Page 55 of Lovestruck at Sundown
W.S.:As you should be. You can trust me, even with a redhead threesome scene.
Me:You will not do such a thing. Ever. *Jedi hand-wave*
W.S.:*eye-rolling emoji* Well if it pays good money …
Me:Shut up. You’re not a porn star.
W.S.:I can lay off the porn star jobs for now. I’ve got $800 in my back pocket. That’ll keep me afloat for a while.
Me:Oh, that won’t last you a day. Lily told me how much youpay for the Swedish strawberries you fly in for Midsummer every year.
W.S.:I like good things.
Me:Such a Taurus.
W.S.:You’re one to talk. I’ve seen you buy $200 wine, so …
Me:Well, yeah. But I’m a poor college student now. The days of abundance are over.
W.S.:They don’t have to be. And you know you can grab all the wine you want from my wine cooler. And the food too or
it will go to waste.
Me:I’ll make a note of it, sugar daddy. Gotta sign off now. Safe flight. Let me know all about the airplane sex you’ll
be having with your redhead friends once you land.
W.S.:I’ll make a video for you.
Me:Sure, if you want to die.
W.S.:Okay, okay. I won’t show it to you.
Me:I hate you. Bye.
W.S.:You do not. Bye.
November 24, 2010
“I don’t likethem,” Joaquín Serrano, my boss’s boss, said in an exasperated tone, tossing the Polaroids on the meeting room table. He was a kind, respectful man, but he had a clear and unyielding vision for the magazine, and sometimes, his photoshoot production team couldn’t keep up with the relentless pace of his creative mind. And then, once everyone finally agreed, the photographer’s vision had to be considered, which would inevitably delay the process again.
Becca was my direct boss, but I was part of Joaquín’s team, for the most part. Let’s say I lingered on the periphery of his team. But I was rotated between different assignments, always acting as a general assistant in the photoshoot production department. They’d never given me another chance to grab a camera. I got lucky the day I shot that swimsuit spread with Lily, and it landed me this job, so I was grateful. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I loved the thrill of being in charge that day, of getting behind the lens and experimenting with the light and Lily’s poses while waiting for the team’s approval of my work. Ofmyphotographs.
“Tell me again exactly what you’re looking for,” Becca said, minding her tone and pushing a strand of her long platinum hair behind her ear.
Joaquín groaned with growing frustration. “A ver,Billie.” He directed his attention to me. “Te lo voy a decir en castellano porque claramente no me estoy dando a entender en inglés.” He pushed his black heavy-framed glasses up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Veamos si puedes ayudarme a plasmar mis ideas. A traducirlas con mayor exactitud.”
English was Joaquín’s second language, so I guess he was struggling to get his message across and wanted to elaborate in Spanish to anyone who could translate for him. He didn’t have any trouble communicating with anyone at the office, but I knew how hard it would be for me to try to explain something in French when it wasn’t my mother tongue. It’s never going to be the same.
“Vale,” I said.Sure.
“La portada de febrero trata de contar una historia de amor, pero no una historia cualquiera. Quiero contraste. Quiero que el lector desborde de anhelo. Y sí, quiero que las fotos se tomen en la playa nevada, aunque Becca me haga caras.”
“You talking about me?” Becca puckered her lips and crossed her arms at her chest. “I knowplayameans beach, and I still think the photoshoot could turn into a frostbite nightmare.”
Joaquín glared at Becca, but it made her giggle. It was unusual to see him so worked up about something to the point where it began driving him crazy mid-meeting. Everyone respected him, but Becca had been working with him for years, so they had a different kind of relationship. The kind where they could speak their mind freely to each other without any judgments, repercussions, or consequences. They were equals, even if Joaquín was the boss.
“Como te decía, Billie,”Joaquín continued, running a hand through his brown locks that were peppered with greys here and there. “Está pronosticada una tormenta de nieve y quiero capturar esa esencia invernal, pero en la playa. Y estos surfistas hippies de cabelleras decoloradas me van a hacer que Sookie sufra un desmayo.”Joaquín pointed at one of the Polaroids on the table with an angry finger.“Pedí un surfista, sí, pero elegante, no sé si me explico. Esto no deja de ser Haute Magazine.Ahora explícales.”
