17. IZZY
“Tanya, you look stunning! The camera loves you,” I exclaimed, admiring my best friend in one of the eco-friendly summer dresses from our new collection. “But of course, we both already knew that!”
The vibrant colors and organic textures complemented the lush backdrop of San Francisco’s Botanical Garden. I beamed at her, feeling proud of my friend and of the new design I’d come up with.
Tanya grinned, twirling in the dress. “Well, of course! Your designs are amazing, Izzy. As always. But speaking of amazing, spill it! What’s going on between you and Nick? I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
I chuckled, adjusting the flower crown on Tanya’s head. “Well…” I began, not sure where to start. For the first time throughout our friendship, I’ve told her nothing about what had been transpiring between Nick and me. And because she was a very good friend, she’d given me space and had allowed me to be ready to share instead of forcing it on me. “I don’t really know, Tanya. Right now, I think we’re just business partners.”
She wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully. “I doubt that very much. And Izzy, you’re blushing!”
“Am I?” I asked shockingly, but I laughed with her, nonetheless. Then I stole a glance at Nick who was busy speaking with some staff.
“You know, he doesn’t have to be here,” Tanya added meaningfully. “I mean, come to think of it. It’s only EcoChic that he’s been hands-on with from the start. I wonder why.”
I shrugged, not wanting to jump to conclusions.
“Oh, Izzy. You two are obviously crazy about each other. Even Dan thinks so.”
That statement caught my attention. I gave her an incredulous look. “What makes you say that?”
“He told me so!” Tanya declared with a laugh.
I could see the director and photographer waving at us. I straightened my shoulders and told myself silently to just focus on the shoot. “Let’s just make this shoot fabulous, shall we?”
“Definitely!” Tanya winked at me before joining the other models. Seeing them all together sent a shiver down my spine. Wow, here’s another set of my sustainable designs coming to life in front of my very eyes!
As time passed by, I felt wary that Nick hadn’t paid much attention to me. He was here, but I couldn’t feel his presence. Why did he even bother coming if he wouldn’t talk to me, anyway? He wasn’t needed here!
After a while, something caught my eye that made me break into a cold sweat. My heart began to palpitate, and I felt the tension spreading throughout my limbs.
In the midst of all the frenzy, I saw Nick walking away with a tall blonde chatting him up. They paused just far enough to probably have some privacy for their conversation.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of unease as I watched Nick and the strange woman share what seemed like an animated discussion.
Tanya, who had just taken a break, approached me. Sensing my sudden change in demeanor, she shot me a questioning look.
“What”s going on, Izzy?” she asked, concern etched across her face.
I tried to play it off with a forced smile. “Nothing, Tanya. Just a bit stressed about the shoot, you know?”
She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my feeble excuse. “Stressed? Or is it because of a certain someone over there?” Tanya nodded discreetly in Nick’s direction.
I sighed, unable to hide my feelings from my perceptive friend. “Okay, you’re right. I’m affected. It looks like he’s engaged in a rather intense conversation right now. But I have no right to feel this way…”
Tanya’s eyes widened with realization. “Hhhmmm…the infamous green monster pays a visit.”
I shot her a look. “Green monster?”
She chuckled. “Jealousy, my dear Izzy. It’s written all over your face.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not jealous. I’m just...I don’t know…”
Tanya grinned mischievously. “Admit it, friend. You’ve got feelings for this man. And I’m sure there’s nothing between them. He’s head over heels in love with you!”
“Sshhh…” I warned her, looking around, afraid we could be heard by someone.
She gave me a sheepish smile and lowered her voice. “Well, if you’re not jealous, why don’t we find out? Come on, let’s crash their little tête-à-tête and introduce ourselves. I’m sure she’s just a colleague or someone unimportant.”
“No way.”
Tanya was just dragging me when we overheard two of the male models talking about Nick and the woman.
“Oh, man. That girl just can’t let it go, huh?”
“Yeah, they used to be a hot item. But Nick never took her seriously.”
“Are you sure about that? I heard she was actually his first love.”
“Dude, he’s never been in love!”
Tanya gasped. I felt as if I’d just been splashed with cold water. I felt the dread spreading through my core.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to head over there,” I told Tanya, to which she agreed.
“If she’s his ex, then it could be that she’s interested, but he’s not anymore,” Tanya suggested as we both gazed at their direction.
The two male models hardly noticed us. They were caught up in their own conversation, but they were now talking about the girls they were currently dating.
“Miss Turner!” I heard a voice call out to me. I turned around and found one of the staff rushing toward me with a concerned look on her face. I forced myself to go back to ‘work mode’ again.
“Hi. What is it?” I asked.
“We’re starting the second part of the shoot, and there will be more group shots. We need another female model. Jessica called in sick.”
“Oh, my. Really?”
She gave a sad nod. “We’d also skipped the modeling for some of the clothes, because it was Jessica who’d be perfect in them. If we could just find a replacement with the same height and body type…”
“I know Jessica!” Tanya exclaimed. “I’m so sorry to hear she’s sick…I didn’t even realize that she was part of the shoot today.”
I tapped my foot, trying to think. We were cramming for our timeline. We had to finish the shoot today.
Suddenly, Tanya looked ecstatic. She was almost jumping when she spoke again. “I have the perfect solution!”
The female staff and I looked at her expectantly.
She gave me a wide grin, with an excited glint in her eye. “This is the perfect replacement for Jessica…same build, same height, same body type, almost the same hair…but a lot prettier!”
“Who?” I asked, narrowing my eyes with curiosity and confusion.
Tanya placed her hands on my shoulders. “You!”
Are you fucking kidding me?