Never Too Soon

Aren't You a Little Curious?

POV: Harper

"Harp, you got your looks from me. You will do fine." My dad reassured me for the tenth time. "Lauren already told you that you will do fine too, and she practically runs the industry. I trust her enough to buy stocks in her company before the show."

I rolled my eyes. This is one of the annual make or break runways. Depending on how well this goes will either bring up her and her company's net worth, or make it bottom out until the next show.

"Let her worry. My one of my favorite top models still gets nervous even after all of the walks she has done. It's normal." Max waved it off and my dad sighed. I had him on speakerphone since he wanted to know Max and Darius a bit better. I trusted men much easier than women, so he wanted to make sure the two grown men I had trusted so easily were actually trustworthy. I've got a bad judge of character with men.

"Well, I know you'll do great, Harp. I've got some work to finish up on before I watch you walk or else I'll have the DA, a secretary, and a stupid defense lawyer up my ass wondering where my plea agreement options are for some idiot who decided to kill a homeless man out of a 'random fit rage' as they call it." My dad sighed. He loves his job, but hates the ones without a good fight. He gets bored with it. They also don't make him anywhere near as much money.

We all bid him goodbye before I hung up the phone.

"We're going in through the back entrance, so we don't have to worry about the swarming this time." Lauren took my hand and laced her fingers with mine before bringing the back of it to her lips to issue a short and sweet kiss that made heat rise to my cheeks while making me feel happy. It was a good kind of embarrassed.

"Aye, don't make the baby blush before we even get there." Max scolded Lauren as if she was a child.

"I'm not a baby!" My jaw slacked at the betrayal.

"You're seventeen and new to the industry. You are a baby in my eyes." Max backed up his statement with facts and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, this seventeen-year-old has a 4.7 GPA, so you can kiss my ass." I flipped him off.

"Wait, GPAs go above 4.0?" Darius looked at me with wide eyes.

"I'm taking all college level classes in high school, so yes. It goes well over 4.0 if you have no life outside of school." I nodded with a saddened sigh. The only reason why I was so on top of my school work was because it was all I had control over, so I took it and ran with it.

"I had a 1.9." Max giggled to himself. "I went to several cosmetology schools before I got into high school, so my life revolved around that instead of the government's version of education. I wouldn't be sitting here with a white gold Rolex if I focused on my grades."

"Did you just never do anything? That takes talent for it to be that low." I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, I failed nearly every test, never did any homework assignments, nor did I even pay attention in class so I didn't even get the participation bonuses." Max was highly amused with it all.

"Don't worry, babes. I had a 4.6 and went to Yale where I graduated with my degree majoring in business with minors in creative writing and criminology in three years with a 4.8 while building the company I have now." Lauren squeezed my hand while we looked on at the couple seated directly across from us in the limo that was too big for the four occupants.

"I went to Yale, meh meh meh." Max mocked his best friend before rolling his eyes. "

"Darius, I'd get your husband in check before I do it for him." Lauren gave Darius a blank expression.