"I always see you in my dreams as usual in a labyrinth, flapping transparent wings. These tortured eyes search for you, wandering a momentary dream." Hyde, Sell My Soul
The sky was dull and gray when Claire returned to her apartment. She had stopped by the drug store to find the product she'd be advertising. As she pulled off her coat, she frowned. Things were always so quiet in her place. Tossing her coat aside, she went into her small living room and turned the television on. Grabbing the bag from the drug store, she went into the bathroom and listened to the news.
"Wash face, dry completely and apply product liberally for healthy, radiant skin." Claire read the directions out loud, then turned the water on.
"And in other news, a local model has been shot. Sources at the Sunrise Modeling agency claim that Jill Valentine, a popular up-and-coming model, was shot yesterday and is currently in a coma. Police are still investigating at this time, and are unsure of who committed this heinous crime…"
Claire stopped washing her face and ran into the living room. There was a picture of Jill to the left of the reporter's head.
"The agency is devastated about this incident and hope that the police soon find the person or persons responsible for this crime. Anyone with information can call—"
Angrily, Claire shut off the t.v. and stormed back into the bathroom. "Unbelievable!" She exclaimed, toweling off her face. I bet Stacy opened her big mouth and called the press. How is that really a news story? People get shot all the time! Even in a coma, Jill is still in the spot light.
The phone ringing interrupted Claire's selfish thoughts. Throwing the towel onto the sink, she went into her bedroom and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" She greeted curtly.
"Hey, it's me. You gonna be around for awhile?" It was Leon.
"Yeah, why?"
"I'm stopping by in about fifteen minutes okay. Order some Chinese food and we'll have lunch."
"I'm not that hungry…what's this about? You sound rushed."
"Just order the food. I'm driving, so I have to go. I'll be there soon. Bye." Leon explained before hanging up. Claire sighed deeply before going into the kitchen to look for a menu.
Leon arrived about twenty minutes later, and let himself in without knocking. He greeted Claire with a kiss before flopping onto her couch. "Are you going to tell me what's up now? You seem like you're in a big hurry." She said, sitting next to him.
"Yeah. Well, I was at Jill's apartment today and got some information about where Chris might be. There was an indentation in a notepad with the address of a restaurant in Ajo, Arizona. I think Chris might be going down there." Leon explained.
"O…kay. And?" Claire replied.
"Well, it seems only logical that I go down there and try to find him." Leon concluded.
"What! Now you're leaving?" Claire exclaimed. At that point the door bell rang. In a huff, Claire went over and opened it. She took the food from the guy and tossed a twenty at him. "Keep the change." She sighed before closing the door again. Leon walked over to the dining table and put his hand on Claire's arm.
"Look, I could send other officers down there, or even call up the local sheriff…but then I wouldn't be doing my duty as his friend and partner. Would you feel satisfied if anyone but me was looking for him?" He asked. Claire went into the kitchen and got plates and silverware.
"Well, no…but all the way to Nevada?"
"Arizona." Leon corrected. "Look, it's not that far. It's gonna take a few days at most to get down there. As soon as I find Chris, we'll come back home. And I'm gonna call you like every day. Don't be mad."
Claire covered her face and sat down beside Leon. "I'm not mad…just upset. What am I gonna do without you here? You're gone, Chris' gone, Jill's in a fucking coma…I'm all alone." She cried.
"Hey…you're not alone." Leon said, wrapping his arms around her. "You remember Leah from work? I'll have her check in on you, okay? Just keep your cute self busy with work and what not and I'll be back before you know it."
Nodding, Claire wiped her eyes and sniffled. "Now let's eat before this food gets cold. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back." Leon said, and he began to pull cartons out of the bag.
The two shared a solemn meal before Leon had to get going. Rain began to fall as Claire watched Leon make his way to the car from her window. The only gig she had was the next day, and that was it. How was she supposed to keep herself busy for days?
Several hours later, as Claire was preparing for bed, the phone rang. "Hello?" She answered, turning of the bathroom light and climbing into bed.
"Hey you. Getting ready for bed?" Leon greeted.
"Yeah. Where are you?"
"Somewhere in California. At least the weather is warmer down here. How are you doing?"
"I'm alright. I just watched t.v. for a few hours. It's very boring with no one around."
"Aw, I'm sorry baby. What time are you getting up tomorrow?"
Claire pulled her alarm clock onto her lap and started to set the alarm. "Around eight. How about you?" She replied.
"Depends whether or not I check into a motel. I'll give you a call at around eight thirty, ok?" Leon said.
"Sure. Drive safe, okay? If you feel tired, pull into a rest area."
"You got it. I'll talk to you in the morning, kay? Love you."
"Love you too. Bye."
"Bye sweetie."
After speaking with Leon the following morning, Claire got into her compact car and drove down to the Sunrise building. She half expected the place to be swarming with reporters, eager to cover the story of Jill's attack. The courtyard was empty for the most part, so Claire strode into the building. She made her way to the photo suit and looked around for Bill. "Ah!" She spotted him fiddling with his camera while a crew set up the back drop. "Good Morning!" She greeted cheerily.
Bill looked up from what he was doing and smiled.
"Morning. Are you early?" He questioned. Claire glanced at her watch. It was a little before nine.
"Sort of. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Nah, we're pretty much set."
"Alright, well I guess I'll go get a cup of coffee. Would you like anything?" Claire questioned, pulling her coat off and draping it over a chair.
"Sure. I'll take a cup of coffee. Black, two sugars." Bill replied, taking a test shot with the camera.
"You got it. I'll be back in a few." Claire replied, before hurrying away. She always tried to go above and beyond her responsibilities when working with photographers. That way, whenever her name would come up, they would have nothing but nice things to say. In the building, there was a small office set up with a coffee machine, and snack foods on a folding table.
It was the biggest temptation for all the models to sneak in a donut or two, but most of them had enough self control. "I ought to bring in a fruit basket or something healthy for this place." Claire mumbled to herself, glaring at a delicious looking donuts. She poured the hot coffee into two paper cups, filling hers with a lot of creamer and Splenda. Tearing open two packets of sugar, she poured them into Bill's cup and stirred them both.
On her way out the door, the nearly bumped into someone. Looking up to apologize, Claire gasped inwardly. It was the same Asian guy from the day before, the one who was staring her down. "Uh, excuse me." Claire said finally, hoping that he would move out of the way. He just stared at her face for a moment, looking thoughtful before stepping to the side. Huffing, Claire brushed past him and made her way back to the photo suite.
"Here you go." She said, handing Bill his cup of coffee. "Careful, it's hot."
"Ah, thank you. Are you ready to go?" He replied.
"Yep. I didn't put any make-up on 'cause I wasn't sure what you wanted to do with me."
"That's fine. You've got great skin so I don't think there's anything to worry about."
"Oh, thank you! That's so sweet of you to say. Bill, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Have you noticed anyone new around here lately? There's this weird Asian guy who keeps on staring at me…do you know who he is?"
Bill seemed shocked. "Kaz? He's a really famous photographer from Japan. He's basically here to scout for any models he could use…but his standards are phenomenally high. He's taken an interest in you?" He questioned.
"I…guess. He just keeps on staring at me whenever we cross paths. I thought he was just some creepy guy that wandered in here." Claire replied, blushing slightly.
"No, he's just the quiet type. I think his way of thinking is 'Don't talk unless you have something to say that's worth hearing.'"
Claire nodded. "Alright, then. So, what do you need me to do?" Bill rubbed his stubble-covered chin and let out a throaty noise.
"Behind that screen is the clothes you'll be wearing. Put them on, and I'll get Maria to do your make-up. Just some clear mascara and eye shadow to bring out your eyes a bit." He said finally.
"Is the ad color or black and white?" Claire asked as she started towards the big folding screen.
"Color. People are gonna remember you as Old Blue Eyes from now on." Bill replied with a chuckle.
"Young Blue Eyes." Claire corrected with a smile.
The shoot went pretty well. There wasn't much Claire had to do really, just smile at the camera, look happy. While Claire posed, she thought of Jill. She imagined her laying in her hospital bed in a coma, while Claire took her job. A pang of guilt rushed into Claire's heart as she leaned on a displaced fake sink. When Jill finally woke up, how would she feel knowing that Claire stole her modeling jobs without a second thought?
"Happy, happy."
Claire forced a smile and tried not to think about Jill anymore. After the shoot was finished, Claire changed back into her regular clothes and thanked Bill for the opportunity to work together. He complimented her professionalism and started packing up his gear.
Before heading home, Claire went to the model's bathroom to empty her bladder. As usual, there was around four women in there, fixing their make-up and hair. "Why hasn't he talked to me yet?" One of them moaned.
"Eva, relax. He's not leaving tomorrow or anything. Just keep doing your best and he's bound to notice sooner or later." Another replied.
"What if he doesn't like any of us? He's like…mega-popular, isn't he?" A third girl said.
"I heard that once, he picked a girl out of a crowd, and she's making millions now. He's like a model God."
Claire could hardly differentiate between their voices, but she had a feeling they were talking about this Kaz guy.
"My career is less than satisfactory. The agents here aren't capable of getting us anything beyond stupid magazine ads."
"Yeah. What are we so beautiful for?"
"At least none of us was in that herpes ad! Wasn't that so embarrassing?"
"Oh, I know! I would have totally cried if that happened to me. Kaz doesn't work for low companies like that though."
"I heard that he's going to be doing a cigarette campaign soon and he needs someone gorgeous. I've never smoked before, but I'm going to stand outside smoking until he leaves."
"My friend smokes to help her stay skinny."
"I want to start smoking…"
Claire shook her head in disbelief and flushed the toilet. Some people are real morons. She opened the stall door and went over to the sink. "Were you talking about that photographer from Japan?" She asked as she started washing her hands.
"Yes. He's so unbelievably gorgeous. I've caught him looking at me once, and he just oozes sex!" The blonde to Claire's right replied.
"At least he's looked at you! My boobs are practically spilling out of my shirt and he just walks on by like I'm trash." The strawberry-blonde to Claire's left added.
"Oh, don't say that. I'm sure he's just picky." Claire replied, inwardly smiling. "When is this ad campaign starting?"
"In a few days. He really needs someone but it's like he's just standing around doing nothing but being eye candy." The first blonde answered. Shaking off her hands, Claire reached for a paper towel.
"I'm sure he'll show an interest in someone soon. It was nice talking with you ladies." She said cheerfully before striding out of the bathroom.
END