The Kind of Hoax That Leaves a Lump in Your Throat

“I can’t do this, I feel stupid”

“Look, just relax a bit, you’re doing absolutely fine” Barns assured me, but I just tugged the top down a little more and huffed.

“Cant we get Melenie back? She’s better at this than I am”

Melenie King was another model they’d hired for the shoot. Why they needed two was beyond me. She was tall and thin with masses of perfect wavy blonde hair. If she wasn’t so nice and friendly I’d hate her for making me feel inadequate as a girl.

“She’s on a lunch break. Come on Vi, it’s just me in here, you don’t need to feel stupid, you’re doing great”

It was no coincidence that it was just him and I here. I had a word with him before hand and told him I would only do it as long as no one else was in the room, and we managed to work something out.

“Okay, okay, just tell me what to do.”

Me. Modelling? Who would have thought it eh? But I did what tom told me to, stood how he wanted me to stand and even though I felt like a prize numpty I kept going.

I modelled three shirts, josh and his right hand man Adam did a few as well and Melenie did the rest. Everyone was just finishing up with lunch and Barnes took the last picture just had josh opened the door.

“Ok that’s a wrap” he called and josh started pouting.

“You mean I missed all of it?”

“Yup” I said walking over to him “See you in a few Tom” I called before kissing josh’s cheek and leaving the room. I went downstairs and collapsed on one of the couches in the reception, draping an arm over my eyes. I was just thankful it was over now.

“Yo Vi, your lunch is in the kitchen. Take some up for Barnes as well” Zahra shouted to me as she re entered the reception form where ever she’s been. I got up with some effort and went to the kitchen and Zahra followed behind. “So how was it?”

“Awful. I’m so awkward to do all this modelling rubbish”

“Im sure it was fine, you put yourself down to much”

“Well we’ll see when he finishes editing them” I said with a shrug and a small smile. “I better get this up to him, I’m sure he’s starving”

“All right, I’ll catch you tomorrow for the full story” she winked as we left and I raced back up to give tom his lunch. The three of us sat and tom showed us some of the shots.

Once we were done, Melenie came back and josh stood up, holding his hand out to me. I gave him a questioning look and he gave me one right back.

“Come on, we need to do the group shots”

“Group shots? Tom told me I was done” I moaned as josh pulled me up and dragged me over to where Melenie was.

“I feel like such a pimp right now” josh exclaimed and tom and I looked at him incredulously whilst Melenie tried to contain her laughter.

“Right” tom said dragging out the‘t’ and looked around. “Where’s Adam?”

As he finished his sentence, Adam came running back in telling everyone how sorry he was and then took his place on my right. Josh was then on my left and Melenie was next to him.

“Right everyone, just go with it, and Vi relax, you look fine” he reassured before he started snapping away. I thought I’d be worse with josh and everyone there but it was surprisingly okay. After all that was done tom said he needed a few more shots of Melenie so the rest of us sat and watched her.

She was a total natural in front of the camera. Nothing like the useless awkward fool I was. She was confident and she knew what she had to do with no direction from Barnes at all.

A few moments later whilst tom was loading the shots up and getting ready to take some more there was a knock at the door. Josh called saying it was open and two of my favourite people in the world walked in.

“Well if it isn’t the Sykes brothers” josh said and he pulled tom in for a hug. I shot up with him and went over to oli giving him a quick and when I pulled away he held onto my wrist.

“Hey love, who’s that in reception? Like behind the desk? Do you work with her?”

“Yeah that’s Zahra, she too has a boyfriend so don’t go doing what you did last time. I don’t need you Sykes boy’s causing anymore trouble” I said.

“Why don’t you have any single friends?” oli asked with a huff and I just shrugged.

“Flint town has dibs on my next single friend, but you can be second” I winked at him before turning to face tom and launching myself into his arms.

“I’ve missed you Tommy” I said into his hair and I felt his chest shake.

“ive missed you too” he replied before we pulled apart “and for the record, I don’t cause trouble” he winked before sitting down next to Adam in my seat.

“You pinched my seat” I huffed before sitting on josh’s lap who was sat next to oli. He kissed my temple started tracing patterns in my back. “So anyway guys, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Just passing through thought we’d say a quick hello” oli replied and I was waiting for tom to say something but he had his eyes trained on Melenie. I smiled a little and relaxed back into josh until Melenie was done.

“Okay that’s a wrap” tom called and I shot up so josh and Adam could talk to tom and see some of the shots. Oli took a little peek too but tom sat on the sofa pretending to play with his phone, but I knew he just didn’t want to get up because Melenie was there. I could see it in his eyes.

I pulled tom up, much to his protest and took him over to Melenie who had just changed and was about to go see a few of the shots.

“Hey Mel, this is tom, he’s a photographer too and he was just telling me how he needs a model for a project he’s working on” I said, the lie simply rolling off my tongue. Tom was looking at me like he couldn’t believe what I was saying. “So would you be up for it?”

“Yeah, well depending what it is obviously” she winked at him and I saw his cheeks turn a pale pink. I just smiled and went back to the other to see some of the shots.

They all made fun of mine before reassuring me they were fine but I just hid myself in josh’s jumper. He whispered to me that I looked beautiful and I could feel myself blushing so I waited until my face had calmed down before reappearing.

We all helped tom clear away and when we were saying out goodbyes tom pulled me over to the side.

“You’re just lucky that I did have something lined up” he said trying to look angry, but I could see the small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“I saw the way you were looking at her, and knowing you, you wouldn’t have spoken to her, so no need to thank me” I winked and he just shook his head before hugging me.

“So I guess I’ll see you on Saturday then?”

Saturday? What was going on then? I wondered and tom looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

“You know the charity gig the guys are playing on Saturday?”

“Oh right, yeah of course” I smiled even though I still had no idea what on earth he was talking about. “Yeah sure I’ll see you then” I said.

Tom and oli went to wherever they were going then, and Melenie followed soon after and once we’d said goodbye to Barnes it was just josh and I.

“So what’s all this about a gig on Saturday?” I asked as we walked home hand in hand.

“Oh yeah we have this charity gig, I just figured you would come. I guess I should have said something. You are free right?” he asked the last bit slightly panicked.

“Yes, thankfully for you”

“Good” he smiled a sly smiled and I kept asking why it would matter if I couldn’t go but he just smiled and wouldn’t answer.

When we got home, josh stayed for a cup of tea before he left. He was halfway down the path when he turned around like he’d forgotten something.

“Everything okay?” I asked and he just nodded.

“Yeah I just forgot to say that I had a word with Ella-May and she said you can take next Friday, Saturday and the following Monday off so I can take you away. I said it was a surprise for you so act like you don’t know anything yeah?” he smiled before kissing my cheek and leaving once again.