Chick Lit Weekly Prompt Entries 2018 and Flash Fiction Prompts

Exposure - Prompt #28

Note: when I saw the picture, I decided that I had to write this as British.  I hope I did the superior English justice.

Jane surveyed the ridiculous scene. Which creative team came up with this one? What did she know? She was just an assistant at the ad agency and spent more time getting tea and coffee than anything else.

Lately she'd been assigned to assist photo shoots which was why she'd work until ten o'clock the night before wrapping empty boxes in pink paper. How that was going to sell diamond rings, she had no bloody idea.

She couldn't understand the choice of an old drab mini cooper. It was as boring this grey morning, but they weren't selling the car. They were pawning a dream, an illusion, a fantasy.

Behind her as she contemplated the large prop that would end up on the glossy pages of OK! and Glamour, the crew was setting up.

Benny, the Italian photographer hollered, "Where is my model? I need my model!"

Jane looked around and saw the male model. She stared a bit too long at his god-like perfection. Too ruddy beautiful, she cursed.

The creative director, Wills Clarke, started looking around as well. Jane hadn't seen any tall gorgeous woman lingering about.

"Jane!" Wills called, "Call the office! Find our model!"

After a plethora of phone calls, she was forced to tell Wills that Tatiana abandoned them for a shoot in Milan.

Benny yelled in Italian and ended with, "Find someone! Find anyone!"

In an instant, Wills said, "Jane. Yes, Jane will model."

Her stomach tightened and suddenly felt rather nauseous. Don't let me leave sick on the pavement, she thought as she shook her head repeatedly, no, no, no.

"You have to. Your job is to assist in any way necessary to make this shoot a success."

"But I'm not a model. I'm much too plain. Jane rhymes with plain."

Wills laughed. She was ready to vomit and he laughed. She needed this job.

Benny came and looked her over with a scrutinizing eye.

"Hum, bellissima? Sì bellissima!"

"It's sorted then. Jane go! Hair, makeup, wardrobe! Quickly we're wasting time."

As she sat and was fussed over her nerves didn't calm. She was tall like a model, but not thin enough. Models probably weren't even seven stone. She was more than eight. When it was time to slip into the dress similar in colour to the dark wrapping paper had she used for those packages, she heard whispering, "Lovely... Wow..."

She'd never heard words like that said about her. Then she turned to see Wills staring at her. Wills, the man she'd had a mad crush on since her first day at the agency. She spilt coffee on his shiny shoe. He could have fired her, but instead when she went to clean it, he yelled, "Don't!"

She remembered looking up his tall body at him. He said, "Get up. I can clean my own blasted shoe."

Now he was smiling at her and she felt lightheaded. This intoxicated feeling somehow helped her through pose after pose. Every time she looked at Wills, he was smiling at her, with his almost perfect white teeth except for the adorable crooked eye tooth. She'd feel another surge of euphoria and smiled for Wills --- the camera.

Even paired with the gorgeous model, it was all Wills. When they were finally through the grey morning had given way to a greyer afternoon.

For Jane, the sun was shining, because Wills approached her and said, "Well done."

Back at the agency, Wills called her in and invited her to sit at his desk. He leaned behind her and she could smell the faint scent of his after shave mixed with a manly musk. He clicked through the digital photos taken on her that morning.

Jane couldn't believe it was her. She looked alluring, even sexy.

"Wow!" she said.

"Beautiful." When he spoke, she felt his breath on her neck sending goose bumps across her flesh. "We must celebrate... on me."

Jane smiled and graciously agreed, but all she could think was, 'on me'... on you whilst I run my tongue over that eye tooth and my fingers...

(Word count 654)