The lights go on; I am locked in a hospital room with none other than Glen. My expression turns to one of distaste. He is also looking at me with an angry expression. He gets a chair and sits in front of me.

"What right do you have to handle me like that?" I ask with anger laced with my words.

"Calm down. I want you to listen to me." He answers with annoyance.

What audacity! "I don't want to listen to you. There is nothing left to say between us." I answer, raising my voice. He is shocked by my reaction.

"Lizzie, reduce your volume." He says with dread in his eyes. He should have known better than to lock me up at his workplace.

"I won't if I don't want to." I answer in as loud a voice as I can.

He menacingly walks towards me and covers my mouth with his hand. I thrash under the pressure of his hand. He lets go after a few moments.

"Glen, what do you want from me?" I ask with disgust. "Was it not enough to insult me in that restaurant last time?"

"That was not insulting you. And who was that guy you were with anyway?" He asks.

"That is not part of your business." I answer defensively.

"Do you love him?" He asks as though it is the most revolting concept imaginable. I don't answer him. He suddenly laughs. "Wow, how low did your standards reach?" He asks with derision.

I am tired of this pointless talk, "Do you have something you want to say?" I am now annoyed and tired.

"I want you to break up with him. I don't like how childish and juvenile he is making you." He says in a sympathizing tone, "You used to be very mature and responsible but lately you have been looking like some ruffian; it is unbecoming of you." To say I am astounded would be an understatement.

"How dare you lecture me about what is or is not becoming when you are the one who was 'unbecoming' enough to cheat?" I get up from the bed I've been sitting on, "And whoever I am with, what I am doing, what I am wearing, is none of your business."

"I am just making sure you don't regret what you are doing, which you will if you don't cut ties with such people."

"Glen, may you please leave me alone. We are divorced now; I'll let you live your life with her and the baby. Please let me live mine too." I can't yell at him anymore, I just opt for a more diplomatic approach.

He looks at me with pity. "You will regret this." He says.

"May you let me out now?" I ask menacingly.

He ignores my request, "Remember our honeymoon, in Australia. That was a good time. That guy of yours can't give you anything like that." He muses as though I am not there.

He is pissing me off by the minute so I do the one thing which I know will make me get what I want; making a scene. I run to the door before he knows what's going on, I start banging on the door shouting 'help' multiple times.

He is astounded; he scrambles into action and unlocks the door before he can even think twice about what is happening. Several people are behind the door with alarmed expressions on their faces. I smile at them and walk out with as much grace as I can. Glen walks out of the room then, "It was barely nice seeing you, Glen, hope I don't see you again." I wave him good bye and leave him to explain what the fuck was going on to his colleagues.

I enter my apartment and fall onto the couch. It is 7 pm, and I am tired and alone. I lay looking at the ceiling, a jumble of thoughts running through my mind. A tear runs down my face. I wipe it away, but more keep coming.

It is not uncommon for me to cry when I am alone; today I am crying in self-pity. The fact that I was unable to stop what Glen was telling me from hurting me. I hate the way he handles me and I am crying because I can't seem to do anything else about it, pitiful, right? He is a shitty person, I know, and I don't believe anything he said, but lately my life has been a jumble and I can't forego the occasional meltdown or two.

I cry until almost all my mascara has run down my face. When I feel like no more tears are coming, I wipe my face and go to bed.

In the morning, I feel a headache coming on but I still don't call in sick, I can't bear sitting around thinking about how pathetic I have become. I buy myself coffee from a street vendor and enter the building.

Inside, it is a flurry. Everyone is running around with clothes racks, shoes, and clipboards. I am taken aback. Cynthia charges at me, I am scared she will knock me over. She is in a frenzy, her ever perfect demeanor is slightly off and her eyes are ablaze with a fire I don't usually see in them.

"Liza, don't lodge yourself in the door like that. We have things to do." She says and grasps my arm leading me to the elevator.

"Hey, what is going on?" I ask her as the elevator door closes.

She looks at her watch, "Last night after you left, we were surprised by Forbes, they want photos to put on their cover as they advertise the upcoming A&F challenge in their July edition." She concludes as the doors open.

"Tomorrow?" I say it as more of a question than a statement.

"Yes." She wades deeper through the labyrinth of people moving in all directions with me in tow. We reach our desk and I see two clothes bags on top. She gets one and gives it to me. "You have been assigned a model to take care of and ensure he, by the looks of the clothes, is ready for the shoot at the roof."

"You don't know who it is?" I ask hopefully but she shakes her head.

She takes my purse and keeps it for me, "Now go. Good luck." She ushers me away.

I join the other people heading to the elevator. I settle at the back of the elevator as we breathlessly head to the third floor where the models are waiting.

I am nervous; this is my first time actually being assigned a model. It is scary and the noise I can hear from up there is not going to make it easy with my head ache. The door to the elevator opens and it empties in record time, everyone going their own way.

On top of the clothes is a scrap of paper with the compartment number I should go to. I head there but there is no one there. I walk out and look around but it's to no avail since I don't even know who I am looking for.

I go back looking hopeless. I open the door and come face to face with Kystan. What is he doing here? On second thought, I might enjoy the company as I wait for whoever I am waiting for.

I take a chair at one of the available chairs there. He looks at me with confusion. "What are you doing here?" I ask him to initiate some small talk.

"I am here for the shoot." He answers.

"Same." I answer. I clutch my head in my hands due to a pang of the headache which hits me then. I look at the clothes next to me and tut tut mentally. "I think this person is running late." I comment. I hear movement but since I am not looking up, I don't know what is going on. He says something but I don't quite get it. I look up and see him holding the bag, "Come again?"

"I said he is here." It's my turn to look bewildered. I look around but there is no one except us. "There is my name on the back of this paper." He shows it to me and sure enough it is his name. I wish thr ground would open and swallow me. I am embarrassed by how much it's showing that I don't know what to do; I blush despite all instincts not to. He chuckles.

He unfolds the clothes and looks at them with a scrutinizing eye. After a few moments he nods in approval. "Is this your first time?" He asks while assessing me.

I am about to answer but my head hurts even worse, "Yes." it comes out intertwined with a wince. "Sorry." I say when I see his concerned expression. I get up and take the clothes from his hands.

He looks between me and the clothes, "No. I'll do it myself. You are evidently not feeling well." He takes the clothes back.

"No, no. I can't do that." I say with apprehension. I look around to see if there aren't any of my superiors around.

Kystan sees me doing so, "I won't tell." I sit down praying that no one sees me.

He starts tugging at the ends of his t-shirt before my mind registers that he is undressing in front of me. I catch a sliver of a muscular stomach, a sure promise of abs underneath his t-shirt. I look away before he catches me staring despite how hard that is. It's not every day you meet a well-toned guy, am I right?

"Do you have a headache?" He asks from behind me. How could we possibly be talking about my problems when he is standing behind me maybe with nothing but undergarments? This is totally awkward.

"Yes. I had a rough night." I frown at the memory of yesterday.

I see the manager walking in our direction before she sees me. I jump out of my seat and pretend to have been busy. I turn to Kystan hoping he is fully dressed.

He has put on the rest except the woolen floor length jacket. I get it from the hanger and go to where he is. He looks at me with amusement, "You couldn't resist the temptation to touch me?" He asks cockily. I roll my eyes at that; I discreetly motion behind me where the manager might be looking at us. He nods in understanding but doesn't remove the amused grin from his face. I help him put on the jacket. The manager stops at the door, "Get a move on. You are shooting first with Belle." He says and leaves.

I realize how close we are, a few inches and I'd be press up against him. He seems to notice that too. A moment passes when we are doing nothing but staring into each other's eyes.

"Would you have dinner with me on Friday? At my house?" He looks at me with surprise. I am surprised too. Belatedly I try to rectify the situation. "In place of the lunch we didn't get to have."

"Yeah." He doesn't look so happy when he says that.

I smooth down his jacket just to find something to do with my hands. "I have to go." He says while rubbing the back of his neck. He leaves at a fast pace.

The shoots take up so much time, before I know it it's Friday.

Three hours before Kystan arrives someone knocks on my door. I leave the kitchen and go to open it. Jade is on the other side of the door bearing a shopping bag.

"Just because you didn't want to go shopping, doesn't mean I'll let you wear ugly things." She says as she shoves her way in.

"Hello to you too and please come in." I mumble as I follow her to the kitchen. "How did you know?" She ignores me and starts pulling a dress out of the shopping bag. "Jade you didn't have to. I will wear what I have."

"Honestly, I don't know why I call you my best friend when you don't tell me things.." Jade says in a fit of. "But I still won't let you wear that." She shows me the dress, I have to admit it looks gorgeous, "Try it on."

I get it and go to change. It is a long black floral print dress with a halter neckline and a slit up my left leg which stops halfway up my thigh. It looks good on me. I go out to show Jade. "Oh my, I definitely know what's best for you. He is gonna drop dead when he sees you."

"From horror?" I ask cheekily.

"No silly, from love." Love? Surely not.

I go back to remove it and come back in my plain tee and jeans. "Thanks Jade. You do know best after all." I say as a compliment.

"I know. But you're paying me back for the dress." Ugh, I thought I could get out of it by complimenting her. Guess not.

She rummages through my fridge and spots the wine I bought, "Liza, how much did you spend on this wine?" She asks me with horror.

"Fifteen euros." I answer.

"Fif- Wow. You do want to impress him after all." She comments as she examines the wine more.

"May we not talk about him? I am nervous as it is."

"OK." She says and puts the wine back then gets herself an apple from the fridge. "What? I am hungry" She says when I give her an eye. After munching on my fruits and packing some cookies my mom sent me, she leaves for a walk.

I do my toilette and put on makeup; a little eyeliner, mascara, and a glossy nude lipstick to match my pinkish lips. I let my hair down and put on beige ankle strap pumps with a black block heel.

The doorbell rings. My heart skips a beat; this is it. I hurry to open. Before opening the door though, I look at myself in the mirror. I think I look okay, so I open.

On the other side stands my mom and my dad, both beaming at me.

To say I am surprised, would be an understatement. And a bit disappointed, but my parents don't need to know that.

"Hi honey." My mom says and enters the house holding a platter covered in aluminium foil.

"Hi mom, dad." I say as they both enter and start looking around.

"You look beautiful in that dress. When is the occasion?" Mom asks.

"Thanks." I realize that she asked when not what, "Who told you?"

"I might have got some information out of Jade ." She says it like it's no big deal. "I got you some jumbo cookies. They'll go well with wine."

"So if you knew, then why are you here?" I am starting to get suspicious.

Dad almost says something but mom gives him a look. "Why of course to give you cookies." She replies too chirpily.

"And you come all this way? There has to be more." I look at my dad for answers.

"We want to meet him." Dad says with a meaningful, serious look.

As if on cue the doorbell rings. 

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