scurrying in carrying water bottles. She grabbed one and took a long drink. “Now that’s over, it’s your turn,” she told Jonas, and then she turned to the short man. “Tau, dear, can you collect the ’folios and get copies to Nicky? Then let the boys strut their stuff?” She wound her arm around Jonas’s again and pulled him closer.
“I don’t know what to do here, Tanna. What do I know about choosing models? I don’t even know what they’ll be wearing.” Tanna gave him a motherly look. “Nicky didn’t ask you to do this because of your expertise, Jonas, but because of your taste in men. Listen, all the guys I chose will do just fine. It’s up to you to find the ones with sex appeal, with charisma, and that doesn’t take any sort of experience.”
Jonas sighed. “So how do we do this?”
At that moment, Tau, the pint-sized organizer of the casting call, came in with a stack of portfolios with numbers attached to them and two clipboards, which he handed to Tanna and Jonas. He placed his hands on the lapels of Jonas’s jacket and stroked down, a gesture that felt quite intimate coming from a stranger, but Jonas 50
Zahra
Owens
resisted the temptation to step back. The man’s effeminate voice and posture made Jonas cringe when he said, “Do pick our Nicky some nice butch boys and let the losers down gently, Mr. Hunter. And you can send the hurt ones my way, because we all know what Nicky will do with the winners.” He winked at Jonas and then left.
Tanna must have read his face because she leaned closer and whispered, “Tau loves to promote Nicky’s image of being insatiable where men are concerned, and I do the same for the women. Of course you know the truth.”
Jonas was a little unsure what that truth was.
Tanna straightened her back and instantly became the ray of sunshine she usually was. “Now let’s look at how these guys walk.” About an hour later, after letting all the guys walk the makeshift runway numerous times and going through the portfolios with Tanna, they had narrowed it down to thirty-five models. To Jonas some of them had obvious sex appeal; others he really didn’t care about. Because most of them had that vacant, disinterested look about them, none of them actually “did it” for him. He liked his men with a little more spunk.
Tanna held out the winners’ portfolios. “Take these, walk through that door over there, up the stairs and show them to Nicky.
Oh, and take these five as well. I think they’re the runner-ups. I’m sure he’ll veto at least one of those we chose.”
“So why did we choose him then?” he asked Tanna, who had
“tease” written all over her face.
“You’ll see….” She winked and walked out in the direction of the main office.
Jonas sighed and turned toward the door. Then it suddenly struck him. Had Nicky been watching them all this time? He wanted to burst into the room upstairs but then realized it might save both of them some embarrassment if he just stayed in his role. Nicky was still his client and was paying him handsomely for their week together. He should knock on the door in case Nicky wasn’t alone.
Façade
51
After a curt, “Yes?” he entered and realized he was actually happy to see Nicky sitting at what looked like a sound mixing board, large designs strewn all around him. He looked up at him, his brow furrowed with worry. “So. All done?”
Jonas nodded. “I didn’t know you were up here.” Nicky held out his hand to take the bunch of folders from Jonas, and to the older man’s considerable surprise, he dropped them on the floor next to his chair.
“Aren’t you going to look through them?” Jonas asked.
Nicky shrugged. “Are you happy with your choices?”
“I’m no expert,” Jonas admitted. He looked at Nicky and saw how tired he was. Would it be too forward of him to suggest that he take Nicky home for some rest? Come to think of it, it was way past noon and they hadn’t eaten yet. After
“I don’t know what to do here, Tanna. What do I know about choosing models? I don’t even know what they’ll be wearing.” Tanna gave him a motherly look. “Nicky didn’t ask you to do this because of your expertise, Jonas, but because of your taste in men. Listen, all the guys I chose will do just fine. It’s up to you to find the ones with sex appeal, with charisma, and that doesn’t take any sort of experience.”
Jonas sighed. “So how do we do this?”
At that moment, Tau, the pint-sized organizer of the casting call, came in with a stack of portfolios with numbers attached to them and two clipboards, which he handed to Tanna and Jonas. He placed his hands on the lapels of Jonas’s jacket and stroked down, a gesture that felt quite intimate coming from a stranger, but Jonas 50
Zahra
Owens
resisted the temptation to step back. The man’s effeminate voice and posture made Jonas cringe when he said, “Do pick our Nicky some nice butch boys and let the losers down gently, Mr. Hunter. And you can send the hurt ones my way, because we all know what Nicky will do with the winners.” He winked at Jonas and then left.
Tanna must have read his face because she leaned closer and whispered, “Tau loves to promote Nicky’s image of being insatiable where men are concerned, and I do the same for the women. Of course you know the truth.”
Jonas was a little unsure what that truth was.
Tanna straightened her back and instantly became the ray of sunshine she usually was. “Now let’s look at how these guys walk.” About an hour later, after letting all the guys walk the makeshift runway numerous times and going through the portfolios with Tanna, they had narrowed it down to thirty-five models. To Jonas some of them had obvious sex appeal; others he really didn’t care about. Because most of them had that vacant, disinterested look about them, none of them actually “did it” for him. He liked his men with a little more spunk.
Tanna held out the winners’ portfolios. “Take these, walk through that door over there, up the stairs and show them to Nicky.
Oh, and take these five as well. I think they’re the runner-ups. I’m sure he’ll veto at least one of those we chose.”
“So why did we choose him then?” he asked Tanna, who had
“tease” written all over her face.
“You’ll see….” She winked and walked out in the direction of the main office.
Jonas sighed and turned toward the door. Then it suddenly struck him. Had Nicky been watching them all this time? He wanted to burst into the room upstairs but then realized it might save both of them some embarrassment if he just stayed in his role. Nicky was still his client and was paying him handsomely for their week together. He should knock on the door in case Nicky wasn’t alone.
Façade
51
After a curt, “Yes?” he entered and realized he was actually happy to see Nicky sitting at what looked like a sound mixing board, large designs strewn all around him. He looked up at him, his brow furrowed with worry. “So. All done?”
Jonas nodded. “I didn’t know you were up here.” Nicky held out his hand to take the bunch of folders from Jonas, and to the older man’s considerable surprise, he dropped them on the floor next to his chair.
“Aren’t you going to look through them?” Jonas asked.
Nicky shrugged. “Are you happy with your choices?”
“I’m no expert,” Jonas admitted. He looked at Nicky and saw how tired he was. Would it be too forward of him to suggest that he take Nicky home for some rest? Come to think of it, it was way past noon and they hadn’t eaten yet. After
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