New York
The city that never sleeps, home to the Olympian pantheon.
It's also here that I now find myself sitting in front of a mirror and getting my hair and makeup done. Why you ask, well that's because I'm getting ready to shoot for a brand of luxury bags.
The kind that would cost someone tens of thousands of dollars to purchase. I never thought that I would be here back then.
Modeling.
Such a wild concept I never imagined I would be doing. But here I am, already in my 3rd year in the industry.
buzz buzz buzz
I was shaken from my thoughts by my phone vibrating, a phone. Something that a few years ago I wouldn't have been allowed to have due to the danger it poses to me. Now I can enjoy the convenience this small device brings to my mind.
I picked up my phone and look at a message from Hazel.
I smiled as I thought back to my friend. Though now she is more than just a friend. What we share between us labels us as something more than just friends.
I read her message, just checking in.
I reply. "Just fine. at the studio, I can't wait to get back home. I miss you" I hit send.
She replies after a few seconds. "I know you miss him more"
I smile as enjoy our banter.
After a few minutes my assistant, Melissa sits next to me. I put down my phone and turned my attention to her. And as the staff applies the finishing touches to my hair and makeup, Melissa starts to run me through my schedule for the week.
"Okay Piper, after we are done here, we have a shoot for Gucci next then we have a meeting with women's magazine about a possible feature for you and the company."
I nod, already familiar with those.
"We also got a few emails requesting a meeting from a few agencies that want to sign you."
"No, I'm not signing with any agency Melissa. That's final" I cut her off.
"Are you sure, like really sure Piper? Some of those are real big agencies." she pleaded.
"If I wanted to be signed to an agency I would have done it years ago. You don't think my father would have made me sign with the same agency as him?" I retorted.
"Fine, I'll just tell them you said no" Melissa conceded.
"By the way, I hope you remember that I'm taking a break for a month in two weeks. My schedule better be cleared of anything by that time!" I added.
"Yes, yes. everything is set for your break. That's why we're cramming all of your commitments in the next few days" she reassured me. "Where are you going anyway?"
"I'm going home," I answered.
Melissa looked at me and smiled salaciously before saying "You mean going home to HIM."
I felt my face blush at her words, but I was beyond denying my feelings.
"Yes Melissa, to HIM" I admitted.
Melissa let out a sigh, before saying "He is so lucky to have you!"
"Nope, I'm the lucky one!" I countered.
"Really! How lucky are you? on a scale of 1 - 10 how lucky are you with him?" she asked leaning toward me grinning widely as she tried to insinuate something else with her words.
We joked around the topic for a bit until a member of the staff came to tell me everything was ready. I was led towards the set, a simple white backdrop. I said hello to the photographer and the representative of the brand I'm modeling for today.
"Ready Piper?" the photographer asked.
"Yes!" I answered.
------------------line end------------------
2 hours, 10 bags, and hundreds of photos later, I'm sitting on a chair with Melissa. Just relaxing after a set of shoots, waiting for the go-ahead from the photographer that we were set so we could leave.
Melissa's phone rang as I was sipping on my coffee, I glanced at her as she answered but ignored her conversation with whoever it was that called her.
"Piper" Melissa called me in a low voice, I looked at her and saw that her phone call had ended, and she was looking at me with her brow knitted.
"Did something happen?" I asked, concerned as I scooted closer to her.
"That was from the store," she began. "Someone came asking for you," she said gravely.
I froze at that; my eyes widened in surprise.
I knew it was inevitable, that something like this would happen. But not this soon, it's only been a month since I showed my face on my shoots.
I could feel my heart beat faster, 'Who could it be' I asked myself wondering.
There weren't a lot of people who would reach out to me,
Dad? it was possible, he's been asking me for a long time to join him in the "limelight" as he called it.
Friends? I don't have a lot of friends either. And the friends that I have now all know to call Melissa to get to me.
Demigods? They are the most likely candidate.
But therein lies the problem, who among them reached out? I was excited to know but at the same time, I was nervous. Would they be happy to see me? Would they accept me and my decision to bail on them back then? would they understand my reasons for disappearing?
And most importantly, would they accept me knowing what I am now?
I don't regret accepting and paying the price for the safety and freedom I have now. And I believe that making that decision has been the best decision I've made in a long while.
And I also don't regret falling in love again, Real Love. The one Mom always harps about.
Now that I understand love, and experienced it. I wouldn't trade for anything.
But it does make me apprehensive about meeting whoever this person looking for me is.
If they are from camp, they might judge me, us. and I wouldn't accept them judging HIM. They can say all they want about me, but not HIM, never HIM.
I am His, and HE is Mine.
And I will not let anyone hurt him again.
I calmed myself, pulled back from the dark, possessive thoughts I went through, and asked Melissa who it was.
"Who were they?"
"They introduced themselves as your sister. The office didn't believe them at first of course, but they showed pictures of the two of you in some sort of camp. So, they heard her out"
I nodded, 'Sister' I thought, I have a lot of sisters, and brothers as well but who among them came for me?
"Did they get her name?" I finally asked.
"They said her name was Drew, they also said that she came with one of our necklaces, she used that to get Nicole to gossip about you," Melissa said a bit tersely.
"Gossip about me?"
"Yeah! I am told they first asked about the model on the window and Nicole started telling them about you. I don't exactly know how much she shared but she only stopped when that person, Drew, said that she knew you personally."
"The manager only agreed to pass along her information to you because of the pictures she showed." Melissa finished and waited for how I would react.
"Did Drew leave a message?" I asked
Melissa shook her head, "No, just her number in case you would want to reach out"
I leaned back on the chair and thought, I expected this to be honest. I knew someone from the camp would see my face in some advert in the city. Then they would reach out, I just didn't think it would be this soon.
And I also didn't think it would be Drew of all people who would be looking for me. I drew in a breath and exhaled, I decided.
"Melissa, call the office and get me that number for Drew please," I told my assistant.
she nodded and held her phone up to call the office but stopped and looked at me.
"I didn't know you had a sister," she said questioningly.
"Half-sister, from my mother's side" I confessed.
Melissa nods and pressed call on the phone.
10 minutes later I have my phone in my hands, Drew's number keyed in. My finger posed above the dial button, like it has been for the last 5 minutes.
I don't even know why I'm hesitating. 'It's just drew' I chastised myself.
finally, I took a deep breath pressed the call button, and waited.
after a few rings the other end picked up my call and I heard the familiar voice of my once-upon-a-time least favorite sibling.
"Hello," Drew greeted curtly.
somehow, hearing her voice caused me to laugh, it was a short quiet laugh but it brought peace to me.
"Piper?" Drew asked over the phone.
"Hey, Drew! I heard you were asking for me?" I answered.
---------------line end---------------
"Yes! See you soon" I ended the call.
"That seemed serious" Melissa stated as I handed over my phone to her.
"It's been 3 years since we've seen each other. a lot has happened. we have a lot to catch up on." I shrugged as I answered.
"I see."
"Oh! Melissa, please clear my schedule 5 days from now from lunch onwards. I'm meeting Drew for coffee that day." I asked.
"Piper! You're fully booked for the whole week! how am I supposed to clear your schedule?" she asked in return, not happy with my request.
"Please! I'm sure you'll find a way" I implored.
"Fine. I'll see what I can do!" she finally relented.
Now do I feel bad about using my charmspeak on her, not really. I figured this time warranted its use.
After a while, we both said goodbye to the photographer and the crew and made our way out of the studio.
We got in our car and drove off to the next appointment I had for the day.
we drove off; I thought back to how the day went and I couldn't help but feel excited about meeting Drew.
And the rest of my friends at camp.
even Her.
I close my eyes to rest, thinking of things to come.