Crimson Reid is a young woman who's goal in life is unclear.
She is a successful model, but yet feels her life is empty.
Everything changes when she goes to Hotel Cortez and meets some very special people.
She makes friends, enemies, even falls in...
A few hours had pasted since I arrived at the marvelous Hotel Cortez, I mainly spent the time with Tristan in my room preparing for the show tonight. I'm nervous, anxiety and fear felt like it was buried in my stomach due to the fact I would be doing my first show tonight.
I love modeling, the outfits, hair, makeup, the other models, the managers, the runways, that kind of world was meant for me. I've never been afraid to step on a stage, but I felt scared to do so tonight, considering I could lose my job if I don't do well.
Will Drake is a generous man, the kind of man that is alright with a few mistakes, but if I make a fool of myself tonight my career is over. I simply ignore the pit in my stomach by looking over the dress Drake sent me for the show.
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It was bold and a bit risky, a classic Will Drake kind of design. I pull the tight plastic dress up my body, hoping Drake designed the proper size. It fit perfectly, I sigh of relief, one less thing that could go wrong with the show tonight.
"Well damn Crim, your gonna look fire tonight." Tristan jokes as I step out of the bathroom in my new Drake dress. "Zip me." I demand, he rolls his eyes as he jumps over to help me. Once again, it fit perfectly. It felt very tight, but not to tight that I couldn't breathe, just as Drake had intended I assume.
"Thanks man," I smile at Tristan. Apparently I can't hide my emotions very well because Tristan recognizes how nervous I am by just looking at my face. "Listen, I know you think it'll be super fucking scary to go on the runway, but the nerves go away the moment you get on."
Tristan wasn't the type to be emotional often, but the little sympathy he showed me was enough to feel good about myself and the show. "And of course I have some "stuff" to calm the nerves if you want." Tristan continues, as a grin grows on his face,
I roll my eyes, "not now man, I can't get high right now, you honestly think Drake will tolerate this? On my first show?"
"He lets me get away with it."
"Yeah because your one of his main models, I'm no more than an experiment right now!"
Tristan laugh, " if I can show up to a show high as fuck, fall of the stage a few times, and still keep my job, I'm sure you'll be fine with a bit of two."
I consider it, but being high was not the impression I wanted to give to Drake. Keeping a job and doing good at a job are very different things, the difference between me and Tristan I guess.
I turn to the mirror and start to style my dark red hair, that went down to my shoulders. Put eye shadow under my deep brown eyes, and a bit of eyeliners as well. My face was very structured and well shaped according to many people I've met, and finish with my favorite deep red lip stick.
Red has always been my color, I simply favored it, maybe it's because of my name or my hair, but it always felt special to me. Just as I finish my makeup I get a text from Drake, since Tristan got the same text message I knew almost instantly what it was going to say.
From Will Drake Show Time!!! Head down to the lobby everyone
Suddenly I grew extremely scared, I can't do this, if I fuck this up any chance of a job will be lost... Tristan looks at me, a nervous wreck, and winks, "the offer is still up." He points at the bag under the bed and grins as he leaves down for the show.
That asshole. He relied on drugs for everything, a lifestyle I'd prefer not to start, either way I wasn't going to do them, not tonight. With a deep breathe a grab my robe and head downstairs, straight to the elevator ready to start the show.
The next half an hour was a blur, people rushing around behind the stage, which was a very small space, yelling at eachother to do things. It's overwhelming, but I still am holding myself together, pretty well I'd say. Considering it's been over ten minutes since Tristan has offered coke and or marijuana, my emotions seem to be hidden well.
I sit at a white, light up, desk backstage of the runway, alone with only my mind. I can hear the voices and chatter of all the people who came to the event, that and the music our DJ had playing to amuse the people until the show begins.
Only then I notice i had chipped one of my bright red, long, nails by biting on them, a habit I tend to do when I get nervous. Ugh, just another reason I may not have this job by morning. Suddenly, I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to see my boss Drake behind me, a bit red and sweaty from the stress of preparing the show I guess.
"Crimson, your up after Tristan comes back," He asks very calmly, as his hand moves from my shoulder to my hair, fixing a few tangled curls. "Alrighty then, I'll be ready to go on stage in just a few seconds." He notices my dreary expression, "um hey are you doing alright Miss Reid?"
I avoid eye contact when he asks this questions, and hide my broken nail behind my back, "yes Mr Drake, I'm doing fine just a little pre-show nerves I guess." "Alright good," he pats me in the back with a smile, "just let me know if you need anything, your one of my models, that means I do like to make sure your feeling alright."
He begins to leave the room, "thank you Mr Drake." "Oh and remember," he grins at me before leaving, "if you start feeling sick on stage, there's a trash can right by the curtain to the stage, just do your best to hold it in! Good luck!" He gives me a thumbs up before going to prepare the next model.
Tristan then enters the tent and his eye meet mine almost immediately, "your up." He smirks at me and winks before disappearing off behind back stage. I make my way to the curtain with a final deep breathe, I pull down my dress one last time as I walk out on stage.
I remember everything Tristan and Drake had taught me, keep my back straight, head held high, walk perfectly straight, don't let my arms stray to much. The lights on the stage were quite blinding, chatter and camera flashes surrounded me as I held back a smile. I enjoy this, it felt good to finally be on stage after so much work.
I strike a subtle but fierce post at the end of the runway, smiling a little bit, as I turned around and repeated the same steps. As I walk back I see something very strange, a silhouette of a man standing on the balcony of the hotel looking down at me from the runway.
His stare made my bones turn numb and gives my stomach butterflies. I couldn't see his face, just the black outline of a top hat sitting perfectly on his head. I held his stare for a few moments before I walked back stage again.
I forget about the man immediately as happiness and joy come over me, I did it. I feel so proud of myself, I was able to go down the runway without any mistakes or mishaps. And the best part was, I enjoyed it.
Will Drake runs over to me, "Crimson you did great! Not a single visible flaw! Very impressive for your first time." I smirk, I deserve this praise, but appreciate it none the less, "thank you Mr Drake, that means a lot to me." "It's Will to you, I don't like that Mr/Mrs bullshit much, but anyways welcome to the modeling world hun."
He pats my shoulders as he smiles down at me, I never realized how tall he was until now. I felt warm almost, from the praise and a weight lifted off by shoulders for doing the job well. "Thank you Will, I have a feeling I'll really enjoy life in this world." "Good, you'll definitely be appreciated in it." He smiles one last time as his attention turns to another model, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Only then do I remember that strange man I saw on the balcony, something about his cruel yet gentle stare made him hard to forget. Eh if he shows his face maybe I'll make a move or something, but for now I'll do my best to forget this man. Don't want to be chasing a ghost of a man.
