Model Behavior
Get Over It
"PHOENIX DAWN RUTHERFORD! Get your lazy ass out of bed! You are due at the airport in 20 minutes!"
Phoenix rolled over and looked at her phone. Amazingly, her mother-manager was right. She did only have 20 minutes to make her flight to NYC. But luckily, her pilot was an old friend, and he would understand if she was running late. One of the benefits of being a model.
Ex-model.
Phoenix rolled out of bed and stumbled over to her dresser. All of her clothes had been mailed to her dad's house as of yesterday, except what she was wearing then and today. She tugged on her most faded, distressed pair of skinny jeans, a white tank and a kelly green cardigan. She dug around until she found both of her janky-old white Converse. Super huge purse, sunglasses, and suitcase - she was ready to get the hell outta Dodge.
ONE WEEK EARLIER
"D'Lisa, I need to talk to you." Phoenix said soberly, staring at her mother.
"What now?" D'Lisa asked acidly.
"I'm retiring."
"Excuse me?! After all the hard work I've done, you're just going to quit? Just like that?" D'Lisa shrieked.
"Your hard work? Oh, so you were the one who sold their body for a paycheck? Guess I missed that memo."
"Listen here, I sold my career, my marriage, and my former life for you. You should be grateful."
"I should be grateful! For what?" Phoenix said, her shrieks matching her mother's. "You're not the one who's mostly naked image is plastered all over America. You're not the one who can't go out in public for fear of paparazzi attacking you. You're not the one who had to deal with pushy directors and horny male models who don't understand the word no." Phoenix took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was going to act like an adult, even if her mother couldn't. "I've already spoke to Dad, and he's agreed to let me live with him. He's also helped me square up my accounts here and transfer them to New York." At her mother's greedy look, Phoenix added, "Don't worry. You've been given a pretty hefty severance package. I'm not backing out of any previous contracts. Trust me. This has been planned for months." On that note, Phoenix went upstairs to her bedroom and locked the door.
She pulled out her cell phone. "Dad? I did it."
PRESENT DAY
The plane landed at noon New York time. Phoenix walked up to the captain's cabin. "Thanks so much, Tom. I appreciate it - and congrats on your new grandbaby!" she said, giving the pilot a kiss on the cheek.
She got off the plane and ran to her dad's waiting arms. After a ridiculously long bear hug - which Phoenix had to moan "my ribs are being crushed" to get her dad to let go - they got into her father's car.
"Now Phoenix, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Paul Rutherford said.
"A female someone? Perhaps the mysterious Roxanne?" Phoenix asked with a teasing grin.
Her father blushed. "Yes, you get to meet the mysterious Roxanne. We're meeting her for lunch."
Lunch went surprisingly smoothly. Phoenix liked Roxanne - she was funny, warm, and seemed to genuinely love Paul (which was more than D'Lisa ever could have said). At the end of the meal, Phoenix turned to Roxanne. "Roxanne, do you think you could recommend a good hairdresser to me? I want to get rid of these horrible blonde extensions." she said, wrapping her hair around her finger.
Roxanne laughed. "Certainly! In fact, I'll call Jean-Luc as soon as we leave to see if he can fit you in today. I'm sure that when he finds out who you are, he'll find an opening." she said with a wink.
Phoenix smiled. "And then maybe some shopping? I just realized that I really don't own very many cold-weather clothes."
Roxanne nodded. "Yes, those might be handy here." she said with a smile.
Paul smiled at the two woman who were already getting along magnificently. "Since you two seem to have the afternoon planned out, I'll head back to my office and catch up on some paperwork. Roxanne, would you mind taking Phoenix by her new school? They called and said they had some paperwork she needed to fill out."
Phoenix stared at her dad. "School? I haven't been to real school since I was 12."
"Yes, Fee. Real school. With uniforms and everything."
Phoenix pretended to gag. Paul gave her a look as Roxanne tried not to giggle. "C'mon, Fee. We'll go get our hair and nails done, then go to the school. It won't be too horrible. In fact, I even went to school there."
Phoenix shrugged. "Well, I did want to be normal!"
Phoenix rolled over and looked at her phone. Amazingly, her mother-manager was right. She did only have 20 minutes to make her flight to NYC. But luckily, her pilot was an old friend, and he would understand if she was running late. One of the benefits of being a model.
Ex-model.
Phoenix rolled out of bed and stumbled over to her dresser. All of her clothes had been mailed to her dad's house as of yesterday, except what she was wearing then and today. She tugged on her most faded, distressed pair of skinny jeans, a white tank and a kelly green cardigan. She dug around until she found both of her janky-old white Converse. Super huge purse, sunglasses, and suitcase - she was ready to get the hell outta Dodge.
ONE WEEK EARLIER
"D'Lisa, I need to talk to you." Phoenix said soberly, staring at her mother.
"What now?" D'Lisa asked acidly.
"I'm retiring."
"Excuse me?! After all the hard work I've done, you're just going to quit? Just like that?" D'Lisa shrieked.
"Your hard work? Oh, so you were the one who sold their body for a paycheck? Guess I missed that memo."
"Listen here, I sold my career, my marriage, and my former life for you. You should be grateful."
"I should be grateful! For what?" Phoenix said, her shrieks matching her mother's. "You're not the one who's mostly naked image is plastered all over America. You're not the one who can't go out in public for fear of paparazzi attacking you. You're not the one who had to deal with pushy directors and horny male models who don't understand the word no." Phoenix took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was going to act like an adult, even if her mother couldn't. "I've already spoke to Dad, and he's agreed to let me live with him. He's also helped me square up my accounts here and transfer them to New York." At her mother's greedy look, Phoenix added, "Don't worry. You've been given a pretty hefty severance package. I'm not backing out of any previous contracts. Trust me. This has been planned for months." On that note, Phoenix went upstairs to her bedroom and locked the door.
She pulled out her cell phone. "Dad? I did it."
PRESENT DAY
The plane landed at noon New York time. Phoenix walked up to the captain's cabin. "Thanks so much, Tom. I appreciate it - and congrats on your new grandbaby!" she said, giving the pilot a kiss on the cheek.
She got off the plane and ran to her dad's waiting arms. After a ridiculously long bear hug - which Phoenix had to moan "my ribs are being crushed" to get her dad to let go - they got into her father's car.
"Now Phoenix, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Paul Rutherford said.
"A female someone? Perhaps the mysterious Roxanne?" Phoenix asked with a teasing grin.
Her father blushed. "Yes, you get to meet the mysterious Roxanne. We're meeting her for lunch."
Lunch went surprisingly smoothly. Phoenix liked Roxanne - she was funny, warm, and seemed to genuinely love Paul (which was more than D'Lisa ever could have said). At the end of the meal, Phoenix turned to Roxanne. "Roxanne, do you think you could recommend a good hairdresser to me? I want to get rid of these horrible blonde extensions." she said, wrapping her hair around her finger.
Roxanne laughed. "Certainly! In fact, I'll call Jean-Luc as soon as we leave to see if he can fit you in today. I'm sure that when he finds out who you are, he'll find an opening." she said with a wink.
Phoenix smiled. "And then maybe some shopping? I just realized that I really don't own very many cold-weather clothes."
Roxanne nodded. "Yes, those might be handy here." she said with a smile.
Paul smiled at the two woman who were already getting along magnificently. "Since you two seem to have the afternoon planned out, I'll head back to my office and catch up on some paperwork. Roxanne, would you mind taking Phoenix by her new school? They called and said they had some paperwork she needed to fill out."
Phoenix stared at her dad. "School? I haven't been to real school since I was 12."
"Yes, Fee. Real school. With uniforms and everything."
Phoenix pretended to gag. Paul gave her a look as Roxanne tried not to giggle. "C'mon, Fee. We'll go get our hair and nails done, then go to the school. It won't be too horrible. In fact, I even went to school there."
Phoenix shrugged. "Well, I did want to be normal!"