"Encounters await us, but most of the time we prevent them from happening." -Paulo Coelho
1/3 OF THE WEEKEND MARATHON
TWO DAYS LATER...
"Have you had any modeling experience before?" a woman asked, staring at her while Camila played with her nervous bracelet.
The room seemed claustrophobic to her from the nerves she felt. An hour ago, she and Dinah had arrived at the boutique of renowned designer Narciso Rodriguez for a model casting for his new collection. And she hadn't been able to stop being nervous for a minute.
"I've never worked as a model" Camila whispered shyly.
"Do you have any "portfolio" with photographs that we can see?" she said writing down while Camila looked at her without understanding.
"The truth is that I had never done anything like this" Camila sighed.
"It's understandable" The woman smiled at her. "You're very pretty and I think you could work. You are not very tall, but your body is very well-proportioned."
"Thank you" Camila murmured not knowing exactly what else to say.
Two days ago Dinah had convinced her to go with her to that casting and when she arrived she had practically left her alone when they called her for a test. Now Camila was there, feeling uncomfortable in the black skirt that Dinah had forced her to wear with her white top. Camila didn't always dress very femininely. She liked cute things but she preferred her Converse, her jeans, and her snapbacks. She touched her hair knowing she didn't have one of hers at the moment and sighed. Feeling like a part of her that was always with her, missing her. She liked the dresses, and her skirts but she preferred the comfort of her usual clothes.
"Would you like to do some tests?" she asked Camila and she simply agreed. It was already there and it looked like serious company. Dinah had instructed her in those two days about the world of fashion. Camila didn't know much, but she had made an effort not to disappoint her best friend. Although her eyes had only been drawn to one particular magazine among the "exaggerated" amount of Dinah's collection. A magazine where Lauren Jauregui was in all her splendor.
Lauren Jauregui.
Again that face and that name crossed her mind, taking away the peace and tranquility she had managed to acquire since her father had left. Little by little she was getting over that even though she hadn't been able to get a job. She'd been lucky that Dinah's event had been pushed back a day so she could find work. But she hadn't had much luck.
It was a tough world and work was not easy to find. And if she had a chance in that world of "fashion and glamour" she would take it. Though she thought there wouldn't be a chance for her in something fashionable. If they were to offer her something, she would take it for Sofi and her. For her little family. She would do anything for her sister, including letting those people she didn't know strip her naked and make her try on countless clothes before introducing herself to Narciso Rodríguez. She would do whatever it took to give her sister what she deserved from
her.
She would do anything as long as it didn't undermine her true essence. That were just clothes. She supposed that at some point she could wear her snapback. Besides, she was sure that they would never choose her.
"I hate that this is the way this day is," Normani said, smoothing her hair as Lauren put on her signature glasses.
"And being late for a call waiting for you two."
"Are you sure that Narciso asked us to come?" Ally said getting out of the car.
The sky greeted them cloudy with some threat that a huge storm would break out at any moment. Lauren had been locked in her studio drawing sketches like a maniac when Narciso had interrupted her peace of mind hoping that she would arrive at his store to choose the last three models for the campaign in Japan and that they would travel with them.
"They are the three main models and I did not want to spoil it."
"Lauren the magnificent goddess of fashion," Normani said sarcastically. "You must be in everything right?"
"Why leave the decision to others that is something you can perfectly do yourself," Lauren smirked and Normani rolled her eyes. "You may want to see who is going to accompany us to supervise everything in detail" Lauren gave them a wink, surprising her friends as Ally and Normani entered, they looked at each other without understanding.
Years ago they had given up trying to understand Lauren and her changing moods. Lauren was a very difficult woman, but if Normani and Ally would admit it, they both loved her very much. She had that touch of cynicism that gave a certain humor to her days. They both knew that inside that cynical and loveless woman, there was someone vulnerable and with a big heart. Lauren had never shared anything with them, at least not from her personal life. She was a very reserved woman but at some point in her life she would have suffered a lot because of that sad look that
settled in her eyes from time to time.
Many people say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Through the eyes, someone can express feelings, frustrations, and thoughts. There were people whose eyes expressed all their feelings without the need to use words.
And Lauren's eyes were that way. Expressive eyes that could scream, laugh and cry without her face showing any emotion. Ally had always thought that Lauren's eyes were just like a maze of feelings that often begged to be released.
Lauren was hiding a lot of things, and Ally knew she was lonely. She saw her many times get lost in the thoughts of her looking at the window. Lauren's relationship with her family was null. She rejected calls from her parents making excuses not to talk to them. Ally came to feel very sorry for them. The Jaureguis adored Lauren.
Ally knew this from the few times she had seen the devotion and pride with which her parents viewed her. She didn't understand her friend's attitude, and she had long since given up trying to understand what was going on. Many times people need their space to think and to be able to open up to someone else about their feelings and thoughts.
It is not easy for anyone to talk about their life. Nobody wants to leave their feelings and their heart exposed so that another person can judge the secrets and what each person keeps in the depths of their soul. Ally because of her work was the one who lived with her the most. Normani had been with them for some time but it was different because of her constant travels and events. Ally lived day to day with Lauren and what she wanted most was that Lauren would come to talk to her about what she felt. She adored her friend and had to accept that she had fun with her and her changing mood. But deep down she felt sadness for her. The sadness of knowing that she might never know love.
Ally wasn't in a relationship at the moment, she was fine with herself after one last relationship, with Troy, the one who were her high school boyfriend and the one she had broken up with. Both had broken up when Ally had traveled to New York to fulfill her dream of designing. She had been a girl living in Texas who had followed her dreams no matter how hard it was with the help of her parents. She had fought until the end to win that scholarship and Troy had not been able to support her independence and the "want" to improve that Ally had always brought with herself. It had hurt her to leave him but it had been a long time ago. She was now an independent woman fighting for her dreams and open to the possibility of falling in love.
"My dear friends!" they heard Narciso's voice say to them making Ally come out of her thoughts and smile at her-.
"What a joy it gives me to see you all. Especially you
Jauregui" Lauren smiled radiantly at him.
"I'm here to have a good time, you know," he said, sitting down and looking at one of his assistants. "A glass of wine," he said snapping his fingers and several people began to move up and down to get it.
Normani watched everything knowing that she had to coordinate the models to tell them what to do. His work was just beginning.
"I'll go to the back to help the models," Normani said and Ally, Lauren, and Narciso nodded as they settled in front of the small runway.
"How are things going?" Lauren asked as she brought her glass of wine and she looked at Narciso. "Are we complete yet?"
"We're still missing the three models," Narciso said, looking at Ally and Lauren. "I'm not sure which one to choose. I have so many behind, some experienced, some inexperienced. Two girls, in particular, seem ideal to me. They are not your typical models."
"What do you mean they're not your typical models," Ally asked taking a little water from the table in front of her.
"One is impressive," Narciso said quickly. "She has a spectacular body. And the other one is much thinner but she has a nice butt and a beautiful waist."
"Wow," Lauren said, smiling. "Looks like you finally heard that models can be curvy, normal women and they don't need to be starving themselves. The most attractive women are those who feel good about their bodies."
"Well then we'll see," he said softly. "By the way" he smiled at her-. "You look very happy today. To what do we owe the change?"
"I'm the same as always," Lauren simply said, drinking a little more wine and sighing while Narciso only smiled. "I have work until December and we are barely in February.
But I have to come to do the work for you because you do not know women."
Narciso smiled and looked at Ally just shaking her head as
Lauren settled down. Her partial joy had lasted very little.
Ally sighed hoping that the models would be to Lauren's liking or she would have an apocalypse and she wasn't ready to fight the demon that Lauren kept inside her every time things didn't go her way.
WHILE IN THE LOCKER ROOM:
"Dinah," Camila whispered calling to her friend whom she had finally found who approached her as Camila covered herself with the dressing room curtain. "Dinah I don't think this is for me."
"Let me see," Dinah said excitedly to see Camila's hair and the light makeup that they had put on her.
"I don't want to walk in front of people with this on," Camila whispered. "I don't think this is for me. I will wait for you outside."
"You're already inside and you look very pretty," Dinah smiled. "Let me see your clothes."
Camila took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain leaving Dinah practically gaping.
"You look beautiful," Dinah said completely sincerely, still surprised to see Camila in that white dress, uncovered from the back that fit her body like a second skin. "Mila, my god you look beautiful."
Camila blushed completely when she saw that several people turned to her and smiled in approval. Camila dared to leave the dressing room and see herself in a mirror with Dinah next to her. She practically could not recognize herself in front of the reflection of that woman with the most spectacular dress in the world.
"Oh, Dinah" Camila's voice marked surprise and emotion at seeing herself in that beautiful dress. "It is a beautiful dress."
"It's wonderful," Dinah said softly and went to the back of Camila, ruffling her hair.
"What are you doing?" Camila said without understanding.
"Fixing your hair." Dinah smiled. "You look very pretty, Mila."
"It's a beautiful dress, Dinah." She looked into her eyes. "But I still think this is not for me. I'll wait for you outside so that when you leave we can pick up our little sisters at school."
"I think you should try it," Dinah sighed. "Most likely they won't give us the job. And that's okay, at least we'll keep the photos and have a good time."
"I'm very nervous" Dinah was going to answer but was interrupted by some screams the moment someone crossed the door hearing applause both she and Camila turned to get the surprise of their lives.
Normani Kordei had just entered the locker room. The top model Normani Kordei who they helped two days ago in Brooklyn.
They heard her laugh and talk to some models until finally, her eyes met theirs. She looked at them totally surprised and even though they had doubted if she was going to recognize them, she smiled at them approaching without hesitation.
"Dinah," Normani said softly, looking at her for a moment,
"and Camila, right?"
Dinah and Camila just nodded in total surprise and Camila's heart fluttered as she remembered that she had met Lauren that night. The woman with the most bewitching green eyes that she had been unable to take from her thoughts despite how rude she had been to her.
"I can't believe you're here," she said looking at them with a smile. The dresses look fabulous on you. Lauren loves these two they are her favorite.
Lauren?
Lauren Jauregui?
Alarms started ringing in Camila's head as her hands were shaking now for different reasons. The smug and arrogant woman she had met days ago had made those dresses.
"Did she design them?" Dinah asked and seeing Normani nod Camila started to almost have a panic attack. "But I thought it was a casting for Narciso Rodríguez."
"The two of them are working on this collection together,"
Normani smiled. "I am surprised to find you here.
Especially doing a casting. The dresses look fabulous on you. I'm sure both of them will be very pleased."
"Both?" Camila asked nervously.
"Lauren's here," Normani finally said, and Camila felt her wobble a little on her heels as Dinah stopped her. "I know that the other night was not good at all" she sighed-. "It wasn't a good night for Lauren and I'm sure that won't interfere with her decision today. We are looking for our last three models for the "March in White" campaign that we will do in Japan."
"Japan?" Dinah asked as she looked at the models around her murmuring that Normani had lingered much longer with them.
"You weren't informed?" Normani smiled. "If you are hired, you will travel with us to Japan for a month with all expenses included and a good salary. It's a good job. For the events and in total we are talking about almost twenty thousand dollars per model."
Camila's mouth opened and at that moment they heard that the music began to play indicating to everyone that it was time to start.
"What's happening?" Camila asked as Normani looked at a piece of paper that was in her hand.
"You come first," Normani said, smiling and pushing them slightly onto the catwalk. "Please follow my steps."
"I don't want to do this" Dinah didn't listen to Camila and practically dragged her onto the stage.
"Think of your sister, Mila," she whispered. "Twenty thousand dollars and you are lucky that you love the boss."
"Dinah for God's sake, shut the fuck up!" Camila said when she saw Normani turn around in surprise.
Camila tried to turn around again to leave but Dinah
stopped her again and seeing Lauren Jauregui with a glass of wine talking to a man her heart stopped.
That was crazy. Completely stupid insanity. And the moment Normani started to walk as Dinah followed her she saw Lauren turn and her eyes widen at the sight of Dinah.
Camila saw the surprise in Lauren's green eyes as she met hers. Her eyes widened and her mouth was practically open at that moment Camila took a deep breath and felt her strength renew.
That arrogant woman who embarrassed her two nights ago and had made her sister cry. She had told her that she dressed lousy and at that moment she was wearing one of her dresses. Camila took a deep breath and started walking down the catwalk praying that she wouldn't crash on her face in those shoes. She was going to show Lauren Jauregui that she could. That seemed like a dream but Lauren was in front of her still with surprised eyes and Camila smiled inside her. It might be her lucky day. Not because of the contract, not because of the money; but by the simple fact of seeing that woman, that she thought that she would never see again from top to bottom without finding any flaws in her.
Camila felt Lauren's eyes slide over her body as they practiced a few steps with Normani and tried to ignore her.
If life tried to make fun of her by putting that woman in front of her again, she was not going to let it. She wasn't going to let her humiliate her again. Not her, not anyone.
As beautiful as she looked in her leather pants and matching jacket. She was not going to be intimidated. She had to be strong if life wanted to play with her. She wasn't going to give up, not without a fight.