her hair at Paul’s, he lent her clothing left behind by clients. Adam helped her with her makeup. They let her crash in a back room. “What did Paul tell you?”
“He didn’t have to tell me! The pictures tell me. Did he show you the pictures?”
“Yes.”
“We’re going to have a great time together.”
“That’s good. I think.” Rena laughs.
“Have you been signed before?”
“Signed? No. Nothing. Ever. Before.”
“And where’s your family from, Rena?”
“Upstate.”
“Upstate. Wonderful. I love it up there! Some great friends of ours have a place in Columbia County. Do you know Columbia County?”
“Sort of. Not really.”
“How old are you, Rena? I’m sorry, please sit down.” Marissa sails over to a long white couch strewn with Moroccan pillows. Rena sits, trying not to touch the fragile-looking array.
“I’ll be twenty-one pretty soon.”
“Oh, you look so much younger! That’s wonderful! So we won’t need your parents to co-sign.”
“Um. My parents are dead.”
“Oh, darling. I’m so, so sorry.” Marissa takes Rena’s hand.
“It’s OK. So, um, are you saying you have a job for me?” Marissa continues to hold her hand and Rena wonders if she’s a homosexual like the guy with the gelled hair.
“Oh, I think there will be lots of work for you. Paul really captured you, but now that I see you in the flesh, I think we can keep you occupied. Are you going to school, have a job?”
The console on Marissa’s desk beeps and a nasal voice announces, “Marissa, it’s Randy.”
Marissa pauses, calculates, releases her hold, presses a button on the console and says sharply, “Tell him I’m running out and you can’t catch me.”
“He says it’s important.”
Marissa picks up the phone. “Hi.” She’s sweet again. She nods her head, listening, keeping her eyes on Rena. She lights a cigarette, miming an offer of one to Rena, who shakes her head no. She inhales deeply, gushes smoke and says, “Not possible. I don’t care, Randy. Because with her you attract all the others. Deal first or no go. No. OK. Gotta go.”
Marissa hangs up and beams at Rena. She says, “I can’t believe how beautiful you are. You are nothing short of perfect.”
Rena feels confusion. “No, I’m not.”
“We’ll see.” Marissa stubs out her cigarette as if angry at it. “So you were saying you go to college here in the city?”
“No. Actually, I…I’m sort of free at the moment.”
“Taking some time off. Good. Well, I think it’s time you got busy.”
“You’ll hire me?”
“Hire you? Darling, we’re an agency. We send you out. We take care of you. More. How’s your living situation?”
“Living?”
“Do you have a place?”
“Not really. I’ve been kind of staying with friends.” Don’t tell her that Paul let me stay at the loft.
“We’ll help you with that. We’ll help you with everything. We’re going to have a great time. First you’ll do a few go-sees. Just with the best people. Paul already loves you so he’ll give you some work. But he’s very high end. I don’t want you learning the ropes with him. You should start with some easy stuff. Generic catalogue. Just to get your feet wet. You’ll have so much fun, you’ll see. Does that sound nice?”
“Yes.” Rena exhales and her face grows hot. Oh, God. Emotion. Don’t cry. Don’t cry in front of this nice woman, you look ugly when you cry.
“Good. Anthony will bring in the papers. Let’s get that out of the way so we can start booking you. Sound good?”
“Yes. Uh…Marissa?”
“Yes, dear.”
“One thing?”
“Anything.”
“Do you have a bathroom?”
“Please!” Marissa opens a small door in the corner revealing a small powder room done in pale blues and browns. Rena heads for it.
“Rena?” Rena turns, thinking, wrong move. “No drugs. Right? I don’t have to say that, do I?”
“Uh, no.”
“I’m sorry. It’s been a messy year. Kate. All that. You
“He didn’t have to tell me! The pictures tell me. Did he show you the pictures?”
“Yes.”
“We’re going to have a great time together.”
“That’s good. I think.” Rena laughs.
“Have you been signed before?”
“Signed? No. Nothing. Ever. Before.”
“And where’s your family from, Rena?”
“Upstate.”
“Upstate. Wonderful. I love it up there! Some great friends of ours have a place in Columbia County. Do you know Columbia County?”
“Sort of. Not really.”
“How old are you, Rena? I’m sorry, please sit down.” Marissa sails over to a long white couch strewn with Moroccan pillows. Rena sits, trying not to touch the fragile-looking array.
“I’ll be twenty-one pretty soon.”
“Oh, you look so much younger! That’s wonderful! So we won’t need your parents to co-sign.”
“Um. My parents are dead.”
“Oh, darling. I’m so, so sorry.” Marissa takes Rena’s hand.
“It’s OK. So, um, are you saying you have a job for me?” Marissa continues to hold her hand and Rena wonders if she’s a homosexual like the guy with the gelled hair.
“Oh, I think there will be lots of work for you. Paul really captured you, but now that I see you in the flesh, I think we can keep you occupied. Are you going to school, have a job?”
The console on Marissa’s desk beeps and a nasal voice announces, “Marissa, it’s Randy.”
Marissa pauses, calculates, releases her hold, presses a button on the console and says sharply, “Tell him I’m running out and you can’t catch me.”
“He says it’s important.”
Marissa picks up the phone. “Hi.” She’s sweet again. She nods her head, listening, keeping her eyes on Rena. She lights a cigarette, miming an offer of one to Rena, who shakes her head no. She inhales deeply, gushes smoke and says, “Not possible. I don’t care, Randy. Because with her you attract all the others. Deal first or no go. No. OK. Gotta go.”
Marissa hangs up and beams at Rena. She says, “I can’t believe how beautiful you are. You are nothing short of perfect.”
Rena feels confusion. “No, I’m not.”
“We’ll see.” Marissa stubs out her cigarette as if angry at it. “So you were saying you go to college here in the city?”
“No. Actually, I…I’m sort of free at the moment.”
“Taking some time off. Good. Well, I think it’s time you got busy.”
“You’ll hire me?”
“Hire you? Darling, we’re an agency. We send you out. We take care of you. More. How’s your living situation?”
“Living?”
“Do you have a place?”
“Not really. I’ve been kind of staying with friends.” Don’t tell her that Paul let me stay at the loft.
“We’ll help you with that. We’ll help you with everything. We’re going to have a great time. First you’ll do a few go-sees. Just with the best people. Paul already loves you so he’ll give you some work. But he’s very high end. I don’t want you learning the ropes with him. You should start with some easy stuff. Generic catalogue. Just to get your feet wet. You’ll have so much fun, you’ll see. Does that sound nice?”
“Yes.” Rena exhales and her face grows hot. Oh, God. Emotion. Don’t cry. Don’t cry in front of this nice woman, you look ugly when you cry.
“Good. Anthony will bring in the papers. Let’s get that out of the way so we can start booking you. Sound good?”
“Yes. Uh…Marissa?”
“Yes, dear.”
“One thing?”
“Anything.”
“Do you have a bathroom?”
“Please!” Marissa opens a small door in the corner revealing a small powder room done in pale blues and browns. Rena heads for it.
“Rena?” Rena turns, thinking, wrong move. “No drugs. Right? I don’t have to say that, do I?”
“Uh, no.”
“I’m sorry. It’s been a messy year. Kate. All that. You
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