Chapter Five – Mirror image
The time on the clock hanging on the wall opposite the sofa bed read 5:23am. Tino lay wide awake and listened to the seconds ticking by, staring at the ceiling. After eating dinner last night, Tino curled up on the couch and watched a movie with Emil while Lukas sat with them, typing away at something on his laptop and making the odd comment about how dumb the movie was every now and again. When Tino was with them he seemed to forget about all of his imperfections, as they had just as many as he did; but even if they didn't they would never judge him about his.
At Icon it was different. This job was Tino's gateway to achieving his dream job, so if they weren't going to change then he would. Throwing off the duvet, Tino slipped out of his bed and over to the dining table in the kitchen. The apartment was chilly and Tino shivered a little in nothing but his boxers while he pulled up a chair and flopped down into it, flinching a little as his bare thighs came into contact with the cold metal chair. He reached for his laptop. While he waited for it to boot up he looked at his reflection in the black loading screen, flashing his teeth and picking at his braces. It may seem a little odd for someone as old as 23 to have braces, and if he wanted to he could have them removed at any time. When he left his college dorm to move in with Emil and Tino he was only 19 and had already had his braces for a year and a half. He was due to have them taken off six months after he moved, but the move caused him to lose his place within his orthodontist centre and he couldn't really afford to pay the large fee to join a new one closer to his new home to have them removed. So here he was 4 years later still with the wretched things still wired to his teeth. Another reason why he should change himself to fit in more at ICON. Get promotions, get bigger paychecks and then get braces removed.
Suddenly Tino's reflection was obscured by the harsh blue background of the log on screen when his laptop finally loaded. He logged in, opened his browser and paused, hands hovering over the keys. What exactly was he aiming for here? He spent a couple of minutes thinking over what to actually search for, and what he wanted his new and improved look to be like.
Double clicking into the search bar, he began to run some searches.
Search: "Clothing styles 2013"
No, wait.
Search: "Mens fashion 2013"
Oh, that shirt looks nice. Pretty popular too. Wait, how much!?
Search: "Cheap fashionable clothes 2013" "- for men"
Nothing much here. Why not try something more specific?
Search: "How to dress fashionably for guys"
Search result: The Habits Of Stylish Men – AskMen
'Want to be the best dressed guy in the room? Click to launch the Top 10 Stylish Men Habits. Follow our tips and a more fashionable life will soon be yours.'
A grin crept across Tino's face as he clicked the link and waited for the webpage to load, thinking he'd hit the jackpot. But as he scrolled further and further down the page, that grin began to disappear.
The article was suggesting that things such as getting a haircut every four weeks, storing your clothes neatly, buying expensive shirts and suits, having a 'signature scent' - whatever the hell that meant, and having some clothes custom made to fit was the way forward to become a stylish and respectable man. Tino liked his mop of unkempt, yet still somewhat tidy, hair and buying expensive clothes with his current paycheck was out of the question. The internet was just no help whatsoever. Growing frustrated, Tino harshly stabbed his finger on the mouse pad and closed the webpage before getting up from the table. Come to think of it, Tino knew someone who was stylish and respectable without doing any of those things, and he just so happened to be living under the same roof.
The door to Lukas's bedroom creaked when Tino cracked it open slightly to check if he was still sleeping. He held his breath while Lukas shifted and turned over in his bed and snuggled in even more within the piles of blankets he liked to bury himself in. Although he was an early riser, Lukas was a very deep sleeper, and it took a lot to make him leave his bed before he was ready to. Sneaking into the room, Tino made his way over to Lukas's wardrobe and opened it up. Now, he knew fully well that he and Lukas had different body types and differed considerably in height, but there was bound to be something that fit Compared to Tino's own, Lukas's wardrobe was very plain and a little bland but he always managed to look classy and stylish even when he was just lounging around the house. Starting on the left side of the clothes rail, Tino began to look through the sweaters and shirts that were all hung up neatly. The first few collared shirts on the rail were pressed, ironed, and hung up with a plastic covering. They were Lukas's favourite formal shirts, and Tino knew fully well that when Lukas woke and began to search for an outfit for the day he would notice right away if one were missing; and would no doubt be pretty pissed off about the fact that Tino had taken it, let alone worn it all day. Now that he was thinking about it, Tino did feel a little guilty about going through Lukas's belongings without his permission but he was only going to borrow an item or two. He'd take care of it and put it back tonight.
He was nearing the end of the rail now, and began to grow disheartened as none of the clothes that he had looked through sparked his interest until he came to the second to last piece of clothing. A long sleeved white shirt was hung neatly on a hanger with an acid-wash grey waist-coast hung over it. It looked pretty smart. Simple, yet classy and elegant. Perfect.
Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Lukas was definitely still asleep; Tino carefully took the shirt and waist-coat from the wardrobe and closed it. Happy with his findings, Tino then opened his own wardrobe and grabbed a fresh pair of boxers and some socks, a pair of black tailored trousers and his favourite black leather shoes. He spent a few moments debating whether or not to accessorise like he usually would with some pins or brooches to put on the waist-coat, or perhaps a hat or bracelet. In the end, he took out only a slim black tie and decided that he might as well go all the way if he wanted to change his look and get himself out of the habit of crazy accessories by not being tempted to wear any at all.
Satisfied, Tino crept back out of Lukas's bedroom and over to his bed in the middle of the living room. The clock now read 5:49am. Lukas would start to get up and have a shower in just over an hour and Tino didn't really want Lukas to see him dressed in his clothes, but it was too early to set off for work. There were some café's that opened at 6am on the high street, so Tino decided that he would set off early and have breakfast out. Besides, it was quite refreshing to be up early. Perhaps he would even catch the sunrise!
Slipping off last nights underwear, Tino quickly changed into a clean pair and put on his trousers then sat down onto the bed. He took the shirt and waist-coat and removed them from the hanger, fiddling with the label on the inside collar of the shirt. He hadn't turned any lights on as to not wake Lukas or Emil and just relied on the light coming in through the gap in the curtains from the street lamps outside to see. Squinting in the dim light, he noticed that the shirt was a size 39. In most cases Tino was a size 42, and before now it had never bothered him in the slightest. But the words of his boss were still buzzing around in his head. His heart sank in self-loathing when he looked down at himself. When he was sat down his gut spilled over the waistband of his trousers and lay thick in his lap. He didn't even want to think about the size of his thighs hidden beneath, or his – what the media of the 21st century liked to call – 'moobs'. He felt like a blimp. He hadn't always been this big; in fact, this was probably the biggest he'd ever got to. Sure, his diet wasn't as balanced as it could be, but he ate just the same amount of the things that Emil and Lukas did! Yet it was only him that seemed to be packing on the pounds. Okay so perhaps that wasn't entirely true, Tino did enjoy treating himself to a more than generous slab of chocolate every now and then; but just last night while they were watching a movie Lukas managed to polish off seven cookies whilst dipping them into his coffee and never seemed to pile on the pounds as a result! It wasn't fair.
It was no use dwelling on it though; from now on Tino was going to change. After slipping his socks and shoes onto his feet, Tino stood again and began to slide his arms into Lukas's shirt. It seemed to fit perfectly as he adjusted it over his shoulders, but of course that would be too good to be true. Once it was on he discovered that the sleeves were just an inch too long and got in the way as he fumbled to fasten the buttons. The shirt closed over his chest and fastened pretty effortlessly, though he did have to suck his stomach in just a bit when he got to the last three buttons. Now all that was left was the waist-coat to complete his new outfit. Tino faced a dilemma as he began to put it on; did it look better with the buttons open or closed? For a few moments Tino stood and looked at his reflection in the living room window, standing at different angles and opening and closing the waist-coat. He noticed that the buttons on the white shirt were visibly straining over his stomach, but when he closed the waist-coat it fit snugly but with no tightness around the buttons, concealing the fact that the shirt was several sizes too small. Exhaling sharply in dissatisfaction, Tino opted to wearing the waist-coat closed. It would have to do.
For some reason, Tino thought that a new outfit that differed to what he would usually wear would change his feelings towards both himself and working at ICON for the better, but instead the tight and ill-fitting clothes made him feel even worse. Still, he was dressed and ready and there seemed no point in getting changed into different clothes now. Who knows, maybe once he arrived at work people would start to notice his new look and he'd impress Francis.
After brushing his teeth Tino glanced at his hair in the bathroom mirror. Remembering that the article he read said something about keeping a neat hairstyle, he began to play around with it; slicking it back off of his face instead of letting it hang by his eyes in loose bangs. His face was round with somewhat chubby cheeks and almost none existent jawline. Having all of his hair scraped back didn't help to hide that; in fact it made it more noticeable. Though the longer he looked, the less Tino was bothered by his baby face and was more pleased by how something as simple as a new hairstyle changed the way he looked completely. Taking his comb and wetting it under the running water, Tino brushed it through his hair to slick it back even more and keep it in place.
By the time Tino had finished getting ready to leave the time was nearly 6:30. Lukas would start to get up soon and the café Tino was planning on stopping by at had been open for half an hour already. Grabbing his keys and coat, Tino made his way to the door. As he locked it after stepping out into the small corridor just outside the apartment butterflies began to form in his stomach. The words of Francis Bonnefoy had affected Tino more than he liked to admit. In most cases Tino was tough when it came to insults and bad comments behind his back, but for some reason this time they really stung. He just really wanted this job to work out, it was a miracle that he'd managed to land himself a job at ICON in the first place, and nothing was going to ruin this opportunity. He'd just have to play it by the books, even if that meant pretending to be something he wasn't.
"Good morning, Sir!"
The young girl behind the counter of The Coffee Pot café greeted Berwald cheerfully as he approached her, removing his woollen hat and stuffing it into his coat pocket. The Coffee Pot was only two blocks away from the Bonnefoy Publications and Berwald was a regular within the establishment, making sure to stop by every morning without fail for his piping hot cup of coffee while on his way to work. Berwald smiled at her – Maya, her name was. She was a pretty thing with olive skin and a mass of tight, dark curls stuffed rather comically under a baseball cap with the store's logo on the front.
"Call me Berwald, please." He said, leaning a little onto the counter. Maya had already begun preparing Berwald's coffee without even needing to ask what he was having. She had been serving him every morning for many years, since she first started working in the café for her parents in fact. When she was just starting out and getting used to how the café was run and how to brew coffee there were many times when she messed up Berwald's – and many other peoples – orders. But Berwald was never rude to her and slowly but surely the coffee began to taste better and better and her confidence grew with every cup she gave to him. Berwald liked to think that they were somewhat friends now and enjoyed her company in the mornings. She liked to chat with him as she brewed his beverage and seemed genuinely interested in his day to day life.
"Alright then, Berwald." Maya said, overly pronouncing his name and grinning as she did so. "You're early and alone this morning, where is he? Don't you usually treat him to a hot drink on Wednesdays?"
"Yeah. He had to go in early this mornin'. Got a big presentation."
"Oh? About what?"
Berwald laughed a little in embarrassment and rubbed at his neck, "To be honest, I dunno. He didn't tell me much about it. I suppose I should know these things."
"Don't beat yourself up about it. It can't be that important if he didn't really mention it," Maya said as she slid Berwald's drink across the counter to him. "I might have to treat him to a hot chocolate on the house next week though. With extra cream and marshmallows to make up for today."
Usually Berwald liked to stay and chat for a little while longer while he drank his coffee, but ever since Mr Beilschmidt handed his company over to Francis Bonnefoy some weeks ago he had been pretty over-run with his work. He and Ludwig were on more than good terms since there had been a scare that Berwald would lose his job once Francis took over, but Ludwig made sure that he would still have a secure and permanent job within the company once he stepped down. Berwald would be forever grateful for that and made sure to continue to keep on doing his job to the best of his ability for Francis. To be honest, Berwald was so obsessed with making sure that he was the best that he could be at his career he tended to coop himself up in his workshop and not really interact much with any of his co-workers. He wanted to; he really did, but on top of working hard Berwald was always frightened of embarrassing himself or finding that he had nothing in common with anyone that he tried to make friends with. Working at a fashion magazine isn't really where his younger, product-design-student-self would expect to be over 10 years later, as he had zero interest whatsoever in the fashion world, but here he was regardless.
Noticing the time on Maya's cash register as he paid for his drink, Berwald decided that it was probably time he got going. The sky had darkened considerably and it looked like it was beginning to rain; plus he left his car parked in the street out front in a parking space reserved for delivery trucks only. A parking ticket is that last thing that he wanted to find himself stuck paying for. He thanked Maya for the coffee and put his hat back on as he made his way to the door. Courteously, while on his way out, Berwald held the door open for someone whilst they dashed into the shop and out of the rain that was beginning to fall. It wasn't until they were inside and turned to thank Berwald for holding the door did he realise who it was. Even though, much to his annoyance, Berwald was feeling anxiety creep up on him he stuttered out a greeting to his new co-worker as he passed him in the doorway.
"Mornin', Tino."
Looking quite flustered, Tino smiled up at Berwald and returned the greeting.
"Oh! Hi, Ber! I didn't think I'd run into you outside of work."
There was something about Tino that made Berwald feel content and comfortable when interacting with him. He couldn't put a finger on what it was, but Tino was…. well, real – in comparison to some of the people he worked with anyway. The way he presented himself was far from superficial and he seemed like the type of guy who would still talk try and talk to you even if you had a bucket on your head. It was refreshing.
"Was just grabbin' a coffee."
Unsure of what else to do, Berwald held up his drink as if Tino wouldn't believe him without some sort of proof of his purchase. Tino smiled a little at Berwald's awkwardness and began to slowly shift around him and out of the doorway.
"Me too. And trying to dodge the rain. Silly me came out this morning with only this flimsy coat and no umbrella!"
It's true, Tino didn't look at all like he was dressed for bad weather with just smart clothes on and nothing but a thin jacket to shield him from the rain. He fumbled around in his trouser pocket for his wallet before turning slightly away from Berwald and towards the counter, probably trying politely to signal that he wanted to end the conversation and buy himself some breakfast.
"So, I'll see you at work?"
Berwald often saw people that he worked with out of office hours and nearly always heard the same little sentence from them that Tino had just given him. But of course 'seeing' them at work is all that really happened and they ended up making no effort to converse with him; though this time when Tino said it, it almost sounded hopeful.
When Tino had turned and began to look over the menu on the wall behind where Maya stood at the counter, Berwald still stood hesitantly in the doorway, much to the annoyance of some other customers who were starting to feel the cold, February air coming in from outside. Noticing the many eyes on him, Berwald closed the door, took a deep breath and went back over to the counter. Not wanting to disturb either Tino or Maya while an order was being placed, Berwald sort of hovered around Tino and waited for him to finish. He felt rather self-conscious when stood next to Tino, like a huge, gangly giant. The last thing Berwald would want to do was hurt Tino's feelings, but he couldn't help but compare just how… well, tiny, he was compared to everyone else. Without realising, Berwald began to stare, and it wasn't until Tino began to fidget and stammer words of nonsense under his gaze did he snap out of his thoughts.
"I didn't realise you were still here, Berwald! The door, it was- I…thought you left… out of it. Is there, uh, anything I can do for you?" Tino said, words falling out of his mouth.
Deciding to just go ahead and bite the bullet, Berwald stuffed his hands harshly into his coat pockets and connected his gaze with a piece of gum that had been trodden into the floorboards.
"Since it's rainin', I was just wondering if ya wanted to ride with me- to work with me. In my car." Screwing his eyes shut, Berwald could've kicked himself for tripping over his own words. "Would ya like a ride to work?"
He was certain that when he opened his eyes Tino would be laughing at him, but instead he was fiddling with the plastic lid of his coffee cup, seemingly looking at everything else but Berwald. When his eyes finally met Berwald's, a small smile crept onto his face and his shoulders relaxed a little.
"Sure, why not. Thanks, Ber."
Berwald's face pretty much lit up. He wasn't someone who showed their emotions with large grins or firm pouts, but something about his current expression made Tino smile too. Screw what everyone else said behind his back, Berwald was lovely, and dare he say, quite charismatic, and Tino was quickly starting to see that with every encounter. In some ways, he was even slightly jealous of Berwald. He had a great job, and seemed to be society's perfect guy.
When that crossed his mind, it made Tino feel a little ashamed about taking a car to work. He really wanted to walk this morning, but the weather was getting worse by the minute and he'd no doubt be soaked to the skin when he finally got there; all efforts to improve his look, get slimmer and appear smart and fashionable would of course be ruined. Plus Berwald had been kind enough to offer him a lift, even though they were just little more than strangers. Acquaintances perhaps. Yes, acquaintances. Who was he to refuse a ride to work from a colleague?
Luckily, Berwald's car was parked right outside the coffee shop, and Tino quickly hopped in to escape the pouring rain. To say the least, he was shocked when he found himself surrounded by a very modern and immaculate interior. The car was equipped with leather seats, a luxury chrome dashboard and a ridiculous sound system. Tino sat stiffly in the seat, feeling guilty about getting it wet from his clothes and shoes that had been dampened by the rain.
The door to his left opened and Berwald quickly slid himself in and slammed the door closed.
"It's really comin' down out there now." He muttered, glancing quickly at Tino before fumbling in his coat pocket for his key. Once it was put into the ignition did Tino notice the single keychain hanging from it. It read 'Birchwood rental cars.'
"I can't get used to this car at all. Can't wait until I get my rusty ol' thing back on Monday." Berwald said aloud.
He struggled a little when trying to pull out of the parking space and into the fast moving traffic and kept running his tongue across his teeth in frustration. Finally someone stopped to let him out and off they went. It was now that Tino deemed it safe to make conversation with Berwald; he hated distracting drivers.
"So, this isn't your car then?"
Laughing a little, Berwald shook his head.
"No, my car's being serviced at the garage. I've been driving this one for about a week until mine's ready. It's nice an' all, and it's kinda nice to have people stare when I pull up at work an' get out of it, but it's not me, y'know?"
Tino just nodded in agreement, though he really didn't know what it was like to drive at all. He'd never sat behind the wheel of a car in his life.
"You're gonna laugh when you see my car after sittin' in this one. I love it though. Was the first and only car I've ever had."
Although Tino didn't care for cars very much, it was nice to see Berwald talk so enthusiastically about something. It was like when Lukas got talking about his favourite books, or Emil got excited over a new movie with his favourite actors in; Tino loved listening to people talk about the things that really made them tick. It was also nice that Berwald had assumed that Tino would see his car once he got it back, and that them meeting outside of work like this might not be a one off thing.
That enthusiasm came to an abrupt end though when Berwald pulled up behind a long line of traffic. By now they were only five or so minutes away from their workplace, but this pile up of cars didn't look like it was shifting any time soon.
"Looks like we're not the only ones who decided to drive to work in this weather, huh?" Tino sighed as he leaned to rest his head against the window. As he did so, he felt the collar of his shirt dig sharply into his neck. From the minute he sat down in Berwald's car, Lukas's shirt became very tight on him, and now it was almost becoming unbearable. Where each button fastened it felt like someone was poking their finger sharply into his stomach. He began to fidget, pinching at the fabric and trying to loosen it from being so tight. Berwald, noticing Tino squirming around in his seat, asked if he was alright.
"Yes, I'm fine, Ber. I just need to get out of this car soon. We're going to be late."
"It's only 7:20, Tino."
Not really knowing how else to respond, Tino just stared at Berwald before sighing loudly and turning to look out of the window.
"This is outrageous."
Arthur Kirkland stopped pacing his office and turned to Francis, who was sat slumped in a chair, fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose. He slumped even more when his eyes caught sight of Arthur's scowl.
"I can't believe you're dumping this on me. How do you expect me to entertain her? She's a brash American with a sense of fashion equivalent to that of a 12 year old child playing dress up in mummy's clothes."
"That's precisely why I'm asking you, Arthur. Be reasonable. Who better to find a way to get something out this that's actually worth publishing in our magazine?"
In a smug fashion, Mr Kirkland neatened his tie and held his head high. "Well, I can't argue with that. I of all people am most capable. I'll charm the denim chaps and cowgirl boots right off her."
Francis said no more on the matter, he didn't need to after that reply, and simply rolled his eyes. Getting Arthur to take over a business dinner with American fashion designer Emily Jones was easier than he thought it was going to be. She was a very well-known designer, but only nationally. A lot of the fashion writers for Icon have had an eye on her for a while, and came to Francis and Arthur recently about securing an article with her. Her fashions seemed to be taking off slightly over seas, and so of course Icon had to be the first to feature her within its pages before anyone else, even despite Arthur's concerns.
While Arthur began to go off on a tangent, rambling on and on about how no one but he could change the ways of a Texan-American, Francis's attention was caught by none other than Tino entering the office, accompanied by Mr Oxenstierna. His heart lurched in his chest as he searched for a clock to give him any indication of the time. To his relief, and also confusion, the clock behind Arthurs desk read 7:40. Watching from inside the glass walls of Arthur's office, Mr Bonnefoy watched as they stopped by the intern desks. Why on earth was his assistant so early?
"Thanks for the lift, Berwald. I appreciate it. Sorry I was so touchy when we were stuck in traffic. I have a lot on my plate today. Well, not a real plate, I haven't eaten a thing this morning, but-"
Lifting a hand, Berwald stopped Tino before he could digress any more.
"I know what you mean. Gotta get to work now though. See ya."
Berwald took his leave and hurried over to his desk. Before sitting down, he faltered and took a moment to look around the office. Thankfully, the only person who seemed to be here beside himself was Berwald, who of course was most definitely in his workshop by now. Quickly, before anyone could have a chance to see, Tino slid his hand under his fastened waist-coat and unbuttoned the last three buttons of his shirt. No doubt that there would be red marks from where the buttons were beginning to dig in so painfully, but no one could see them – or his unbuttoned shirt – from under the waist-coat. Relived that he could finally sit down comfortably, Tino took a seat at his desk and began to pull out all of his files and paperwork that needed to be sorted into Francis's binder.
Out of spite for his boss's actions and words yesterday, Tino thought about just how much he would love to mess up Francis's schedule and get his own back, but managed to stop himself before he could do anything stupid.
"Come on, Tino. You're not like that. You're better than him and you know it. Get it together." He began to give himself a little pep talk under his breath as he flipped through the pages of the binder when he felt the presence of someone behind him.
"Do you always talk to yourself?"
Spinning around in his chair, Tino was startled to find his face just inches from a very impressive cleavage. He jumped back as Christina stood back up from where she was previously leaning over Tino's shoulder.
"N-no, ma'am. I don't. Sorry, you caught me deep in thought." Tino flushed a little and averted his gaze, a little embarrassed about being caught scolding himself and very much hoping that she hadn't been here moments ago to witness him fishing around down his shirt.
"Ma'am? Damn, that sounded good, no one has called me that before. So what were you fighting with yourself about?"
Tino watched as Christina took a seat at her own desk a few paces away from his own and began to rummage through the contents of her handbag. In some ways, she could've easily been mistaken for one of the models here at Icon, very tall, slim and with a great figure, but her personality was nowhere near that of a super-model. She was down-to-earth and always seemed to be snacking on some sort of candy. Her curly hair was cut and styled in a pixie cut and she seemed to love wearing the colour red.
"Oh, I, um…" Tino started, turning back to his desk and began to flip through the pages of the binder once again.
"I just had a pretty bad day yesterday. Someone has really hurt my feelings and acted really nastily towards me. But I can't rise to it, I've gotta just try and ignore it if I can, y'know? I guess that's the catch that comes with working in an industry like this; the people that you work beside aren't the kindest of people." He continued, trying not to seem too bothered by what he was saying.
Christina stopped searching in her bag and put it down on the table, a look of concern crossing her face as Tino's voice began to tremble a little.
"Here? Someone has been an ass to you here? Who?" she quizzed Tino.
For a moment, Tino was hesitant whether or not he should explain to Christina what he over-heard Francis saying about him yesterday, but the more he thought about it, it didn't seem like a good idea. After all, he was eaves-dropping at the time it was said, and shouldn't have really been listening.
He shook his head, "It's nothing, forget I said anything. I guess I'm just a little stressed from this new job. I could really use another coffee."
In truth, he could really do with a little more than just liquid to satisfy his hunger, and his stomach was starting to protest. It groaned even at the thought of breakfast, so loud in fact that, much to Tino's absolute embarrassment, Christina heard it. "I think you need more than coffee. You need some breakfast."
Oddly though, she didn't laugh or mock him, instead she wheeled herself over to Tino's desk rather comically on her chair and stopped beside him. Leaning her elbows on the edge of the desk and placing her chin in her hands, she lowered her voice, "Look. I'm not one to pry on someone's personal life, but are you handling things okay? I know it can be kinda stressful settling into the world of fashion, but… you gotta remember to take care of yourself. Image isn't everything. You might think it is right now, but when I first started here I had no one to give me advice on how to survive in this crazy, twisted place that is the fashion industry, and so I had to learn the hard way."
Tino didn't know if he should be upset or relieved by some of the things that Christina was saying, but he let her carry on. Glancing around the offices, Christina paused for a moment before returning her attention back to Tino.
"I feel awful saying this, like I'm getting way too up in your business, but all I want to say is that you have to eat and take care of your body and your mind. Although you may think that being supermodel skinny is the most important thing right now, it's really not. I'm glad that you've come to work with us, Tino. If you stick with us, you'll be just fine. I promise."
By the end of her little speech, she had Tino's hands firmly within her grasp and squeezed them gently, her eyes searching his, full of concern.
Although she may not seem to be at first glance, Christina was very motherly. True, she liked a good drink and a Saturday night wouldn't be right without a party of some sort, but she had a huge heart – too big for her own good really. She had worked at Icon for just over 3 years now, and had a very rocky start to her career in fashion. As head of 'The Closet', Christina was surrounded day and night with hundreds and hundreds of articles of size 0 clothing, whether getting them ready for models to wear for various shoots, mending the garments when they needed some TLC, or working with the Vargas brothers to design something from scratch. Long story short, the sub-conscious want and desire to be skinny enough to fit into the clothes she worked with caused her to diet. But then when dieting wasn't good enough, her appetite disappeared completely. Thankfully, after starting to get ill, Christina realised just how ridiculous she was acting, and no-one should have to live in such self-hatred over something as silly as the number on the label of the clothes you wore.
Now, after 3 years, Christina formed many bonds with colleagues from all over the company and found a balance between the fashion world and the real world.
Deep down, Tino knew exactly what she was saying was right, and for her to realise to quickly what troubles he was going through as a result of his new job goes to show just how many people she was friends with in the company suffered in the same way and felt awful in their own skin. As much as he wanted to push her away and ignore her advice, he knew that it wasn't the right thing to do.
"Well, I suppose a bagel would go nicely with that coffee…"
He gave her a small smile and in return a received a great big grin.
"You want a bagel, huh? I'm going to let you in on a little secret, but you can't tell anyone. You promise?"
Tino nodded as he got up from his desk, slamming Francis's binder closed and pushing it to one side. Mr Bonnefoy would have to wait his turn.
Christina linked arms with Tino as she lead him through the offices and towards to elevator.
"Cafeteria bagels suck, no questions asked, they're shit. There's a guy on the street just outside with a cart selling all sorts of yummy goods. Best bagel in town, I'm tellin' ya."
Tino laughed at her enthusiasm as he stepped inside and caught sight of himself in the mirrored walls. Sure, he wasn't the slimmest ICON employee; instead he was going to be one of the happiest.