Edge of the Ravine

36

Chapter Thirty-Six

      There was so much chaos, I almost bolted out the door. Good thing Jace grabbed my arm when he did. All around people were running to and from, lights were flashing and orders were barked in rapid fire. It was too confusing for someone like me, no matter how long I'd lived in any city. This was close-quarters confusion. Not my forte.

     "C'mon, Oliver. The sooner you're out of the way, the better it is. Trust me," Tess laughed. Taking her word on that, I followed them all the way to the makeup tables set off to the side.

      She was right, as soon as I was out of the way, it was much easier to get a handle on what was going on. Though it was still a chaotic mess, I suddenly realized that it was a very organized mess. There was a system for when the lights would be adjusted and which props were brought in front of the camera and when the backgrounds would change. Even a system existed for the photographer as he constantly moved the models from a backdrop to the natural settings off to the side.

      I preferred the natural myself, seeing as we were in an above-ground parking garage and there was a wonderful view of the city beyond the stone. The cement pillars, floor, and walls were all the same shade of gray, so it didn't surprise me when I saw a number of models walking about in vibrant outfits or colorful hats. Biting my lip, I inched away from my escort and slipped into the shadows created in contrast to the bright light pointed in another direction. Moving slowly, I found a spot unmolested by camera people and leaned against the edge of the enclosure.

      As bright as the day was, part of me wished for the typical London rain. It was so hot, it felt as if I could use a bit of mist to linger on my face. In my months here, I was surprised by the comfort it brought me, and enjoyed it every minute that it lasted.

     "Why must you insist on vanishing the minute we take you anywhere?" Viviane sighed behind me.

      With an impish grin, I turned to face my friend. Only for my mouth to fall open at the sight of her.

      Already attired for the shoot, this particular creature was dressed in dark leggings, a black pencil skirt, and a very feminine white blouse with black polkadots. Her blonde layers rested on her shoulders, framing the dark necklace that accented the outfit. To fulfill the image, a black, floppy hat rested perfectly on her head and her eyes were covered in the too-large sunglasses Viviane often abhorred. On her though...

      After a moment's ogling, I shook my head and tried to return the impish smile to my face. It didn't feel quite right and I quickly tried to cover up with words. "Why must you insist on taking me places if you know I intend to vanish?"

      Viviane let out a sigh that was quite loud in the garage. And it certainly did not go unnoticed. All around, assistants and models paused to look at her, eager to find out why she was so amused while they were all so serious. Of course I was the only one to notice that Tess and Jace were grinning from where they stood. Apparently I was a nuisance to their work environment, and they thought it was amusing. Not I.

      The disturbance only lasted a minute before everyone quickly went back out their business. Tess smiled like the lioness I often thought of her as. Reaching a hand out to mine, she ushered me back into the center of the hustle and bustle. "Thought you wanted to see us in our element?" She commented as I was slow to budge.

      With a sigh, I trailed back into the middle of the fray. Tess looked dazzling in a similar skirt and a brilliant turquoise blouse. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail with two tiny braids forming behind her ears and leading up to her crown. A large flower was set into the hairstyle and I could tell her shoot was going to be incredible.

      The most gorgeous, however, was Jace who was given a black leather jacket over a v cut shirt, leather pants and combat boots. It took my breath away just looking at him.

     "Ah, the tiresome trio," sighed on of the photographer's assistants. She was a petite woman with nearly white blond hair and dark, muddy brown eyes. The scowl she shot my friends was not at all pretty. "He'll be working with you in a moment and he's in a foul mood. I wouldn't test him too much today, were I you."

      All three of my friends nodded solemnly. The moment she was out of earshot. However, Tess whispered spitefully, "So glad you're not us."

     "And we're not you," Viv added in a giggle. I couldn't help but chuckle.

      "Tess Wright!"

      Smiling shyly, the leonine creature tipped her head to us and announced, "that's my cue." Sauntering off, I knew them what it was for her to be in her element. The moment she stepped in front of the camera, I knew what it was to have a passion, a desire, and a skill so perfectly set in place that fate itself must have designed it. I was completely enthralled.

      My expression didn't change from model to model. Picture to picture. Pose to pose. It was an entire lifetime before my eyes could blink. An eternity passed before I could force my mouth to close. And stars burst millions of lightyears into the future before I could find a pulse in my veins. So mesmerized was I that time clearly had to stop just for me to absorb it.

     "They leave me with fresh meat," a laughing voice said behind me, causing me to turn. A woman who appeared to be from India smiled graciously as she stood. Her dark eyes met mine and I suddenly felt as I had when meeting the 'Tiresome trio.' Here was someone I could trust. Someone I could befriend. Someone so foreign and delightful at the same time.

     "Come. There's no point in you standing there watching as they continue to reposition their playthings. And I have nothing to do unless they need a touch up."

      I wasn't sure what she was asking as I inched timidly towards her. Only when she indicated the chair Jace had previously occupied did my eyes grow large and I stopped in my tracks. "I couldn't..." I began, shaking my head and taking a hasty step back.

     "Nonsense. I am being paid to be here, same as everyone else. I might as well keep my hands busy. And I can't help but desire to fix a fresh meat," she added in a low tone, holding a tan hand out to me.

      I held back a pace, unsure of what to do. Looking over my shoulder, I watched as they, once again, had Tess adjust her arms. Just slightly. Not enough to make one picture look far different from another in my eyes. Perhaps that is why I stepped forward to take the seat offered. Because I already knew this shoot could last long into the night. And I might as well let this woman do what she wanted while we were both waiting.

     "I'm Amara," said the Indian woman as she beamed at me. As soon as I had sat down, she was rubbing a thick brush into a foundation that I had seen applied to Jace earlier. Using a practiced hand, she tilted my head in just the right way to capture the light and set to work.

      Amara and I talked for some time as she fixed 'her new meat.' After a while, however, it surprised me when one of the hairstylists wandered over to great me. Lee was a shorter fuller woman with kind blue eyes and dimpled cheeks. As soon as she saw what Amara had done, she picked up a pair of scissors and practically shoved Amara to the side.

      Perhaps an hour went by that I was used as the staff's new toy while my friends played the puppet for the photographer. My face, once plain and indistinguishable, was no full of light and life. Clear skin shone in the mirror.

      Such similar miracles were worked on my hair. Brushed through and cut with care, it felt unrecognizable.

      When my transformation had been completed, I found myself in a daze as my new cohort shipped me right off to the corner that chose wardrobe. In an instant, I was ordered by a stern man with no sense of playfulness to change out of my dreadful clothes in an instant. By the time I was dressed in the designer labels, I realized too late what he thought.

      My horror came to fruition when one of the photographer's assistants looked up and saw me standing there. Before I could disclaim their assumption, she called back to the photographer. "Boss, we've got a fresh face here."