VALERIE

Chapter 26: Melancholic September

Chapter 26: Melancholic September (Introduction)

      26.1: I Love You, Harry...

      26.2: Compromise

      26.3: Strike One

      26.4: Kryptonite

      26.5: Under the Sheets

      26.6: Strike Two

      26.7: Strike Three

      26.8: Strike Four

      26.9: Homerun

LIFE is not all fun and games. So, prepare a box of tissue as you read the whole chapter of Melancholic September including the nine subchapters. This is just an introduction.

You know it’s true when they say “September is the Month of Tears”.

But don’t worry, there will still be fun parts… so please, don’t kill me.

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  Copyright © zylgnagnaba 2013

I’m not even exaggerating when I say Harry is a CCTV camera. Literally, his watchful stares follow me around—every move I make, every outfit-change, every people I interact with at work – and they grow even more penetrating when our shoot starts—where Devon, the guy he despises, is the photographer. I don’t even think he dares to blink for just a split second. He is successful at not making Walt feel his presence though. He just stands in the corner, silent but very observant.

I don’t know the complete story of that unlikely encounter at the resort few months ago, but the way Harry tenses up whenever Devon’s around or near me is reason enough for me to put a strong barrier between him and me. All I need to do is finish this shoot nice and easy, and then we’re done.

I am just grateful that all the while, Devon plays a professional conduct. He doesn’t really interact with me, he just instructs me on what to do while he’s behind the camera. I just follow, as that what is a model should do.

As much as I don’t want to get distracted by Harry, his intense gaze just makes me more self-conscious that I get lost in the moment and stare back at him. For a few seconds, I wouldn’t hear a thing from other people, I just hold his gaze, and then everyone has to stop what they are doing just to pull me back to cognisance state.

It has happened two times already and I know everyone around including Walt and Devon are growing impatient with my on and off mental awareness.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. I promise.” I tell them, shaking my head to brush myself off. I am sitting on a brown polished bench, surrounded with withered brown leaves on the ground with the impression of autumn. Two guys actually have to throw dead leaves in front of a big electric fan just to emphasize that it’s indeed autumn.

Once Devon tells everyone that we will start again, I catch Harry cackling at my expense. He knows the embarrassment is his fault and it doesn’t do anything but to just feed his ego. Somehow, I take that as a good sign that he’s finally easing up. So I smile at him as well.

I am thankful he is here to witness how I start to make my dream come true. Just his presence gives me enough enthusiasm in accomplishing this.

Before I even knew it, Devon is already close in front of me and I have to look up just to see a stupid grin etched on his face. That gesture makes every belief in my mind that this day will pass by smoothly because I see Harry glowers at us, startled at the close proximity that Devon made between the two of us.