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“I read a few things here and there,” I confirm. “They’re a small agency, who are trying to fight their way into the market. I can understand how that feels.”
“That’s all fine, but they’re a real agency, right?”
“Well, of course,” I snort back. What else would they be?
“Well, I’m just asking,” she shrugs her shoulders. “You can never be sure these days. Where’s their office?”
“The nice lady I spoke to on the phone told me that it’s on Hoover Street, but it’s being renovated, so they’re renting something short-term over on Jefferson Avenue.”
“That’s one of the main streets,” Vanessa tells me, thinking. “What did you say the agency name was?”
“Look Models,” I reply.
“You’d think they’d have a sign up or something,” she continues, wondering.
“I’m sure they have it on Hoover Street. This is just temporary. They probably don’t want to invest too much in that location, as they’re already investing in the main office,” I share my reasoning.
“I guess you’re right,” Vanessa nods and for some reason, I feel relieved. “So, you’re going to Jefferson Avenue tomorrow?”
“I’m supposed to meet them at a cafe across the street from the current office. I think it’s Cathy’s Cupcakes or something?”
“I know the place,” Vanessa smiles. “Good coffee and good cupcakes, too.”
“Well, I’m meeting this lady there tomorrow at 9:00 am and she said we’ll just go together.”
Vanessa smiles at me again. Her confidence is contagious and the little anxiety that I had in me, is now gone.
“Did you bring nice clothes?” she asks me. “You could borrow something from me, if you want.”
I grin widely. Another trip down memory lane, trying out mother’s dresses from the time when she was a girl. She has a box of old necklaces that she never wears anymore and on special occasions, she allowed us to put them on. I still remember seeing those pearls sparkle around my neck, as if someone had picked a bunch of stars and put them there. That was the first time I saw myself as something more than just a dirty, small-town girl who would never amount to anything. Those pearls whispered to me that I could and I believed them.
“What do you have?” I wonder, giggling.
“Well, come and let me show you!”
She jumps up and walks over into a small room that only has enough space for a bed and a wardrobe. The mirror is squeezed in the corner, fitting in there perfectly. She swings the wardrobe door wide open, to show me the selection.
“You can take whatever you want,” she offers.
“Thank you,” I reply, not taking my eyes off of the clothes.
I can’t recognize half of the stuff in there. Her taste has changed somewhat, but her love for colors and flowers remained. We spend the rest of the afternoon trying on different clothes and shoes to go with them. Heels make me feel almost dizzy, but I know they will add to the first impression, so I walk a little, trying to practice. Vanessa finds it hilarious. Heck, I find it hilarious, too.
That night, we are lying together in bed, like we used to do when we were little girls; when one of us had a sleepless night, she would wake the other one up. There is a little night light in the corner of the room and Vanessa has placed a thin strip of some blue fabric over it, so the whole room looks like it was submerged underwater.
“I know you’re nervous,” she starts talking first, as we both gaze at the ceiling and the blue infinity all around us. “But I think this is the best way to try to obtain your dream.”
“I feel like my feet are itching to run back home,” I admit.
She is the only person in the world I would admit this to.
“I want to grab mom’s skirt and never let go, knowing that’s the only place where I’ll always be safe.”
“I know,” Vanessa sighs. “But you’ve taken the first step. Now, you just need to keep moving in the same direction. Even if you’re moving slowly, it doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t stop.”
“What if they take one look at me and realize I’m not as pretty as in the photos?” I wonder.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Vanessa snaps at me, playfully. “You’ve got the looks. Now, you need the confidence to go with it.”
