Red Alert
Mae
“You drive a hard bargain, Miss Ashton. I hope your sister knows that.”
I smile at the man, but there is little feeling behind it. My sister doesn’t give a shit what I do for her, so long as I keep on doing it. We both rise and I shake his hand, waiting until he is gone to double check the contract. Even though I checked over it twice during the meeting and pored over it the night before.
It is all signed and sealed. Jasmine is now onboard for the next Instinct campaign. I walk over to the window of my small office and look out at the city. I’m only four stories up, so can’t really see much.
It is a hundred times better than the tiny room in my basement apartment. I’d been working out of there for the last two years.
I’ve worked hard to get us where we are. Three years in college, working a full-time night job. I learned everything there was to know about the modeling industry. While my sister skates by on her looks and figure.
That is a little harsh of me. There is more substance to her than that. Though not much.
I am irritated with her today. We argued last night about her reckless behavior and foolish partying with rock stars and other models. I make a conscious choice to move past that quickly, not wanting to think about what I saw the other night.
Jasmine hurts my feelings without so much as a second thought about what she is saying. That is the thing with my sister. When she is all wrapped up in her own head, she will say things that bite, with sharp teeth.
Most of the time, she doesn’t remember them the next day. I do.
Her telling me I am ugly and second best. Saying no one will ever be interested in me because I’m a frigid workaholic. Yeah, that shit tends to stick.
I refuse to let her thoughtless words darken my excitement about what I’ve achieved today.
Jasmine is no longer my only client, either. She was pissed when I told her I was representing another model. She will never admit it, but I know it’s because she is jealous of Robyn. She’s five years younger and two inches taller than my sister.
Part of me knows I shouldn’t, but there will be some pleasure in telling her Robyn also signed on with Instinct.
Like I’m not going to jump all over that. I wanted to get both of my clients a hot as shit contract. And, with one of the biggest up-and-coming underwear designers in New York.
Whether she likes it or not, I may work to get my sister jobs, but I don’t work for her. She works for me.
I choose to enjoy the moment a little while longer, before calling to tell my sister the news. In fact, I decide to let Robyn know first.
It warms my heart hearing her squeal in excitement, her mom in the background praising me for everything I’ve done for her daughter. At least someone appreciates the work I’m doing.
I sit down at my desk. Leaning back, I let my hair loose and drape it over the back of the chair, closing my eyes. It feels like heaven to let it out of the tight bun. I massage my scalp as I fantasize about growing my business, taking on more models, hiring an assistant, getting a bigger office.
It’s hard to compete with the huge modeling agencies. Everyone tells me I am crazy to think I could do it alone. With just my volatile sister as a client, yet here I am.
My phone beeps and I open my eyes and lean forward, picking it up off the desk. I swipe to open the screen and see a news article that has my blood boiling.
Jack McQueen’s smiling face fills the screen. I take a long moment to scroll past his face. I don’t want to even look at him. I’d thought…
Shit, I don’t know what I thought. It wasn’t as if he’d ever really looked at me like he thought anything about me.
When we are in the same vicinity, it is because there are models there. Then a few times, he took the time to speak to me, and even though I tried not to let him see it, I was pleased with the attention and loosened up around him.
My sister’s words come back into my head. Ugly. No one will want you. It all came out right after I told her she should not have gone home with Jack McQueen. It isn’t the reputation I want for her.
She accused me of being jealous, told me I was out of my mind if I thought a guy like Jack McQueen would ever want a woman like me.
I’d scoffed, barely able to say anything coherent to refute what she was saying, which only made things worse.
She laughed at me. She can see I like him. And she threw it in my face that she screwed him. All night.
I can deal with that because my sister can be poisonous when she wants to be, but what I can’t handle is Jack McQueen.
Because he looked right at me as they walked out that door together.
He’d cracked my foolish heart in two.
Now, I intend to do everything in my power to keep him away from my sister. And me.