Page 6 of Flawless

“Well, dressing you is an honor. I’ve always dreamt of dressingasa model, but to dress a supermodel is the highest honor.”

I smile before Mel pushes Nicole out of the way and steps close to me once more. Mel places her hands on my shoulders. “Are you good, kid?”

“I’m good, Mel.”

“Okay, come on. It’s show time,” she says, winking at me and turning me towards the door of my dressing room.

I sashay down the short hall to the studio where my show is taped. The doors are instantly pulled open for me, and I waltz out onto the stage to thunderous applause from my studio audience.

“Dani!” They repeatedly chant as the music for the show is cued.

I bow before them and blow several kisses as my curls sweep over my shoulders and then back in place when I stand. They’re still cheering as I make my way to my seat. I blow a few more kisses, wave, and then finally sit down.

Crossing my right leg over my left, I pick up my glass of wine that waits on my table for me at every show and take a sip.

“You guys are full of energy and excitement today. Are you ready for Tia Santana?” I ask, referencing today’s special guest.

“Yes!” They shout amid catcalls from several of the men in the audience.

I chat with my guests just a little longer before I introduce our special guest, Tia. She walks out with a broad smile, wearing a daring, short, yellow dress paired with black stilettos.

I stand and hug her before we exchange air kisses. When the audience applause dies down, I turn to Tia and say, “Girl, I’m loving that hair color on you.”

She smiles and turns from side to side, showing it off to the audience who cheers again.

“Y’all like it?” she asks, looking from me to the audience.

Over their cheers and screams, I reply, “Girl, we love it! Honey blonde definitely pairs well with your bronze skin tone.”

“Thank you! I just came back from vacation in Rio and got a tan,” she gushes.

“Honey, you have the most gorgeous skin. You’re naturally tan and beautiful.”

Tiny pinpricks of heat creep along my skin. They feel like little needles poking me, and I try to push away the uncomfortable sensation.

“Thanks, Dani. So are you!”

“So, Rio?”

“Yes,” she says, smiling broadly. “After filmingLover’s Sabbatical,I needed a break.”

“I heard that you guys worked twenty hours a day, six days a week for four and a half months.”

“Girl, yes! I haven’t had a chance to see my family, scream at the top of my lungs, or anything. The one day that we had off each week, I was too tired to fly back home to California.”

“And you all filmed in different locales, correct?” I ask, noticing that my mouth is becoming dry.

I shove the glass of wine on my table aside in favor of the bottled water.

“Yes, we did. We were in New York, Belize, Bogotá, Florida, and back to New York again for those four and a half months. When I say that a girl was tired!”

Laughing, I reply, “Most people would consider that a vacation.”

“Please. What I do may look like fun, but it’s hard work. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but it can be very demanding.”

“And Cal Walker. How was it working with him?”

The audience whistles and grows rowdy again, making Tia laugh at them. I see a slight blush creeping up her cheeks which makes me wonder about that.

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