Modely Disordered

Shanna rushed through the set of glass doors, barely staying upright as she wobbled in her 5 inch heels. She pulled off her sunglasses and stuffed them into the oversized tote that rested on her arm as she made her way to the lobby elevators. While she waited for the elevator to reach the third floor, Shanna silently cursed herself for not leaving her apartment early enough and getting caught in the ridiculous amount of traffic. She knew that catching a taxi in New York was harder than catching a butterfly without a net, but yet Shanna had still waited until the last minute.

As the elevator doors opened, Shanna took a deep breath, pushed all of her worries away, and strode down the hallway like she owned it. If she wanted to be a model, she definitely had to act like one. Her heels click-clacked on the white marble floor as she strutted by each office, heading straight for the last one, oblivious to the head-turning she was doing. It had always been like that; people stared after Shanna like she was their greatest desire, one that left them open-mouthed.

Shanna reached the last office and just as she was about to knock, the door swung open, revealing a young male. Her confusion at the stranger must have been displayed on her face for the man gave a soft chuckle. “I'm Nate, Heidi's assistant,” he said, holding out his hand for Shanna to shake. She took his hand and was surprised at how soft it was. He must use moisturizer, she thought. Nate looked at her expectantly when she didn't reply.

“Shanna Ross,” she offered, blushing slightly. “I'm supposed to be meeting Heidi for an interview.”

Nate nodded like he had guessed as much. “Heidi got called away to a shoot, but you can come in and wait if you'd like. It shouldn't be long.” He opened the door wider and gestured for Shanna to sit in one of the red plush chairs that faced Heidi's desk. Shanna slipped past Nate and glanced around the surprisingly large office.

Two of the four walls were made of all glass so you could watch the hustle and bustle of city life while you worked and the remaining two walls were covered in various items such as photographs, magazine covers, business cards, and even a deflated birthday balloon. Shanna took a seat and glanced at what she figured was Heidi's desk, except it didn't really resemble a desk from all of the junk piled onto it. There was a laptop sitting so close to one edge that it looked like it might fall off, a stack of manila folders with magazine clippings sticking out, three coffee cups, an empty picture frame, a bottle of red nail polish, a container full of more photographs, and a myriad of other random items including a pair of pink stilettos.

Shanna had never been inside of Heidi's office before but from their previous meetings, she always assumed Heidi was a neat-freak. Her clothes were freshly pressed, there was never a hair out of place, and even her briefcase had been perfectly organized! Shanna began to wonder what else she had mistaken about her agent. Before she could worry, Nate interrupted her thoughts. “She'll sign you, ya know. I was with her when she saw your portfolio; she couldn't put it down. And believe me, she's hard to impress,” he added.

Shanna blushed a deep scarlet and shook her hair out in front of her face to hide her embarrassment; she had never learned how to accept compliments, especially not from strangers. “I'm serious,” Nate said, leaning against one of the glass walls. “Your look is different than what Heidi normally goes for, but you really caught her eye. In fact, you're all she talked about today.” In an attempt to sound like Heidi, Nate spoke in a very squeaky, high pitched voice, “You remember Shanna Ross? That tall brunette girl with the blonde in her hair? Her interview is today. I'm positive I can book her by the end of the week! Oh, my. Everyone's going to go nuts over her! She's totally the new Kate Moss!”

Shanna couldn't hold her laughter anymore and busted out laughing as Nate finished his imitation. She fanned herself as her eyes began to water and had to take a deep breath in order to regain her composure. “I'm sure that's exactly what she said,” Shanna said with a smirk on her face.

Nate put his hands up as if in surrender. “I'm not making it up! That's what I've been hearing almost all week!” Just as he finished his statement, the pair heard the unmistakable sound of a door handle turning. “Speak of the devil,” Nate said, a grin spreading across his face. He tucked a lock of his dark hair behind his ear and opened the still jiggling door handle.

Heidi was standing there, holding two large boxes against her hip and a coffee in her empty hand. She had her cell phone lodged between her shoulder and her ear and she was chatting away happily on it. Heidi smiled when she saw Nate standing there and ungracefully gestured for him to take the boxes. He did so and that's when Heidi finally noticed Shanna.

Her mouth sort of fell open and transformed into a huge smile just as quick. “Paul, I'm going to have to call you back,” she said and flipped her phone shut. “Shanna, Shanna, Shanna. How are you, love? Nate's taken good care of you, I hope.” Heidi glanced at Nate as she said that and gave him a quick wink. “Sorry I'm late. Some stylists are such idiots. I mean, really? Does it look like paisley and cheetah prints mix? Uh, no, I didn't think so. Anyways, it's so good to see you again!” Shanna stood as Heidi walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss on each cheek. “Saw that in an old French movie once. Thought I'd give it a try.” Heidi grinned wildly before taking her seat behind her desk.

Shanna smiled slightly and waited for her agent to say more, but Heidi simply stared at the young girl with a thoughtful expression. “Heidi, I think you're scaring her,” Nate commented, flicking his green eyes between the two women.

Shanna started to protest but quickly stopped when she realized that Nate was right. It was certainly an odd thing to experience, almost to the point where it was uncomfortable. But Shanna refused to say anything and allowed the older woman to stare at her for a moment longer. Nate cleared his throat and it seemed to bring Heidi out of her trance. She leaned back in her chair, twisting a strand of blonde hair around her perfectly manicured finger. “You've obviously got the looks to make it big, but do you have the dedication? I won't waste my time on someone who's not totally committed. It's not an easy industry to get into and I'll be damned if some little girl makes me out to be a fool. You're a risk, yes, you are, but I think you're a risk worth taking. So what do you say, Shanna?”

Shanna thought carefully about her next few words and in a steady voice she answered, “Whatever it takes.”

Heidi grinned at her reply and instantly began dialing a number on her cell phone. As the phone rang, Heidi asked, “How about you start tomorrow then? We're shooting a campaign for Blue Riches and you're just the face we're looking for.”

Shanna nodded eagerly and waited for her dream as a model to begin.