“Oh my God!” I grabthe door before I fall and quickly make my way to my room more carefully. I answer the call just before it ends, and Helena’s pretty face pops up on my screen.
“Why are you in a robe?”
I look down at myself and rush into my closet. “Please don’t tell me you’re downstairs,” I beg, frantically looking for the outfit I laid out last night. I’m never late when I have photo shoots, but my phone died last night, and I forgot to put it on the charger. My other alarm woke me up, but it was set for thirty minutesafterI needed to be up.
“I’m not downstairs,” she says matter-of-factly.
I let out a breath of relief as I slipped my pants on.
“I’m at your door.” My doorbell rings.
“Ugh! Okay, one second.” I only have a bra and my pants on as I rush for the door. The minute it’s open, I’m already turning back around.
“Who’s doing our makeup? My team said they won’t be there,” Helena voices as she lets herself in.
“Angie said someone from the brand deal was doing our makeup.” Angelica is my agent, who I love, and she’s never wrong about anything related to our work so I’m sure our makeup is taken care of.
I have two photo shoots today, which means two different makeup looks, and I usually have my team come with me to do all of this for me, but the brand we’re shooting with today said they want their team to do our makeup.
“It feelssogood to be back on our regular schedule.” I let out a relieved breath as we walk into my room.
“Ugh, I know,” Lena agrees. “The contest was consuming every second of my day the last month.”
I don't voice that I know the feeling since I'm sure she knows. “It was fun, though. I'm just excited to be home and officially kick off our modeling season.”
“Speaking of, we need to be there in an hour, and it’s an hour's drive. What else do you need to do?” Helena glances down at my bra and jeans.
“I’m almost ready,” I voice as I slip my shirt on. Since our clothes will be at the studio, I’m wearing something simple today.
“Sneakers or heels?” I hold both shoes, and she chooses the heels. I slip them on, then give myself a once over in the mirror. I adjust my jeans and turn to the side. “I know I don’t need a belt, but do you think I should add one? It’s behind you.”
She turns to grab the belt, and I watch in the mirror as she runs her hand along the diamonds admiringly.
“Is this a Sloan Rue belt?”
I nod and turn with a smile, and Helena's eyes are on theJSlogo. Josephine Sloan is the biggest model to ever walk a stage. When she made her clothing line, Sloan Rue, it, of course, blew up. After her passing, she left the company to her daughter, butVlaire doesn’t make clothes anymore, so every Sloan Rue item is a limited edition.
“How did you get this?” Helena puts the belt around her waist and looks at herself in the mirror.
“I reposted this video of some girl talking about how she’d rob whoever had this belt,” I shrug and laugh at the reminder of it. “Vlaire ended up sending it to me.”
Helena’s jaw drops, but she quickly recovers and shakes her head in disbelief as she hands me the belt. “I still can’t believe you are friends with Josephine Sloan’s daughter.” She shakes her head again. “Either you wear it, or I'm robbing you right now.”
I take it from her with a laugh and put it on, and I’m glad for it because it completes the look. We rush out the door and to Helena's car, but I turn to her before she drives off. “Let me grab a coffee real quick.”
“Sage, we–”
“We won’t be late. There’s no traffic, I checked. Come on, I know you want one.”
She lets out a sigh at the smile I send her way. I bat my eyelashes for her, and she shakes her head disappointedly. “You’re lucky I love you.”
I lean over to kiss her cheek when she pulls in front of my favorite coffee shop in the entire country. I already know Helena’s order since she hasn’t switched her order in years.
We met at a casting when we were nineteen, and even though I ended up getting the part, we stayed in touch, and nine years later, we're best friends.
When I walk into the coffee shop, the cashier, Rob, smiles over at me. “What will it be today, Sage?”
“I’ll have a Surprise Me Drink, but make it something with coffee, please.” I add Helena’s drink as well, and he puts in theorder. As I reach into my bag to grab my wallet, Rob waves a hand dismissively.
