Beautiful People | wlw

Three: Agreements

The sky was a hazy soft blue, sunlight oozing golden through the smog. Carmen's driver had picked Vera up at the airport, and she had spent the drive trying not to goggle at everything like a useless tourist. Sure, this was Los Angeles, but it was just a city, ocean on one side and mountains on the other, not so different from home. There were a lot more palm trees, though. She let herself take a couple of photos. And a selfie. She would send them to Ivy when she finally told her what she was doing. Maximum impact.

The houses got bigger, the hedges higher, and the gates sturdier as they wound up the narrow streets. Tourists on an open-roofed bus peered down at the car as they passed, and Vera was glad for the darkly tinted windows. The tourists were probably imagining someone famous was inside the car, and it was kind of fun to be the source of that fantasy.

After buzzing through security at a black iron gate, the driver eased the car slowly up a curving drive. Vera peered out the window as a house appeared from behind the trees, wide windows and peach stucco and curved tiles on the roof. A sleek red sports car was parked at an angle by the door, and the driver pulled up beside it carefully.

He left the engine running while he hopped out to unload Vera's luggage. Unfolding herself from the roomy backseat, Vera straightened her shirt. Her outfit was carefully curated to look casual but professional, from the strappy black bra under the silky white shirt to the cherry-red heels. At home it was still cool, spring fighting for a foothold, but here the air was warm, and she was glad she hadn't worn a coat.

"Good luck," the driver told her, with a laugh that did nothing for her confidence.

He took the car away as Vera stepped up to the doorway, nerves in her throat.

It took a very long time for someone to come to the door, and when it was pulled open at last, the woman who stood there was not Carmen. She might have been a few years older than Vera. Diffuse sunlight gave her dark skin a cobalt undertone and flashed off the silver beads adorning her waist-length locs. She wore high-waisted jeans and a loose pink shirt. And she was curvy. Very curvy. In fact, Vera would have said fat if she didn't have recently traumatic memories of bridesmaids gasping in horror.

One hand still curled around the door, the woman looked a long way down at her, arching one perfect brow. "You're the influencer," she said. It wasn't a question.

"That's me," Vera said, smiling widely and straightening up to her full height, which made no difference at all. The woman still towered over her. "Vera Kwan." She stuck out her hand awkwardly, because that's what you were supposed to do when you met someone in a professional capacity, right?

The woman stared at Vera's floating hand for a moment, just long enough for Vera to feel like this handshake thing had been a terrible mistake.

Then she said, "Sharise Carter," and put her hand into Vera's. Her palm was very warm. "I'm Carmen's manager." Then, as they let go, and Vera's excitement was starting to bubble back up to overwhelm the nerves, Sharise added, "My assistant said you were arriving tomorrow."

"Oh. Uh. Nope, it's today," Vera said, laughing like the misunderstanding was funny instead of a little concerning.

Sharise didn't smile. "What's with the luggage?"

Vera glanced back at her two huge bulging suitcases where they huddled at the bottom of the step. Yes, she had probably overpacked, but she was trying to sell herself as someone who knew something about fashion. She couldn't look like a slob. And who knew what sort of events she might end up going to while she was here? She had to be prepared for anything. "Yeah, I know it's a lot, but I think--"

"No, I mean, why didn't you leave it at the hotel? Is that stuff for Carmen or something? You probably didn't need to do that."

"Hotel?" Vera repeated stupidly. She didn't like the way Sharise was looking at her like this whole thing was a huge waste of her time. "I, uh. No, it's mine. Your assistant said she'd have somewhere for me to stay, and the driver just brought me here, so..."