Olivia
After we had lunch, Karen and I went to her studio. I wanted to see how the photoshoot doing. And right now, I watched Karen doing her modeling job, it was amazing. She changed her poses in an instant at the photographer’s request.
Karen was like dancing by the blitz.
“Good, Karen. Good,” the photographer complimented her again. Karen was always smiling when she got her picture taken. She got the talent for sure and no wonder she wanted to take on modeling more seriously. And I was going to support her no matter what.
I had fun while I was at Karen’s house. I got to see her parents after a while and I could see that they were enjoying their alone time last night. Even to the point where Karen asked them if they had made a sibling for her which made them blushing furiously.
And earned her a lecture from her father.
“Alright, Karen. Good job! This is why I enjoy working with you,” he said again. I smiled listening to him and by the time Karen was looking at me. She smiled at me while I looked so proud of her. She might be sucked at school but she was the best at modeling.
I wished the best for her. I knew Karen could reach her dream.
And that was when I was thinking about myself.
What did I want from my life? I never thought of it before. All I did was to be a good daughter and a good student so I won’t cause any problems to school and Blake.
I didn’t have any dreams at all. All I did, everything, was because I wanted to have a life without any trouble. Was this normal?
Blake never asked me if I wanted to continue his company. All I could think of was enrolled in Oxford to get out of his house but now…
I was questioning myself.
It was more like I was running away. From him.
My relationship with Blake has turned to a better way. It was like before again. I had no purpose in running away from him anymore. I thought that if I could enter Oxford, Blake would be proud of me but…I was lost.
Was this really what I wanted to do?
Was I really wanted to be far away from him?
Was this…how did I felt to Blake?
“What’s wrong, little one?” someone suddenly asked as I turned my head to the side and saw a man standing very close to me. “Why are you wrinkling your eyebrows and looks like you are going to cry?”
“What?” I blinked and my eyes were already watery and ready to spill. Oh, God.
“No, I wasn’t crying. I was just…thinking about something.”
“Well, definitely you’re not thinking something good,” he said. He was right though but there was no way I would share this with strangers. I took a better look at him and he looked like he was in his early 20. Brunette hair and a pair of brown eyes. He looked amazingly stunning.
“Are you friends with Karen?”
“Oh, yes. I am.” I looked at where Karen was and she has just changed her clothes into a business one. Wow, she looks good at those outfits.
“Are you interested to be a model like her?” he asked and I looked at him. He was smiling and man, he was charming.
“No. Modeling isn’t really my thing and I’m not like Karen.”
“Don’t say that. If you said that you are not like Karen, well people had their own uniqueness, don’t you think?”
“Um, I guess so.”
“You have your own beauty, little one. Don’t downgrade yourself,” he added and went back to see Karen again. “Karen is amazing and she could do her job professionally despite her young age. For an amateur size, she’s doing a good job and for a young age, she’s not spoiled. Unlike other young models. You should be proud of her,” this man complimented. I couldn’t help but smile at his words.
“I’m so proud of her,” I said and he smiled at me.
He turned to me and reached out his hand to me. “I’m afraid I haven’t introduced myself to you. Stewart Shaw. I’m a model just like Karen.”
“Olivia Morgan,” I shook his hand where he looked like he wanted to ask some question to me.
“Morgan? Are you Blake Morgan’s relatives?”
“Um, I’m his daughter.” Stewart looked surprised and I pulled my hand from him.
“Oh, wow. It’s an honor then.”
“Thanks.”
“Alright, that’s it!” I could hear the photographer’s voice and they were just done with the photoshoot. “Thirty minutes break, Karen,” he said and Karen immediately went to me.
Her eyes went to Stewart and she stopped in front of me. “Hi, Stewart!”
“Karen.”
“I see you have met my friend. But I’m afraid it’s your turn now.”
“Sure. Well then, Olivia? I’ll see you again,” he parted with me.
“How did you two talk with each other?” Karen asked.
“He…suddenly showed up. Right next to me.”
“He is my senior and the one who taught me every basic skill as a model. He’s a great guy, model, and a friend as well,” she explained and I looked up to her as her eyes were fixed on Stewart who was just starting. Karen turned to me and said, “We should get something to eat I’ll explain about him while eating.”
We went to the canteen together. We had donuts with different beverages. I had a vanilla smoothie while Karen had plain water.
“When I first joined this agency, I don’t have any friends. Everyone, especially the girls were looking at me as a rival, not a colleague. I understand because we are going to be competing for a job. The more we got a job, the higher we cost,” Karen explained and she paused. She looked at her donuts. Looking rather sad.
“I thought that even though we were rivals at work, we can still be friends. But they didn’t want that. And Stewart showed up. He told me to not bother with their negative comments and focus on what I wanted to do. Besides I’m doing this job not to look for a friend. Getting a friend is a bonus but getting a lot of jobs so I would be known across the country…that’s my motivation.”
I smiled listening to her. It was sad because nobody wanted to be friends with her because they saw her as a threat. But at least, someone wanted to talk to her and maybe…becoming her friend.
“I really look up to him but I don’t love him.”
“Why not? He looks like a good guy.”
“Stewart is not interested, for now. He told me that before and I was just not interested in him that way as well. He is my senior and I respect him greatly. He’s quite older than me, 24 years old. Australian. I’m still a minor and he shouldn’t bother himself by touching a minor.”
“But, didn’t you say before that you are not a vir—”Karen immediately shut me out by putting her hand on my mouth.
“Please don’t say that to anyone because until now…I have no idea who slept with me that night.”
I was shocked when she said that. “But you said he was a model?”
“I was drunk that night, Liv. I thought of him as a model because the people around me were my colleague so I instantly thought that he was a model. I only remember that I took a lot of beers and I was out like a feather. I remembered the male models around me were ready to devour me but someone was there and he punched them and that’s when I fainted.”
“What happened after that?”
“I woke up in a hotel room with the guy who saved me. I asked his name but he didn’t want to tell me. He was literally mocking me for not drinking because I was still sixteen and I should take better care of myself.”
“He knew you are still sixteen?” Karen nodded her head. “Don’t you think that the person clearly knows who you are? Is it Stewart?”
“I don’t know. Maybe not. I was still drunk when I woke up, Liv. The alcohol rate on my system was high and I had no idea what was gotten into my mind and I…seduced him.” Oh, my God.
I couldn’t believe my best friend did that. All I knew that she slept with a model but she never told me the detail.
I could only conclude that the guy just lost his morality and slept with her. “And what did you do to him in the morning?”
Karen inhaled and let out her breath slowly. She drank the water before she continued. “That’s when I felt so guilty and ashamed of myself.”
“What happened?”
“When I was already in my right mind, I was shocked because I did it with some random guy that I didn’t even know about. I didn’t want to get into trouble so after I woke up, I only left a note saying thank you for taking care of me and left. He never looked for me which is a good thing because I don’t want to get into trouble with a stranger.”
I was speechless. Like, literally.
“You need to be careful. You’re lucky because the guy didn’t do anything. Maybe you won’t be the next time you got into the same trouble again.”
“I will surely be careful next time.”
“Well, you should stay away from alcohol for at least two years, young lady,” Stewart suddenly showed up. “She is bad at beers and got drunk easily.”
“Well, the stuff is better than soda.”
“Indeed, but your body can’t take it. Not for now. Anyways, it’s your turn now.”
“Already?” Karen looked at me.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll keep Olivia company for a while until you finished,” he said and I smiled at Karen.
“Alright then.” Karen stood up. “I’ll be right back, Liv. You better not touch her, mate.”
Stewart laughed at Karen’s attempt to imitated Stewart’s accent. “Don’t worry. I promise.” And Karen left leaving me with this stunning stranger guy.