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Authors: Todd Strasser
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tilted his head at the studio. “And for coming on a little too strong last night. For everything.…It’s just that I’ve kind of…liked you for a really long time, but because I work for your dad…and because of what was going on here with the head shots…I didn’t feel like I could do anything about it.” He gave me another searching look. “You understand, don’t you?”
I nodded. It was what I’d always suspected. He’d been wary about getting involved with the boss’s daughter. Plus, he hadn’t wanted to be in the position of dating someone from whom he would have to keep the secret of Dad’s scam.
He put his hand on my arm. “So maybe…now that you know…if you still felt like it, we could see each other one of these days?”
I felt myself stiffen. Even as attracted to him as I felt, I’d have to think hard about that. He’d been part of the scam. Part of something that was unseemly and unethical, if not outright illegal. It was one thing to forgive Dad, whom I loved. But it was something else entirely to get emotionally involved with a guy who was capable of doing what he’d done. “I…I need to think about it,” I said honestly. “But I really appreciate everything you just said. Really. We’ll talk later, okay?”
Most people react to good news in the same way. But you can learn a lot about someone by how they react to bad news. Gabriel didn’t appear annoyed or resentful. Instead, he accepted what I said and even seemed a little regretful. “Yeah, I guess I understand.” He pursed his lips and gazed away.
He looked sad, and suddenly, I felt the urge to kiss him. Not on the lips, but just a peck on the cheek, which I did. “Hey, I didn’t say no. I just said I needed to think.”
The peck and the words clearly caught him by surprise. He looked up and gave me a sheepish grin. “All right…Thanks.”
Back at school I didn’t see Roman until study hall in the library last period.
“What happened?” she asked.
Even though she was my best friend, I didn’t feel comfortable telling her everything I’d learned. It was too personal. So I gave her an edited version—about how Dad had to charge more for his head shots because of the travel expenses involved, but how his agency offered the girls much more in terms of helping them get into the modeling business, and how it wasn’t his job to decide who could be a model or not.
“Hmmm.” It was a relief to hear her hum and know that she had something else on her mind. “I’ve been reading about serial killers.”
I rolled my eyes. “Those girls are probably still alive somewhere. And they live hundreds of miles away from each other.”
“Exactly,” Roman said, as if that was an argument for and not against her idea. “That’s the way serial killers work. In a broad geographical area so that the police in all those different towns won’t connect the dots.”
“You are whacked.”
“I am serious .”
Sometimes she could really be exasperating. “Seriously, Romy? My guess is that if you study every serial killer who’s ever lived, you’re bound to find one who operated in whatever way fits your latest theory. I mean, there’s probably a serial killer who wore a chicken suit. And one who only killed on Thursdays. And what about the famous vegan killer who only killed people who ate meat?”
Roman harrumphed. “Forget it, Shelby. Just remember, when it turns out that I’m right, I’ll be glad to accept your apology.”
I couldn’t deal with this right now. Not after the day I’d had. “Can we please talk about something else?”
She doodled on the cover of one of her notebooks. “You know, there’s a party at Courtney Rajwar’s on Saturday.”
“Not interested.”
“What are you going to do all weekend?”
“How about hide?”
Roman rolled her eyes disapprovingly. The bell rang. School was over, and she started to pack up her books. When I stayed seated, she said. “You’re not going
I nodded. It was what I’d always suspected. He’d been wary about getting involved with the boss’s daughter. Plus, he hadn’t wanted to be in the position of dating someone from whom he would have to keep the secret of Dad’s scam.
He put his hand on my arm. “So maybe…now that you know…if you still felt like it, we could see each other one of these days?”
I felt myself stiffen. Even as attracted to him as I felt, I’d have to think hard about that. He’d been part of the scam. Part of something that was unseemly and unethical, if not outright illegal. It was one thing to forgive Dad, whom I loved. But it was something else entirely to get emotionally involved with a guy who was capable of doing what he’d done. “I…I need to think about it,” I said honestly. “But I really appreciate everything you just said. Really. We’ll talk later, okay?”
Most people react to good news in the same way. But you can learn a lot about someone by how they react to bad news. Gabriel didn’t appear annoyed or resentful. Instead, he accepted what I said and even seemed a little regretful. “Yeah, I guess I understand.” He pursed his lips and gazed away.
He looked sad, and suddenly, I felt the urge to kiss him. Not on the lips, but just a peck on the cheek, which I did. “Hey, I didn’t say no. I just said I needed to think.”
The peck and the words clearly caught him by surprise. He looked up and gave me a sheepish grin. “All right…Thanks.”
Back at school I didn’t see Roman until study hall in the library last period.
“What happened?” she asked.
Even though she was my best friend, I didn’t feel comfortable telling her everything I’d learned. It was too personal. So I gave her an edited version—about how Dad had to charge more for his head shots because of the travel expenses involved, but how his agency offered the girls much more in terms of helping them get into the modeling business, and how it wasn’t his job to decide who could be a model or not.
“Hmmm.” It was a relief to hear her hum and know that she had something else on her mind. “I’ve been reading about serial killers.”
I rolled my eyes. “Those girls are probably still alive somewhere. And they live hundreds of miles away from each other.”
“Exactly,” Roman said, as if that was an argument for and not against her idea. “That’s the way serial killers work. In a broad geographical area so that the police in all those different towns won’t connect the dots.”
“You are whacked.”
“I am serious .”
Sometimes she could really be exasperating. “Seriously, Romy? My guess is that if you study every serial killer who’s ever lived, you’re bound to find one who operated in whatever way fits your latest theory. I mean, there’s probably a serial killer who wore a chicken suit. And one who only killed on Thursdays. And what about the famous vegan killer who only killed people who ate meat?”
Roman harrumphed. “Forget it, Shelby. Just remember, when it turns out that I’m right, I’ll be glad to accept your apology.”
I couldn’t deal with this right now. Not after the day I’d had. “Can we please talk about something else?”
She doodled on the cover of one of her notebooks. “You know, there’s a party at Courtney Rajwar’s on Saturday.”
“Not interested.”
“What are you going to do all weekend?”
“How about hide?”
Roman rolled her eyes disapprovingly. The bell rang. School was over, and she started to pack up her books. When I stayed seated, she said. “You’re not going
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