Page 32 of Doll Face

“Oh! There you are. Sending your girlfriend to answer your phone first was a slick move. I gave her an earful already,” she snaps.

“I wasn’t sending her. She didn’t know about yesterday.”

“She didn’t know she was the reason you left a very important shoot for nonsense?”

“It wasn’t nonsense and I don’t have to explain my personal life to you,” I snap back.

“Well, with that attitude you might not have a professional life either.”

“Look, I’m sorry I left the shoot but it was a family emergency, and in all my years with the agency, I never once left or even arrived late. So, you might want to cut me some slack. I’m one of the longest models you’ve had, and I deserve an inch of respect and some flexibility,” I explain. “Now, what did you say to my girlfriend?”

“I basically told her she was the reason you were in trouble with the agency and that it was some bogus emergency,” she says.

“Well, that wasn’t your place. She has enough going on without you putting things on her that aren’t her fault.” I growl.

“Are you coming to the shoot tomorrow?” she asks angrily.

“Yes. Like I said, I’ve never been late or missed one. I’m not starting now.” I hang up before she can say anything else.

I pace around the room, looking for a sign or something. If I go after her, I might not find her, and then there’s no way she’d let me back in so we can talk. I know how stubborn she can be. But if I stay here will she come back? I mean, it is her home so she eventually has to come back. But will she be upset with me for not coming after her? I hate this. I just want to go back to last night where we were sleeping together, and I was thinking about forever with her.

Just as I’m pacing around the room, an idea hits me. I pick up my phone and call Ken. Thankfully, he picks up on the second ring. I know we don’t have any shoots today so he’s free as a bird and owes me a favor. Once I tell him the plan, he agrees and he’s at Barbie’s apartment within the hour.

“Thank you!” I kiss him on the cheek and take the bag from him. I owe him for this.

“Of course. I can’t stand in the way of true love. Besides, Carla is way out of line. You had to put your love first; I’ve never seen you do that so she must be something special.”

“She really is.”

“Well, I’ll get out of here before she comes back. Good luck!” He hugs me and is out the door and into the elevator in a matter of a minute or two.

I wait in Barbie’s apartment for her to show up, knowing I might be kicked out the second she arrives. No matter what, it’ll all work out. She just needs some time and space to cool off—to think about things. I get that, but I need to show and prove to her that I’m not going anywhere. I hear the ding of the elevator and the key at the front door, and not long later, Barbie’s walking in.

“W-what are you still doing here?” She looks at me, with rounded eyes and raised eyebrows. Her clothes are soaked as if she walked through the rain but I don’t ask about that.

“I thought we could talk.” I smile.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I talked enough with your manager,” she snarls.

“Barbie, you didn’t get the full story.”

“Then tell me you didn’t leave work for me. Tell me you didn’t almost get fired because of me.” She crosses her arms, and I stay silent.

“See!” She lets out a sigh.

“Barbie, of course I chose you over work. I’m not saying I always can or it’ll be easy to. But I chose you because you needed me. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.” I huff.

“But that’s a lot of pressure to put on someone.”

“So don’t put that pressure on yourself. There was a reason I didn’t tell you about the shoot,” I explain.

“So you waited here all day?” she asks.

“I did.” I nod. “I had Ken stop by with supplies I thought I might need to smooth things over.”

“What kind of things?” She eyes the bag curiously.

“Roses, your favorite. Your favorite kind of champagne and a box of your favorite chocolates—which are very hard to find.” I laugh, pulling the things out of the bag one by one.

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