Golden Hour [H.S]

Three

Marigold's anxiety was hitting her hard.

Pacing behind the black curtain hung to shield her from the rest of the studio while she changed, the model couldn't help but focus on the way her heart was thundering in her chest, the heat flushing her cheeks red and the uncontrollable tremble in her hands. After making such an unprofessional first impression yesterday, Marigold felt the pressure to prove she was the right choice for this job - not only to Alessandro but to herself.

Staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror leant against the wall, Marigold sighed at how dishevelled she looked. Her hair was a mess, her face was stripped of makeup and her clothes were slightly creased from being strewn on her bedroom floor only half an hour ago.

"Get a grip, for goodness sake." She hissed to herself, continuing to state at her reflection. Where the hell was Elio when she needed him? He was always the best at calming her anxiety before she spiralled into a full-blown anxiety attack, but today, he just so happened to be running late.

So for now, she was left to convince herself of the fact she belonged in Gucci's fitting studio alongside the most famous model in the world.

Landing such a huge job so early in her modelling career felt like a dream, one that she was expecting to be woken up from and thrust into the real world at any moment. But there was little chance of celebrating it, not with the one person who she seeked all approval from, at least. All she wanted was to make her Dad proud but that just never seemed to go as planned.

......

Anxiously biting her nails, Marigold listened to the dialling tone echo about her bedroom as she waited for her father to pick up her call. In the seconds she was left waiting, she wracked her brain to string together what she was going to say but was falling short. What she did know was it needed to be straight to the point with no rambling to avoid annoying him.

"Sono Stefano, chi chiama?"

"Dad, it's me. Marigold." She sighed, knowing he hadn't even bothered checking the Caller ID before answering the phone, probably expecting it to be another work call than his own daughter wishing to catch up. All he did was work, spending little time with his family, even if she was the only person he had left.

"Mary, I'm about to go into a meeting. What is it?" His cold tone was enough to get Marigold speaking, making sure she skipped the small talk about the weather and asking about his day.

"I just wanted to let you know I got a new job for-"

"Modelling isn't a job, Mary. How many times do I have to tell you that?" He sighed.

Marigold could practically see his unimpressed scowl, rubbing his temples as if her 'rebellion' against his ambitions for her future gave him a headache. She'd spent her whole time at school pandering to his expectations, scrambling for approval and securing herself a law degree that she had no interest in using. His pride was very short lived, completely gone the moment she was scouted by a modelling agency and agreed to sign with them.

"But it's for Gucci. It's a pretty big deal." She insisted, hoping that name-dropping such a huge brand would change his mind, proving that she was actually earning a substantial wage she could live off.

"Of course it's a big deal, you're whoring yourself out on the front of magazines. It's an embarrassment! How am I supposed to prove to my clients I'm a respectable lawyer when I let my daughter pose topless for money? Hmn?" It was the same argument every single time, her father only focusing on his own reputation rather than the success of his daughter. To say it hurt was an understatement but it pushed her even more, determined to prove to him that she was someone to be proud of.