Foreign

FAITH DIAGIMO WAS CERTAIN about a few things. She was certain that the caramel frap she had ordered this morning was skimpy with its whipped cream. She was certain that the man earlier in the elevator tried to catch a peek up her skirt when she had bent down to recover her dropped papers. She was also certain that pumps were a bad choice of shoes today. However, above all of this, she was certainly excited to be leaving tomorrow for Hong Kong.

It'd be a short stay, a few weeks, no more than a month. Even though she had planned beforehand to have fun and genuinely enjoy the sights and establishments of the country (bars, bars, bars), this was a business trip. Faith's career could be summed up in one magnificent word: photographer. Faith was the woman behind the scenes of photo shoots, loving every moment of it. Faith felt more than blessed to have such a career already. Taking pictures of gorgeous people seemed like a nice way to make cash.

But it was more than that, more than just pictures. It was the connection and teamwork between photographer and model. Each shoot Faith still got goosebumps and an adrenaline high. You couldn't even imagine the feelings that were rushing through her when she received the email informing her that she was being flown out to Hong Kong. She was busy re-watching Scandal episodes and enjoying some good ol' vanilla ice-cream when her phone had buzzed. By the end of the email she was a squealing and jumping mess.

She couldn't believe that she, along with Nathaniel and Jason, had been chosen to be one of the photographers. There was a 3 day fashion show at the end of this month, possibly the biggest and most important, and those shots were going to be legendary and worth a lot. Also, there were festivals which were happening throughout the month and would be fantastic to also feature in the magazine. Which would look fantastic on the magazine's (La Mode) behalf as far as getting Song Liu--one of Asia's most sought after models-- to come to their magazine. God! It was so much, it was almost overwhelming. Almost, almost overwhelming, but Faith--no pun intended-- had faith in herself. She was certain she was going to fucking own this job in Hong Kong.

So here she was, standing tall in her charcoal pumps, frappucino in hand, her very exclusive royal blue chiffon skirt flowing as she waved her arm to flag down a cabbie. She'd be heading straight home to start her packing for her flight in the morning, she had made the decision--which seemed plausible at that moment in time-- to procrastinate and wait until the last moment.

“Faith--Faith!” the urgent voice of Stella Duchamp, known as Faith's boss, called out. Faith turned around to see the blonde impressively running in her famous red bottom Louboutin's from the magazine's revolving doors in a straight beeline to Faith. Faith, fearful of Stella colliding into her, nearly jumped off the curb trying to get out the way.

“Jesus, Stell!” Faith exclaimed. “Slow the hell down would ya?”

This sort of outburst would most definitely be deemed as inappropriate to say to your superior, however, Stella and Faith's relationship genuinely was more than employer and employee. Stella had admitted to Faith one day that she saw a bit of herself in young Faith. Where Stella could see a 5'4, 40 year old blonde Caucasian woman in Faith was beyond her comprehension, but she enjoyed the companionship between the two nonetheless.

However Stella's companionship was a gross burden at the moment. Faith had just caught the attention of a cabbie when Stella reached her. Her hand was now on top of the cab's car, one leg already inside. “Stella can’t this wait? I'm more than off the clock right now. Even fashion rests.” Faith could already foresee the sweet sweet satisfaction of taking off her heels after a long day.

Stella flipped a strand of her golden locks out of her face before she spoke. “It's only a moment--I promise.”

Faith heaved out a bitter and impatient huff as she pulled her leg out from the cab and shut its door closed. “Hey c'mon! I gotta business to run--you gettin' in or out?” Faith hadn't even noticed the cab's passenger window roll down, but she certainly saw the irritation in the cab drivers face.

She took a large side-step and stooped low to meet the driver’s eyes. “One second,” she responded with a small apologetic smile, holding up an index finger. “Stell, what's up?” Faith queried as she stood straight and turned to look at Stella.

Stella pushed a portfolio into Faith's chest, answering her question. However, Faith now had a new question. “What is this?” she asked, as she grasped it in her hand.

“That,” Stella began tentatively, as she pointed a manicured finger at the portfolio. “That right there is our life.”

Faith mentally rolled her eyes at her boss/friend's dramatization of everything. Unless the portfolio in Faith's hand was the secret to the universe, then their lives didn't depend on it. A loud and obnoxious honk from the cab startled the both of them. “Hey--I got places to go, lady!”

“So do I, so I guess we're both screwed!” Faith shouted back, her patience almost on E. “Wait just one minute. One!” Faith repeated her gesture from last time--holding up one finger (not that finger, but she wanted to). The middle aged disgruntled cabbie muttered something under his breath as Faith turned her attention to Stella once again.

“What is this, Stella?” she questioned, shaking the portfolio slightly.

Stella pressed her palms together. “That there is absolutely everything that Freddie Tusio is featuring in the fashion show. You're gonna need to get that to Sam Wei when you go to the shoot tonight.”

Faith's body was half-way in the car now, just one leg outside of the cab. “Portfolio. Freddie Tusio. Sam Wei. Tomorrow morning--got it.” Faith repeated back.

“Tonight.”

“What?” Faith asked, her mouth becoming dry at that moment to the point her voice cracked at the end of her question.

“You're flying out tonight, Faith,” Stella stated slowly, enunciating every word and letter-- it was almost insulting. “Sam Wei's leaving earlier than your original flight and he's gonna need,” she pointed at the portfolio on Faith's lap. “That.”

“Tonight?” Faith questioned, her anxiety beginning to rise as well as her throat beginning to close. She had heard Stella clearly this time, but she still couldn't believe nor fully process this information. “I'm--I'm not ready. I'm not even packed—”

“Well you better get to packing your good panties then, because you're outta here by midnight.” Stella stated nonchalantly as she pulled a pair of sunglasses from her cleavage.

“I don't even have the ticket.”

“That is also in the portfolio,” Stella countered. She leaned her body against the car, the cabbie now outside of the cab smoking a cigarette. “Faith you're gonna do fabulous. You know how I know? Because I know you're fabulous.” Stella beamed, giving yet another famous Stella Duchamp “pep-talk”. However, it'd be a lie to say that Stella's words didn't make Faith smile just the slightest.

“You're gonna knock em dead. No one captures beauty like you.”

Faith's smile was bright and broad now as she rolled her eyes. “Stell if you keep buttering me up you might as well eat me.”

“Mm, tempting,” Stella chuckled as she slid her sunglasses on her face. “Faith, go to Hong Kong and make me proud, k?” These were her instructions before she closed the door to the cab, giving the cabbie Faith's address as well.

The cabbie made a kind of throaty snorting sound as he stomped out his finished cigarette. “Oh, so we're leavin' now? I was just thinkin' about takin' a nap.”

Stella's lips pressed into a thin tight line as her hand coiled around her hip. “You know,” she stated, pushing up her glasses with her free hand. “You could be a comedian; you've got the jokes and looks to go with it.”

Faith couldn't help but palm her face in disbelief. Stella was so outspoken. The cabbie grumbled something along the lines of “bitch” and slid into the cab, slamming his door shut. Stella motioned with her hand for Faith to roll her window down, and bent forward to meet Faith eye to eye. Well, sunglasses to eye.

“Remember Faith, you gotta have faith,” Stella said quite cheekily, smirking to herself. Faith now rolled her eyes, that phrase was undoubtedly overused. Stella peeked her green eyes at Faith from over her glasses. “Own it.”

Stella stood back from the car as it started up, giving a wave as the cab finally pulled away from the sidewalk. Faith let out a small laugh as she unconsciously nibbled at her nails. Remembering that biting her nails was a bad habit, and honestly bad for her nails, she dropped her hands onto her lap. With the black portfolio underneath her hands, a smile was beginning to appear on her face. She gazed outside of the window since it was still rolled down. She was going to be in Hong Kong within hours. The excitement was starting to gnaw at her as two words replayed in her mind, causing her smile to form into a self-confident smirk.

“Own it”" She mused to herself as she slid the ticket out from the portfolio. She lightly fanned herself with the ticket, the smirk still evident on her face. “Own it.”

Faith DiaGimo was going to Hong Kong, and was going to fucking own it.