"NEXT!" Mike bellowed. "Come on ladies, we have only one left to go before we can take a group picture! Let's move, move, MOVE! You in the glasses, careful with those cameras; YOU BREAK IT, YOU DIE! I need the blue background, lights one, three and seven dimmed, raise four and six…" He continued to bellow his orders as his assistants and any staff members he had deemed competent ran to and fro, some literally jumping over their peers in their haste to follow the photographer's orders.
Kyoko watched in awe as the American crew worked tirelessly and in organized chaos to create the next scene. She had never seen a photoshoot operate like this. The way that they all worked smoothly together was as if someone had kicked over an anthill and the workers were scrambling to fix it.
"Whatcha staring at?" Kyoko started at the sound of Cara's voice. She turned around and saw the actress all ready for her shoot, makeup and clothing flawless and without a wrinkle or spot. Realizing after a minute that she should probably answer Cara's question, she pointed to Mike and his assistants.
Cara smiled. "Yeah, it makes you get a headache just looking at it. Their entire work is about getting everything done perfectly in as little time as possible. Being polite and courteous to others' personal space just doesn't fit here. Anyway," She turned her sharp green eyes on Kyoko, "I came over here to congratulate you; was this really your first major photo shoot?"
Kyoko nodded and Cara whistled. "That, chica, is impressive. I wasn't nearly as good at my first shoot; got so nervous I nearly fainted halfway through. Though, that could also have been due to the face that I had not eaten in two days because I was trying to watch my figure."
"A healthy lifestyle requires regular meals made of healthy and fresh ingredients." Kyoko said automatically. She had told Ren that the first time she had been put in charge of his lunch or the day.
Cara nodded. "Oh yeah, Sister Aggie back home was always saying the same thing, and like usual, she was right." She looked at Kyoko hard before opening her mouth to ask a question; Mike cut her off.
"Cara, let's move! You're up!"
"Wish me luck!" Cara winked and made her way over to the cameraman before Kyoko could respond.
Ren came up not long into the shoot to stand next to the copper haired actress. He jerked his chin at Cara. "You wouldn't believe it just by looking at her, but she is good at this."
Kyoko nodded in agreement as she stared at the Latina. "The cameraman hasn't criticized her once. He just says where she needs to go and what she should portray for the next shot and she does it flawlessly."
Kyoko wasn't wrong. Cara had taken on a hard edge, with a look that spelled trouble for anyone who dared to cross her. Her fun, vivacious attitude had sunk below that of a business woman who was confident enough to make deals, and ruthless enough to follow them through. Even though her outfit was somewhat racy and left little to the imagination, she looked powerful and professional. Every popped button was a way to make a deal, the peak at her bra a negotiation tool. It wasn't cheap or vulgar or crude like Kyoko first thought; it was a weapon for this woman. This incredibly powerful, incredibly dangerous woman who is an arms dealer, drug smuggler and mob member.
Cara acted flawlessly for the camera, every turn, every pose perfectly reflecting the character that she had become. Even just looking straight ahead into the camera, Cara was international arms dealer and mob boss Yvonne Du'Clair. She was a completely different person.
"AND THAT'S A WRAP!" Mike bellowed. "NOW, EVERYONE GET UP HERE AND POSE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, 'CAUSE I HAVE A BEUATIFUL WIFE WAITING FOR ME AT MY HOTEL AND I'M NOT GOING TO KEEP HER WAITING ANY LONGER! MOVE, PEOPLE, MOVE, WE ARE GETTING THIS IN FIVE SHOTS!"
It only took another thirty minutes yelling to get everyone on set and get the perfect photo. The moment that was done, Mike and his assistants packed up and were out the door in less than ten minutes.
Cara laughed at the looks on her coworkers faces. "Mike and his team don't like staying longer than they have to. Mike's crew all go out for dinner and drinks if they're single, or back to their families if they have them. Mike's wife has a rule that if he is late coming home he won't get any."
Ren and many of the other actors and managers blushed slightly at Cara's words. Kyoko looked confused. "Won't get any what?" She looked to Ren for clarification, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. Neither would Kanae or anyone else who didn't look downright confused.
Cara winked at her. "Oh, honey, don't worry, you'll get some someday too. Maybe one of these handsome men could help you with that." Her grin turned cheeky. "Or one of these beautiful women; no judgement."
Those who were blushing blushed deeper, along with a few more who understood that particular hint. Kyoko looked even more confused.
Lani came up behind her charge, smacking Cara on the back of the head with her briefcase. Ren was impressed that the petite woman was even able to reach that high. Cara gave a yelp and glared at her manager. "The hell, Lani!?"
Lani raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "You really need to think about what you say before you say it. It's called a speech filter; I know that Sister Agatha installed one in you, but you still refuse to use it. You don't go around asking people about their sexual orientation or intimate frequencies! This is not America; people here are probably more private than the people back home." Kyoko blushed along with everyone else, now finally able to read the actress's subtext.
Cara pouted. "That doesn't mean that you had to smack me!"
"Actually it did. Now," She handed over a box of chocolate. "Clark will be here any minute and I believe you promised your date a romantic night. So go!"
Cara blinked before grinning widely and rushing off to get changed. Still blushing, the others followed suit, and it was thirty minutes later that they were all leaving the studio. Soon the only people left were a few crew members still cleaning up, Ren, Yashiro, Lani, and Kyoko. Cara was still getting ready.
'Lani." A petite woman in her late twenties walked up to them. Kyoko recognized her as part of the American camera crew. "Cara where is?" Like most of the American crew, her accent was thick and her words were jumbled and clumsy. She looked at Ren and stuck out her hand. "Sorry, me Izzy. Day long, want home."
Ren smiled his gentleman smile and shook her hand. "No problem." He had switched into English. "It is nice to meet you Izzy. Are you looking for Cara?" Izzy nodded.
"Yeah, do you know where she is? I'm kinda in a hurry."
Lani jumped in. "She should be back any minute now… oh, there she is!" Lani pointed at the woman who was now making her way down the hall. Kyoko watched Cara with awe as the Latina was quickly applying her makeup without a mirror, and doing it flawlessly, while making her way towards them. But that wasn't the only thing that stunned her. Everyone else was speechless.
Cara looked completely different. She wore a sleeveless sunset orange romper with a pair of white cowboy boots and a white jacket. Her hair was down in her hundreds of tiny braids and she wore a thick white headband on her head. She looked stunning, but that wasn't the most jaw dropping thing about her.
Though still extremely tall, she had shrunk quite a few inches, now able to look Tsuruga dead in the eye rather than look down her nose at him. Kyoko guesses her height to be just an inch or two over six feet, her height just an inch below the talented actor's.
She caught them staring at her. "Que?" She looked down at herself before looking back up. "Oh, the height?" They nodded at her. She grinned. "I decided not to wear my heels tonight. Clark doesn't show it, but our height difference is a sensitive issue." She turned to Izzy and switched to English. "Ready to go?" She offered Izzy her arm, which Izzy took gratefully. Cara steered her away from the group, lazily waving goodbye over her shoulder with the box of chocolates.
Lani waved goodbye absentmindedly to the two before turning back to Tsuruga, Kyoko and Yashiro with an exasperated look on her face. "Well, good thing Cara doesn't have any work to do tomorrow; I know I won't see her until at least the day after next. Hey, I know this is last minute but, - hun why are you looking over there like that? You can't see them anymore."
"Oh," Kyoko looked a little stunned. "It's nothing."
"That look isn't nothing, sweetie. What's confusing you?"
Kyoko looked abashed. "I just thought that Cara-san was going out with someone named Clark tonight."
Tsuruga grinned slightly at the blank look on Lani's face. He had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
"She is. You just saw them." Lani waited a moment, but the blank look on Kyoko's face, as well as the better disguised one on Yashiro's face, didn't change. She noticed Tsuruga trying to hold back a knowing grin, but Lani had a feeling that Tsuruga would be no help to her right now. They must not have known. "Cara already left with Clark."
No change in reaction.
"You just saw them both."
Nothing.
"You even talked to Clark."
Crickets.
Lani sighed, a little annoyed that Tsuruga was finding this situation amusing and doing nothing to help her. Finally, she threw tact out the window. "That young woman Izzy?" Kyoko still just looked at her. "Her full name is Clark Izzolo."
Now Kyoko got it, if the blush that just crept its way over her cheeks and ears was any indication. "I-I-I…"
Lani patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay. It's a bit confusing since only Cara and three other people actually call her Clark. Everyone else calls her Izzy; calling her Clark is something only people close to her are allowed to do."
Kyoko was blushing so deeply that Lani wondered how the poor girl was still standing. Any other person would have fainted by now.
"S-so, Cara is…" Kyoko stuttered, clearly embarrassed.
Lani nodded. "Very open and free with her relationships; if she likes someone, doesn't matter if it is a man or a woman. Cara likes people for who they are, not what they are." She patted Kyoko on the shoulder. "It is okay, Kyoko, I know that this may be shocking to you. You seem very…pure and innocent, and this is probably the first time meeting someone like Cara." She smiled. "There is no need to be embarrassed."
"Is it okay for you to be telling us this?" Yashiro asked. "Isn't this, I don't know, a very personal topic? Won't Cara get mad at you?"
Lani shook her head. "It's not like it's a secret. Everyone knows on the crew and it is just a matter of time until everyone else finds out. Besides, Cara finds no shame in it; in fact, she expresses it with pride. She couldn't care less what other people think. Last time someone gave her grief about it, she spent the night in jail for starting a bar fight. The other guy had to get stitches and never bothered her about it again." Lani shrugged. "She is a very prideful, live in the moment type of person."
"I-I see." Yashiro was still a little shocked. He was starting to get a better picture as to the type of person Carlita Monterro, though he wondered if he would ever stop being shocked.
Tsuruga cleared his throat and changed the subject, realizing that Kyoko might faint if this conversation continued. "Lani-san, you were going to ask us something?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, I was wondering if you could give me a lift to this restaurant." She handed over a piece of paper with an address on it.
Tsuruga looked at it and raised his eyebrows. This was to the most expensive restaurant in Tokyo, and was very upscale. Ren knew from experience that you either had to be incredibly rich or incredibly famous to even be considered for a reservation and that it often took months, sometimes even years to get a reservation there.
Yashiro looked at the paper and his face morphed into one of shock and amazement. He had recognized the address too.
"Is something wrong?" Lani snatched back the paper and looked it over. "Did I write the address wrong?" She looked back up at them. "Is this not the address for the Jiroshima?"
Kyoko started at the name. "Jiroshima? The Jiroshima!? That place's food is legendary! I've always wanted to try it, but it is so expensive, they would never let someone as lowly as me in!" She eyes were sparkling and shining as she fantasized about the food at the exorbitantly famous restaurant.
Lani frowned. "Is it really that expensive?" Kyoko nodded so hard that Lani was afraid that she would give herself whiplash. Lani was silent for a moment, contemplating something before she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, either way, I do have to make that meeting." She turned to Tsuruga. "Tsuruga-san, can you give me a lift? Cara and Izzy took the car and I do not want to be late to my own appointment."
Tsuruga nodded as they made their way towards his car. "Of course." He opened the doors for Kyoko, while Yashiro did the same for Lani. It wasn't until they were all buckled in and on their way to the restaurant did Yashiro start asking questions.
"If you don't mind my asking, what is so important that it requires a meeting at the most expensive restaurant in town so late at night? Jiroshima should close in the next half hour."
Lani yawned slightly and took a moment to collect her thoughts before answering. "This meeting is for me and my attorneys. There was a slight… problem that came up at my other job and I really need to fix it right away. Since Cara will be off the grid tomorrow, it is the perfect time to try and sort this out without interruptions." As she spoke, she took out her phone and began to rapidly text someone, presumably her attorneys. "I have put a lot of effort into my job here, but my original duties take priority over everything else."
Before Kyoko could ask her about her other job, they were pulling into the drop-off for Jiroshima. Valets opened the doors and held out their hands to help the ladies out. Lani gratefully took her valet's helping hand and allowed him to help her out before answering another text. The other made no moves to leave the car. Kyoko was staring at the building in awe and in longing, while Yashiro and Tsuruga tried not to do the same.
The valets looked at everyone else in the car, as if waiting for something. Finally one asked. "Is something wrong?"
Res smiled his gentleman's smile. "Not at all, we were just dropping off a friend." He made to wave them away when Lani's next comment made him freeze.
"Nonsense! I know that you all are hungry, so please, enjoy yourselves." She stowed her phone back into her purse before looking at them. "My colleagues just informed me that they were able to switch our table to a private room so that we will disturb anyone while we talk. Since there is a table open due to our error, I insist that you use it, on me of course."
Kyoko immediately started to protest, saying that it was too expensive, and that she was too shabby and unworthy to eat there, while Tsuruga and Yashiro tried to politely decline. Lani would have none of it.
"I have been nothing but bothersome to you three since I met you and I would like to repay you. I know you are hungry and if you do not take it, the reservation will just go to waste. I insist; think of it as a thank you for all that you have done. You can also use the boutique here if you feel that the clothes that you are wearing are not fancy enough, again on me." She turned to the valets. "These three will be taking the Hurston reservation at 11:30. All charges, dinner and dress included, are to be sent to me." The valets nodded and once again stood at attention, ushering the stunned actors and manager out of the car.
Lani ignored their protests as she pulled them into the restaurant and handed Kyoko over to the in-house boutique. She turned back to the shocked Tsuruga and Yashiro, winking at them. "Just enjoy yourselves tonight." She stood on her tiptoes and whispered something into Ren's ear before bowing to them and following a waiter to her private room.
Yashiro gaped after her. "What-? How-? Huh?"
Tsuruga nodded. "I feel the exact some way. I thought her to be a competent manager but apparently she is much more than that… to be able to afford this place…"
Yashiro nodded. "No wonder she is able to handle Cara; she got us to come here and we couldn't even refuse." He looked at his charge closely and noticed that Tsuruga's ears were pink. "What did she say to you?"
Tsuruga ignored him, but Lani's words kept repeating over and over in his head. 'I'm probably the last person you expect to hear this from, but don't let this chance slip by. Even if Yashiro is here, have a nice date with Kyoko-chan.'
He blushed a little deeper. He was not in love with Kyoko.