Chapter Fifty-Six
Stripped
This is the subtle turning point in the story for the Turners...although you probably won't understand for a while exactly why I wrote this. Heh. Sorry if you find it boring.
Kate sat nervously in a white leather chair in the Vogue offices on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, holding her portfolio tightly in her lap. She was worried if she let go of it, her hands would start shaking, which was the last thing she needed right now. The waiting room was intimidating enough as it was. A blown-up cover shot of Heidi Klum was plastered above the receptionist, who's raven black hair was pulled so tightly into a bun that it looked like her hair might be pulled out.
Why was Kate in the Vogue offices of Manhattan? Because this is precisely why she moved to New York to begin with. She wanted to get work. The answer as to whether she was going to get said work was up in the air. Kate wanted to be in Vogue – Vogue! – where the most beautiful displayed their talents. She had only been in the industry for a year and a half; she knew that she didn't have the experience that others that walked through the doors to display their portfolio did. On a positive side, she was young. Kate knew that people were always looking for young models (although she thought that models in their twenties were hardly old). Besides, her new agency, Ford, must have set her up with a meeting for a reason.
She wanted this, though. This would give her the career she always wanted. She wanted to be a successful model and travel the world. This was why she moved away at eighteen.
She debated paying the long distance price to call Melissa on her cell phone. It was only 8:00 in the morning in Minnesota, she wouldn't be in her first class yet. Kate would do it, too, were it not for the fact that it would appear rather pathetic to call a friend for support in the offices of Vogue.
The phone rang by the receptionist. She answered it, then hung up and looked at Kate.
"Kevin will see you now," the receptionist said to her. "Second door on the right.
Kate stood up and opened the double door that lead to a long, blue hallway with light oak office doors dotting the sides. She opened the door and saw a bald man with rectangle glasses sitting at the desk, typing something on a computer. Kate closed the door gently behind her. The man, who she assumed was Kevin stood up and extended a hand to her.
"Kevin Simpson," he said.
Her mouth was dry. Would she be able to talk, even?
"Kate Turner," she said, shaking his hand.
He smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Kate."
She sat down at the chair across from him and set the portfolio in front of her. Her nerves grew as he silently looked through her portfolio. Did he like her pictures, or did he wonder why her agency even bothered to schedule a meeting between them?
"Tell me what jobs you've done in the past," he said, still looking through her portfolio.
"Well, I've been modeling for about a year for a store called Anthropologie," she said. "I've done little things here and there, like for a nightclub ad and a magazine."
Kate would have done anything to have Melissa to be sitting next to her right now. She needed someone who was practically a sister to her holding her hand as Kevin flipped through her pictures.
"How old are you, honey?" he asked.
"Eighteen."
She wondered if that was too young for such an elite magazine to pose in.
"How long have you been working?" he asked.
"Since I was seventeen. May of last year, to be exact."
Kevin nodded and turned a few more pages. "I like these."
Liked. Anyone could like a picture. It took talent (that she must not possess, in his eyes) to love a picture.
"Thank you," she said.
Kevin put the portfolio back on the desk. "Let me explain to you what would be in the April 2008 issue."
Her ears perked up at the sentence. Was he just casually explaining it, or was he considering having her in the issue?
"Jewelry," he said. "Rings, necklaces, earrings, you name it. All the new jewelry for spring. One part would be Diamonds and Pearls."
The thought of her wearing a long pearl necklace and big diamond earrings in Central Park popped into her head.
"Another would be called Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue. That would have rubies and sapphires."
She imagined ruby earrings and sapphire bracelets blending in with a nautical-themed outfit by a yacht.
"One would be Ebony and Ivory."
White and black stones would look good with a little black dress, she thought.
"It sounds great, Kevin," she said. "Really."
If only I could tell you how bad I want to be a part of it, she silently added.
"Your portfolio is definitely impressive, Miss Turner," he said. "I'd be a fool to rule you out. If Vogue were to offer you this job, though, changes would need to be made."
Changes? Will would never let her do this if it involved her losing weight – nor would she let herself.
"We've been envisioning the model to be a blonde for this."
A blonde? Dying her hair blonde was everything that she was against! She had never wanted to be a blonde – she would be thrown into the stereotypical blonde-and-thin pile that she swore she would never be in. Besides, she thought it would be a horrible color on her.
This is what she had to do to get her career going. She could live the life that she always wanted to, traveling the world and going down catwalks.
She could refuse to dye her hair. If she did, though, she was sure she wouldn't get the job. The last thing Kate needed was to lose this job at her own hands.
"You'd be a fabulous blonde, I don't know why no one's told you to dye your hair sooner sooner," he said. "If we just do some layering..." he leaned back in his reclining computer chair and examined her. "...yes, layering. You like Gisele Bundchen, don't you, sweetie?"
Before she even had a chance to answer, Kevin did it for her.
"Of course you do. Her style and length with...Jessica Simpson-blonde hair."
Kate felt like screaming at this man named Kevin in front of her. She was not going to go blonde! She was fine with the layered hair, she thought that she needed a change, but she would not go something as drastic as blonde when she was a chestnut brunette!
"What about the actual photo shoot?" she asked, trying to change the subject momentarily.
"A studio," he said simply.
What shocked her next was how simply he said the next statement.
"Oh, how silly of me, I forgot to add that it would be a nude shoot."
A nude shoot? Kate would be a blonde, naked in front of the camera, posing for Vogue? She felt like throwing up. Her mouth became dry again. What was she doing here? Kate didn't belong. She seriously considered thinking of leaving. She was married, she didn't want to be exposed like that, even if it was only a fashion magazine!
"Ke –"
"Before you object, sweetie, the necessary areas will be covered."
Kate wanted to be in Vogue so bad. She was sure that she would do anything to get in it. There came a point, though. She didn't care if she was covering her breasts or not, she wanted to be clothed when she was doing this!
Despite that she did not want to be a blonde exposed, Kate said, "I think it's a wonderful idea."
She was sure this would not go over with Will when she got home.
It was exactly twenty-three days before Christmas, and Jack still didn't know what to get Melissa. He knew her: she was the type of woman that said "You don't have to get me anything" when he inquires as to what they'd like for said holiday, which did not help a bit.
As he used Melissa's laptop Sunday evening downstairs in the living room, he saw that Kate was online. Why not have a talk with her? She was sure to know something.
Jack: Ah, Katie.
Kate: What?
Was she suffering from PMS and didn't want to be bothered? Then again, that girl suffered of constant PMS.
Jack: Meow.
Kate: I have enough on my plate without talking to you. What do you need?
Jack could get to the point, then tease her.
Jack: Any ideas what to get for dear Melissa this Christmas?
There was a pause before she responded. He wondered if she was trying to think of something other than what she got Melissa.
Kate: Go to Anthropologie's website and look at their necklaces. She always said that she liked those. Some of them aren't too expensive. Just be sure to clear the history after you're done looking, otherwise the surprise is spoiled.
Jack: I may take your advice and look right now. Thank you, love.
Kate: You're welcome. Have you thought of the mother-and-child necklace yet?
What on earth was she talking about?
Jack: Come again?
Kate: Oh, come on! The mother-and-child necklace! You have to get her one, Jack! I was looking at one the other day, and, yes, it's unorthodox, but here's the link.
Jack opened the link and saw there was a lone pearl strung from a pink cord. It was perfect: their child would be a girl, and the middle name would be Pearl. Interesting.
Jack: That much free time, eh, Katherine? Sounds like ya need more than one shoot a week.
Kate: I'm looking because I'm stressed and I need a distraction.
Jack: And why would someone like you be stressed? You and dear William fighting?
Kate: In your dream tonight.
Jack: Then...you're stressed, why?
Kate: I am not looking forward to a photo shoot tomorrow.
She and Will had photo shoots on Wednesday usually. Perhaps she was lying.
Jack: And why not?
There was a pause before Kate decided to type, he saw.
Kate: Because it's a nude shoot.
Kate doing a photo shoot without clothing? He had to find wherever this shoot was going to be published.
Kate: It's awful. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I truly can't remember the last time I was this scared. It's bad enough that they sent me to the salon three days before the shoot to have "Jessica Simpson-blonde hair and Gisele Bundchen layers", but now I have to pose nude, with the exception of my hands covering the "necessary parts"! This is what could be the thing that gets me so many jobs, but, no, it has to be like this!
His incredibly intuitive sense of the female mind told him that she was in her room crying while Will sat on the couch, shooed, despite the fact that he wanted to comfort the missus.
Jack: Er...Take a deep breath. Tomorrow won't be as bad as you think. Your hands are covering your, er, upper lady parts. You'll be able to wear your panties if they don't get your legs in the shot, I'm sure.
He would say anything to calm a hysteric Kate. All he had to do was think like the whelp. He hoped it was working.
Jack: You'll laugh about this in a week. You'll laugh at how nervous you were and how you hated your Melissa-blonde hair.
Kate: No. I'm pretty sure I won't.
Bugger. She really was terrified.
Kate: Please update me about you and Mel and Amy.
Jack: The usual. Melissa's complaining about college, not the baby, though, so I assume that Amy's doing fine. Nothing new, really.
Kate: I see. Would you mind if Will and I brought a gift for Amy? She's not even born yet, we know, but we thought since Christmas is coming up, we'd get it for her.
Jack: Sure. Do I get to open it?
Kate: Oh, Jack...you know how to make me laugh when I need it.
As Kate had a pearl necklace wrapped two times around her neck, she wondered exactly how the photo shoot was going to change her. Kate went blonde for this (she thought she looked rather like Melissa now – they had the same bone structure, nose, and, of course, nearly the exact shade of hair), something she had been vying for for two years. She knew that this would change everything. She would be off traveling in a few months, even.
She felt like she was making the wrong choice, though. Will had said that he wasn't going to hold her back from something that she wanted, but he hinted that he wasn't comfortable with her being stripped for this, in more ways than one. Kate argued that Vogue was edgy, but what she didn't say was that this wasn't the way she wanted to be in the magazine, either.
Kate would have given anything to have Melissa by her. She would have known exactly what to say to make her calm down.
Kate felt like crying. Were it not for the fact that her make-up was already applied, she'd go into her dressing room and let it all out. A few minutes later, she would have emerged, leave it all behind, and give one hundred percent. She did have to leave it all behind, though, despite the fact that she couldn't cry to the walls. Melissa wasn't here to give her a hug, Will wasn't here to tell her that she would do fantastic, just like before every photo shoot they did together.
She realized this was the first shoot since they got married that would be only her.
It was time for her to grow up. She had to leave romanticized ideas of modeling behind. This was the real deal.
It's time for you to grow up, Kate, she thought to her blonde self, looking in the mirror one last time before going out to the camera.
Next chapter: What could bring Melissa to tears just days before the holiday? And is Jack, for once, not the cause?
