The Wasp Woman

Janice Starlin had always been a beautiful woman, and had spent most of her life in the beauty and fashion industries, mostly doing modelling. But she was ambitious, and so she founded Starlin Skincare, and built it into an empire. She always modelled for her own products, and this had helped boost her sales, at least in her youth. Time had not been kind to Janice, who was now in her mid-forties, yet her determination and stubbornness kept her modelling for her products.

Today, Janice sat on the stool in the photo studio, in her full-body, black leotard, ready for the photoshoot of her latest moisturiser. Alec, her boyfriend and cameraman, started taking photos of her, with his assistant, Nick, kneeling on the ground beside him.

'Janice, could you move your chin just a little to the left?' Alec asked, looking through the camera lens.

'Whatever you say, maestro.' Janice replied, tilting her head slightly to the left.

'Nick, give me a number two diffuser, okay?' Alec asked, as he continued to take photos of Janice.

'It's already on the camera, boss.' Nick replied, looking up at Alec. Janice filled with a sense of dread and disappointment, causing her modelling smile to dwindle briefly. She knew she was getting a bit too old to be modelling, though she would never admit it, but it was her brand, and so it had to be her face on it.

'I knew that.' Alec said awkwardly, trying his best to not hurt his girlfriend's feelings, as he stopped taking photos to look at his camera, examining the lens. Once he saw the lens was indeed on the camera, he went back to taking photos. Then the door to the studio opened and Mary, Janice's assistant walked in, closing the door behind her.

'Janice, excuse me.' Mary stated confidently, 'Um, the fitness video distributors just called, and John Talbot's here for your 11 O'clock.'

'Thank you Mary.' Janice responded, smiling, 'I'll be right there. Tell the distributors I'll return their return after lunch.'

'Will do.' Mary said with a smile, she loved the attitude with which Janice carried herself. She turned around and went back out into the hallway. Nick however, couldn't help but shake his head slightly at the exchange.

'Okay, one more and that'll do it.' Alec said as he took another photo, 'That's nice, that's it. Shoot the product this afternoon?' Janice groaned in affirmation as she stood up, stretching. Alec took the camera off from around his neck.

'Thanks.' He said quietly to Nick, handing him the camera. Nick took it and left the room. As he left, Janice walked up to Alec and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck.

'Ready for your 3 mile run?' Janice asked.

'Always.' Alec replied in a sultry voice.

'My place or the track?' Janice asked, taking the hint.

'Your place. That way, where we start, we finish.' Alec said before kissing his beautiful girlfriend, 'See you later.'

Janice removed her arms for around him and let him leave. She went behind the divider screen at the back of the room, putting on her blue silk robe, and sitting at her makeup desk. She got some moisturiser and started applying it to her face. She could hear the muffled voices of some guys outside, but as they entered it became clearer, and she couldn't help but overhear them.

'...and then I got her right there, you know? Bingo, you know what I mean?' The first voice said excitedly, Janice recognised it as another guy who worked in the photography division; Logan.

'Definitely.' The other voice responded, Janice recognised it instantly as Nick. She couldn't see it, but Logan picked up a picture of Janice that was on the table.

'Hey, come on.' Logan said, looking at the picture, Nick turned and looked at it over Logan's shoulder, 'Don't you think she's a little too old to be a model?' That made Janice freeze in her application of her moisturiser, realising that they could only be talking about her, she listened more intently, given she still couldn't see them.

'We're talking airbrush central here.' Nick replied, almost sounding repulsed.

'Ah, serious mileage.' Logan replied similarly, 'I mean, did you see those hands?' Janice lifted up her hands and looked at them.

'She looks older than my mother.' Nick said, definitely sounding repulsed.

'Yeah. Actually, your mother's not too bad.' Logan said, the repulsion disappearing from his voice. Moving towards the door.

'Yeah.' Nick replied, sounding absent-minded. Putting the picture back on the table and following Logan.

'Is she available?' Logan asked, as he moved outside, becoming harder to hear.

'Thanks, I think so.' Nick replied as he too left, leaving the room in silence.

Janice sat there, sadness filling her body, she tried to keep applying her moisturiser, but found herself unable to do so. She tried lifting and adjusting her eyebrows and cheeks, to try and look more beautiful. Why couldn't she still be beautiful? Why couldn't she still be young? She couldn't help it, sadness took her over and she laid her head on her hands and cried quietly.