Page 57 of Last First Date

I almost burst into laughter. I had never been called the perfect size for anything. “I’m sorry?” I repeated and once again looked at Knox. Were they actually making fun of me right to my face? That wasn’t cool. Maybe I wasn’t one of them, but they didn’t have to make fun of me.

“You are the perfect size. A little smaller than the original model, but it could work. Can you stand up?”

I was smaller than a model?

This was not funny. I fought to keep from crying.

“Please,” the director said. “Can you stand up? I think you’re perfect for our needs.”

“Are you serious?” Knox asked.

“As a heart attack.”

Knox looked at me. “Go ahead.”

“Knox,” I hissed.

“Just stand up,” he said, nodding to punctuate the command.

With a mix of astonishment and disbelief, I stood up, smoothing my skirt down. The woman stared at me and then twirled her finger, ordering me to turn around. I was certain I had never been so embarrassed in my life. I slowly turned with my cheeks burning.

“You’re perfect,” the director said.

I sat down and looked at Knox.

“What do you have in mind?” Knox asked.

“I’d like you to take the model’s spot in our show,” she said.

The suggestion hit me like a tidal wave, and for a moment, I was left speechless. If this was a sick joke, I didn’t approve. It was cruel.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but Knox beat me to it. “That’s not possible,” he objected, his voice firm. “She doesn’t have any modeling experience.”

The director shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We can teach her the basics. And she won’t be alone on the ramp. There will be other models too.”

It felt like my heart was pounding in my throat. Me? A model? I could hardly believe what I was hearing. The idea itself was so absurd that I nearly laughed out loud. But one look at the director’s serious face stopped me.

“Think about it,” she urged, her eyes never leaving mine. “This could be an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Knox looked at me, his eyebrows raised in a silent question. I swallowed hard, my eyes darting to the floor. I felt so out of place, so overwhelmed. This was not what I signed up for.

But as I looked around, I saw genuine hope in the eyes of the people around the table. I was no longer just an outsider but a potential player in their world.

“I’ll think about it,” I mumbled, stunned by my own words.

“Good,” the director said, smiling. “You would really be helping us out. The lingerie she was supposed to wear is very important to our new line. We want to make sure we are getting out all of our new stuff.”

“I’m sorry,” Knox said. “But can we give Waverly a minute?”

“Sure,” the director said, smiling.

“Go ahead and get yourself some water,” Knox urged.

I wasn’t an idiot. They were kicking me out of the room. “Sure, thanks.”

I got up on legs that felt just a little shaky. I was convinced they were all looking at me as I walked out of the room. It took me a second to find the bathrooms. When I did, I ducked inside and was grateful to find it empty.

Of course, there was a full-length mirror. I stepped in front of it and looked at myself—like really looked. What did the director see? I believed she wasn’t pulling my leg. She genuinely wanted me to be in her show.