Page 46 of Perfectly Imperfect Us
Ryder’s eyebrows lifted. “It’s the premiere position. Seems Ginnie has a lot of confidence in you, my love.”
I could kill her.
No, I could squeeze her for days for giving me this opportunity. My feelings flip-flopped, not unlike my stomach at the moment. Maybe I’d squeeze her and then kill her. The line began to move as the first models went out onto the stage. I flung my hands out and tried to keep from sweating through the beautiful dress. Ryder rubbed my back and whispered things I couldn’t actually hear due to the rushing noise in my ears until it was almost my turn to step out.
“I’m going to throw up,” I grumbled, not really joking.
Ryder grabbed my face and spun me toward him. “No, you’re not. You’re going to go out there and show everyone how confident you’ve become. Beautiful girl, you can do hard things.”
Then he spun me back around and pushed me through the curtain.
The lights hit me first, blinding me and making me wince for a brief second. Then I remembered that kid in elementary school who’d pointed at me and taunted me. I recalled the years I’d spent slathering on foundation to hide who I was. The days I’d cancelled on pool parties where I didn’t think I could control the water washing away my disguise.
I rolled my shoulders back and began to walk. I didn’t see anyone’s face or hear any comments. The world around me went fuzzy and I focused on how I felt. A smile tugged at my lips until I was positively beaming. I was at a fashion show in Los Angeles, modeling clothes made by my new friend, a supermodel boyfriend who loved me and believed in me, just waiting for me to show the world I was me. Perfectly imperfect skin and all.
I reached the end of the catwalk, striking a pose that felt both natural and powerful and then turning to head back. The moment felt surreal as I tried to soak it all in. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it was over in less than a minute. By the time I reached the curtain, Ginnie was pushing us all back out onto the stage. The crowd clapped and flashes went off everywhere. I kept smiling, almost laughing at how much fun it would be to tell this story to my girls when Ryder and I got home.
Ginnie finally came through the curtain and the crowd stood, their claps turning into wild cheers that made me so proud of her. She stepped up to a microphone off to the side, and once the cheers settled, she spoke.
“Thank you all for coming today. I’m so blown away that anyone even came!” The crowd laughed and then she continued. “I showed up on the fashion scene only a few years ago and you all embraced me. As someone who looks different than what I saw in the fashion magazines growing up, that was a huge moment for me. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to become a designer of clothing, something I also thought could never happen for me. But I’ve realized dreams come true every single day when we only reach for them and believe in ourselves. To that end, I’d like to thank a special someone today who just realized his own dream. Ryder Steele, will you please come out on stage?”
I gasped and suddenly my eyes were burning. A few seconds later, Ryder came out on stage, his camera still around his neck, looking slightly embarrassed about being called on stage. He moved toward Ginnie as she waved him over.
“Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for my official photographer for the evening!” Ginnie started clapping and the audience joined in after a moment of whispering amongst themselves. They probably wondered why Ryder wasn’t one of the models instead of backstage with a camera.
When the applause died down, Ginnie turned back to the microphone, her hand keeping a firm grip on Ryder’s arm to keep him by her side. Smart girl. He probably would have made a run for it.
“If you’d like more information on my clothing line, you know where to find me online. If you want behind-the-scenes pictures from today’s show, you can find them on Ryder Steele dot com. For makeup tutorials that guided the looks you saw here tonight, head to Ava A Beauty channel on YouTube. Ava Mendez, will you wave to the crowd so they know who’s the makeup genius?”
I stepped forward and waved, completely gobsmacked at Ginnie’s generosity. I’d remember this moment forever and I’d take the lesson with me. Always reach out, always be a giver, and always use your voice for good.
* * *
The after-party was just as epic as the fashion show, the who’s who of fashion on the West Coast in attendance, along with some celebrities. Ryder didn’t leave my side as we stepped off the red carpet and into the huge ballroom at a swanky hotel. We’d both been pretty emotional after the show, profusely thanking Ginnie as she kept insisting it was nothing. We all knew it was a lot more than nothing, but the woman wouldn’t take any credit for helping both our careers with just her endorsement of us.
More flashes went off, the press and paparazzi getting pictures of everyone on the red carpet and even inside the ballroom. I could barely see as we entered the ballroom, blinking until the flashes of light behind my eyelids went away.
“Congrats, you guys!” Skylar’s voice cut through my blinking marathon.
“Skylar?” I gaped.
She and Max stood there all dressed up, smiling at Ryder and me. The day had been so full of surprises, I could barely keep up. She pulled me into a hug and Max and Ryder followed suit.
“What are you guys doing here?” Ryder asked, putting his arm around my waist and holding me close as I snuggled in.
Max spread his hands wide. “You think we’d miss my best friend’s photography debut?”
“Or my best friend’s modeling debut?” Skylar added with a smirk.
My eyes misted up for the thousandth time that day. “You guys are the best.” And then it was another hug fest until Ryder pulled me back with a laugh.
“Can we get a photo of you two?” a voice off to our left asked.
We all spun around, surprised the photogs wanted our picture. Well, not Max and Ryder, who already had practiced smiles in place like the professionals they were. Skylar and I would have to get used to this. The guy took Max and Skylar’s picture and then turned to us, an eager smile on his face.
“Are you two officially a couple?” he asked, his finger darting back and forth between us.
Ryder looked down at me, a secret smile on his handsome face. His eyes held such promise and love I couldn’t help but smile back. Forgetting everything around us, he leaned down and kissed me softly.
