Beauty Shot (Hope Parish Novels Book 5) Read Online Free Page A

She got it now, though, right?”
    “I think so.”
    He walked over his
blue eyes concerned. “She’s just hot for you and doesn’t
like no for an answer, but that doesn’t give her the right to
touch you.”
    I rubbed my hands
over my face and into my wet hair, wishing all of a sudden that I was
back in Suttontowne working for Boone. It had been a much simpler
life. People in Suttontowne respected me. Here it was something else.
I didn’t like it.
    “Thanks,
Travis. It’ll be fine. I better get to class before I’m
late.”
    He nodded.
    The morning slipped
by, and I found myself on the 1 Train, exiting at Lincoln Center.
There were so many people, a teeming mass of humanity. Wasn’t
sure I would ever get used to these crowds. Or would care to.
    I’d only been
in New York City for three weeks, but navigating wasn’t too
hard. It surely was intimidating, dirty, and crowded, very different
from Suttontowne, but I’d been prepared for that.
    Verity had sent a
special badge to get me backstage. I found a sign that said T&O
Designs, the name that Minnie and Verity now used as their main brand
name, and credentialed my way past the Door Nazis and into the room.
    The room was set up
with a pretty cool long stage with different colored lights. I’d
been very curious to see a fashion show. Whenever Verity showed me
what she was working on, I’d always thought it was pretty cool.
    As soon as I walked
through a door, a woman swore at me and grabbed my jacket sleeve.
“You are late! I’ve already called your agency. It’s
a good thing you’re gorgeous, or I would fire your fine ass
right now.”
    After the shower
scene this morning, I was a bit speechless. The petite Asian girl
growled at me. She actually growled. Then she dragged me over to a
rack of clothes. There were a bunch of guys already there…naked
guys getting dressed. I haven’t seen that much male skin since
the high school locker room. Some were in chairs getting their hair
spiked, some other people were running around grabbing small bottles
labeled Cristal. A person brushed past us and offered me a bottle,
but I shook my head. I didn’t need to be buzzed while all this
was going on. Where were Verity and Minnie?
    “The clothes
are numbered. 1-10. All you have to do is follow the numbers. You can
count, right?”
    I nodded.
    “Good,”
she patted my cheek. “Easy as pie. Dante will be doing your
hair.”
    Then she let me go
and started to walk away. “Wait,” I said, but she
disappeared into the crowd. I looked at the rack, realizing that she
must have me mixed up with a real model. Maybe I’d better find
Verity.
    The guy next to me
gave me an amused, sidelong glance. “New to this?” he
asked. He had jet black spiked hair and dark brown eyes, looked
Hawaiian and was really fit, cut in fact. He was as naked as a jay,
and at this point, I’d already seen enough dicks to last me a
lifetime.
    I nodded.
    “Rule of
thumb. Someone has a headset on, you Heed Them. Obey any and all
commands.” He leaned over and said in a stage whisper, “I
think they have a line straight to the underworld.”
    He flashed a smile,
and I laughed. “Is this a different planet?”
    “Ha! Yeah!
Break a leg, hoaloha ,”
he said, turning away.
    But before I could
move, another guy was there, pulling my jacket off and actually
taking the elastic out of my hair. I whirled, ready to deck whoever
had just touched me without permission, but dropped my guard when I
saw a man with short, jet black hair, expertly cut, bleached gold on
the tips, and artfully moussed. He had on a flamboyant multi-colored
silk shirt tucked into a pair of black pants and on his feet—red
leather shoes. This had to be Dante.
    “Since this is
a summer show, let’s leave your hair loose, sweetie. You’d
better strip and get cracking. You don’t want the Yuminator
back here.” His voice went hushed.
    “The
Yuminator?”
    “Yumi. She’s
the hostess and organizer for T&O—in case you