Fashionably Late

La Perla lingere show finally!!! Hallie is flipping out not wanting to do it, it ends unexpetedly, or I think it does at least.

Lingerie show

        For the second time that morning Hallie was sprawled out on the women�s bathroom floor vomiting her guts out, not forcing it like other models, but purely out of nerves. She did several practice walks, but for some reason she was still nervous as ever. It was long before the show and seats were already filled with designers and celebrities, which made her anxiety worsen.
        After picking herself up from the tiled floor, she ignored the pale complexion in the mirror and went back out to the chaos of backstage.

�Hailey? Hailey Harris where are you?� one of the fashion coordinators called off reading from a list.

�It�s Hallie actually. Like Halle Berry.�

�Whatever. We need you in hair and make up now. You don�t need to be in there throwing up you are skinny enough,� a hairdresser assured.

�Oh I wasn�t doing it on purpose, I�m just a little nervous,� Hallie corrected.

�This your first show?�

�Yeah, I mean I�ve done a few print ads here and there but never runway, in underwear..� Hallie said feeling nauseous again.

�You will be great don�t worry. Why don�t you call someone that will chill you out? I�ll be right back with my curling irons,� the hairdresser said placing some clips in Hallie�s hair.

Call someone who will chill you out. She certainly couldn�t call her parents because the minute Hallie had blurted in front of her mother that she was going to be in a La Perla show, her mom was telling all of her friends her daughter was going to be a star. Whenever they talked from then on her mother warned there would be several modeling scouts in the audience watching and if she didn�t impress them that she�d blow her shot. When Hallie heard that it made her throw up more, and she certainly didn�t tell her dad she was going to be in a lingerie show, he really didn�t need to know.

So she picked up the phone and called the first person on her phone: Abby. Good old Abby. It rang and rang going straight to voicemail. She was probably still driving or trying to find a seat, but it would have been nice hearing her best friends voice on the line.

She scrolled down to David, her boyfriend who she should have thought to call first, but when she told him about the show he didn�t have any reaction. That was just like him, completely passive but he said he�d come cheer her on. Either way she hoped he would give her the encouragement she desperately needed right now.

The phone rang and he picked up.

�Hey honey how are you doing? I�m just finding a seat,� David said through the noise in the background.

�I�m so nervous I keep throwing up! What if I barf on everyone when I�m out there? I shouldn�t go!� Hallie said unsure if that was true, since she probably had no more left in her body to throw up.

�You�ll be ok. Hey so did they tell you what stuff you get to keep yet? I was looking through their catalogue they were handing out at the door and I really like this red little..,�

�David! I�m freaking out, I feel so much fatter than everyone. Just�say something, anything to give me the guts to go out there,� Hallie begged.

�You�re hot babe don�t worry. Why do you think your fat? I thought you�ve been working out and stuff. Just hold in your stomach when you go out there,� David laughed trying to make light of the situation, but definitely not helping.

�Yeah great idea, I�ll hold my fat stomach in. Thanks a lot David you were really helpful,� Hallie muttered sarcastically and hung up. How could he be such a dick at a time like this? Guys could say stupid, forgivable things sometimes, but right now he was just being careless, and she didn�t have time to figure out why.

There was one person she could call�well actually she�d have to call his friend since she didn�t even have his number. How pathetic. While the hair stylist twirled her hair into long waves with the curling iron Hallie thought it over. What if she did get a hold of Christian? What would she say? She stared at Derek�s phone number blankly.

�One hour till show time!� someone yelled.

The icky nerves crept back up and she clutched her stomach. If she could just hear that sweet, sexy voice for a minute, even if he just said �hello,� and she hung up that would be enough, despite how immature that was. She dialed Derek�s number and waited for him to pick up.

�Hello?� Derek yelled into the phone. There was loud music in the background and he was obviously at a party or something.

�Hi, can I please speak to Christian? Uh, this is Hallie. I�m calling you because I don�t have his number.�

�Hallie? Oh Hallie. Hi how are ya? Yeah he�s right here let me get him. It�s your other girlfriend!� Derek hollered obviously drunk.

Hallie raised her eyebrows. Other what? It took forever to pass the phone to Christian finally came on.

�Who is this?� asked the deep voice.

�Never mind!� Hallie squeaked feeling like an idiot for calling.

�Hallie?� he asked before she could hang up.

�Yeah it�s me��

�What�s going on? Here wait let me go outside so it�s not so noisy,� he said with the loud music slowly fading as he walked out of wherever he was.

�Baby where are you going?� some airhead sounding s**t screeched in the background.

�I�ll be back just stay there!� he yelled back hoarsely.

�I�m sorry to call you like this, where are you anyway?� Hallie asked.

�Out at a sports bar. Big football game tonight so a bunch of us went out. Uh, so what�s up?� he asked cautiously.

�Oh Christian you didn�t have to go outside. Honestly it�s nothing I�ll let you go.�

�You called for a reason didn�t you?�

�Yes but it�s dumb,� Hallie said sheepishly.

�You are an intelligent girl it can�t be that dumb. Come on what is it?� he asked quite attentively for possibly being wasted.

�Well you know that La Perla show? It�s starting like really soon. I�m just so scared to go on stage, I don�t think I should even do it. I called you because you always seem to calm me down, but I don�t think it will work because I�m too fat, I�m too short and,-�

�Where�s your show at? When does it start?� he interrupted.

�At the Pacific Design Center on Melrose. It starts in like less than an hour, but Christian, you don�t have to-� she stopped realizing he just hung up on her.

God as if she wasn�t nervous already, and now she had to be worried that Christian might be coming. It wasn�t like he could get in, it was in invitation only event. She tried calling again but there was no answer. It was going to be pretty embarrassing once he got there and wasn�t allowed inside. Hopefully the phone just cut out or something.

�Are you done now?� a makeup artist said annoyed.

�Yes, I�m sorry,� she replied.

�We have to put your face on now, no more phone calls,� he commanded.

Hallie watched her face transform as he quickly applied white eye shadow and light pink eyeliner. He also added an array of silver shimmering gems that looked like snowflakes, swirling all the way from her eyelids down to her neck. Then he applied a full coating of red lipstick making the look so dramatic she hardly recognized herself. Looking like some sort of snow goddess made here feel more confident.

�We are going to get you in your first outfit now,� another random stranger said practically dressing her. They fastened a snow-white corset around her back pushing her b***s up to their fullest. Connected to it was a frilly white skirt lined with fur, then once that was on Hallie slipped on a pair of thigh high white stockings with the garter straps peeking out from underneath the skirt. She stepped into some tall silver heels and admired herself in the full length mirror. Besides her height something was missing, but she was not sure what. Even if she was a little short it was all about having confidence. Too bad hers was nowhere to be found at the moment.

�Forty-five minutes till show time! We are going to line up in ten!�

God could they stop that? It was just making her more nervous. Once the fashion attendants fully dressed her they left her in the room by herself to attend to the other models. She sat herself on a fitting room bench and looked around. The room was huge, with no windows and just covered in mirrors. It was a models dream but the last thing Hallie wanted to do was look at herself and find any flaws that would make her doubt herself in the further.

�We are lining up in fifteen minutes,� a fashion coordinator said poking her head in.

�Alright thanks,� Hallie said closing her eyes dreading even going outside the room. She really didn�t know what was up with her but thinking about the pressure from her mother and David�s unreceptive reaction made her want to give up entirely.

Someone knocked on the door. God who was it now? With her eyes still closed she could hear it creek open.

�I know, I know fifteen minutes till lineup I�ll be out there soon enough!� Hallie said exasperated.

There was no answer, and when she opened her eyes to the dimly lit room no one was there. A cold tingle wrapped around her neck, stopping at the center of her chest. Clutching on it she realized it was her gold locket, just like the dream at the lighthouse. She quickly turned around and Christian�s face was just inches away, he immediately penetrated her with his gaze.

He clasped the necklace shut keeping his eyes on her.

�I�ve had this for a long time. It�s been my good luck charm, maybe it can be yours tonight.�

His voice gave her goose bumps all over her barely clad body.

�Thank you,� she whispered. She opened the locket, the pictures of when they were younger still inside. She remembered what he said in the dream, that it was her heart and it belonged to him.

�I guess you should update those photos, put David in there,� he said.

Helplessly fixated on his azure eyes, Hallie shook her head in disagreement.

�No? But don�t you want-� his question was interrupted by Hallie pressing her crimson red lips onto his. Once she took a sip of him she wanted the whole drink, and soon they were kissing even more feverishly than ever before. That lasting cinnamon aroma from his skin, his lips was mouthwatering, and it wasn�t like he was about to refuse a girl wearing sexy white lingerie. Christian knew it was wrong, but he wasn�t a saint, he was a man.

He slid her hand up her thigh squeezing her bottom tightly in his large hand, and with the other he tugged her closer to his face by the golden locket around her neck. As they kissed Hallie caught a reflection of herself in the mirror, forcefully pulled herself out of the spell she was under.

�S**t!� she exclaimed furiously at herself.

Christian backed away wondering if he should leave. He had a feeling she�d regret doing it.

�I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to do that, I�ve just been so on edge all day I wasn�t thinking straight,� she stammered.

Christian wiped the red that was smeared all over his lips. His heart pounded with lust, so stood a good distance away.

�I just came to return the necklace. I thought it would make you feel better. I�ll go now,� he said turning around.

�No wait,� Hallie said grabbing hold of his arm. �The show is about to start and I�ll be out anyway, so I won�t do �whatever we just did anymore. How did you get in here anyway?�

�They thought I was one of the models. Can you believe that?� he laughed.

Hallie rolled her eyes. Of course they thought he was a damn model.

�Hailey Harris? Hailey where are you?� one of the fashion coordinators was calling out frantically.

�I�m guessing that�s you,� he said trying not to laugh at how they screwed up her name.

�I don�t think I can do this,� she said crouching down so they wouldn�t find her little hiding spot.

He placed his slender fingers underneath her chin tilted it up to his direction.

�You can. Forget all those people out there. What I�m seeing right now is that the clothes, err�lingerie is wearing you. You have to wear the lingerie, you get what I�m saying?�

�I never thought of it that way, but I don�t know if I can do it.�

�You can Hallie. Just walk out there, and know that when you turn back around I�ll be right there. I�m with you, alright?�

�Alright. What if I fall and they laugh at me?� she asked remembering Jessica�s curse.

�If they laugh at you I�ll beat the s**t out of every single one of them,� he said in true Christian fashion.

Hallie giggled at him, and feeling a hundred times better she opened the door.

�Hey,� Christian said before she was out of the room.

�What?�

�That locket looks great on you,� he said smiling ones of his rare smiles.

There was so much she wanted to say, about the wild dream she had with him in it, instead she sweetly kissed him on the cheek, left the room and took her spot in line. He could be a total hero even when she was a total head case.

�Where have you been? We are going in like ten minutes!� the short guy who discovered her yelled.

�I know I�m sorry, but I�m nice and ready now,� Hallie replied.

�That�s what I like to hear,� he said relieved.

The music blasted from the stage to signal the beginning of the show. Hallie was fifth in line and her locket was practically tapping against her chest from how hard her heart was beating.

�First model go!�

All the models took a step forward. She could see everyone from backstage, and the crowd had gotten even larger than before.

�Second model, third model go!�

Hallie took a another step forward. The fourth one was about to be called and she wanted to throw up all over again. Her hands were sweating like crazy and she just wanted crawl in her bed hide under the covers. She looked off to the side to see Christian looking at her with that knowing look of his. He was always so sure of himself, she wish she could be like that, especially now! He nodded at her encouragingly and she drew a deep breath.

Hallie exhaled as she saw the fourth model walking back.

�You are going to do so good. Remember I�m right here,� he said from the sidelines.

Fifth model go!

She took another quick breath, pretended she was Gisele Bundchen and strut out on the catwalk. The runway was decorated in a blinding Christmas winter wonderland and the lights were so f*****g bright that she wanted to cover her eyes, but she walked just like she practiced before. Hearing her friends screaming her name she tried to look but couldn�t see them. She finally approached the front, put one hand on her hip and paused so everyone could admire. Several flashes of cameras went off nearly blinding her. Feeling dizzy she lingered at the catwalk trying to regain her vision, she really didn�t want to fall.

�What are you waiting for? Get back here!� she could hear someone backstage whisper.

�Hallie go back already!� she recognized David�s voice saying to her, but couldn�t see him.

Through all the flashes of the camera she could see Christian�s standing backstage looking at her admiringly.

He didn�t even seem to care that she was just standing there like an idiot. He looked at her the way he used to a long time ago, like no matter what she did she was the greatest person in the world. She turned back around and while walking back she felt pride in herself, even if she did make a little mistake. Once she got back the staff and even some of the models glared at her.

�You threw off all of the timing!� a crew member said.

�This is why they should only let the real models do this,� a giraffe of a model sneered.

Hallie leaned on Christian who protectively put his arms around her in return.

�She looked better, and did better than any of you anorexic s***s ever will in your whole career!� Christian proclaimed loudly for all of them to hear.

No one said a word. How could you reply to that?

Hallie laughed so hard that some of the glitter from her makeup fell off. God he was great.

�You still have two more pieces to model! Get back in line and get your prick boyfriend out of here!� the fashion coordinator said pulling her out of Christian�s hold.

�No thank you,� she said pushing the woman off. �I�m done here, and don�t call my boyfriend�.I mean Christian a prick!

�But there are still two more outfits!� the coordinator called after her.

�Well the real model will have no problem doing twice as many outfits will she?� Hallie said pointing at the gigantic stick-thin beast. �And I�m keeping this one!�

Hallie gathered her things and head out the back door into the cold, and Christian followed.

�Are you sure you want to leave? Don�t go on my account, I shouldn�t have gone off at them,� Christian said regretfully.

�Shhh,� Hallie said placing a finger to his lips. �It was the most fun I ever had. Come on, I have an hour to kill, I�m starving lets get something to eat,�

It is a priceless thing when a nice girl gets corrupted by a naughty boy, but who knew, maybe being on the naughty list this year would bring more Christmas joy than ever.

Ho, ho, ho!

Author's Note

On a scale from 1-10, 1 being ok, 10 being really retarded, how retarded is the very last line? I keep laughing at how moronic it is. Think I should take it out?

Reviews

[Mysteral - Night Prowle..]

Another wonderful chapter, excellent writing. I don't know much about modelling, but your writing makes me think you do, that I wonder if you have actually done some???
I like the way you have brought the locket into the story from the "Hostage Hearts" chapter, with Christian giving it back to Hallie.
The disaster on the cat-walk that I expected, didn't occur, and yet the outcome was as anticipated. Didn't think you'd have a career as a model planned out for Hallie.
Scale of 1 - 10? I'd have to say about 8. However, I implore you not to delete the last line, it really adds to the more light hearted side to this being set at Christmas time.

[MorganLyn]

10!!! ho ho ho!! hahaha that was freakin hilarious!! loved the ending. It was absolutely perfect!! :D
sometimes retarded is the best read, but that isn't the word to use. Awesome write.. now I have to post more :D

[thecoolone52]

hahaha i loved the line i give it a 1..... i liked this piece there were some twists and turns..... i liked how you seemed to reserach and know alot about the modeling world in this chapter.... it was very beleiveable and well written........ with a funny twist..... nice work

[ShadowWolf]

Nothing retarded about it at all!