Chapter 10 #2
“The family we had booked came down with a stomach virus.”
“Are we going to reschedule?” I asked.
“We have the spot in The Vow, we can’t.” Birdie pulled a steamer down a silk A-line.
“There is a fashion expo at the Moscone Center this weekend, so it seems every model is booked out. I can’t get anyone last minute.” Bailey lifted her head and looked at Birdie. “Can I do it?”
Birdie shook her head. “I only have sample sizes for all the dresses, so you’d have to grow a few inches and drop a dress size or two.”
There was a moment’s pause before both my sisters’ heads swiveled my direction. I happened to be a few inches taller than both my sisters and a couple sizes smaller. I was a sample size.
“No,” I automatically replied. The thought of me in a bridal gown, no, bridal gowns, plural, being on the internet forever made me want to vomit, throw my coffee on the floor in a temper tantrum, and run out the back door. “I don’t have my hair done or any makeup on.”
“We have hair and makeup coming,” Bailey relayed what I already knew because I’d been the one to approve the expenditure.
I hated taking photos of myself. I had no social media for that exact reason.
Which reminded me, last night when I teased Adam, calling him a Boomer and saying he didn’t know anything about his girlfriend’s online presence, he said he knew what he needed to know.
He knew I didn’t have social media, and in all the photos of me, my face was obstructed.
That meant he had to have looked me up. Had he just done it once? Twice? More than twice?
“It’s okay.” Birdie, the sweetest, kindest soul in the world, set the steamer down. “We need to cancel. Everything happens for a reason, and it just wasn’t meant to be.”
There was no way I could let her lose her spot in the magazine. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
Birdie looked at me. “I don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”
She meant it. She really meant it. Which made me know even more that I had to do it.
“I’m doing it,” I told her.
“Thank you, Sissy!” She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight.
“Go get changed, makeup and hair will be here in ten.” Bailey smiled from ear to ear.
“Oh, how was your date?” Birdie asked as I walked past her to the changing room, dread filling my stomach.
My date?
Oh shit. I forgot I cancelled my date last night.
My first instinct was to lie and say “fine,” but that would be ridiculous. The truth would come out sooner or later that I’d spent the evening at Adam’s. That is if they didn’t already know. I wouldn’t put it past either of them to spy on his house.
“I didn’t go.”
Birdie stopped mid-steam again. “Why not?”
I grabbed appropriate undergarments I’d need to change into that we had in stock before going into a stall to change.
I shut the door and pulled off my shirt. “I ran into Adam.”
“Oh, how is he?” Birdie asked.
“He’s…” I hesitated. I wasn’t going to tell them how I actually thought he was doing, which wasn’t great.
“He’s a dad.” I dropped the bomb.
“Wait? What?!" Bailey screeched.
“He has twin girls, they are five years old. They’re adorable, Joey and Andi.”
I was relieved that my sisters couldn’t see my face as I was relaying this information to them. They would read too much into it. Every expression would be scrutinized.
“Wow.” Bailey’s footsteps came closer to the dressing room. “So is he married, or is he still with their mom?”
“He didn’t actually know they existed until last week.” I explained the entire situation, and even though it was quiet in the salon before, you could hear a pin drop by the time I finished.
“Oh my gosh,” Birdie whispered, as if it were a secret or there was anyone else there to hear it.
“Genesis Milan. He’s dating Genesis Milan,” Bailey repeated her name in disbelief. “Did you see her Sports Illustrated cover?”
“No, I missed that one,” I stated flatly. But now I was definitely going to look it up.
“Or her Victoria’s Secret walk?”
Bailey was just listing her resume now.
“Nope.” Going to be googling that later.
“So is Genesis going to move here now?” Birdie inquired.
“I have no idea.” Would she move, or would they just continue to do long distance?
Either way, his girlfriend was Genesis Milan.
I slid on my robe and knew I had to face my sisters.
I just hoped my expression wouldn’t reveal my true feelings, not that there was even anything to reveal.
I wasn’t jealous of her. I refused to be.
As I opened the door, Birdie asked, “So how was it? Seeing him again after all these years?”
Strange. Weird. Heartbreaking. Heart-healing. Exactly the same. Totally different. Perfect. Horrible. Heaven. Hell. Devastating. Electrifying.
“Good,” I shot for monotone, with absolutely zero emotion. If I even let a sliver of feeling out, then I feared the floodgates would open.
Both Bailey and Birdie blinked at me, wearing matching expressions of confusion.
“Good?” Bailey parroted back at me.
“Mmm, hmm.” I walked past her, took my seat in the makeup and hair chair, and began to scroll on my phone.
I could feel my sisters exchanging glances, but luckily, I was saved from any further questions when Zion and his hair and makeup people showed up and Birdie made introductions.
“Zion, this is Billie, my sister, she is stepping in for Corinne who, as I mentioned, is under the weather.”
“Nice to meet you. You are stunning.” I could feel his eyes scanning my face. “Perfect bone structure, a flawless canvas, and not happy about this at all.”
“She hates getting her photo taken and doing this as a huge favor for me,” Birdie explained.
“Got it.” Zion nodded. He walked over to me. “I promise I will make this as painless as possible. Maybe even fun.”
“Thanks.” I doubted that, but he had really good energy, so if anyone could, it would be this man.
“What time do you want the boys here?” I heard Bailey ask Zion.
“Anytime. I’ll be ready to shoot in thirty minutes.”
Thirty minutes. Photo shoot. Go home. Go to bed. Do everything in my power not to think about Adam, the girls, or the fact that the only place I wanted to be was with them.