Good Enough

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I threw my pillow over my head trying to block Mia’s angry yells. I didn’t know who fucked up, or what was going on, but I had no intention of being awake at 7 am today.

“This shoot has been scheduled for a month. What the hell is wrong with professionalism in this town?”

Flopping over, I stared at the ceiling. I wasn’t getting back to sleep any time soon. I pulled myself out of bed, threw my hair into a ponytail and sauntered into the kitchen where Mia was pacing with her phone in her hand.

“What am I supposed to tell my boss?” I sat at the kitchen table and soon found a cup of coffee in front of me. I smiled up at Mia, who smiled back before her face got angry again.

“No, you know what I am going to tell my boss? That we’re never going to use your agency again.” She hung up the phone and slammed her hand on the counter.

“What’s going on?” I sipped the coffee, sleepy-eyed, and waited for her to calm down.

“These stupid models decided they weren’t coming to the shoot today. They were hired three weeks ago. All three of them.” She flopped into the chair beside me, her own coffee in hand. “Same agency did this last week. It’s ridiculous. Even the Vegas models didn’t do that.”

“Wow, I’m so sorry.” I put the coffee down, watching the frustration on Mia’s face.

“It’s not your fault. But now I have to tell Dani that I don’t have any female models for today.” Her phone started ringing and she groaned. “Speak of the devil.”

She took the phone and her coffee with her into her room. I could her the muffled explanation coming through and couldn’t help but feel bad. I know how much thought goes into a photo shoot. Whatever agency had screwed them over was not going to get good reviews. She reemerged from her room a few minutes later and sat down again.

“Where am I going to find a model in the next three hours?”

“What?”

“Dani said this shoot has to happen today. It needs to be edited and ready to go to print by next week. And the male models are still coming.”

“It’ll work out, I promise.” She sighed into her hands. A few seconds later she let her hands down and looked at me.

“How was your date last night?”

I froze. Mia wasn’t home when I got home, no doubt out with Tommy, and I didn’t wait around for her. I went right to bed. I figured I could avoid it for a little while and hopefully she’d forget. Or I’d be hit by a bus. Before I could answer though, I caught the time on the microwave.

“It’s almost 7:30. Bryden’s interview is like right now!”
I ran to my room and turned on the radio, trying to find the station. When it came through I sighed and fell back onto the bed. Just in time. Mia walked in and laughed as the interview started.

“Good morning. This is Nate here at K-103.7. It’s a beautiful Friday morning here in Southern California—the perfect day for a new song. I’m here with up and coming artist Bryden McVea who just this morning released his new single, Better Days. Bryden, how’s it going?”

“It’s going pretty well, Nate. Thanks for having me.” I heard my boyfriend’s voice flow through the room and smiled a mix of joy and sadness. After last night, I didn’t know what was going to follow for us.

“You’re gaining a serious following and you hadn’t released any music until today. How does that feel?”

“I’m pretty surprised actually. I’ve been playing local bars and things for a few years. Got some things out on Youtube. But, I never thought I’d have people recognize me on the street. Especially when I don’t really have a song out.”

“Well that’s about to change today. Now, I have to ask you, since the ladies keep asking me, this girl in your life—what’s the story?”

“I’ve known her since we were seven. We grew up together. I kind of messed thing up right before college and we lost touch, but she’s back in my life and I’m not letting her go.”

“I’m sure every girl listening just swooned and cursed your girl. So I’ve heard the song. It’s top notch. What’s the background?”

“It’s about the journey I took with Jax to get to where we are. It was hard and it’s not going to get easy overnight. But, we’re on our way to better days.”

“And here it is, the new single from Bryden McVea, Better Days.”
The intro started and I smiled as I listened to the soong Bryden had written for me.

“You carry me places I’d rather be—well-mannered gardens, well-tempered seas. We’re gathered in reason I should believe that this is different—that this isn’t free. How could this be?

“I’m on my way to better days. I’ll find my faith. I’ll find a way. I’m on my way to better days. I’ll find my faith.” I listened to my boyfriend’s voice and couldn’t help but feel terrible. He was hopeful. He was excited for our new life together. I was too. But, there was a lot of shit to wade through before we got to those better days.

“I will slip again, and you’ll find me. I will live again and you’ll find me. Run, but carry the meanings of your past.” I got lost on those words. Bryden was going to slip? I was going to run? I didn’t want to carry my past with me. He shouldn’t want my past either.

“I’m on my way to better days. You’ll find your faith. You’ll find a way. You’re on your way to better days. You’ll find your faith. Oh.

“I’m on my way to better days. We’ll find our faith. We’ll find a way. We’re on our way to better days. We’ll find our faith. We’ll find a way. We’re on our way to better days. We’ll find our faith.”

“I’m on my way. I’m on my way to better days. I’ll find my way. We’ll find our faith—find our faith. Find out way—our way. Find our way.”

“Once again, that was the new single from Bryden McVea, Better Days. Thanks to Bryden for coming and talking to us. You can get the new song on iTunes.”

“JD, are you crying?”

“No.” I wiped my eyes. I had been crying, but I couldn’t let her know why.

“That’s a bold-faced lie. You were crying.”

“Bite me.” I turned away from her only to feel her teeth hit my shoulder. “Seriously? You didn’t actually have to bite me.”

“You said it.” I rolled my eyes and moved through the room to grab things for a shower. “So you never told me about your date. I was surprised you were home before me and already asleep.”

I sighed as I picked up my towel off the end of my bed. What was I going to tell her? It wasn’t that exciting—lie. It was low-key—lie. It was quiet—lie. I settled for changing the subject.

“Don’t you have a crisis to solve?”

“You’re changing the subject. It must have been bad. What happened?”

“And you’re avoiding your problems.”

“I learned from the best. Now, spill.”

“I asked him about the club and he said he’s jealous and I like attention too much. Thought I was flirting with the waiter. Then Seth showed up and everything hit the fan. It was our first real date and it got fucked up. I’m going to take a shower.”

“Wait, Jacqui! You can’t seriously expect me not to be here for you. That’s a lot for one night. Talk to me.” She stood up and went to hug me, but I couldn’t let her. I was barely keeping it together.

“I can’t. If I talk about it, it’s real. I have a shitty past. I wanted to leave it behind, but it’s following me.” I shook my head and moved away from her towards the bathroom. “Go figure out your work stuff. Maybe we can talk later.”

“How about two birds, one stone?” Her face lit up.

“What?”

“I don’t know why I didn’t think about it right away. You can be my model for the shoot today. After, we’ll grab dinner and talk.”

“Hell no. I’m not a model anymore. And I’m not a twig fashion model like they are here. I have tits and an ass.

“JD, you modeled for almost four years. You modeled with me for two. I need you.” Her face was desperate, I could tell.

“You realize you owe me big time, right? Like you owe me lobster dinner and a massage, big?”

“You are the greatest friend I could ever ask for, ever!” She kissed my cheek and ran from the room to call her boss.

I rolled my eyes and left to take a shower. Why did I let myself get talked into these things?