×

After the one-hour photo shoot with other models, Jessi had to wait for Kel to finish her lunch break.

Kel was one of the two models to be shot for the commercial. Probably a couple minutes of video recordings in the lab-inspired part of the set design. The other model was a tall guy who was kind of a Tyson Beckford lookalike. He definitely looked good in a white lab coat. No doubt about that. No makeup needed, so Jessi had finished the foundation retouch on him in no time.

They were all chatting with the crew and enjoying their lunches in the corner of the studio-type venue. The creative team had assistants who ordered food for them all, but Jessi just felt too excited to eat.

All she ate was a sandwich, with some cranberry juice and delicious cashew nuts for munchies.

"Hey, Jessiah. Could you check on Kel? See if she's still in the bathroom," the photographer requested with a polite smile. He got up from the chair and started fiddling with the shooting lights again.

"Yeah. Sure." Jessi put down her bottle of juice and unzipped her jacket. She recalled the bathroom in the other side of the building was warmer than the photo shoot set.

"Thanks," the photographer replied. "Ask her if she wants some salad instead. She didn't finish her sandwich."

"Yeah. Okay. Be back in a minute." Jessi proceeded to the other side of the building and found the door to the bathroom ajar.

Kel stood by the sink, leaning over it. The faucet was running and the model's hips were pressing onto the edge of the sink with her head hanging low and almost touching the bathroom mirror. She was retching, and she sounded like she was making an effort to vomit, but unsuccessfully.

Jessi froze before she could knock on the door to let her presence be known. Was it stomach flu or...bulimia? She pursed her lips and waited for Kel to turn off the faucet.

When Kel stopped retching and turned the faucet off, a heavy silence in the spacious bathroom prompted Jessi to step inside. She had to check on Kel if she was feeling under the weather or something.

"Kel, you okay?"

"Oh— Hi. Yeah," Kel muttered after giving her a quick glance. Her fairly pointed, upturned nose and her eyes were a bit puffy now. They were also teary, as if she'd been crying for a while. "I'm fine," she said after coughing.

"You sure?" Jessi asked as she stood in front of the model. She closed and locked the door to give the young woman some privacy.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Kel gave her a small smile. It looked terribly forced.

Jessi tried not to show a frown after seeing the slightly ruined mascara on the model's thick lashes. "If you're not feeling well, we could reschedule tomorrow. So you can rest a bit," she suggested, to which Kel shook her head almost instantly.

"No. No. I'm good." Kel gave her another smile and wiped the tears off her eyes with some tissues. Her smile looked less fake this time. "Sorry. Messed up the mascara."

"It's nothing. We'll do a quick retouch. You want some salad? Or...something to drink?"

"No. But thanks." Kel cleared her throat. Even her soft voice sounded nasal, like she'd been crying. "Let's get this show done so you can go back to LA tonight."

"I seriously don't mind if we reschedule the commercial shoot. My boss doesn't need me back in LA yet, far as I know."

"No. Let's finish the shoot. The photographer and the crew might be busy tomorrow."

"Okay..." Jessi murmured, unsure if she should keep pushing to reschedule. She could tell Kel was overworked and rather skinny. Almost the skinniest model among the others back there, in fact.

Kel had her back to her again. She coughed and stood against the sink with the faucet running again. "You guys waitin' on me? Sorry."

"No. They just wanted me to ask you if you wanted something else to eat. Nigel noticed you didn't finish your sandwich."

"Oh. Yeah. I couldn't...finish the whole thing." Kel sniffled and blew her nose while she leaned over the sink.

"Stomach flu? Or..." Jessi watched while Kel kept washing her hands with soap.

"I wish." Kel snickered.

It sounded like a nervous laugh, and Jessi felt intrigued for some reason. "Acid reflux?" Jessi pulled a face and waited.

"No." Kel turned off the faucet and stood up straight now but her head was hanging low. She kept her back to Jessi while her gaze focused on her reflection in the mirror. Kel was staring at her lower abdomen, her manicured hands neatening the mild creases of the skintight white blouse she was wearing.

Another awkward silence filled the bathroom. Jessi ignored the gut feeling telling her that the woman needed some significant comforting. But Jessi didn't want to seem intrusive. When she saw and heard Kel sobbing onto her palm the next second, her suspicions were confirmed. Jessi stepped forward and gently stroked the woman's back.

"Sorry. I just need..." Kel took a deep breath and tried not to cry anymore, fanning her pretty and somewhat heart-shaped face with her dainty hands. "To stop being such a crybaby and get it together."

"You want me to wait outside? Or tell them we'll just reschedule?"

"No. No; stay," Kel hastily replied while she tried more deep breaths to calm herself down. "I'll be fine. I just need to..." She cleared her throat and massaged her temples and forehead.

"You need something?" Jessi handed her another piece of tissue.

"No but thanks," Kel murmured before blowing her nose onto the wrinkled tissue.

"Can I ask? What's the matter?" 

"Ugh! It's just..." Kel began with a forced grin.  "The pressure, y'know? Gets to me all the time. It's just stressin' me out."

"Sorry. That you feel that way," Jessi muttered while stroking the woman's arm to try to comfort her.  "Can relate, though." She tried a chuckle to lighten up the mood. She could tell Kel didn't want to seem emotional again in front of her.

"Just the training and fatigue...loans and...everything else." Kel grunted and massaged the bridge of her slightly puffier nose. "I miss my dad, too."

"I see. He doesn't live here in New York?"

"Passed away last year," Kel replied in a quieter voice while carefully wiping what was left of her tears. "Or was it two years ago? Not sure..." She smiled weakly. "Been training nonstop sometimes I forget what day it is." Kel laughed softly and glanced at her.

"Sorry to hear." Jessi leaned against the sink now so she stood closer to Kel.

"Shucks. I ruined my makeup. Sorry."

"I really don't mind." Jessi shook her head faintly. "You still got a full commercial to shoot, girl. Pretty sure it would take an hour at least."

"I bet."

"You'd want to feel a little better, before stepping back in front of the cameras."

"I wish I could just switch it off. Really..." Kel sighed and tilted her head upward. "But life's really testing me this year. And I'm just..." Kel scoffed and kept staring blankly at the ceiling. "Failing so bad."

"Hear, hear," Jessi mumbled, taking in the anxiety and disappointment in the woman's tone. What was she regretful about? "Anything I can do to help you feel better?"

"You listening to my midday rants is more than enough."

Jessi laughed shortly and stroked the model's shoulder. If they were actually friends, Jessi felt like Kel would be like an older sister to her...something she'd always wished to have permanently in her life.

Being an only child and her parents moving away a lot since she was a teen didn't exactly help her form lasting friendships over the years.

"You got a boyfriend? Or plans to get married soon?"

Jessi made a face and shook her head. "Too focused on my career goals, as you are. Actually I just moved to LA, like that," she narrated with a snap of her fingers. "Just to get this job."

"Good for you." Kel smiled and glanced at her. "At least you look like you're havin' fun."

"Three hours sleep last night but, yeah. I'm enjoyin' it so far." Jessi crossed her arms and regarded the woman slouching beside her. "What about you? Always wanted to be a doctor?"

"Not really." Kel giggled. "My mom kinda...pushed me into med school after I suddenly quit my first job."

"What was your first job?"

"Lab tech. In a small hospital in Schenectady."

"Oh. You...didn't like it?"

"After almost a year, I just resigned," Kel said with a frown. "Wasn't a tenured position anyway."

"Yeah. Suppose the pay wasn't good, either?"

"Nah. Depressed me a little, actually. Also because my dad was sick all the time and...I still had thousands of student loans to pay off but I didn't even like my job." Kel feigned a chuckle.

"So, then you went to Italy? To work as a model full-time?"

"Yeah. Met Miles and his family. Then Enzo," Kel droned on with a loud sigh. She was checking her phone now. "Jeez...he just won't stop texting."

Enzo? As in the client? Zach's friend and the owner of the company they were shooting marketing brochure photos for? The commercial to be shot in a laboratory-like setting must be part of the company's promotional materials as well.

"Sorry." Kel sighed again while replying to one of her messages. "Just gets on my nerve sometimes when he's..." she trailed off while a scowl made her slightly swollen lips pout.

"No problem; I can wait. They're still having lunch back there, anyway."

"Ugh..." Kel pocketed her phone and stood still against the sink for the next couple of seconds. They just stood next to each other while the rest of the bathroom remained quiet.

"Feelin' any better?" Jessi put on a smile and used a chipper tone.

"Not really, but thanks for...being my shock absorber."

Shock absorber? What did she mean? "Why? What's up?"

"I'm experiencing symptoms." Kel scoffed and crossed her slim arms below her rather flat chest. Her white blouse and slouching posture at the moment made her look skinnier.

"Symptoms of what?" Jessi muttered, growing more curious by the second.

"Fatigue, nausea, drowsiness at work, my breasts hurt like a bitch. Whole shebang." Kel snickered and then frowned again. "Pun not intended."

"Wait...you're..." Jessi felt her jaw drop open. So Kel was actually feeling like vomiting earlier, because of morning sickness? Although it was lunchtime, technically. "You're pregnant?" Was Enzo the father of her bun in the oven?

"50 percent sure now." Kel covered her face with her palm and shook her head again. "Piece of advice, Jess...if you're seeing someone, do yourself a huge favor and make him wear the rubber all the time. Every single time." Kel let out a fake, quiet laugh.

"Thankfully, I don't have time to worry about that right now. Being single is easier."

"Even if you think you're really just friends and...you're convinced you're both so comfortable in the friendzone. Please."

"Yikes. Sounds complicated."

"Bag it. Double-bag it if you must." Kel scoffed loudly again, ignoring her retort. "Precautions, Jess. Always. Safe sex."

"Duly noted, Doc," Jessi replied while trying not to laugh again. The unsolicited dating advice from a stranger wasn't quite applicable to her, but she appreciated it all the same.

"Shit. I can't even tell my sister. Or my best friend," Kel murmured while her brows furrowed. "Or else my mom would find out. Then freak out. Ugh. Seriously."

"Your best friend in Italy?"

"Yeah. And Gaia, my other best friend. She's working in Jersey now."

"And Enzo? He's the client, right?" Jessi regarded the look on Kel's face.

She looked calmer, like she was feeling a tad better now, thankfully. The show must go on, it seemed. "Yep." Kel sighed and eyed the door while she bit on her lip, seeming a bit anxious again. "He said...he's on his way here."

"As in here?"

"Ugh. I don't even know if I could talk to him."

"Why not?"

"It's just gonna be so..."

"Hold that thought. Excuse me," Jessi muttered when she heard her message notification tone. It was her boss, asking her about the shoot.

1 new message from:

Zach Boss

"How's the shoot? U guys almost done? Was gonna call but my hubs talkin my ear off again"

Today 12:59PM

In reply, Jessi composed a short text to confirm, and she asked him if she should go back to LA by tonight because she didn't book a hotel room here in New York to save money.

Zach replied to her query almost immediately.

1 new message from:

Zach Boss

"No need to book a flight. Enzo on his way there now. Just hitch a ride with him and his gf. He said they will fly to LA tonight"

Today 01:01PM

Hitch a ride? Jessi pulled a face and glanced at Kel, who was checking her reflection in the mirror again.

Kel was trying to get rid of the mascara stains under her eyes after having been crying to herself.

Did Zach mean Kel? So she was actually Enzo's girlfriend? Before Jessi could ask for clarifications, her boss texted her again.

1 new message from:

Zach Boss

"Ttyl abt ur sched this week. Have fun"

Today 01:02PM

Jessi replied with a short "Thanks" and put her phone away before Kel got done wiping off mascara stains.

"He's fifteen minutes away. Darn it."

"Who?" Jessi asked. "Enzo?"

"Yeah," Kel sighed. "Ugh! He's just gonna distract me all throughout. Just push him out the door the second you see him. Please? I don't wanna hassle them with too many retakes."

"Don't even know what he looks like." Jessi giggled. "But, okay."

"Tan and taller version of Ian Somerhalder with a beard. Wavy dark brown hair," Kel murmured, wiping her nose and making a face at her own reflection. A bit of her foundation needed some setting mist again, but at least her nude lipstick still looked picture-perfect.

"Just shove him out?" Jessi chuckled when Kel glanced at her.

"Yes. Please. Just shove him out the door," Kel joked with a slanted grin after a nod. "Okay..." she drawled a moment later. "Ready to make me look pretty again?"

"You're kidding." Jessi giggled. "You're stunning even without makeup." She eyed the door. "Feelin' better now?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Kel smiled at her warmly and threw away the crumpled tissues. "Back to work, girls!"

×