Darkest City

Chapter 14.

14. Thursday's

Sarah was ecstatic!

Dear Miss Lowe,

We have recently become aware of our online presence and have been following your work only recently. From what we can tell you haven't been taken on by a management agency as of yet and our team would love to talk to you further.

Our company has a promotion coming up and would like to offer you a place as one of the models, if you decide to be taken on by the company or not this position would be yours for the duration of the promotion.

The first shoot will be Sunday at the Mabel Headquarters in Main City. We would like to start shooting and talk further with you about payment and future plans.

Kind regards
Annabella Kingstone
Head Management coordinator.

Sarah had to read the email ten or fifty times for it to seem real for her. This was big. Unlike past, smaller brands who have sent her clothes or asked her to pick her own off their site; to take her own photos. Mabel was offering a full, paid, photo shoot at their studio in Main City.

Sarah could hardly contain her excitement when she met Jade at the school gates that morning. Jade couldn't make a word out of Sarah's incoherent squeals. Sarah had to show Jade the email for her to understand.

Milan couldn't even finish saying "Good morning" before she had Sarah's phone pushed so close to her face she couldn't see more than two words!

"You two have to come with me, Sunday! I'm not asking." Sarah stated.

"Of course we will," Milan reassured, after reading the email and feeling just as excited for her best friend.

"I'm so excited I'm not even nervous about the test we have in math's anymore." Sarah and Milan both stopped their happy dance; smiles falling from their faces as they turned to Jade. "What? You didn't know?" Jade asked them both.

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Jade found tests easy. She always kept ahead of the work, she would never allow herself to get behind. Her studies and training kept her focused on looking forward.... Not back.

She still found herself getting nervous before tests, easy as they were; the thought of failing sent anxious shots through her blood, because failing meant getting hurt, at least it used to. The memories still haunted her and the echoing emotions always rang loud in stressful situations.

PTSD, one unwelcome opinion once told her.

It wasn't so bad today. With Sarah's good news fresh in mind, she found herself thinking about Sunday and also found herself, trying not to think about tomorrow.

Luca's number felt heavy in her pocket and a constant wave of thoughts kept her mind distracted. Should I message him? What would I put? Does he even remember he gave me his number?

When lunch came Jade had decided she would message him, if only to stop herself from thinking about it and driving herself crazy.

Arriving at the cafeteria first she grabbed a salad and sat at the usual table. Pulling the crumpled napkin from her pocket she looked over the blue inked numbers; before she could talk herself out of it, she entered the number into her phone.

Hi,

Thanks for the jacket the other night. I'll bring it with me tomorrow to give you it back.

- J.

Jade read over her message more times than she'll admit, hesitant to press the send icon. When she spied Sarah and Milan heading over trays in hand, she quickly hit it before backing out. An anxious shock of doubt went through her. She shook her head trying to shake the nagging thoughts from her mind, no longer thinking of Luca, or the uncomfortable anxiety would eat her alive. If he was to reply, he would; if he didn't.....

Sarah was trying to convince Milan to go to the gym with her tonight.

"You know I can't, it's Thursday," Milan said.

"Please, Milly! Can you cancel on your aunt this once? I need all the motivation I can get! This will be the only night I can go to the gym before the photoshoot!" Sarah pleaded.

"I'm sorry Sarah. With my mother AWOL, I really need to talk to my aunt." Milan hated to let her friend down or disappoint her but she never missed Thursday at her aunt's bakery.

Sarah turned her pleading gaze onto Jade.

"I would but I'm training with Tony tonight."

Sarah looked deflated. "Ok, I guess it's going to be me, myself and I tonight!"

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After saying goodbye to Sarah and Jade at the gates and making plans to meet at Sarah's tomorrow night, Milan headed to Main street. Names for the fact it was the main center of all businesses in the city. Not far from her own workplace, the building rose high into the sky and you couldn't take two steps without knocking shoulder with a businessman carrying either a coffee or balancing a phone between their shoulder and ear; usually both.

Milan loved to people watch and her Auntie Amber's bakery was the best place for it. With the best window seat in town, Milan sipped her caramel latte occasionally picking at the blueberry muffin her Aunt had pushed her way and watched the busy workmen and women of Harlem go about their business. Wishing one day to be plagued with worries about work and not home.

"Chocolate for your thoughts?" Her Aunt slipped into the seat across from her, sliding a bar of mint chocolate in her direction. Milan smiled at the action. As a young girl, she used to get angry at the saying "Penny for your thoughts" because she was too young to want or need pennies so her father changed it to suit her wants and needs.

"Mom messaged me while I was on my way here. She'll be home tomorrow; she's sorry if we were worried; same old." Aunt Amber was already rolling her eyes at the old, re-run words that always come out when Milan's mother runs out of money and resource and comes home.

"I just pray that woman is too old to bear any more children." Her aunt says. "Not that your brother isn't a blessing, I just fear at this age..."

"I get it Auntie; I'm not old enough to be a mother, yet." We both sat for a moment in silence before bursting into a fit of giggles, because the sad truth was, if my mother did have another child, it would fall onto me to raise it.

Movements behind the counter caught her aunt's attention first. The doors that lead through into the kitchen had been slightly opened and a man dressed in a black shirt and pants; stood, watching them both. When Milan followed her gaze the man motioned for them both to follow him.

I guess it's time. Milan thought.

"Help me with these will you." Her aunt picked up the small plate that stood her barely touched muffin and left Milan to carry her almost empty latte, through the doors leading to the kitchen. They both discarded them on the nearest counter, not stopping their movements as the followed the stranger out of the back doors of the kitchen and up the stairs leading to Aunt Ambers flat above her shop.

Milan could smell him before she saw him, cigar smoke and rich cologne, a smell she loved.

Entering Aunt Amber's small kitchen; Carlos Canavan sat at the round table which took up the center of the small room. When his head rose to watch them enter, he rose to meet them.

"Mills!" He greeted opening his arms wide inviting her into an embrace, which she entered so naturally. His big arms engulfed her as they always did, no matter how much she grew she always felt small in his arms.

Marcus Maas was a powerful man, dangerous and to be feared but he wasn't without his weaknesses and his weakness was his son. Carlos saw this, along with his other enemy's. Carlos watched as his biggest competitor had his family attacked again and again. Marcus kept his family together but it wasn't without leaving scars.

Carlos swore to himself he would never have those kinds of weaknesses. Canavan wasn't just seen as a powerful, dangerous man, but also as one of the worst kind of men; a man with nothing to lose.

That's why no one will ever know about Milan Carter and who she is to him.

"Hi, Daddy."  

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Don't hate me for how long it's been!