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“But Iwe are concerned you may not be ready for Hamburg.”
“Oh, I’m ready,” I rush out. “I definitely want to go. I will be there.”
Susan raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
I bob my head. “Rachel will have given birth before then and I have…friends who will stay with her during that month. She will be taken care of, and I will have my mind focused on the job.”
Susan’s lips twist into something similar to a smile. She clasps her hands together. “Glad to hear it,” she says. However, I don’t feel any better. There’s something off in her tone. “In that case, I would like you at another photoshoot in Toronto.”
“Toronto?” I repeat, shocked. Fuck. I thought I was only doing this one and would have the next month off before Hamburg to help Rachel prepare for the baby. I guess I can spare a few days.
“Yes,” Susan says with a curt nod. “The shoot is from November 25th until the 28th.”
My eyes widen. “What?” I breathe. There’s no fucking way. “My girlfriend is having her c-section the 29th.”
Susan shrugs. “You’ll be back the day before. That should give you plenty of time.”
I scoff. “That’s cutting it quite close, don’t you think?”
Susan scowls up at me and I flinch. I said the wrong fucking thing. Shit. She’s going to skin me alive now. I just know it.
“Do you want to be a model for Puma or not?” Susan asks, her tone taking on something akin to a commander. “I don’t have the time to deal with wishy-washy assholes who don’t know what they’re getting into. I need people here. If you want to go to Hamburg, you need to prove yourself to me and the others. Especially given the fact that you left us all hanging in Chicago.”
I clench my jaw and try to keep my emotions from taking over. She’s completely right. I did let everyone down and I do need to prove myself. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but so is seeing the birth of Rachel’s little girl. I need to be there for her. Hunter won’t be able to make it. And sure, I will probably be back in time, but what if there’s a snowstorm? What if the baby comes early for some reason? Not to mention, if I do get to go to Hamburg, I leave December 1st. I want to spend as much time with Rachel and Seth as possible before I go away for a month. The timing is just too close.
“Well, Goode?” Susan asks while crossing her arms. “What’s it going to be?”
***
I sigh as I open my hotel room, trudging inside. My bag flops onto the floor as I kick the door close. What a day. I’m absolutely exhausted and in no mood to go bar hopping. The bars are probably already closed, or getting ready to be. I hear the bars in LA usually close around one in the morning. Lame. I’m used to New York clubbing, where the bars are open until three or later.
Anyway, I’m too tired for all that. And quite upset about the photoshoot. I made my decision, but was it the right one? Susan might kill me if I go back on my word, but I can’t make this decision lightly. Especially, not without talking to Seth and Rachel first.
I grab my phone and search for Seth’s number, stabbing my finger at the screen. I close my eyes while I listen to the ring tone, wondering if Seth is hanging out with Mike at some bar, or on a run. If he doesn’t pick up, I think I will go straight to bed and worry about this in the morning. I have another busy day filled with photoshoots—this time for running shoes.
“Hey!” comes Seth’s voice on the other line. “I’m surprised you’re calling me at this hour. You must be exhausted.”
Hearing his voice brings a smile to my face and melts away all the bad from today. “I am,” I say, my voice sounding strained.
“Well, go to bed. We can talk in the morning. I, unfortunately, have to open tomorrow, so I will be up at the ungodly hour of six.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “No, it’s best we talk now.”
“What’s wrong?”
I grimace. There must have been something in my tone that gave me away. Seth may be an asshole from time to time, but I can see he’s trying to be more of the sensitive type.
“Susan is demanding I do another photoshoot in Toronto,” I say as numbly as I can muster. This has been eating away at me all day and I don’t think I can handle breaking down over it on the phone. I need to remain strong. Getting upset won’t do anything for me.
“Oh,” I hear Seth say. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“It’s from November 25th until the 28th.”
Seth groans. “That’s cutting it close.”
“Yeah, that’s what I told her.”
“Well, what did you decide?” Seth asks.
