“So what’s holding you back?” I asked.
“I’m just so in love with my apartment. You know how hard it is to get a loft space in this town? And what if Munchkin doesn’t like it? French bulldogs are totally prone to anxiety, and he gets destructive when he’s upset. I just want to make sure it’s the right thing, for both of us.”
“Go with your gut,” I told her. “You’ll know when it’s right. And if he’s really the one, he won’t mind waiting.”
I sipped my drink, filled with both happiness and a little jealousy. At least whatever she had with this photographer, she’d know it was real. I couldn’t say the same for my own marriage.
But even as Emzee continued to open up to me like we were really sisters, I couldn’t help wondering how much she really knew about her family’s business. If she was in the dark the way her brother Luka had been, or if she’d stumbled upon the truth at some point like me.
“You’ve been doing a lot of work for KZM lately, haven’t you?” I asked, trying to go the diplomatic route.
She nodded. “I love branching out and doing my own stuff, but yeah, it’s good to have steady work through the agency, and my dad still lets me get creative with our models, so.” She gave a shrug. “To be honest, commercial photography isn’t really my thing. But it’s helpful to have it on your resume when you’re trying to build a name and a portfolio. Especially since all of the women we sign are so unbelievably beautiful.”
“They are, aren’t they?” I commented idly, swirling the ice in my glass. “I wonder if they ever feel uncomfortable about the jobs they’re sent on…”
I watched Emzee’s face, looking for any signs she might get defensive or bristle at the implication that any of the KZM models were being sent to do things that they might not like.
Instead, she just laughed.
“I guess I wouldn’t blame them,” she said. “There’s a reason I stay behind the camera. I mean, if you think about it, modeling is weird. Prancing around in string bikinis, getting sprayed with baby oil in front of a huge fan, wearing nothing but a pair of sunglasses and a boa constrictor around your neck? Bleh. I’d totally feel like an object. And it’shard.”
“Yeah…” I said, though her examples weren’t at all what I’d been referring to.
“But I’m pretty sure they’re used to it. Modeling’s their dream, you know? And the agency treats them well. We take standard commission when they book a gig, but we also pay them a salary on top of that, and we help with immigration if that’s something they want.”
Either my sister-in-law was a really good actress, or she had completely bought into the bullshit PR campaign that the agency had been feeding her and everyone else. I couldn’t really judge her for being naïve about the treatment of the models, though. I myself had been just as ignorant up until recently, and that was on top of how little I’d known about my own father’s corruption. It was hard to see the bad in people when they’d raised you, fed you, kept a roof over your head, and said that they loved you.
Maybe Konstantin did love his kids. At least, maybe he loved Emzee—enough to keep her in the dark, to protect her from his corruption. But was it for her own good, or for his?
It didn’t make me hate the guy any less, but I was glad that Emzee seemed totally unaware of the seedy underbelly her father was hiding. I didn’t want to see her hurt. I cared about her, deeply. She was like the sister I’d never had growing up, but had always hoped for.
I also knew I couldn’t possibly have these kinds of fun, girl-talk-fueled dates with someone who was complicit in human trafficking. Just imagining the horrors that the Zoric family put their models through in order to pad their own wallets made me sick.
For a moment, I fought my impulse to tell her the truth. Because even though I would hate to destroy her image of her father and her family, I also dreaded the idea of her finding out the way that I had.
“So that’s how I know that Munchkin’s an excellent judge of character,” she finished saying. “But everyone knows dogs can sense evil. That’s probably why he hates my dad.”
Emzee giggled, but I had to force myself to laugh along with her. She really had no idea.
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I wasn’t going to be the one to ruin Emzee’s life with the truth. Not only that, but I’d be putting both myself and my sister-in-law in danger. Stefan had said as much, and I was well aware that Konstantin was a man to be feared.
“How about you guys?” Emzee asked, startling me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry?” I had lost the thread of conversation.
“You and my brother. Are things going any better with you guys?”
She’d caught me completely off guard. “I’m not sure what you mean,” I said, playing dumb. “Did Stefan say something to you?”
“Yeah, right,” Emzee scoffed. “Stefan’s personal life is harder to get into than a locked iPhone. I figured there was trouble in paradise because he’s been grumpy as hell for weeks. But he’s been more like his usual self the past few days. I assume it had something to do with you.”
She gave me a pointed look.
“I mean, I guess we’ve been getting along better,” I said. “In some areas.” I couldn’t help but blush.
Emzee cackled with glee. “I knew it! He thinks he’s so tough, but I can still read him.”
I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t imagine I had anything to do with his attitude at work, unless the sex had been as good for him as it was for me. Maybe he secretly craved the occasional tenderness of human connection in between all his rages and cold-hearted business deals. Maybe there was still a bit of human left beneath the monster I usually saw.
