Stereo (2 page)

Janelle took advantage of his stupefied state and snatched her phone out of his hands.  It rang the second she had it back.  She took in Adam’s shocked face as answered. “Yes, Wilhelmina Models? This is Janelle Jones calling from Masterson P.R. in Malibu.”

Adam’s head fell.

“Yes,” Janelle continued. “I’m very interested in speaking to you about the women of color at your agency.

As Janelle booked an appointment Adam fell back into his chair helplessly, dreading what the future had in store.

--

Later that night Katie collapsed back into the sea of pillows on her bed, laughing hysterically. Only after several minutes had passed did she manage to sit up and curl her legs under her bottom, attempting to find composure.

“Oh my god!” she cried, falling back onto her pillows once again, overtaken with wild laughter.

Adam sat at the end of her bed regretting ever having told her about the day’s events at all.  He’d surprised her that afternoon by picking her up from school. She always loved when Adam picked her up because it made her quote, “the envy of all my friends.” Adam was now wishing that he’d left her giggly little ass to ride the bus. He had come to her for moral support and, even more than that, pity.  All he’d gotten when he told Katie of Janelle’s master plan was hysterical laughter from the parking lot of the school all the way to the two story house he’d grown up in.  With a roll of his eyes he concluded that his little sister had been laughing at his expense for a least an hour now.

“I’m thrilled that you find this all so amusing Katie, that’s great,” he said flatly, flipping the channels of her TV without really paying attention to any of the content.

Katie was still curled over with laughter, but when she heard the sound of an engine roaring outside of her window she sat up straight as an arrow. “That’s Dad.” 

Adam immediately switched the television off, grabbed his jacket and stood up. “And that’s my cue to leave.”

“Adam!” Katie followed him out of her bedroom and down the stairs of their house, jogging slowly to keep up with his long stride. When they made it to the bottom of the staircase Adam began toward the back door where he knew he wouldn’t run into his father. He blew through the screen door, fingering the keys to his motorcycle out of his pocket.

“Oh come on, Adam,” Katie called, hanging off of the open backdoor.

Adam crossed the back porch and leapt down the stairs to his bike. He climbed on, tossing Katie a look out of the corner of his eyes. 

She tilted her head at him from the door, causing her long brown hair to fall into her eyes.  “Please just stay,” she begged.

Adam took a long look at his little sister and almost stayed, but when his father’s large profile appeared, Adam revved the engine. “Sweet dreams, beautiful.”  He winked at Katie and threw on his helmet.  With one last look at her, he started his bike and raced off.

Two

Shaun Green came barreling into her best friend’s office with tears in her eyes. “Celia… I’m going to lose my job.”

Celia Washington perked up in her chair when she saw her best friend barricade herself inside of the office.  As the top agent of the Women’s Division at Wilhelmina Models in Los Angeles, Celia’s assistant knew not to let anybody through that door without her express consent. She also knew that Shaun Green, Celia’s best friend since kindergarten, was the only exception to that rule.

Celia finished up her phone call. “Okay Janelle.  I hear you and I will have the girl ready for you as soon as you get here.   Ten minutes?  Perfect, I’ll see you then.”  Celia hung up the phone and stood, adjusting her phenomenally tailored pant suit as she circled her desk and held her arms out to Shaun.

Shaun blubbered with tears in her dark brown eyes, taking the hug her friend offered.  “My internship is going to be over in a month and I sat down with my boss today to talk about a possible job offer…”

“Yeah…”  Celia cooed, running her hand soothingly over Shaun’s impossibly thick, luscious curls.  Shaun’s natural hair looked shoulder length to the naked eye, but Celia knew that when flat ironed, her best friend’s hair fell well past the middle of her back.  Though she rocked her pixie cut like nobody’s business, Celia had always secretly envied her friend’s gorgeous mane.  “And then what?” she asked, leading Shaun to the couch in the corner of her office.

Shaun sat down next to Celia, taking in her friend’s flawless caramel complexion, green eyes and perfect pixie cut.  “I pitched Jackson my story idea about Darfur and he told me that it ‘simply wasn’t what Cosmopolitan Magazine was about.’  He said that if I couldn’t bring him the ‘Sexiest Story of the Year’ that there was simply no room at Cosmo for a writer like me.”

“He’s a
douchebag
and that magazine is not good enough for you babe.  Fuck them!”

“But I need this job Lia.”  Shaun sniffled. “I have no other prospects if I lose it and then I’ll be just another unemployed college graduate.”

“Don’t give up hope friend.  You still have time and you never know.  That next story could be right around the…” A knock sounded, causing Celia and Shaun to both shoot to their feet.

Shaun attempted to collect herself as Celia hurried to the door and opened it, speaking politely to whoever was on the other side. “Good afternoon, you’re a little earlier than I expected.  Come on in.”

Shaun planted a smile on her face, expecting one of the beautiful young models Celia represented to come waltzing through the door with the gazelle like grace they all seemed to have.  She was surprised instead to find a tall white boy in a t-shirt and jeans. He had a full sleeve of tattoos racing up each arm. Dark sunglasses shielded his eyes but did nothing to hide how breathtakingly attractive he was. His olive skin was smooth like butter, perfectly offsetting a strong jaw and a thick head of hair styled into a smooth, jet black quiff.  He strolled in like he owned the place. When he gazed in Shaun’s direction he stopped short, staring at her openly. He was followed closely by a red haired woman who looked on the verge of a psychotic break.

Celia closed the door behind them and motioned to Shaun, speaking hurriedly, “Shaun, this is Adam and Janelle.  Adam, Janelle… this is Shaun Green.”

Adam continued to watch Shaun intensely, his plush pink lips parting ever so slightly as he removed the Ray Bans from his face.  The tiniest smile teased his lips, but it was gone in an instant.

Shaun’s eyes nearly exploded from her skull when she realized she was face to face with none other than Adam Brand, one of the biggest rock stars in the country.  Not only did she recognize him immediately, but she was almost positive that she’d been screaming the lyrics to his latest song during the long, teary drive to Celia’s office.

Adam sized her up from head to toe and he didn’t make it a secret.  When his eyes landed back on hers, he shrugged. “I like your hair.  It’s…”  He struggled for the right word. “Big.” 

Shaun hesitated.  “Thanks?” she accepted his “compliment” with a confused question mark.

“How tall are you?”  Janelle, the red-head, asked with a hand on her slim hip.

Shaun blinked. “Uh… 5’7”?” she answered with a question again, before looking at Celia curiously.  Was there a reason these people were giving her the third degree?

Janelle looked confused. “Back in my younger days this agency wouldn’t look twice at any girl a quarter of an inch under 5’10”.  I was five foot nine and a half but NOPE, that half an inch was just
unacceptable
to them.”

Adam rolled his eyes and looked off.

Shaun remained confused, her silence conveying how desperate she was for an explanation.

Janelle gave Shaun a once over then smacked her gum. “Having said that you are
just
what we’re looking for.  Chocolaty skin, big eyes, big hair… I just love black women who rock their giant afros.  There is no bigger ‘fuck you’ in this twisted country than a glorious poof if you ask me.”  Janelle laughed and tilted her head, considering Shaun closely. “You also have this strange innocence about you, you’ll look good next to Adam.”

Adam rolled his eyes again and this time Shaun saw him do it, prompting her to look back at Celia once more, but her friend was so deep in thought she didn’t notice the inquisitive stare.  Shaun turned back to Adam and Janelle at a loss. Was somebody going to explain to her what the hell was going on here?

Janelle yammered on, motioning to Shaun. “I do have to warn you… Adam is followed by the paparazzi twenty four hours a day.  They are everywhere at all times and they can be extremely disrespectful and invasive.  That’s why I wanted to hire a model, because you’re used to the blinding flashes of light, the lenses in your face, that kind of thing.  It won’t panic you the way it would panic a normal woman. You’re a professional.” 

“Oh god…”  Shaun waved her hand wildly back and forth. “There must be some mistake.  I’m not a mod—“

“Modest woman!” Celia jumped in. “Shaun’s never met a camera she didn’t like, paparazzi or not.  Will you excuse us for a moment?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she grabbed Shaun’s arm and pulled her toward the door.  Adam and Janelle looked on as Celia all but dragged Shaun out of the room, slamming the door closed behind them.

In the hallway Shaun snatched her arm from Celia’s grip, laughing. “What in the world was that?”

Celia pointed to the closed door of her office, whispering strongly, “Adam Brand, that’s what.  He is your story.  His publicist is here looking for a model to put on his arm for a few months and they think that
you’re
one of my models. I won’t say anything if you won’t Shaun.  This will give you the kind of access to that man that
no one
has
ever
gotten. You could write your ticket on this.”

It took Shaun a few moments to realize what her friend was saying and, after accepting that Celia was actually serious, she laughed out loud.

A young black model with a poof similar to Shaun’s came strutting down the hall.  To Shaun, she looked about ten years old. “Hi Celia!” The young girl waved with a bright smile. “I’m here for our meeting--”

“I don’t need you anymore,” Celia barked, waving the model away without even looking at her.  The young girl, who did appear to be
exactly
5’10 and also quite hungry, raced off without another word.

“Celia what in god’s name are you even talking about?”  Shaun asked as she shook her head in pure perplexity while looking down at her skinny jeans and chucks. “I’m not a model, and I’m not doing this.”

“Not doing what?”

“Whatever insane plan you have brewing in that head of yours.”

“I don’t have an insane plan.  I have a brilliant plan.”

“Yeah, the last brilliant plan you had left me with half an eyebrow for all of middle school. Look, I have to go.” She began to walk off, but Celia chased after her, blocking her path.

“Think about the article you could have on your hands, Shaun. It’ll have intrigue, it’ll have celebrity and it’ll be interesting to your black
and
white readers. Especially after all the shit he said in that interview.”

Shaun raised her eyebrows. “What interview?”

Celia found it best not to answer that question.  “Now what would you name it?”  She massaged her chin, thinking about a clever title for the story.

“Name what? There’s nothing to name.  I’m not doing this.”

“Forty-five percent!” Celia suddenly cried out, dramatically. “That is the percentage of college graduates who actually find a job within six months of getting their degree. I’ve got to be honest with you, friend, that journalism major you chose?”  Celia pointed her thumb finger down at the floor and blew a raspberry. “A dying degree.  A dying industry. I know that you think you’re a special little sunflower who’s going to be the exception to the rule, but there are thousands of other UCLA graduates who are thinking the exact same thing.  They will rip your heart out if you get in their way.  So… as a woman who has been on both sides of this industry for
over
10 years I’m going to have to urge you to listen to me.” Celia pointed back at the door. “If you want to keep that job then. He. Is. Your. Story.”

Shaun was suddenly biting her lip, looking towards the closed door with a roll of her eyes. “The article was supposed to be about some imaginary shmuck and the ‘101 Ways to Please Him’ or something… not Adam freakin’ Brand.  God only knows what kind of insane lawsuit he’ll hit me with if I do decide to write an article about him.”

“That’s the thing, Shaun.  Adam is here to find a black woman to be seen around town with him for a couple of months to fix his shattered image after that ridiculous interview. So even if you did use him for your own gain he wouldn’t have a legal leg to stand on because he’d be using you too!”

“What is this interview you keep referring to?  What shattered image?”

Celia wasn’t listening, too busy being overcome with inspiration. “ ‘How to Land a Rock Star in Thirty Days’…” she said, with a far-off look in her eyes.

Shaun couldn’t believe her ears.

“That’s your title.  Oh my god.  It’s so good I kind of want to write it myself.” Celia’s eyes were wide and animated and she gazed off into the distance.