Model catch up

‘Everyone just assumes that I’m really good at, like, going out and making friends and being social…’

Her foot bounces under the table, nervously sipping on an iced café latte, looking out the window.

‘But this is scary! Hanging out with, like. An adult! She’s only a little bit older than me but still… She’s not in college! She… Dances… She’s a lot more known than me! It’s fucking, terrifying.’

“Hey girly!!” Vi looks up, pretending to be surprised at the sound of mixed light skin girl.

She isn’t.

She saw her coming and deliberately looked out the window, forcing Nora to say the first word and lead the greeting.

She’s not a natural at this, despite what everyone seems to have the impression of. She’s just practised this a lot, her childhood with her father meant a lot of empty and vapid conversations and through that practice, she’s just good at it now.

“Nora!!” Vi stands up, pulling the girl into a soft hug; the old ugly man sitting at the table over is entranced by the way these girls' chests press together.

Nora sits down on the opposite side of the booth, sighing as she crosses her legs under the table, leaning back and putting an arm on the backrest. She smiles at Vi, “How are you, babe? I can’t lie, I didn’t think you’d ask me to hang out like, ever.”

Vi blushes, “Oh, well, we get along really well when we see each other! And we message a lot; I thought it would be fun to, like, evolve from a work friendship to an outside-of-work friendship.”

Nora chuckles, her eyes shimmering.

‘How is she so effortlessly pretty?’

“I’m glad you did, babe! I feel the same; it’s so nice to, like, be out here, like, more chill space instead of, like, at work! With Blake breathing down our necks.”

“Any excuse to get close to us, though.” Vi banters.

Nora chuckles, almost radiant as the mid-afternoon sun shines through the windows onto her dark skin.

‘I’m so gay.’

“Are you saying you don’t like the attention from a hot older man?”

“I mean…”

“Because.” Nora interrupts with a sly smile, “I fucking adore it.”

Vi giggles as Nora laughs, putting a hand up against her mouth as she watches Vi.

“How are you, babe? You and your cutie boyf still together?”

Vi nods, “Of course!”

Nora smiles, “I want to see him,” She taps the table lightly. “A photo and in person.” She giggles.

“Oh, right, we got interrupted last time.”

Nora nods, almost unblinking.

Nora takes Vi’s phone from her outstretched hand, studying the photo before slowly nodding.

“Thoughts?” Vi asks with a laugh, taking the phone back.

“He’s cute.” Nora says, “White.”

Vi laughs, “Not your type?”

Nora shakes her head, “Oh no, no. He definitely is.” She twirls a strand of her hair, nodding a thank you to the waiter who brings her tea. “Give me the chance, babe, and I’m riding him until he’s drained.”

Vi almost spits out her coffee, not at all expecting THAT answer.

“I’ll let him know that you’re wanting to play.”

She laughs, leaning back. “Oh, you two figured it out? He’s like, fucking now too?”

“Jesus, how much did I tell you last time?”

“Like, a lot, I think,” Nora says, sipping her tea, sighing contentedly.

“Yeah… We had a chat, and now, like, we’re in a good spot.”

Nora’s brow creases. “You fought?”

She shakes her head. “No! No. Not at all. It was just an awkward thing for a bit; he wasn’t being honest about what he wanted. But he told me, I got it, and now we’re like, really good, like, shit is about to get exciting.”

Nora nods slowly, watching Vi, genuinely listening.

“So, no issues with you doing modelling?”

“Not at all. And…”

Nora doesn’t say anything, just waiting for Vi to finish her sentence without being prompted.

“He might do a shoot himself…”

“With you?”

Vi shakes her head, pointing at herself. “Me? I mean, down. But. I don’t know what theme we would do, bleached?, “ She laughs at herself, and then answers. “Winona.”

That gives Nora pause. She puts her drink down, blinking in slow motion.

“What?”

“Winona is like… Interested in him.” Nora asks, her eyebrows high on her forehead.

“Does he know who she is?”

She laughs, “He does… But he doesn’t know that it’s happening; I only got the email yesterday.”

“Well. Careful, make sure Winona doesn’t, like, break him… or keep him.”

Vi giggles, taking a bit of her croissant, “I’ll keep him on a leash! Oh, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask away, girly, I’m literally an open book. Like, I’ll answer any question you have.”

“Your socials post, you’re dancing? It was a, y’know.”

“The strippers?”

The man sitting near them spits out his drink.

“Yeah. Strip club.”

Nora laughs, “Yeah, girl, I’m a dancer, not a stripper, well, sometimes, but that night was just dancing.”

“At a strip club?” Vi continues, taking a nibble from her pastry.

Nora nods, “Yeah, like, it’s a strip club in the back, but like, the front, it’s like an adult bar, y’know, bikini or like, lingerie servers, and then a stage for just sexy dancing, and then, in the back, we get our tits out.”

The man chokes on his drink again.

“Oh, and like, private dance areas.”

The man shakes his head, daring a look and groaning, leaving the cafe.

“You should come, girl, you’re like, perfect for it.”

“Strip?”

Nora nods, smiling. Giving Vi a once over. “You have the figure for it. I think you’d be popular very quick.”

“I don’t know about that.”

Nora nods, “I get that, but like, consider it: you don’t have to strip; the dancing is just so, like, freeing.”

Nora unintentionally is speaking her language.

“You don’t think I should do the waitressing?”

Nora laughs, “You want to work in hospitality? That’s what that is, but you get to wear lingerie.”

Nora continues talking. “But you should come, check it out. I’ll get you free entry; bring some money, and I’ll give you a private VIP dance.” She smirks, “Or your cutie man.”

Vi laughs, finishing her croissant, wanting to order another.

“You want to share a pastry?” Vi asks.

Nora nods.

They chat for a little longer; the conversation was a bit stilted and awkward at first, but Nora must’ve been stressing or masking a bit more herself, her shoulders visibly relaxing as the conversation goes on, and her face becoming less stiff.

Nora looks past Vi, eyes narrowing; her face lights up, yelling out, getting the attention of the guy… And everyone else in the cafe.

“Danny!! C’mere!!!”

Why does Danny sound familiar to her?

Like everyone ever, it seems, the man who approaches their table is tall, dark-skinned, handsome, and just. So. Ripped.

“Nora! What are the chances!” He says, laughing, and hugs the girl tightly, his thick forearms squeezing her back.

‘God, I’m so straight.’

The man looks down at Vi and grins. “And you must be Vi.”

“You know me?” She asks, standing up as he reaches out for a hug, the feel of his muscles sending her head spinning slightly.

Danny turns his head, a bit confused.

“Oh! Danny! DM’s!”

He chuckles and nods, “Damn, impression wasn’t strong enough, I guess.”

Vi shakes her head, sliding back into the booth, Nora mirroring her, and Danny stays standing. “No, oh my God, that’s my bad; of course I recognise you!”

“A lot of man? If I recall.”

Vi blushes, instinctively pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“That’s so embarrassing, I was feeling… Real hot and bothered that night.”

Nora touches Danny’s hand. “Did she DM you?”

He nods, “Yeah, the other night.”

Vi’s watches them with interest… That was so, tender?

Danny catches it and quickly clarifies, interested in keeping her attention on him, “We used to date.”

Nora nods, “Yeah, like, a while ago though.”

“6 months?”

“I think, yeah,” Nora answers.

“How are you two so chill?”

Danny laughs, scooting Nora over, who shifts, glancing at Danny before making space for him.

“We broke up mutually, not in the fake way that people say to cope.” He turns to Nora. “We both just weren’t into each other anymore.”

She nods. “We were spending more time modelling; I wanted to experiment with adult content, and you did too.”

“I did indeed.”

“Whose idea was it?” Vi asks, insanely curious in this dynamic, because there’s clearly chemistry.

Nora shrugs, “We hadn’t, like, seen each other for like three weeks, we hadn’t even tried to see each other, and then you were in the studio to do a shoot and we just kinda like…”

“I went up to you and hugged you. I asked if we’d broken up, and you said something like, I think so. And then that was it; we kissed, and then.. Yeah.”

Nora looks at Vi, “That was us though. I don’t think you and your boyfriend will be the same.

Danny’s eyes snap to Vi.

‘God dammit, Nora.’

“Long story short, we’re open.” She says, mostly to Danny.

“I see. I mean, to be clear, we didn’t break up because of the modelling; it was just a really convenient excuse.” Danny clarifies again.

Nora nods, “And I’m selfish. I wanted him to be mine only, but I wanted to explore.”

Danny laughs, “That’s so funny to me.”

“I don’t see the joke.” She says with a small grin, finishing her tea.

“Anyway, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Danny says, standing back up as Nora quickly reclaims her booth space.

“I’ll see you around, Noz?”

“Mhmm. Maybe we can do a shoot. It’s been a while for us, hasn’t it?”

“I won’t say no to that.” Danny grins, “And Vi.”

She looks up.

He winks, “I’ll be around. For your first male model partner shoot that isn’t the old man.”

Nora smirks at Vi as Danny leaves. “He’s great.” She bites her bottom lip. “And big. I’ll let him know if you change your mind on male models.”

Vi shivers.

It’s something she had been thinking about.