“Xander, can you spare me a moment?” Jeanie shuffled her feet, her eyes fixed on the polished timber floor as he moved the tripod closer to the perfectly set table. “I wanted to have a word … ”
“Yes?”
“I’m not sure … ”
“Jeanie we haven’t got much time,” he interrupted. “We can talk later. The first guests will be arriving soon and I promised the owners we’d be out of here before then.”
She shrugged her shoulders and bit back her disappointment. This just wasn’t going the way she had imagined. Last night, she’d been lulled into such a false sense of security by his attention and interest and now she was nothing more than a pimple on the perfect complexion of the modeling industry. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and fixed a tight smile on her face.
“Just sit down there at the table, and look out through the window at the water. I want to get the mood of the architecture, and from this angle the old plaster walls and stonework are perfect.”
Sitting at the table Jeanie toyed with the silver cutlery glistening in the sunlight on the white tablecloth. This wasn’t where she belonged. A longing for the pink and turquoise checks of the café tables swept through her. A woman walked past on the esplanade, a huge black poodle sporting an emerald green bandana trotting beside her, a far cry from her little bundle of fluff. The camera clicked and whirred and the lights flashed. She settled the fork on the table and shook her hair back, letting out a sigh, an odd mixture of boredom, frustration, and disappointment clouding her mind.
“Excellent, hold it right there. Now lean forward and pick up the gardenia.”
Almost by rote she followed his instructions, reaching for the elegant flower lying on the table and holding it to her nose. The exquisite perfume conjured a picture of Gran’s garden at home. Home. Three more days and it would be over. She dropped her shoulders and rested back in the seat, stretching her legs under the table.
“Perfect. Okay, stand up, slowly turn and gaze out of the window, then leave the table and walk to the door. You’re sad. Your date hasn’t turned up and nothing is what you thought it would be.”
That wouldn’t be too difficult to do. Today wasn’t going the way she’d expected and the life of a model wasn’t all it was cracked up to be either. The camera might have lost its terror, but it mirrored the way Xander’s attitude changed the moment he peered at her through the lens.
“Now sit down again.”
She lowered herself onto the chair like a marionette, moving her limbs as the puppet master dictated then took a deep breath, and let the air trickle out between her pursed lips.
“Lift your head a little more and shake your hair back.”
Xander rested his elbows on the table, the camera just inches from her face. A lock of hair had tumbled over one of his eyes and was caught on the side of the camera. Unable to resist, she reached out to brush it to one side.
“Stay back! Don’t come any closer.”
Jerking her hand away as though stung, Jeanie leaned back in the chair, pushing her hands against the tabletop as she resisted the temptation to stand up again and walk away. “Are we nearly finished?”
No answer. He kept moving around the table, the clicking and whirring sounds of the camera getting closer and more irritating until she wanted to bat it away like a persistent fly. He brushed the hair back from his eyes and peered over the top of the camera.
“Gaze out of the window again.”
Jeanie smothered a sigh, watching his reflection in the glass. Even as annoyed as she was with his constant instructions, she had to admit he was incredibly handsome — but Gran wasn’t right. He was nothing like Robert Redford. He had this contradictory animal-like agility and stillness about him. His hair was definitely way too long and it caught in the collar of his shirt when he twisted his head, but there was no denying he had great eyes. She turned to remind herself just how great they were but she was too late. He’d gone.
“It’s a rap.” Jaz appeared from nowhere. “Go and get changed. You’re done for today.”
“Is it all I’ve got to do? Xander?”
“That’s the lot,” Xander muttered.
“Right. I was wondering … ” Her words bounced off his retreating back.
“Xander’s got a full schedule today,” Jaz interrupted. “The car will drop you back at the hotel and we’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. Five-thirty sharp.”
Resisting the desire to salute, Jeanie swallowed the instructions and turned her head to the clock on the wall. Nine-thirty. The rest of the day yawned before her and she made a snap decision. “Don’t bother about dropping me back to the hotel; I’ll stay here on the beach for a while. I can get a taxi back.” She needed some time to herself, time to work out exactly what her role was in this strange world she had been thrown into.
“Suit yourself. We’ve got work to do.” Jaz tip tapped in Xander’s wake, leaving Jeanie standing in the middle of the restaurant amongst the debris of silver umbrellas, incandescent lights, and black electrical cords snaking across the floor.