☼Leila Perez☼

I shook with trying to hold back my tears. I crushed my mum into another death-gripping hug, "I love you so much! Have fun! Be safe! Don't do anything a cop wouldn't do! If you fall in love, call me."

Mum smoothed my hair down as she pulled away, "I love you, Leila. And I'll be back in a month for your fashion show."

I blushed profusely, "Y-you don't have to... If you're going to have a big schedule you don't have to come."

"I want to," she smiled, "I can't promise anything, but I do want to come."

I hugged her again, "Just enjoy yourself."

"I don't believe in goodbyes," she murmured and kissed my forehead. Then she winked at her new best friend and hopped into the limo sent here by Myer. 

Rachel slung an arm around my shoulder, "She'll be fine, sweetie. Now... what do you have to do today?"

I murmured through numb lips, "Homework for half an hour. Meeting with Victoria's Secret about the last photo shoot at six p.m. for an hour. Then I have to go on a run for an hour. Then... nothing I guess."

Rachel checked her watch and I peeked over. Four-thirty. 

"Go do your homework now then, sweetie," she smiled, "I'll tell Cast to get ready for the meeting."

I let out a deep breath and forced a grin, "Tell him he has to look presentable."

I turned my back, muttering a thank you, and entered my house. 

*****

I had only just finished getting ready for the meeting. I wore a pair of skin-tight jeans with rips up the thighs and shins. My feet were comfortable in a pair of open-foot sandals. I wore a loose black Stüssy muscle-tee. I fluffed out my hair and picked up my handbag. There was a knock on the door. Must be Castor. 

I opened the front door, after heading down the stairs.

I broke into a bright grin, "Trent!"

Trent was my best friend. Sure, Evie was also my best friend, but Trent was number one. I'd let him know we're platonic quite a few times but Mum still insists that he is sexually attached to me. 

Trent's good-looking enough. He's a full year older than me, about to turn seventeen. My own sixteenth birthday was in a week and a half. But Trent was defined already for a sixteen-year-old. Even more than Castor. 

Trent has quite a tall and broad figure, but not too tall and not too broad. Maybe... maybe around the same as Colton Haynes. 

Trent has bubbly brown eyes that could melt anyone and sandy-blonde hair. He grinned brightly back at me, "Lei--la."

He drawled out the first syllable like always.

"What're you doing here?" I asked, not inviting him in.

"I came to see my best friend. I thought I could support you, you know, your mum and all."

I sighed. Catastrophically late like always. I smiled sadly, "She left an hour ago. And I was doing fine until you brought it up."

I stepped outside and locked the door.

He frowned, "Can't I go in with you?"

I blushed, "I actually have a work meeting right now. And then I have other stuff to do tonight... can it wait until..." I was going to say tomorrow, but I have a photo shoot tomorrow. And the day after that I have to go and talk at a health kick convention. And the day after that is my study day... I frowned and thought, "Maybe... Sunday afternoon?"

"You have to pencil me in," he asked incredulously, "Fine, I'll go to Evie's."

I gulped. He said it in such a scathingly tone it hurt. I wasn't jealous but I could see he was trying to make me jealous and it hurt that he would use me. 

I shrugged as boldly as I could, "Go right ahead. She's missed you too you know."

Trent winced and turned his back on me without a goodbye. 

"Nicely done," a smooth voice said.

I turned and glared at Castor, "Jerk, you don't get a say in my personal life."

"I say I do," he smirked.

"I thought your mum was driving us," I shifted my weight to my other foot, eyeing the motorcycle he sat on. 

He chucked me in the helmet, "Nah. This is easier. Besides, now Zoe can stay home."

I frowned. I haven't been on a motorcycle since my dad passed two years ago. I took a deep breath. Small step for me. Big step for my dad. I strapped on the helmet quickly and slid my handbag around so it wouldn't fly off. I mounted the motorcycle behind Castor and squeezed up close to him. This somehow felt even more intimate now that we were clothed. Why was it? I couldn't even tell you. 

I slid my arms around Castor's waist and felt him tense up. I murmured, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, but I swear he sounded... breathy? Breathless? 

I murmured, "Are you--"

But he cut me off by starting the engine.

*****

"Here's a slideshow of the shots we accumulated," the director said, "Please watch, pay attention to the numbers and comment on which you like or don't like."

Romee and Taylor sat on either side of me. We all held an unneeded pen and had paper in front of us. Castor sat next to Taylor and Lucy. Lucy sat next to the Victoria's Secret Media and Marketing Agent that had come to see and decide on the photos. 

We went through slowly, starting with the individual comments on Taylor's shots. I murmured on one of her giving a flirty wink to the screen, "That one's giving a good interpretation of Victoria's Secret."

Lucy and the agent agreed.

Castor spoke up, "From a guy's perspective, I see it more of a good interpretation of sex."

I glared at him along with Taylor. 

The director wondered for a moment, staring at the picture before agreeing, "I think you're right Castor." The director glanced to the agent.

She smiled, "I like both reasons. I'll put this one as the feature wall we need on our airport stores."

She wrote it down. 

So that's what the pen and paper is for then.

The director clicked onto the next slide. The next twenty were of Romee. Romee earned herself a picture inside Women's Health and a poster for a 50% sale coming up. 

The next twenty-three were of me. 

The agent cooed at the fifth photo, "That one's pretty."

They'd gotten me to sit on the edge of a wooden box and bit my lip, as if holding of a smile. At the time I thought it would turn out childish. But the photo turned out pretty sexy, as if I was inviting the person in. Castor agreed immediately, "Gorgeous actually."

I glanced at him in confusion. Did he just correct the agent and compliment me? 

He quirked an eyebrow at me and shrugged, "It's true?"

"Thanks," I muttered.

The agent smiled, "We can put that down as a feature wall in our American city shops."

"Really?" I squealed in delight. They get the most amount of promotions.

"Yep," she chuckled at my antics.

At the sixteenth the agent stopped the director again, "That one gives more of a childish charm, but I like it. It reminds our customers of just how young our angels are. How old are you, again, Leila?"

"Fifteen, almost sixteen."

"Yeah, that's good," she nodded to herself, "We can use it in our pre-teens section as a feature wall in the Australian stores."

I smiled brightly. Score! 

The agent stopped the director at a few of our group shots and put them down. My wooden box feature wall got swapped for the awkward one of the three of us laughing. But it looked so natural on screen. 

We earned ourselves three photos in Dolly as well. Apparently Dolly was going to talk about VS and give it some promotional value.

Then it came into the pictures of me and Castor. She stopped at the very first one, "That gives off the perfect balance of our women's and men's sections. I also like the matching colours..."

She wrote it down. Probably for an advertisement or something for the women's and men's sections. 

She waved her hand to go on for the next one and stopped immediately again, "Aw, that one is gorgeous!" 

My back had been pressed against Castor's abs and his arms had wrapped around my waist. 

"It gives off quite a good vibe about being happy in VS lingerie and the men's pyjamas," she said, "We can use that as a poster or a billboard I think."

She wrote it down and I blushed. Hopefully she doesn't stop at every single one. Otherwise Castor will tease me mercilessly about how it was all him.

She stopped after just two more photos though, "I love that one the most by far!" It was a picture of me thrown over Castor's shoulder.He was chuckling, slightly angled towards the camera. I cocked my head. I hadn't even been aware that I'd been smiling too.

It continued to show me with my legs wrapped around his back and a big dazzling grin on our faces, looking at each other. I'd completely forgotten that I'd been smiling so much. So happy. To an outsider it looked like we were more than just friends. But I knew better. Although I liked him I knew we were barely past the friendship line. 

She wrote it down in something without even telling us what it would be for or why she loved it. 

I looked to Lucy. She winked at me suggestively and I wrinkled my nose. Castor would never like me. And I can't tell Lucy I like him or she'll set up some publicity stunt.

Next I jumped a little in my seat. I think Castor did too.

It was a picture of our arms around each other. His head was nuzzled into my hair and my hair shielded my face. I gulped, remembering the insane moment of terror we'd both just experienced. He'd been having a panic attack about something. I had just nearly blurted out that I'd liked him. 

Romee let out a low whistle, "That one is sexy as..."

Taylor nodded slowly, "Extremely..."

I blushed and ducked my head behind my blonde hair. 

Castor cleared his throat and said, "I wasn't aware you'd taken a picture of that."

Oh crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Lucy's gonna get the wrong idea. Wait. Was there even an idea? So, so, so confused...

The agent let out a small giggle and I looked up. She wrote something down silently at the top of the page and then smiled at the two of us, her eyes flickering between us. She said softly, "Can I get you two available for a photo shoot next week?"

I glanced to Castor and he smirked, "Your call, Nerd."

"Sure, Jerk," I sighed and turned back to Lucy, "Can you handle it?"

"I'll hire myself as Castor's agent," she winked once behind her glasses. 

✌︎

So I hope you enjoyed :) If you did, leave me a comment, if you didn't, tell me what I can improve on. How are you? Leave me a comment and a vote if you're healthy or sick. If you're sick, I hope you feel better. Shoutout to those that are reading this at 1am.

Sharky.