Junior Year Box Set

“I’ll do it today, but I’m going to be a complete prima donna,” I said, which made him laugh.

“All right, I’ll play along. What could you possibly want that would put you in the ‘prima donna’ category?”

“I have two hot new models that I must work with. All three of us will need new wardrobes for the shoot today,” I said.

“Are they under contract with Ford?” Michael asked.

“No, they’re with Rigby, Thompson and Associates on developmental contracts. I discovered them at my high school. One of them is the sister of Kara Tasman. The other is the super-athletic girl-next-door type. I think you’ll love them.”

“Do you have headshots you can send me?”

“Nope, this will be their first gig. Remember, I said they were in development.”

“How bad are they, and will I get anything usable if I do this shoot?” Michael asked.

“I’ll guarantee the shoot,” I told him.

“Sorry, I was being a bit of a jerk. If you have a bad outing, it won’t be the end of the world. I’ll sign off on it, but if it really sucks, you’ll owe me,” he said and hung up.

My next call was to Kendal. We needed to get Cassidy and Gina under contract. Kendal called me a bad name for not setting up everything through her to begin with. When it began to look like I was going to pull it off, I looked at the girls, who’d been trying to follow along as I made my calls.

“Here’s the deal: you both get new wardrobes from Jade,” was all I got out before being tackled by two squealing girls.

“There’s more,” I said, and then waited for them to quit bouncing up and down. “You both are going to do a photo shoot with me and get paid as professional models.”

“Kara is going to be so jealous,” Gina said.

I called Brandon and had him get the girls’ sizes, then sent him to the local Jade store in the mall to get our clothes. Michael would call ahead, and the clothes would be waiting for him. I then called Mr. Hill and told him what we were doing and that I needed the best hair and makeup people he could get on short notice. It wasn’t that Cassidy and Gina weren’t good-enough-looking to model; they were. My concern was that I’d asked a lot of Michael to pay for a photo shoot that was more of a fun outing for my friends. The right hair and makeup person can change a cute girl into someone gorgeous. I wanted them to feel good about today.

I took the Charger and picked up Kendal at her office. We then had to swing by the high school and then Gina’s house to get one-day contracts signed by their parents. It was easy to tell that the girls were getting nervous on the ride to Hill Advertising because it got unusually quiet. I glanced over at Kendal, who was riding shotgun, and motioned with my head that she needed to talk to them. She turned around, and the three of them had a quiet conversation as I concentrated on driving.

We arrived and walked up to the receptionist. The receptionist eyed me and one of her eyebrows raised up, I think because I was still in my running clothes and hadn’t showered yet.

“Mr. Dawson, Miss Hope, and Miss Tasman to see Mr. Hill,” Kendal announced.

“One moment while I get someone to escort you back. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you?” the receptionist asked.

Kendal gave me a look that dared me not to make any stupid requests. I just smiled.

“Has my assistant arrived with the clothes for today’s shoot?” I asked.

“Mr. Rigby is in the back getting everything organized.”

They had a new girl take us back to the studio. I missed the old one already. She’d been fun because she wasn’t very bright and was very eager to please. I had fond memories of her getting Kendal a sippy cup for her coffee.

While the girls were sent to the hair person, I took a shower. I came out in only a towel, forgetting for a moment that Cassidy and Gina weren’t used to this. I had just fallen into the habit of what I usually did at a shoot. You needed to change clothes as quickly as possible, and the other models did the same, so a little nudity was no big deal. I found myself a little embarrassed when my friends seemed shocked to see me like this. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I reminded myself that they had seen me in my swim trunks, and I currently had more covered than that. I went to wardrobe and found a pair of boxers and a bathrobe so I could get my makeup done.

Kendal worked with Brandon and explained everything that transpired at one of these shoots. One of Mr. Hill’s staff photographers came back and took headshots of Gina and Cassidy to send to Jade. Jade would review the photos and suggest how the girls should be made up for the shoot. I think Michael wanted to see what he had to work with. If he wasn’t happy, I expected him to let them do a few shots, and then I would end up doing the rest alone. My biggest concern was they were both only five-five. Most models were five-ten; and at six-four, I was almost a foot taller than Gina and Cassidy. A five-ten model would wear high heels and be the right height for me.