Share
34
Model without a Cause
“Okay, everybody!” Collin boomed at the front of the darkened boardroom. “As you all know, we are going to be advertising Capier's brand new line of cell phone products called Clickmark."A picture of a mauve colored cell phone appeared on the screen along with a list of features.“This is the concept I have in mind for the campaign. The setting will be an urban metropolis. We will follow a basic storyline, with four or five still pictures comprising the plot. If the layouts look good enough to impress the big wigs, we’ll start production on a commercial before the still photos are released. Hopefully, we’ll be all ready to go by the beginning of November—just in time for Christmas.”Helen shifted in her seat. For some reason, she wasn’t feeling very comfortable. Maybe it was the fact she was jammed between Dominic and Mark at the furthest arch of the oval-shaped table. She could hardly sBab terkait
Whenever 35
After the meeting, Mark and Helen got separated. He was talking with Collin and Trevor while Helen's only route was to leave the building with Mindy. Helen wasn’t expected to work as Mark’s assistant on days when she was working as Vera, so she only had to make an appearance at work during the morning for the meeting. It was noon and she and Mindy were planning on eating lunch together in a restaurant down the street. At least, that was the plan until Dominic commandeered them.He was on the street outside Capier's building putting Alexander in the back of a limo when he saw Helen and Mindy step out of the building. Abruptly, he shut the door on Alexander and banged on the roof of the limo to let the driver know it was okay to go without him. Then he turned on his heel and approached Helen and Mindy.“Good work today,” he said to them both cheerfully. By that point, Mindy and Dominic knew each other rather well. He took Mindy with him on both his ph
Whenever 36
Helen’s first instinct was to ask Dominic if he was punishing her for choosing Mark over him or if he was truly a sadist at heart. If Laura hung out on the set it was going to be a thousand times worse than just an ‘awkward situation.’ First of all, her presence was completely unnecessary, because she worked in financial services and not in marketing. Second, Helen didn’t think it was professional for Dominic to invite family members on a shoot. After thinking up those two reasons, Helen’s brain short-circuited and a score of other reasons flooded and clogged the logical part of her consciousness. Mark would be uncomfortable. Trevor would be working, and if Laura hung all over him, who knew what the consequences might be—not just for him, but for the project?In the end, Helen’s eye twitched. Then she got up and said smoothly while looking down at Dominic, “You're asking for too much. It seems like you're trying to wrap up all you
Whenever 37
Shooting the BreezeThe photoshoot had been scheduled for midsummer and the weather outside was beastly, but because the ads needed to look like they had been taken in the fall or winter, Helen and Alexander’s wardrobe selections were extreme. Alexander was stuck wearing a dark gray sweater and a Matrix-style ankle-length overcoat while Helen was wearing thigh-high black suede boots. Trevor kept on talking about texture, so she was wearing a tweed skirt, an exceptionally shiny cream blouse, as well as an overcoat that wasn’t completely unlike Alexander’s. Trevor had seen the shots of Helen wearing the scarf and decided they needed one as a prop as well. It was boiling hot out. Helen couldn’t see how she was going to make it through without making gigantic sweat stains through her top, though she didn’t dare say anything to anyone.She sat in a makeup trailer with Mindy fluttering behind her and a gigantic mirror in front of her. Alexander was
Whenever 38
If Mark had a crystal ball that let him see the future, his prediction of how the day was going to go couldn’t have been more accurate. Everything happened exactly the way he said it would. It started out easy. Alexander was in the coffee shop and she was standing outside, so because they weren’t near each other, Helen couldn’t do anything to offend him. However, once they moved onto the next series of poses, she couldn’t do anything right according to Alexander. She did what Trevor told her to do, but apparently, her ‘interpretations’ of Trevor’s instructions were all wrong. It went something like the following:Trevor would say something like, “Alexander, put your forearm against the wall and lean into Vera. Take your right hand and take a strand of Vera’s hair between your fingers, but don’t let go of the cell phone. Got it? Now Helen, let Alexander pin you against the wall and look at him like he’s your entir
Whenever 39
Up the CreekHelen and Mark didn’t tell Trevor where they were going for lunch, which was why they were so surprised when he showed up at their restaurant. He dropped himself into their booth, threw his bag across the bench and stretched his legs out so far Helen was positive he would trip a waitress… but maybe that was his plan.“Hey kids,” he said casually.Mark gave him a funny look, but managed to be polite enough to ask without an attitude, “What are you doing here?”Trevor shook his hand at Mark like he didn’t realize he was interrupting a date. “I’m angry,” he said simply.“Of course you are. A whole morning wasted! What exactly happened with Alexander and Dominic anyway? Helen’s convinced Alexander refused to pose with her,” Mark explained.Trevor nodded. “Sorry, Helen. Try not to take it personally. I don’t think it had much to do with how you modeled or
Whenever 40
Helen turned to Mark and said, “This photo was up on my friend Shellie’s wall when I was still in junior high.”“Really?” he asked, looking completely aghast.“Yeah, really. Don’t blush, Mark. You looked hot.”“Which is why I want him to take Alexander’s place,” Trevor said. Helen stared at Trevor. “Can you do that?”“Well, since I can’t seem to get in touch with Collin, I guess I can do whatever I think is best. It would be a hassle to have to rebook all the locations and to rehire the temporary staff. The best thing is just to dress Mark up like Alexander—sans turtleneck of course—and to just get on with it.” Trevor added, “Mark looks terrible in turtlenecks.”Helen couldn’t believe what Trevor was suggesting. Switching Alexander for Mark would make the photoshoot fun, the opposite of hell on earth. Her pulse was already racing at t
Whenever 41
A Makeover for the AgesHelen eyed Mark on the other side of the set. There was quite the bustle of people coming and going with equipment and extension cords. The talk outside the trailer was all business.The second photoshoot was scheduled for one o’clock in the morning; technically, two days later. The pictures were to be taken in the subway, and since they were to include pictures of the train, they needed to be taken after hours.Helen asked Mark if she should come to work the day before the shoot, but Mark said there was no need. He wasn’t going to work that morning either. Apparently, he simply took over Alexander’s contract, with the exception of pay. Mark wasn’t worth as much as Alexander. She overheard Trevor offering him less than a quarter of what they were going to pay Alexander. Trevor apologized for the cut, but Mark shook his head and said it was part of their agreement that he would model for Trevor whenever he needed him, so
Whenever 42
Helen sat quietly for a second, thinking. Mark was leaning against the counter examining her expression and waiting for her reply.It was going to tear her apart to say ‘good-bye’ to him, but she couldn’t stop thinking about their relationship. It always felt like he liked Vera far more than Helen, and she couldn’t tie him down if the one he liked wasn’t her true self. She had always thought he was more than she could handle. Why would a guy like him want to be with a plain-Jane girl like her?“Mark,” she said quietly. “It sounds like a great opportunity. I think you should probably take it.”“You don’t want me to stay?” he asked as he turned around and started scrambling the eggs crossly.“Of course I want you to stay, but I also don’t want to hold you back. You know, it’s a delicate balance, but…”“But what?”“But,” Helen swal
Bab terbaru
