Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(59)

“See you then!”

Trihn left the house, and the weight of all the work she had to do before the end of the semester crashed over her. It was well and good that she was wrapped up in her boyfriend, but she couldn’t let everything else slip.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, she was already mentally exhausted and had three new papers to work on for next week.

Bryna and Stacia showed up ten minutes after her, and the visual arts major she’d gotten to photograph the models appeared right behind them.

“Hey, thanks so much for showing up,” she said, shaking his hand. “I’m Trihn.”

“Jasper.” He swept his longish mop of hair out of his eyes and itched for the ponytail holder at his wrist. He was lugging a giant camera bag, a tripod, and some other equipment, including one that looked like a boom.

She wasn’t entirely sure how he was carrying it all around.

“You can set up in there. We’ll send models in to you after their interviews and measurements,” Trihn told him.

“Cool.” He nodded and then disappeared.

He’d had experience working with the fashion design school in the past, so she was sure that he would get the shots she wanted. It would be different when they did the photo shoot with her designs. She’d want to be there to see what was going on. But, right now, he could handle it on his own.

“Where did you pick him up?” Bryna asked, sitting down on the desk and raising an eyebrow.

“He’s working for free.”

“You get what you pay for,” she said.

Trihn rolled her eyes. “And that’s why millionaires pay for your time.”

“Because I’m worth it, of course.”

“Okay. Girls should be showing up soon. I’m going to sit out in the waiting room with the girls, so I can observe them without them knowing who I am yet. I’ll need one of you checking people in. Stacia, probably you since you’re friendly.”

Stacia skipped over to Trihn and took the clipboard. “Got it.”

Bryna rolled her eyes. “I’m friendly…when I want to be.”

“Right. Let us know when that time comes around this year,” Trihn said.

Bryna flipped her off.

“Once everyone has shown up, I’ll work with you on interviews, and Stacia will direct people into the room.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll just sit here and wait then,” Bryna said.

Stacia went out to the front room as girls came in to audition for the model call. Trihn came in shortly afterward and pretended to sign in with Stacia.

Trihn observed the girls and even made friends with one gorgeous redhead. Trihn had gone to dozens of model calls before being selected to model for Gucci. She could pick out the bitchy girls, the divas, and the high-maintenance girls who wouldn’t listen to anyone’s critiques. It was cut-and-dry and made her life so much easier once they got into the interviews.

The looks on the girls’ faces when they saw that Trihn was interviewing with Bryna was priceless. Modeling was so competitive that everyone should be on their best behavior at all times.

By the time they had gone through most of the girls, Trihn and Bryna were both in pissy moods. These girls just were not up to the caliber she had been hoping for.

The redhead was the last girl to come through. Trihn had high hopes for her, and even though she didn’t ace the interview like Trihn had hoped, she sent the girl through to the photo shoot anyway.

Jasper returned after the final model had finished and laid out all the images in front of Trihn. After selecting the girls to move on to round two, she realized it wasn’t that many. She would need at least twenty girls for her line, and of the nearly hundred who had come today, she had sent through only twenty-three to the next round.

“Shit,” she murmured.

“Yeah,” Bryna agreed.

“Guess you’ll have to use us after all!” Stacia cheered.

“Excuse me. Is your open call over?” a woman with a thick South African accent said from behind them.

Trihn hadn’t even heard anyone come into the room.

“Yes, sorry, we’re done. We finished promptly at eight,” she said without looking up.

“Well, what a pity.”

“Trihn,” Bryna said, nudging her, “I think we should open the call back up.”

“What? Why would we—” The words died on her lips as she turned around to see the woman standing before her. “Francesca!”

Trihn ran across the room and pulled her friend into her arms. She and Francesca had modeled for Gucci the summer after her junior year of high school. They’d worked together on a few more campaigns before Trihn had decided to quit the work to go to college.

“What are you doing here?” Trihn asked.

“Well, you messaged me, and I’m in between jobs. We wrapped up the new line earlier this week. I thought I would come help out a friend.” She flipped her stick-straight blonde hair to one side. “And I brought in some reinforcements.”

Standing in the entrance to the design studio were nine other gorgeous models, all girls who Trihn had worked with at some point in her time as a model.

“Thank you so much for coming. I can’t pay you though.”

Bryna cleared her throat. “That’s not exactly true.”