Chapter Three
Sitting at one of the small round tables of the Coffee Emporium, I sipped my Mocha glancing around quickly with my eyes. Worried? Nah, not me. Why would I be worried? I was just waiting for Lissa to start the interrogation about Short Stack and lunch wasn't enough to take my mind off that. Lunch didn't consist of much, it never did. Just hot drinks, a shared melted cheese sandwich and senseless chatter that even today I didn't feel like trying to distract myself with. I think Lissa was talking about tickets to a show she was either going to or had seen but my thoughts wonders about the address and time written on my hand. What kind of social gathering was this going to be? Since when had I thought I was going?
"So did you want to come?" Lissa spoke in a tone of voice that suggested she had asked this question already.
"Yeah, sounds good" I pulled my phone out of my pocket, opening the internet and went straight to twitter.
If it was anything big, he would have posted it on twitter, he seemed like the type of person not that I knew him that well. He gave that feeling that was hard to explain. If I had to describe Andy in two words I would say over confident, everything about him radiated confidence. His walk, his posture, the off slightly arrogant look he gave the camera, it all burned its way through to the base of my mind. The way his jeans clung to his legs and rode just below his hips when he walked was something that I didn't think I paid any attention to but when I found myself blushing at the thought that clung to the front of my brain I knew I had taken more notice than I thought. At first glance, anyone would say confident, there was no real way to deny it but when I had clarified about the crowd there had been something in his eyes that suggested something else. It said that he felt just like everyone else. That he had real emotions and it wasn't going to do the arrogant, confidence all the time.
My page loaded slowly, I took a small bit of my half of the sandwich. Chewing on the cheese with more care than needed, I watched as post after post popped up as people updated and my page caught up with all that I had missed. Lissa kept talking about whatever she was talking about, her voice a distant murmured in the background. She seemed really absorbed in it, absorbed enough not to notice that I wasn't listening just as I was giving enough attention to what I was doing I probably wouldn't notice if she got up and walked away. Touching my keys lightly, I typed 'Andy Clemmensen' into the search bar, hoping that something would come up. It would be nice to know what his guy thought of himself. I looked up, meeting Lissa's eyes as my phone began to load again and she continued to talk. Apparently the conversation had moved onto a guy that she met in Paris. He had been a photographer or something - either way she thought that he would be able to help me.
"Rose. Rose, are you listening to me?" she touched my arm, lightly but enough to get my attention.
"Nah, sorry," I glanced down at my phone again, how do you tell your sister that you got asked to a Short Stack party, especially when that sister is kind of in love with the lead singer?
"Well?" she gave me wide eyes and a questioning look.
"Andy," I looked down at the phone again, yes there it was, and the latest post, "Andy invited me to a party" I held up the phone for her to read.
'Modal photo shoot, Practice tonight in the club scene. Sorry Ladies better luck next time'
Okay, so I had been right about the party. Now, I couldn't go alone. I was not going to hang out in an unfamiliar house filled with unfamiliar people without back up. Hell no! Jesus, when did I say I was going? I had to. I did kind of want go, maybe just a little bit but I was not going alone. Not by any chance. Why was I doing this to myself? I watched Lissa's face as she read over the twitter page. Unlike Claire, reading Lissa's face was a challenge. It was mostly blank a lot of the time, it was only when she got really upset or really happy - any great emotions - was when it started to show on her face. I enjoyed the challenge most of the time too but today I had no patience, I just wanted it to be over and for her to voice her opinion. The neutral face stuck out, not going with what she was wearing today but it was very rarely the look ever met her cloths.
Her style consisted of dark blue-grey jeans but I absolutely detested, a plain shirt under a grey jumper like shirt that usually had a slogan or vague drawing on the front in pinks and white with a cream-white beanie that did not going with the shape of her face. I don't know what she saw in what she wore but all I knew is that she liked it and she did not see something that could have past of a semi well-dressed bum that I saw. Yeah, jeans, t-shirts and jumpers were what she liked and sometimes I didn't mind it when she got the combinations right or when she picked something that matched her features. Today, it was dress slacks with a button down blouse that was plain white. It would have passed as her business attire except she wore red converse all stars and a thick coat that somehow went with everything but didn't. I had been about to ask her if she was alright when suddenly she leaned in.
"I hope you're planning on going to this," she whispered before standing up and waving someone over, "Jake, over here!" her smiled was huge as she sat down.
"Who," I took my phone back; picking up my cup and pulling it close to my chest as I leaned back into the deep chair.
"This was the guy I was telling you about," she looked down at me before shaking hands with a man almost a head and a half taller than her, "Rose met Jacob McCoy. Head of Style Magazine" they both looked at me with the same stars in their eyes, like they were looking at an angel.
"Please, call me Jake," he reached out a huge hand that I was worried about shaking, how was I supposed to hold onto that kind of way, "I've heard so much about you" his smile seemed generally sincere.
"Oh, all good things I hope. Style Magazine, Mr. McCoy? I'm impressed, if my sister told you one true thing about me it should have been that it is practically my dream to be one of your main featured models" I managed to shake the giant hand and sit back down gracefully.
Lissa motioned for Jacob to sit down in the empty seat that was between Lissa and me. It looked as if he was to decline the invitation to join us but suddenly thought differently after giving me another stare. I smiled sweetly, trying to keep my real feelings of unease off my face. It wasn't the fact that he was giving me attention and I didn't mind looking at him but there was a point where it was too much attention. I think I had found that point. As he sat down, pulling the chair closer, his dark suit jacket fell open, framing the lower torso. His shirt was perfectly whitely, pure with no stain or the impression of graying in sight. It gave his skin a slight tan look that lessened the blow of thick, dark lashes framing two different colored eyes that hid behind thick framed glasses. He smiled at me again, giving me a glance at what he would have looked like in high school. It made an example of smile lines and freckles but the smile was bright enough to make a room full of sad memories happy.
"You know I would never say anything to embarrass you… much" Lissa pulled her cup to her mouth, quickly once she finished talking.
"Why don't you swing by the studio later? Some of the other girls are really lacking your elegance and grace for the cover" Jacob pulled out a card from the front pocket of the jacket.
"Sweet talker, Lissa, you sure he didn't charm you into this set up?" I took the card, laughing lightly.
I glanced over the card, looking at the writing that glistened under direct light. It was neat, straight cut like Jacob call me Jake and simply screamed sophistication. It had the impression of him, or what you could see was him from first glance, which gave it a nice almost personal touch. The number was a smaller text that was also easier to read but the off white of the card made the silvery writing easy to read. I looked up from the card, giving another friendly smile that started to feel less forced. Jakes smile go brighter as he lifted his cup to his mouth. He took a quick sip of his drink and glanced down at the shiny, gold watch on his wrist.
"Okay, so I got to buzz. Things to do, people to meet," he stood slowly, smiling at us, "Call me, I would love to work on you" he gave me a wink that was similar to Andy's.
I waved politely as he as he walked away. His movements were precise and strong, he walked as if he had somewhere he needed to be. It was a good walk, a strong walk. A walk that I would imagine on a leader, he took a slip of his drink every few steps. The action looked almost like it was forced; I didn't spend much time focusing on him. Just enough focus to know that he was leaving then I pulled out my phone again. I took a massive bite out the half a melted cheese sandwich, no longer thinking about what I was chewing just letting the warmth fill me up. My fingers brushed over the small keys of my phone, quickly as I thought about what I wanted to say then I sent a mass text out to Claire, Jasmine and Nicky.
'Hey
what are you up to?
Who's up for a party?
Luv Rose'
