Rina got to the fashion house exactly ten minutes before 6 pm and headed straight for the runway. The models were there already, much to Rina’s delight, looking well-rested and better than they’d looked the last time. They welcomed her with anticipation on their faces.
She searched for Rita amongst the faces, smiling at her when she saw her laughing with another model, her blonde hair catching in the light. It was a great sight to behold, and it made Rina glad she had asked them to return home that day.
Dropping her purse in front of the room, Rina gathered them together to remind them of all that Joel had said the previous day, as well as the areas they ought to be looking at improving on. They were going to be walking with the music now, and she expected them all to remember that they were walking in beat with it, and that would affect how long they were meant to wait for the model on the runway before they stepped into it. It needed to be uniform.
Joel poked his head in and muttered something about retiring for the day.
“Hold on,” Rina called to him. “I need to tell you something before you leave.”
Always having time for Rina no matter the situation, Joel urged her on with a warm smile. Excusing herself, she walked with Joel to the elevator door but didn’t get in.
“Is this about the movie date?” Joel asked, getting ahead of himself. “Did you already make a decision?”
“It’s not about that,” Rina replied ruefully. To be honest, the minute Zayn had picked her up she’d totally forgotten about his offer. That meant she was going to need more time to think about it. But she didn’t think it was the most polite thing to tell Joel. So instead, she went straight into the reason she’d asked to see him.
“I’m going to walk the runway,” she breathed, her eyes holding a combination of excitement and anxiety. “You can unveil me there.”
“You’re not kidding me, are you?” Joel had to confirm. The excitement was right at the tip of his body but he needed to know that this was for real. As much as he’d told Rina that the ball was in her court and that she could decide whenever she wanted the world to know who she was, a huge part of him hoped that she would come around and agree to do it at the international fashion show.
Not only was it going to have the right audience, but it was going to also be a great marketing strategy, and Zayn Graham was going to be there. Joel needed to see the look on his face when he found out the anonymous model was someone they all knew but denied when she got into a fix. Joel was certain it was bound to change the way Zayn spoke to him.
“I’m serious,” Rina answered, chuckling. “I thought about it earlier today and decided that I can’t wait anymore just because I don’t think I’m ready when the truth is that I don’t think I’d ever be. The best way to get over these things is to jump into it with a head start.
“You don’t know how ecstatic you’ve made me this evening!” Joel picked Rina up suddenly, turning around with her suspended in his arms. Rina laughed in the air and asked Joel to put her down. Realizing what he’d done, he dropped her back on her feet and looked at her apologetically.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, a grin still on his face. “I was just so excited about your decision that it got the better of me.”
“That’s fine,” Rina said. “Anyone would have reacted the same way.” In her head, she added ‘except for Zayn’ unconsciously. These days, she tended to compare everything and anything with Zayn, like he was the ideal standard of measurement.
And finding out her subconscious didn’t mean she wanted it to stop.
“Thank you!” Joel gushed. “Thank you so much for doing this.”
“I’m doing it for myself, but still, you’re welcome.”
“Of course,” Joel chuckled. “Rina Powers is back, better and stronger.”
“I’ve got to go back to the models. I think I’ve been gone for too long already.”
“Does this mean you’re going to practice with them?”
“No.” Rina shook her head. “They have no clue that I’d be walking with them and I want to leave it that way just in case they get tempted to tell their close buddies since it would make no difference with the fashion show only a month away. It’s going to be a surprise for them as well as the host of persons present.”
“So, I’d be the only person aware,” Joel toyed with the idea in his head, and he fell in love with it immediately. It made him feel like he was in an intimate place with Rina, enough to know something important about her that no one else knew. He was headed somewhere with her, or at least, that was what he thought. And it sure was bound to create a light spring in his steps as he returned home that evening.
In fact, he thought it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have a little feast for himself. Not believing there was anything like over-pushing it, he turned to Rina.
“Can I invite you over to my place this evening? It won’t be anything serious. Just a bottle of white wine.”
“And what do I tell the models?”
“Oh! Shit!” Joel had forgotten the rehearsals today were going to span through the night. Now, he felt really bad for leaving them this early.
“Will you be needing anything during the night? I can stay back to make things a little easier.”
“Nah,” Rina waved his offer away. “We can handle it ourselves. It’s not a big deal. I’m sure you must have been busy throughout the day. We only just got in so we’ve had enough rest already.”
And Rina didn’t want him to see Zayn picking her up again.