Too focused on my career goals, as you are. Actually I just moved to LA, like that," she narrated with a snap of her fingers. "Just to get this job."

"Good for you." Kel smiled.

Jessi crossed her arms and regarded the woman slouching beside her. "You always wanted to be a doctor?"

"Not really." Kel giggled. "My mom kinda...pushed me into med school after I quit my first job."

"What was your first job?"

"Lab tech. In a small hospital in Schenectady."

"Oh. You didn't like it?"

"After almost a year, I just resigned," Kel said with a frown. "Wasn't a tenured position anyway."

"Suppose the pay wasn't good, either?"

"Nah. Depressed me a little, actually. Also because my dad was sick all the time, and I still had thousands of student loans to pay off. But I didn't even like my job." Kel feigned a chuckle.

"Then you went to Italy? To do modeling full-time?"

"Yeah. Met Miles and his family. Then Enzo," Kel droned on with a loud sigh. She was checking her phone now. "Jeez. He just won't stop texting."

Enzo? As in the client? Zach's friend and the owner of the company they were shooting marketing brochure photos for? The commercial to be shot in a laboratory-like setting must be part of the company's promotional materials as well.

"Sorry." Kel sighed and kept texting. "Just gets on my nerve sometimes when he's..." A scowl made her slightly swollen lips pout.

"No problem; I can wait. They're still having lunch back there, anyway."

"Ugh." Kel pocketed her phone and stood still against the sink for the next couple of seconds. They just stood next to each other while the rest of the bathroom remained quiet.

"Feelin' any better?" Jessi put on a smile and used a chipper tone.

"Not really, but thanks for being my shock absorber."

Shock absorber? "Why? What's up?"

"I'm experiencing symptoms." Kel scoffed and crossed her slim arms below her rather flat chest. Her white blouse and slouching posture at the moment made her look skinnier.

"Symptoms of what?" Jessi muttered, growing more curious by the second.

"Fatigue, nausea, drowsiness at work, my breasts hurt like a bitch. Whole shebang." Kel snickered. "Pun not intended."

"Wait. You're..." Jessi let her jaw drop open. So Kel was actually feeling like vomiting earlier, because of morning sickness? Although it was lunchtime, technically. "You're pregnant?"

Was Enzo the father of her bun in the oven?

"50 percent sure now." Kel covered her face with her palm and shook her head again. "Piece of advice, Jess...if you're seeing someone, do yourself a huge favor and make him wear the rubber all the time. Every single time." Kel let out a fake, quiet laugh.

"Thankfully, I don't have time to worry about that right now. Being single is easier."

"Even if you think you're really just friends and...you're convinced you're both so comfortable in the friendzone. Please."

"Yikes. Sounds complicated."

"Bag it. Double-bag it if you must." Kel scoffed loudly. "Precautions, Jess. Always. Safe sex."

"Duly noted, Doc." Jessi tried not to laugh. The unsolicited dating advice wasn't quite applicable to her, but she appreciated it all the same.

"Shit. I can't even tell my sister. Or my best friend," Kel murmured, her brows furrowed. "Or else my mom would find out. Then freak out. Ugh!"

"Your best friend in Italy?"

"Yeah. And Gaia, my other best friend. She's working in Jersey now."

"And Enzo? He's the client, right?" Jessi regarded the look on Kel's face.

She looked calmer.  "Yep." Kel sighed and eyed the door while she bit on her lip, seeming a bit anxious again. "He said, he's on his way here."

"As in here? Hold that thought. Excuse me," Jessi muttered when she heard her message notification tone.

It was her boss, asking her about the shoot.

Jessi texted a confirmation. Could she fly back to LA tonight? She didn't book a hotel room to save money. Her phone beeped again.  

-

1 new message

Zach Boss

"No need to book a flight. Enzo on his way there now. Just hitch a ride with him and his gf. They're flying to LA tonight"

Today 01:01PM

-

Hitch a ride? Jessi frowned.

Kel tried to get rid of her mascara stains.

Did Zach mean Kel? So, she's Enzo's girlfriend? "He's fifteen minutes away." Kel sighed.

"Enzo?"

"Yeah. Ugh! He's just gonna distract me all throughout. Just push him out the door when you see him. Please? I don't wanna hassle them with too many retakes."

"Don't even know what he looks like." Jessi giggled. "But, okay."

"Tan and taller version of Ian Somerhalder. Beard. Wavy dark brown hair." Kel made a face at her own reflection. Her foundation needed some setting mist, but her nude lipstick still looked picture-perfect. "Come on. Let's make me look pretty again."

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