This Must be Fiction

I had somehow, shockingly, been "discovered" in L.A. I was working one day, sitting at my post as usual, when Nathan called me in a frenzy.

"We need you on the third floor right now!" He shouted.

"For what?" I asked. Nathan and I had grown to be friends and yet I had never heard him speak so frantically.

"Just come up right now!" He had hung up before I could take in my next breath. I rolled my eyes. He was always asking favors of me, although it was kind of in my job description as receptionist. Obviously I had no problem with it.

I came up as soon as I had finished putting away some files, left the "out for lunch" post on my desk, and headed up the third floor. I knew there was a shoot going on there today, as Nathan had been raving about it all week. It was for upcoming models and L.A. socialites for some magazine that I hadn't bothered to learn the name of.

"Change into this and run to get your make-up done now!" Nathan ordered as he thrust a little black dress into my hands. I couldn't recreate my expression if I tried. Too confused for words.

"Wait what?" I shook the clothing in my hands.

"Some little bitch skipped out on the shoot, and you're roughly her size and shape, let's go!"

He took my shoulders and turned me around and sent me out the door. After I regained my balance from Nathan's shove I walked slowly into the dressing room.

"I'm umm.. a replacement?" I said/asked the make-up artist. She smiled eerily and told me to sit.

"Nathan told me you'd be replacing Adriana. She's such a little witch you know? Ever met her?" She said with a rough smokers voice.

"Probably. I'm the receptionist." I laughed. She laughed with me.

"I'm Aerie. You're... Molly right?" I nodded. Aerie finished my make-up and we kept up light conversation until I was ready to get changed into the skimpy black dress. The reflection in the mirror was not what I expected. My make-up usually looked very business friendly, but now it looked just amazing. I could never have made myself look this way no matter how hard I tried.

"Should I..?" My face contorted into some form of anticipation and confusion. Aerie nodded.

"Go! Go! Nathan's probably sitting out there sweating his ass off waiting!" She gave me a light pat on the butt as I walked briskly back towards the shoot.

XXXXXX

After that day I had started my light modeling career. It was nothing I had ever intended on, but it gave me a feeling of power and confidence that I hadn't felt in months. There was barely any free time between advertisement shoots and continuing my work as a receptionist for the company that was taking my picture. It left little time to reflect back on Ville. It also let me express myself, being that I was not the super-model type, but apparently that's what companies were looking for now-a-days. I was short, not too skinny, and had curves. But I guess the normal look was what advertisements were supposed to portray.

XXXXXX

"Mr. Gray you've got a call on line one." I spoke into my headset. Minutes later the little yellow light was blinking again.

"Miss Briggs?" A chipper voice said from the other end. I recognized it as the person I had recently connected to Nathan's line.

"Yes?"

"Oh hello, my name's Evaline Grant; I work for Cosmopolitan magazine."

"Oh!" What could she possibly want? She was supposed to be speaking with Nathan. I wasn't supposed to receive calls at the office. "How can I help you?"

"The better question is how can I help you? I've spoken with Nathan a few times and he tells me you're becoming quite the regular for many ads. I'm doing a piece on upcoming models, and I think you're image and body-shape is the type of thing we need to be projecting to young girls. I was wondering if you'd do an interview with us. Nathan's signed off on the idea." She spoke so freely that it was easy to say yes.

The interview went over flawlessly, and I felt completely safe with every answer I'd given. From then on, I'd been known more widely, and people expressed more and more interest in my work. Nathan decided to let me go as receptionist in order to focus completely on modeling. How my life had ended up this way, I had no idea. But that's what it was becoming, and there was no way for me to stop it.

XXXXXX

"Come home for Christmas, at least. You've been gone so long and haven't visited." My mom pleaded.

"I'll see what I can do. It's killing me not to be there. I'm sure I can get a few weeks off."

"Please, dear. Everyone's aching to see you."

I wanted to cry and be held by my mom, and let my whole life collapse to see my family and friends that I missed so much, but I had no way of knowing if my schedule would clear so that I could go home to Buffalo.

"I know, I know, I know." I held my head in my hands. "I miss everyone so much. But I'll call Nathan right now and get back to you soon ok? I love you."

"Love you too sweetie."

Nathan was actually pretty receptive to the idea after some debate.

"You know.. I'm not happy that you'll be missing work in L.A., but it might be good to portray yourself as a hometown girl. You know, heart's always in Buffalo kind of thing? I'll give you two weeks, don't blow it." He hung up quickly and without giving me a chance to debate him. I was beaming, ecstatic. I hadn't seen my family in over half a year, when I had originally intended on leaving them for merely a few weeks. My legs wouldn't stop shaking. After I packed some of my most important clothes (the more conservative ones that I had obtained while being in L.A.) and things I knew I would only really need, I got a text from Nathan.

'Got you a plane ticket. Leaves in an hour. Hurry.'

I bolted from my apartment building, barely having time to greet the small dog at the door who always looked forward to my arrival.

I giggled at the puppy as the doorman held the door for me. He barked and I ran towards a cab that was waiting for me at the bottom of the steps.

Once I was settled in the first class section of the plane, I really had some time to reflect. I was going home, it made me happier than I had been in... in about five months. The only thing that would make it better would be if someone else wanted to see me for Christmas.

He had probably forgotten all about me. He was some rock star, with tons of girls throwing themselves at him. There was no way he even would bother to try and see me again. Even though ever since he left I've never been able to fill this empty space in my heart. What was I trying to hide from? Why couldn't I admit to myself what I already knew? Did I.... did I love Ville? If I did I might as well just get over it. He hadn't even tried to call me, not even a text. I mean, we didn't really have each others phone numbers, but if anyone could get information if would have been Ville. Even thinking his name made the hole larger in the pit of my stomach.

I groaned heavily and the flight attendant tapped me lightly on the shoulder.

"Miss, are you ok?" She asked.

"Yeah... sorry. Bad dream." I said awkwardly. She smiled politely and walked away and came back with a pillow and small blanket.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

The sleep didn't help much, as I just had one of my many reoccurring dreams. It was him, of course, standing across the room from me. Every step I took towards him, he took another back. He would mouth the word "No." repeatedly. I would reach for him, and he would always turn his back and walk away from me. Waking up only let me escape from the dream for a few hours. It would happen again. It always did.