Rob's P.O.V.
The bustle backstage was almost overwhelming, models, makeup crews, managers and stage hands running around and yelling, trying to organize everything in the few minutes before the show started.
I was in the back corner minding my own business, I was modelling for a brand that was going last, as the big really huge finale. It was a small job compared to what I normally did, but it was paying good money and my manager didn't have to come with me, so it was a good deal.
The panic started to die as the room starting to clear, the 200+ people who had been in there originally whittling down to about 30. Most of them were models who were just modelling for the final brand, which wasn't unusual for the big brands. They liked to have the best models and paid us big money to refuse to model for any other companies at the same show.
Looking around at the others, an even mix of boys and girls as the brand needed both, I saw several people I recognised and I gave them a nod of recognition. There was only a limited number of places at shows and they only wanted the best, so there was always some reoccurring favourites.
But someone caught my eye.
I hadn't seen him before, and that was saying something considering I had been on the scene for years and even if I didn't know someone by name, I knew their face or who they worked with. So he was new.
I made it my job to introduce myself to the new models, show them the ropes. I knew it was terrifying to be new and I didn't have anyone to help me, so I tried to help them.
Just from his body position that he was nervous- no, terrified. He had his headphones in and his head down, but he was fiddling with his hands, wringing them so much that they turned white and he was biting his lip so much that it was almost bleeding. That wouldn't look good on the runway.
He was good looking too. He was tall and lanky but had a slight build up of muscle underneath his t-shirt and his pale skin had this rosy glow to it, making him look very young. His blonde hair was styled perfectly and his eyes were a startling blue, which I could see whenever he glanced up.
His eyes flickered around the room every few minutes, taking in the other models while still wringing his hands. I made my move.
"Hey, you good?" He flinched, his eyes jumping to me, wide with fright.
"Ye-yeah?"
"That wasn't meant to be a question hun, I can tell you're new." He frowned, pulling his remaining headphone out of his ear.
"You can?" I nodded.
"I make it my job to help out the new ones, I know how scary it is to be on your own." He nodded his head slowly, gesturing for me to sit down in the chair beside me.
He seemed a little unsure of me, glancing up at me every few seconds.
"You're in the final show?" He inclined his head.
"Yeah... it's my first really big-" He paused, trying to find the right word. "Show?" His voice was very soft, barely speaking above a whisper and never making eye contact with me when he talked.
"Yeah that's the right word, I'm Rob by the way. I've been here for a few years now, I know the way around." I reached out my hand for him to shake, smiling kindly. He took it.
"I'm Lachlan. I've only just started but quite a lot of people have tried to contact me." He looked a little weirded out, but I wasn't surprised. He had just the sort of body and look that appealed to most big brand, blonde, tall, pale, skinny but with some muscle.
