The Setup

3 - Sunglasses

Chapter 3 - Sunglasses
Do My Thang - Miley Cyrus

"Celeste Gold! What a pleasure it is to see you, my darling." Cornelia Chana says to me as she kisses both of my cheeks. "I'm so happy you're back to model for us."

I smile brightly, kissing her back. "Oh, thank you, Cornelia. I always love coming out to New York, you know that."

She smiles, the corner of her eyes crinkling. "And Miss Talia Rodriguez, what a surprise."

Talia smiles, hugging Miss Chana awkwardly. I stifle a laugh as Cornelia pulls away, a strange look in her eye. Talia looks at me, shrugging at her awkwardness.

"Right this way, Celeste." Cornelia says, waving over a couple of people who look very professional. Cornelia leads me to another large room filled with all the backdrops, cameras, lighting, and all that . . . fun stuff.

"Miss Gold," a lady with dark chocolate skin and black eyes says. Her hair is in a tight bun that is placed at the top of her head. "Please,
come this way. We will need you to change into a robe for hair and makeup, then we will give the first round of outfits. This should take up to five or six hours. Does this sound all right?" She asks me, smiling at Cornelia and Talia as a greeting.

"I'll see you later, darling. Make me proud," she winks, patting me lightly on the arm. I laugh, turning back to the Bun Lady. She didn't give me her name, so that's what I'll call her. As I'm walking down a hallway, my phone buzzes loudly. It was a specific ringtone, making me know it was an email from Rhonda.

To: Celeste Gold
From: Rhonda Cousineau

Good morning, Celeste. I know you are probably on set by now but I want you to know that you are planned to meet Harry today at 2:30 at Central Park. You will be going to a bakery to get coffee that's nearby. We don't want it to look like you guys are dating just yet. Your team in New York knows about it, and if you have any questions just call me. I'll be flying out tonight. See you soon.

I clutch my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white. I didn't want to do any of this, fake dating was already bad enough, but knowing that he actually has a relationship with someone else makes me sick to my stomach.

Bun Lady snaps me out of me staring at the text. "Right in here. They will take good care of you."

I nod, thanking her and turning around to see my makeup team for today. "Hi, Celeste. I'm Vanessa," a girl with curly black hair says. She's pregnant, and she looks amazing. "This is Wyatt and Jasmine."

Two other people with heavy makeup stand behind her, looking eager to start. I wave at them as Jasmine comes up to me with a silk gold robe. "We thought it would be kinda funny, just because your last name is Gold."

I nod, grabbing the robe from her hands. Jasmine points to a curtain in the corner of the room. I walk behind it, get undressed, and put my clothes into a basket that has my name on it.

Once the robe is on and I come out behind the curtain, they rush me to a seat to start my makeup. Jasmine does my makeup and concealer, Wyatt does my eye makeup and eyebrows, and Vanessa touches it up with highlighter and contour. They all work on my hair together, deciding to leave it in lose curls that tumble down my back.

"Wow, Cel," Talia says as she enters the room. She holds a cup of water with a black straw in it. "People are going to want to buy you, not the clothes."