Chapter 28
Workplace Harassment
It's my third week in New York and I am currently sitting in front of a vanity mirror, getting dolled up in my model underwear. Yep, I call it my model underwear because I don't normally wear a skintoned thong.
Well, I do not normally wear a thong. Because no matter what color it is, thongs ride up my ass all the fucking time.
I am at my first ever runway show. Damn, I didn't even walk on a runway back at home. No wonder these girls hate me. All I did were photoshots for brand deals, social media campaigns, editorial magazines, and more. But I don't have anything to show for when it comes to runway.
I don't even know how I passed my go-sees. Maybe they liked seeing my body wearing their skimpy outfits and lingerie. Or maybe they liked my unpracticed walk? Well, not realy unpracticed because I did nothing but practice at TMA.
Sana lang talaga hindi ganoon kataas ang heels ko mamaya, or hindi madulas ang runway na lalakarin namin.
Fuck, I really hope I don't fall.
Kahit pa pangit na lakad, tatanggapin ko. Huwag lang ako madulas o matumba sa gitna ng runway. Paniguradong magiging viral na naman sa Pilipinas 'yun!
I looked around me and saw the glares of my fellow models. Well, hindi naman lahat sila. Some do mind their own business, meron lang talagang kumpol ng mga epal na lagi ko na lang nakikita sa go-sees, casting calls, at ito, sa backstage sa aking first ever runway gig.
Just like what I predicted, the cattiness of my fellow models notches up a notch everytime they see me. It's on an all-time high today. Apparently, I took a spot from one of their friends, according to Molly, the typical blonde-and-blue-eyed barbie doll that gets casted anywhere.
Hindi ba siya dapat 'yung wala dito kasi sila nga itong magkakaparehang blonde and blue eyes. I am literally the token asian here. I'm supposed to be here.
Dumbasses.
"What's taking so looong?" Molly asked the make-up artist, Dee. I rolled my eyes, not even attempting to hide it. I literally just sat down.
"We literally just got started," Dee replied like she's talking to a toddler.
"Can you do it faster? It's not like you can do anything with her face."
"What? I'm fucking flawless," I deadpanned, my bored eyes on her.
Mukhang nagulat yata siya sa kapal ng mukha ko. Hindi siya nakapagsalita kaagad kaya sinunggaban ko na ulit ng isa pang komento. "I'm not the one who has a unibrow," I said, lying my ass off because the girl is gorgeous despite her trash attitude.
Molly gasped. "I do not!"
I stared at her for a bit, just to make her squirm. "I'm sure Dee can do something about it later."
"I do not have a unibrow!" she repeated, as if mapipilit niya akong sabihin na wala siyang unibrow. This is so ridiculous.
"Hmm..." I hummed. "Don't worry. They're like blonde wisps," I said to her in condescending tone. "I just got Lasik done, that's why I can see them clearly."
I did not, in fact, had Lasik. I actually have 20/20 vision.
"C'mon, Molly. Let's go," said by another model who's smoking. She's sporting a black pixie hair and she's wearing a black silk robe. She still hasn't gotten any makeup on her face, but she looks as pretty as her ditzy friend Molly.
One of the Sweet As Sin staff approacher her with a withering glare. "Those are not allowed here. Dispose it."
Molly's friend shrug. "Fine by me," sabi pa nito. At parang bumagal ang ikot ng mundo dahil dahan-dahan ko siyang pinanood na itapon ang yosi niya sa basong nakapatong sa vanity mirror na nasa harap ko, puno ng coke na iniinom ko kanina.
"What the hell?" I found myself asking as I watched her and Molly walked away from my station.
I looked at Dee and saw he perplexed face. "Did she just drop her cigarette in my fucking drink?"
Dee sighed and nodded.
Yup, the bitch did. That bitch actually dropped her cigarette on my drink.
"No matter what you're thinking, just drop it," Dee said to me as she continued applying foundation on my face. "It's not worth it, sweetie."
I could only nod. Kasi kung ibubuka ko ang bibig ko, isang malakas na 'putang ina!' lang ang lalabas dito. At baka yayain ko pang magsapakan na lang sa gitna ng runway.
But Dee was right. It's not worth it. I'm here to work and I don't want to get kicked out of this place before I could even do my first runway walk. I calmed myself down, took deep breaths a few couple of times, before I could muster a smile at Dee.
"Atta girl," Dee said with a proud smile.
"Thanks," I said to her, with my barely contained rage.
Tatapusin ko lang 'tong trabaho, makikita niya kung paano magalit ang isang Cavitena. Mali siya ng binangga. That bitch is going to pay for what she did later.
***
Someone's gonna get murdered today.
By me.
As soon as I wore my heels again, I instantly knew something's wrong with it. They weren't the same heels that was given to me after my lingerie fittings. They were smaller, like two-sizes smaller than the ones I was wearing earlier.
But I couldn't. It's bad enough that my first runway walk was for a kitschy lingerie line, Benjie Moore's Sweet As Sin, dadagdagan pa ng pabababotahe ng mga pakshet na 'yon?
Ha! They really thought they could break me? Bitch, I am from the Philippines. Everything is hard to do there! I am made of tougher shit. I have more spite in my pinky than their entire beings combined.
The moment I saw the giggling models huddled together near the huge TV screen showing the runway, I flew towards them and chucked both of my heels their way. "Okay, that's it!" I started when I reached them, their eyes in different stages of disbelief. "You can fucking bully me here backstage but you don't fucking interfere with my work there!"
I looked around them and came head to head with the tall-ass woman who put her cigarette on my drink earlier. I looked up at her, this bully towering my 5'11 frame, and pointed at her fucking face. "If this happens again—if see you, or anyone of your lame-ass friends, sabotage my heels and clothes again—I will fucking end you."
Whatsherface slapped my hand away and leaned closer to me. "Bitch, you're in New York. You're in my territory."
I didn't back down. Instead, I stood taller—standing up for myself against this bully. "And what? Are you gonna send me home?" 'Tang ina ang hirap makipag-away ng Inglesan! "Mas matangkad ka ngang kapre ka pero kayang-kaya pa rin kita patumbahin!"
"You're in America. Speak in English, bitch!"
And she just gave me the best idea.
"I just put a curse on you, you ass!" I said, laughing obnoxiously at her face. "So the next time something bad happens to you, know that it's because of how you treated me today."
She leaned back, her head snapping way, way back. "What?" she sputtered, her eyes showing fear for the first time.
Out for blood, I followed her retreating ass. "Fuck with me again, you'll see I'm not above fucking you up right back."
She was stunned. Her mouth opening and closing, nothing coherent coming out of it.
Hindi ko siya tinantanan. I'm on a fucking roll. "Maganda ka nga pero ang lakas ng putok mo," bulong ko pa sa kanya, kunyari ay muli siyang sinusumpa.
Molly came to her rescue and pushed me away from her. "Hey! Take it back!"
My eyed were still on her friend. I don't even know her fucking name. "Good luck, girl," I said with a smirk.
The fear in her eyes were replaced by hatred. She took a lunge on me but the backstage bouncers came in just in time, stopping her before she could touch me and took her away...
And that's when I noticed the designer was there, watching me wreak havoc at the backstage of his show... along with my three bosses.
Seeing Sir Felix's withering glare made me jump into action and started apologizing to the Sweet As Sin designer, Benjie Moore. "I'm so sorr—"
"What's your name?" he asked me with a huge grin when I reached him.
I blinked at him, blanking at his welcoming face. I was literally on a fight in front of him, my client aka my boss for the day. "It's Asher Flores," I answered, snapping back to reality. "I'm really sorry for causing all this drama."
"Oh, don't worry about it! I do love drama!" he said after waving my apology away. "Come to my party this Saturday night." Bago pa ako makatanggi ay lumingon ito sa mga bosses ko. "Felix, bring Asher there with you, okay? I'd love to see one of my gorgeous models there!"
And before Sir Felix could say anything, Benjie Moore left us reeling.
I looked back at my bosses and ask them what just happened, as if I wasn't the one who started the fight. Sir Simon started shaking his head, but still speechless.
Sir Felix answered with a really annoyed tone. "You got us an invite at one of Benjie Moore's infamous NYFW pre-game parties."
I sighed. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, I just started apologizing again. Finally starting to realize what the possible consequences of what I just did... the ramification of it.
"I'm so sorry for making a scene."
He just sighed before leaving me with my two other speechless bosse. Sir Red handed me my silk robe to cover myself. "Just get a handle on it next time, hija."
Yeah, even Sir Red knows this won't be the last time I will get bullied as the newbie in this international modeling scene. What a comforting thought, not.