Chapter Text
|-Saturday afternoon. 52 Walker Street, Manhattan, New York-|
Gyerünk, Kati... Koncentrálj... Lélegezz... (Come on, Kati... Focus... Breathe...) I slowly take a deep breath in, trying to steady my nerves. I've worked with beautiful women before, but Gold City... This kind of thing hasn't happened in years, and I don't know how to handle it. I thought I'd be better prepared, but life has a way of messing with even the most well thought out plans. And for it to be like this... in my profession... What am I gonna do? How do I stay professional? Because I know that things will get dicey. There's no doubt in my mind that there will be risque shoots. And when that happens... What's the plan? How do I stay focused? How do I not come off as a weirdo? Come on, Kati... You got this... You're not a complete disaster of a les-
"Wow, you're here early." That voice as smooth as silk catches my attention. I spin around to see Gold City, and my god... I can feel my heart-rate spike. Any faster and I'd need a defibrillator. The ripped jeans, the heels with the fishnets and the jacket... If Mark was here he'd call her a "rocker" plucked straight off the Sunset Strip. Met, however, would call her a "punk". And then a "poser" for appropriating a sub-culture that was built off of anti-establishment thinking. But all I can think about is... Nem. Hagyd abba. Légy profi. (No. Stop that. Be professional.) I quickly snap myself out of this trance and formulate a response.
"I, uh... I can say the same about you. Better to be three hours early than five minutes late, right?" I say as Gold City simply chuckles. Oh god...
"Can't argue with that logic, can we?" She then responds, voice still silky. Still... No. Do NOT think about it like that. Deep breaths, Kati... Just don't make it obvious that you're a disaster.
As I try to steady myself, Gold City starts to look around, unsure of... something.
"Any idea where Randy is? He said he'd be outside." She asks. Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen him either. Not since I got here. Maybe he's already inside...
"Uh... I don't think so. What does his car look like?" If Gold knows that and can tell me, we might get somewhere. I watch as her face goes from confusion to ponderance and back to confusion until she gives me an answer.
"I... think it's an old Pontiac. Or was it a Dodge? Some kind of 'muscle car'." Well, so much for that idea. But we don't get much time to deliberate as a loud engine pulls up behind her. I peek around to see a sleek black and silver muscle car. '76 Camaro by the looks of it. The kind of car my ápa would love and drool over for hours. We watch the vehicle park... and then out steps Randy from the driver's seat dressed to the nines in ripped blues jeans, a white shirt and a black leather jacket. Perfect clothes for the Manhattan summer. Truly a genius move. He sees us and makes his approach.
"You're both here early." Randy says, not expecting us to have arrived before him. He seems somewhat elated to be in the company of people who are just as punctual as he is. Gold City is the first between us to respond to him.
"So it would seem. You look nice. Good choices for the heat." She says in a sarcastic manner, something that elicits a small chuckle from Randy.
"Well, when you're in my position, you need to look presentable." He says in response. Presentable. Yeah, totally. He then gestures for us to follow him into the gallery and I see what we're working with. It's... statues. They kinda remind me of those old Roman statues you see in history museums. Interested to see what he wants to have done.
Randy stops in front of one of the statues. He looks it over a few times. I notice Gold City do the same thing. In response, I set my bag down and start getting my camera ready, fisheye and all.
"Is every shot going to use the fisheye? Or only a few?" I ask, still not entirely sure what it is Randy wants.
"The majority will use it. These first few won't. I want you two to get comfortable with each other first." He says, still looking at the statue, his voice firm and steady. No hint of hesitation or doubt. He then turns to Gold City, who;s already approaching the statues herself.
"In front of the painting." He points to the abstract canvas hung up on the wall. "That will be our warm-up. Blank expression and neutral pose. Nothing fancy. Not yet. Hold off on the fish-eye." Randy is clear and concise. He knows what he wants and is directing with surgical precision. Like a skilled doctor performing a heart transplant with machine like efficiency. It's... kinda scary, honestly. I watch as Gold City walks over to the painting. She looks at it for a few seconds before turning back around to face me.
Koncentrálj... (Focus...)
I bring my camera up to my eyes, staring down the viewfinder. She looks so... gyönyörű... (beautiful...) Shit. Focus, god dammit. I line the shot, take a deep breath and then...
flash
|-Later that afternoon-|
flash
Another flash hits my eyes. Sun-like and unyielding. But I've gotten used to them. When I first started, my tail would always stiffen, even before the flash. Over time, though, it became more relaxed as I acclimated myself to the sound of shutters and the flashing of bright, white light. The nerves became more stone and cold, far from the mold-able clay that they started out as. Yet this... I'd be lying if I said the nerves weren't flaring. It's exhilarating. My heart pounding in my chest with each passing second. Only in my first few years as a model did I ever get this feeling, and Kati is able to make them roar back to life in only a few seconds. Every adjustment. Every click. Every flash. The only times it was like this... was before a race. Tracen... What I once thought to be my true calling. The memories briefly flood my mind, but for once, I don't feel melancholy thinking back on that time. All the guidance and training from Masaru. The pep talks from Team Spica, despite not being a part of that group. Yuta simply let me into the club room whenever I felt like it. Dread has been replaced by drive. I can feel it in every single vein and artery. And I'm living for it.
flash
Another one goes off. I find my arms draped over one of the statues, as per Randy's suggestion, jacket slung over my shoulders like a cape as if I were royalty. Randy said to give the pose "air of seduction", so I find myself in a position not to dissimilar to what a lover might do. Once more... I look into the camera.
flash
I watch Randy put his hand into the air, intent on speaking his mind.
"Good so far. I like what we're getting. How comfortable are you with a close distance?" The question is poised. I know my answer. But does Kati? She's been trying to hide it, but I did notice her shaking. It's been in motion this entire time. Poor girl's nerves must be on red alert with how much she's fidgeting. I turn to Randy to speak first.
"I'm comfortable with it. What about you, Kati?" We both turn to look at her as I speak, her chest expanding as she seemingly takes deep breaths.
"I... Yeah. I'm fine with that. Just give the order and I'll follow." Randy simply nods at her response, and gestures for her to move closer to me. She gets within two feet when Randy speaks up again.
"That's good. It's close enough, Kati. I want the head of the statue in the shot, partially obscuring Gold's face. Are you alright with that?"
"Of course." I respond, positioning myself in a way where the statue's head can take up a good portion of the frame. I've grown quite the intuition for knowing frame placement despite being the focus of the photographer. We both look to Randy for approval, and he gives it, but not before speaking one more time.
"Purse your lips. Like you're about to kiss the statue. Don't actually do that, though. We already have enough DNA on it." I follow his instructions and purse my lips, getting as close as I can to the statue without actually making contact with the stone. A few seconds later...
flash flash
I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the last flash. flash
"Alright. That's good. Let's see what we're working with." I hear Randy say, signaling to end the shoot. Seems he's gotten what he wanted out of this. Me as well. Maybe even Kati. We both move to a table with a laptop sitting on it. Kati takes the fish-eye lens off her camera before she plugs it into the laptop, at which point we see the photos pop up on the screen within seconds. I can hear Randy mumbling to himself, and Kati takes that as a bad sign.
"Uh... There isn't a problem, is there?" She asks, her voice trembling. It takes a moment for Randy to respond.
"No. Not at all. These are exactly what I was hoping for. Gold?" He turns to me as he says my name, wanting my opinion. I take a few seconds to go through the photos taken today, and they are all phenomenal. The shadows. The lighting. The way Kati manages to perfectly frame my form. I knew she was special the second I saw some of her shots, but this... This is divine.
And all the while, my heart keeps fluttering. Whether it is because of the work we've done today or because of... something else... Watakushi wa shiranai. (I do not know.)