Page 76 of Pretty Heartache

The buzzing sound of the studio immediately floods my ears, replacing the busy sounds of the city traffic outside. I stop just inside the door and remove my sunglasses. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust as I stuff the glasses inside my purse and search for my best friend.

“Addy!” Ember’s high pitch squeal calls out from across the room. With her arms tucked against her, wearing the largest grin, she shuffles over to me. The squeal never leaves her, even as she wraps her arms around me.

“Ember!” I laugh. “You act like I haven’t seen you in weeks. I just saw you yesterday.”

Her arms dig into my back, holding me close. Resting her chin on my shoulder, she doesn’t let up. “Doesn’t matter. I’m glad you showed up.”

“I told you I would.”

She pulls away, keeping me at arm’s length before she tucks my hair behind my ear, and I know exactly what she’s thinking. She’s working to convince me to do a photo shoot today. Uneaserests at the pit of my stomach, remembering why I came here today: to support my best friend and watch her in her element.

“I know you did.” Her smile fades slightly, her eyes still lit with fire. “But I know it probably wasn’t an easy decision.”

She’s right. It wasn’t.

“It’s going to be a blast.” She bounces on her toes and continues to tuck my hair behind my ear before she traces my jawline. “Fuck. Do you remember me telling you that you had the cheekbones of a model?”

I roll my eyes and groan. “Yes.”

“Well, I would just like to point out how smart I was back then.” She shakes her head in admiration. “Because I was fucking right, and your face hadn’t even fully matured all those years ago.”

“Stop.” I hitch the strap of my bag higher on my shoulder.

“I’m just saying.” She shrugs innocently.

I dart my eyes over her shoulder toward the staging area. “So, what’s going on today?”

“Oh…” She flips her strawberry blonde hair when she turns back to face me. “Small photoshoot for a local makeup company centered here in Boston. They hired me to do the makeup for their ads that they’re going to use in their first storefront.”

“Wow.” I smile.

A warmth spreads and fills my chest. I won’t lie, seeing the white backdrop surrounded by lights and photographers pulls me back into the life I left behind in LA. It’s a mixture of emotions, with a haunting feeling dominating a small glimpse of the dream I once had.

Various types of makeup and hairstyling tools are littered across the stations, all organized and glinting under the bright lights of Ember’s studio.

“This is your studio?” I ask Ember in awe.

“Yep.” She plants her hands on her hips and looks around. She keeps the makeup brush she carried over with her wrapped up in her long fingers. “I don’t always have photoshoots here, but for the smaller companies that hire me, I offer it to them. It’s great, isn’t it?” She scrunches her nose, giggling with pride.

“It’s wonderful.” I grin.

“Come on.” She grabs my hand, pulling me further inside. “I’ll show you around and introduce you.”

After Ember shows me around her small studio and introduces me to the crew and makeup company’s team, I sit in one of the chairs set up for the models. Ember walks to each of the model's chairs, inspecting her assistants' work.

“Oh, my God.” The blonde model sitting in the chair beside me presses her hand to her cheek, with her jaw dropped. Ember’s assistant is working on her contouring, forcing the model to talk to me through her reflection in the mirror. I avoid letting myself look into the mirror in front of me, instead focusing on the blonde model through hers. She grips onto the wooden arms of her seat with her eyes widened. “You’re Adeline Mayfield.”

I feel the heat rush to my cheeks. “Hi,” I say, giving her a small smile.

“I followed yours and your mom’s careers all my life.” She beams, her voice reaching an excited pitch. “You’re the model who made me want to be a model.”

“That’s very sweet of you. Thank you. What’s your name?”

“Merit.” She smiles. “This is only my second photoshoot, but I’m hoping it will build up my portfolio to pitch to agencies.”

“Everyone starts out somewhere.”

“Right.” She sits back in her chair and closes her eyes. The makeup artist working on her sweeps a brush across her face, blending in her contour. “Are you taking pictures for the campaign also?”

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