I sighed in relief. It was just Jackson.
"Why were you startled?" Jackson approached me and I stared at him.
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"It's just... I've been getting strange phone calls. Every time I answer there's just silence..."
"So clearly someone is listening on the other end?" I paused after what he said and suddenly felt a little scared. I tried laughing it off.
"It's probably just a prank."
"Well, I can't tell you what to do. But make a police report if it gets worse, alright?"
"Thank you for your concern."
"The least I can do, considering I've dealt with my share of obsessive women."
"Hey... considering your philandering ways, can you really call it obsessive?"
"Yeah, especially when random women blow up your phone after one night together when it was already prearranged as a one-night thing."
I sighed and then made my way up the staircase.
"I also heard about your photo shoot," I turned to look at him. News travels fast... "I have an idea of who they recruited to be the main model... so be careful around her," I raised my eyebrow... who was he talking about?
"Shouldn't you be resting?" James was now walking towards me. He must have come into the house moments ago.
"Interesting... I've never seen you come home this early before," Jackson announced.
"Well at least I'm on the same continent most days of the week."
"I take that as a compliment."
James started walking up the staircase and then turned to me to say: "don't be worried about the photo shoot. Kai trusts you can get the job done..."
I watched James continue to walk past me. These brothers... were quite interesting.
*
A few more days passed by.
Before I knew it I was accompanying Nathan to the photo shoot. When I arrived at the set I was a little nervous. Nathan was great about getting me introduced to the production crew first. When I was able to break the ice with the director and the photographer, I was able to confidently walk around on set.
They were exceptionally patient with me. Showing me the breakdown of what would be happening in the next few days. They told me that I could give them feedback at any point.
Before the model arrived, I met one of the makeup artists. She was arranging her brushes meticulously. There was an attention to detail I was initially surprised about... I mean, the only time I ever saw something like this was when I had those artists come in to help me with my hair and makeup but not like this...
"Is there a reason why this is so... organized?"
"Yes... it's because Natalie is coming..."
"Who?" the makeup artist, Julia, looked at me as though I had been living under a rock.
"Natalie..." I looked around and it felt like I could feel what the others were feeling in the room. A little wariness.
"She's a rich socialite that got into modeling at a young age. Her mother is a well-known prima ballerina and her father is an elite businessman."
"I see..."
"And she's known the Ravenwolf family for a long time."
"I... didn't know..." I thought about what Jackson had said last night. I realized that he must have meant her... I wondered what she was like to cause this much intensity in the air.
"In the industry she's truly a gem. But she's a sweet nightmare to work with."
Julia got back to work and I wandered away. I wondered what she meant by that...
Suddenly the doors opened again and I watched what I believed to be Natalie in the flesh. Under the spotlight this woman stood elegantly in Jimmy Choo's. She looked as shiny as Julia had described.
I also couldn't shake off the feeling that I recognized her from somewhere... when I got closer I realized she was the same woman I saw in the foyer of Ravenwolf Co. and when I passed by her in the elevator... a small world?
She was standing in-between her manager and assistant. They were leading her to the director and head photographer. Nathan joined them and then shortly after she was brought to the dressing room. When Nathan came back to meet me he told me that I should greet her.
So I followed after him to the dressing room.
When the door opened I saw that she was there sitting on the chair getting 'dolled-up' again. She was smiling like a beautiful flower 'blooming,' in a garden so to speak. She stood up eagerly to greet me. She reached her hand out towards me.
"You must be the Hazel I keep hearing about..."
"It's nice to meet you Natalie..." she smiled at me and then asked if we could be left alone for a few minutes. She wanted to get more acquainted privately. I suddenly had a bad feeling about that. There was just something 'too perfect' about her appearance that made me feel like there was something hidden underneath that smile... when everyone left, I was absolutely right...
"You're close to Kai right?" Natalie's expression changed. Her smile was gone. I couldn't help but stare at her. Where was this animosity coming from?
"Given the circumstances... I see him from time to time at Ravenwolf."
"I am aware..." she was half-smiling now. "Also, at their house? You must be lucky... even close family friends don't spend as much time as an... well, you're not an outsider anymore?"
Who the heck is this woman? Why was she speaking to me like that? I really wanted to tell her to mind her own business, but I was a professional. I smiled again and shook my head.
"Yes... because I am the current heir to Ravenwolf... I guess I am not an outsider," I seemed to have stepped on a landmine. She seemed like she was trying to prevent her facial muscles from contorting. I caught her balling her fists. But she immediately 'covered up,' her frustration by smiling widely. That was the fakest smile I had seen in a while.
"Of course you are!" she then stepped towards me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "For now..." she then turned to lock eyes with me. I wasn't backing down but something around her coldness made me want to shiver. There was a knock on the door. Natalie stepped away from me when Nathan walked back into the dressing room.
"We shouldn't delay, Natalie."
"Of course Nathan. Send everyone in again... my apologies..." I watched her closely. She turned to sit down again.
Nathan locked his arm around mine and brought me forward. Maybe I was frozen in place? I could swear Natalie's eyes were still fixated on me as I left the room...