Chapter 7 - Déjà Vu
Boy I try to catch my self, but I'm out of control, your sexiness is so appealing I can't let it go – Beyonce Knowles
"Okay we got it. Lets move on to Jasper's shoot before the clouds come in," Alice shouted to the crowd of twenty.
Translation: "Hey you Paris Hilton wanna-bee. Yeah you! Get off my crush like NOW before I shove my Isabel Marant black suede ankle boots up your lame excuse for a butt!"
It wasn't the five foot ten model's height or her strawberry-blond Garnier Fructis length hair. Pul-ease! Alice knew her body was an "A" and her hair an "A+."
No, it was her arms draped over his shoulder that made Alice more jealous than Bridget Moynahan when Tom left her for Gisele.
After taking a settling breath, Alice took a much needed chug of her double shot espresso. They had to start at dawn in order to send the film to Francisco by noon.
Since he was currently in Milan, Alice was running the show. It wasn't really any change though; she usually did all the ads.
The two models along with various hair and make-up people, the photographer, his assistant and Alice were positioned on top of one of the many bridges in Central Park. The pond and trees created a nice background. Alice had previously sectioned off the area they were using so that pedestrians wouldn't get in their way.
Alice stood behind the MacBook Pro as the previous pictures loaded on the screen. While the hair stylist played with Jasper wavy locks for his next shoot, Alice scrolled through the film.
"Arch you got it in the first set," Alice yelled to the pint sized man. They were gorgeous of course, but Alice didn't expect anything less from the world-renowned photographer.
Picking out the best photograph, Alice examined it to make sure the jeans were the focal point.
Her hands were locked around his neck, his hands resting at her lower back. Exposing her jeans and lower back, Jasper had the hem of her tank top in his fists resting his chin on her shoulder. Since male models were normally accessories in shoots except for when they were alone, the focus was on her body.
Alice couldn't help but imagine their positions switched. His strong arms around her petit frame. Holding her close to him.
"Alice, can you help me with something?" she heard her assistant yell from the racks of clothes.
Tugging her white Temperley London BCBG jacket closer to her waist, Alice walked over to the racks. The fall wind blew against her face, a shiver running through her body. A storm was definetly coming soon.
"What is it Hayden," she asked.
"What shirt…," When Alice's eyes landed on the man next to her, the same feeling went through her body. All rational thoughts left her mind when her hazel eyes landed on his bare chest. Her mind couldn't even work properly enough to listen to what he was asking.
"So, which one?" Hayden asked holding up a long-sleeved crew neck and a short-sleeved V neck, both in navy.
"I'm sorry…what?" she asked tearing her eyes away. Then noticing the two shirts she snapped back into reality. "Oh! The V neck, we need to be able to see the watch," and his biceps, Alice added mentally.
Click…the flash of the camera.
Two seconds later the photograph came up on the screen. Alice didn't need to look though; she knew Arch had got it in the first shot.
The large sliver watch hung from his right wrist. Jasper's right hand was grasped around the neck of his shirt, pulling down slightly to reveal his chest, while his other arm hung by his side.
His jaw was clenched tight, making his Adams apple show. In the first five shots, his piercing eyes were turned away from the camera.
Arch was currently taking the pictures on his knees. So when Jasper looked into the camera, his glare was so strong it looked like his sapphire eyes would jump out at you, like he was staring at you, and only you. It was no wonder he was the face of Acqua Di Gió for Giorgio Armani.
About half way through the shoot, Arch said he wanted to try some shots by the bridge railing.
Hunching his back over, Jasper placed his elbow on the railing. He brought his right hand up to his face, placing his thumb on his jaw bone and let the rest of his fingers graze on top of his large lips.
Arch was taking pictures of his profile to get the watch. In some of the shots, Jasper would turn his eye, looking back.
It was definetly going to be hard to choose from the film Arch had because almost all of the pictures were perfection.
Alice could almost hear Mr. Jay from America's Next Top Model shout in the background. "Oh, he's bringing home the money tonight! Boy, you work!"
"Good work today, guys. Just put those tables in the make-up trailers and then we can get out of here," Alice instructed to the assistants. It was ten o'clock and the clouds were starting to turn a dark purple color.
Alice watched the last trailer roll away as her MacBook powered down. It was about a mile walk out of the park, but the trailers were the only things that actually had permission from the state to drive through.
Wishing she was wearing her warm Burberry raincoat, Alice shivered and draped her arms around herself.
As she placed her laptop on her bag and zipped it shut she saw him out of the corner of her eye.
At least she thought she did. What was he still doing here?
After zipping his navy North Face jacket half way up his chest and swinging his backpack over one shoulder, he asked, "Do you mind if I walk back with you Miss Alice?" sounding more like Miz Alice with his soft accent.
What was she going to say? No? Yeah right!
"Sure," she said with a wide excited smile. A mile can be a very long time.
"So did you always want to model," Alice asked, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. She could never get enough of those eyes.
"No, definitely not," Jasper said laughing. "A model scout for Elite saw me in a coffee shot on campus."
"Oh, what college?"
"I went to a small college, in-state, ya' know. It was cheaper for ma parents."
"Yeah," she said nodding her head in understanding even though she really didn't. Alice and her friends never had to worry about money, or schooling for that matter. Not to say that they didn't work their size 0 butts off for the grades they received.
"What about you?" he asked looking down at her. Just when he asked, Alice felt a drop of water fall on her moisturized face.
"Oh um Princeton," she said shyly. She didn't want him to think she was some spoiled East side princess. "Jasper, can I ask you something?" she asked loving the way his name rolled off her tongue.
"Anything Miss Alice."
"Okay, um how old are you?" she said hesitantly. All models were very young, now starting at fourteen. Jasper had an older maturity about him, but she did not want to start being all Demi Moore to his Ashton Kutcher.
"I'm twenty-three. Ah finished college first...history major," he said pointing at himself. He was old enough and smart. Yes!
The drizzle started to pick up to an actual rain when he was talking.
"Here I have an umbrella," he said bending down to open his North Face backpack. "What about you?" he asked shyly.
"I'm twenty four," she said smiling at the close vicinity of their bodies under the umbrella. They were so close, almost touching. But hey, she didn't want her boots to get ruined!
Conversation continued effortlessly. Like they didn't even have to try.
When they started to walk down one of the last hills, Alice saw it.
A huge, disgusting, black puddle the size of the Pacific Ocean. It went from one end of the path to the other, no way of avoiding it. Ugh! She was wearing suede boots, they would get trashed!
"Ugh! My boots!"
Jasper must have noticed her hesitation because he looked at the ocean of a puddle and said, "Oh, I can help. Do you mind Miss Alice?"
"Um okay?" not really sure of what he was about to do.
Bending his knees, Jasper rapped his left arm around Alice's slim waist and picked her up so that her waist was next to his. Her face was right next to his, her shoes a foot above the water.
The feeling was instantaneous, like lava in the pit of her stomach, just his touch sent heat through her body.
After crossing the ocean in two of his long strides, Jasper placed Alice back on her feet, but didn't let go of her waist.
And Alice didn't want him to.
Feeling brave, she raised her arm and placed it around his back. Smiling at how close they were.
When she smiled up at him she realized that to any other person, their height difference probably looked insane.
But to them it was perfect.
His arms were long enough that he didn't have to bend over to hold her waist. His torso was long enough that she could hold on to him. Her head measured up to his bicep so that she could lean on him.
Like two puzzle pieces, they fit.
She could do this. It was only his sister, just his sister. She could handle it.
Taking a deep breath, Rosalie straightened out the hem on her BCBG blazer.
Emmett had texted her with the address of his fathers penthouse and said to come over whenever she could.
It was now about eight thirty, so swallowing her fears, Rosalie knocked on the wooden door.
"Em your lady friend's here!" the fifteen year old shouted over her shoulder when she flung the door open.
She was about Bella's height, but thinner in a little girl way. She wore a crisp Ralph Lauren lavender button down and ultra dark Hudson skinny jeans. With her Alice & Olivia plaid headband and pearl studded ears, she looked like a mini Blair Waldorf.
"Hey I'm Carson. Emmett told me told me to tell you that he came straight from the gym," she said winking her eye and opening her mouth really wide at the same time.
Of course this made Rosalie envision Emmett sweaty x 10, shirtless lifting weights. His huge biceps flexing. Okay, Okay calm. Breath Rose!
"Cars, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can be annoying! So hush or else I'm going back to my place!" he shouted from somewhere inside the penthouse breaking Rosalie out of her nasty thoughts.
"Happy birthday, I'm Rose," Rosalie said smiling as the girl smiled up at her.
"Oh I definitely know who you are, Emmett sent me like fifty texts just on your smile," she said rolling her eyes.
"Okay get out of here, squirt," Emmett said sprinting to the door. He picked her up and flung her on his shoulder so that her torso was hanging off the other side.
Uh, just imagining Emmett holding her waist like that was giving Rosalie goosebumps. Jeez !What the heck! Were they even together, together yet…were they?
"Present time!" Emmett sang at the top of his lungs as he bent down to grab the gift they had bought together.
"Oh, wait let me get mine," Rosalie said placing down her carton of chicken and broccoli on their wooden table and running over to the door to grab her Fendi. She ran out to Bendel's on her lunch break. Her mother always told her to never come to a party empty handed.
"Rose, you didn't have to get anything. I just asked you yesterday," Emmett called from across the room.
"I know but Cherié just came in," she said walking back into their kitchen, holding the small box behind her back.
"Ohmygosh!" Carson said dropping her fork and sprinting to Rosalie. "Miss Dior! Are you serious?!"
When Rosalie took the box out from behind her back, the teenager did a happy dance for about two minutes. Rosalie loved the girl already.
"What is that?" Emmett asked his eye brows scrunched in confusion.
"Em, it's like the best perfume ever, on the market! Ever! Oh thank you! Thank you, Rose! You're like the best girlfriend by big bro has ever had," she said. As soon as the words left her mouth, her small frame froze.
"Oops, sorry Em," she said running into to the family room.
"Rose," Emmett said, hesitantly walking over to her. "I know we just kind went out once but um…"
Knowing what he was about to ask, Rosalie stopped his nerves by kissing his soft lips.
When they parted, she smiled whispering in his ear, "Yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend."
"Yes!" Emmett said with a Tiger Woods-esk fist pump. "Cars she said yes, you can stop eavesdropping now."
"I knew she would. You guys are so cute together," she exclaimed as she put the DVD into the player.
When Emmett gave Carson his gift, she did another happy dance. After Emmett told her that Rosalie picked the bag out, she hugged her so hard that she almost fell over.
After cake, Rosalie sat down on the brown leather couch next to Emmett, Carson sitting on the opposite couch.
About half way through the movie, Carson ended up falling asleep. So Emmett, being the best brother a girl could have, picked her up bridal style and carried her to her bedroom.
When he came back into the room, he plopped down next to Rosalie.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emmett stretch his forearms out behind his head and place them on the top of the couch behind Rosalie's neck.
"What?" he asked innocently when Rosalie shook her head.
"You are so -"
"Smart, sexy, strong, hilariously funny?" he said smiling at her widely.
"Oh yeah, you're definitey three of those things," she said mischievously making him laugh. Pul-ease! He was all four plus more.
"Wait, which three?" he said suddenly serious.
"Shh, this is a good part," Rosalie said keeping her face strait ahead, trying not to laugh at his stunned face. He was like a lost puppy. This really was one of the best parts though; Andy had just arrived in Paris with Meredith.
"Ohhhh, so that's how you want to play it?"
Rosalie was trying very hard to pay attention to the movie, but five seconds later she felt his lips trail up her neck.
"Which three, Beautiful?" he asked, his deep voice muffled by her skin.
"Um funny," she said desperately trying to concentrate on the movie.
"And…" he said as he placed soft kisses down her jaw bone. Rosalie's heart started to beat so fast she was actually concerned with her health.
"Um…uh…smart."
Concentrate on the movie Rose! You can do this, be strong!
"And…" he whispered, placing a kiss at the edge of her mouth.
Rose couldn't take it anymore, no matter how strong she was telling herself to be. Running her small hand into his soft curls, Rosalie pressed her lips to his, the movie forgotten.
So...Personally I like me a little Southern Gentleman, but what do you think? A=Edward, B=Emmett, C=Jasper.
Just to make it clear, Mr. Jay is on the show America's Next Top Model. He basically has the same job as Alice in the story. Do other counries have Top Model? I think Germany does because I know Heidi Klum is their top judge. Speaking of Heidi, did you know she is pregnant again?!
As always thank you for reading
xoxo
Lex
P.S. Sorry for the old x 10 song, but is there any other way of describing Em or Jazz (I think NOT!)