High Card Bluff (House of Cards Series 5)

(11) Things Take a Turn

Adri had gone through a hair and makeup process before and she was pleased to see wardrobe was satisfied with her own attire, the brands unidentified due to its simple nature. As she had the camera makeup and microphone pack added to her, Desmond went into greater detail about how their day would go.

The mentoring was to occur the morning, so the simple attire worked. Adri would be running a catwalk breakdown, getting the models to adjust to the rigors of a real show; and despite her efforts to prepare it had proven unnecessary as the show runners had created a guide she could refer to 'to keep the episode on topic.' The afternoon was the real action; a photo series where Adri would be facing off against the contestants in the sponsoring brand's style. After the shoot ends, there'd be dinner and drinks, giving the girls a chance for a more casual question and answer period with Adri. They would be filming until past midnight, at least all here at the hotel.

Poor Goon, he was on a couch in the main filming area, with only his phone for company. She'd almost expected him to take off to find something to do for the day, but when Desmond had told him about the couch, that's where he stayed.

She couldn't spare more time I worry about Tom, he was a grown ass man who could decide for himself if he wanted to stay and be bored all day. The fact that he had done that left Adrianna feeling a little off, weirdly nervous to have him see what it was she did to be a model.

She hadn't been lying when she'd told him that for the sake of work she was more mild mannered then her loved ones would expect, but Desmond had also been telling the truth when he referenced her reputation. Knowing that some of the more gossiped about pieces of her past were about the aired on to left Adri feeling a little annoyed but it was inevitable. She hadn't done anything to be embarrassed by, but she had handled it all on her own. Now everyone would see the episode eventually, so they would be hearing carefully edited versions for the first time.

Introductions to the models took her focus, and Adri was amused to realize that once again, she was the shortest one in the group. Though at least this selection had some curvier body types too, she wouldn't be hearing any comments about being 'luscious' today. Since the season they were filming was well under way, Adri only had five girls to try and mentor, the other six already eliminated.

May and Sarah were the typical model look, but Geraldine was full Vogue Italia hourglass, Chanel was 6.5' and the tallest model Adri will have shot with, and the last model Erin had some heavy tattooing.

If nothing else it'd make for some striking pictures later.

The nerves that Tom had gotten her to admit to fell away one Adri started to work, becoming immediately unaware of the camera in the same way she had at catwalks. She was always careful of her body but her eyes never looked. The room they were filming in was the conference hall with careful prop design, and it was similar enough to a real catwalk behind the scene to feel familiar. If she didn't look at the lighting and camera set up, it'd feel like working with Honey before a show. As it was the barrier of lights helped her from being able to see Tom on the couch, watching.

They were on the catwalk, Desmond had done the official introductions while filming, and the models were looking to her. The guideline from the show runner had suggested giving advice on how to work on difficult runways, so Adri started there.

"I don't need to show you ladies how to walk, you've got that part figured out even if you can't catwalk yet." she pointed at Geraldine and crooked her finger to have the tall model walk towards her, another hand gesture stopped her immediately. Adri pointed to May, then the others, getting them all to walk and stop without telling them to. "The trick to handing runway, difficult or practice, has nothing to do with your bodies."