Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 67

Now the taskmaster came up to me, searching my eyes with his brown ones. "You okay, Keller?"

I closed my eyes, nodding. I looked over my shoulder and saw Natalie give her Cheshire smile. In her eyes, I could see the words American bitch. She wasn't pretending to like me anymore.

This was even.

I glared at her with my green eyes, slicing her. I turned to Jonathan. "I'm fine. What do you want me to do?"

Jonathan saw the challenge in my eyes and heard it in my voice. He smiled ecstatically. He liked this.

"Okay! I want you to hold this vintage crystal bottle."

He gave me the item in the shape of a heart, with topaz-colored liquid in it. I held the pump with my right hand, and the bottle with my left.

"Arch your neck gracefully, your eyes looking sultry. Move your head an inch toward the camera...beautiful! Straighten your shoulders and arch your back just a bit, darling. There." He turned to the photographer. "Okay, Louie! Take your shots!"

"Remember, girls, that you should play with the objects you have," the taskmaster reminded, clapping his hands to call silence. "'The first pose I made you is for the first shot, just to give you an idea; but after that, make your perfume bottle, chair, vanity table, and lipstick work like magic!"

When Louie began taking his shots, I did all the best I could to make my poses work with the perfume bottle I had and the bag beside me.

I thought of Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, even Margaret Swinton.

I caught the eye of the dowager. She was smiling at me. It was that rare one of hers. I couldn't help but feel touched.

I also noticed that Michael and Anthony were staring at me with something in their eyes that told me differently in a good way. They were looking intently, yet admiringly.

I made up my poses with a blush.

^^^^^

The Delacorte team arrived after the Tuisson crew was packed and ready to go.

Jonathan the Taskmaster was talking to Ria, who was looking fabulous in straight-cut pants, ankle-strap stilletos, and a button-down shirt and fuchsia blazer.

They were laughing about something, then gave air kisses on both cheeks. After that, the taskmaster left with his crew inside their cars.

Karen, the taskmaster of Ria Delacorte, came up to us and gave Natalie and I a smile and an introduction as we all gathered into the the giant and elegant guest bedroom in the mansion.

A few inches away from me, Natalie was gossiping with the hairdressers and makeup artists about some Russian supermodel who got drunk at an afterparty and threw up at an executive of a fashion show a month ago. She began dissing about that Ilanka Porkanova chick, making her beauty elite laugh.

My own beauty elite was silently arguing about what to add next to my hair and makeup. This was better. I didn't want to act like Natalie. She even barked at one crew member to replace her warm water with hot water.

Who's the bitch here, now?

One of my makeup artists talked about her son and how she missed him now, even if she only saw him yesterday in New York. I told her I miss my grandmother, whom I haven't been able to call because of the business of everything here. I even missed Tommy and Cookie.

My team murmured their reassurances, but I only smiled at them.

When the makeup and hair crew were done glamming up Natalie and me, we began getting dressed.

Natalie totally stripped off like she was alone in her bedroom, whereas I felt uncomfortable and went to the bath of the guest bedroom, one of my team members, a girl, helped me into my outfit.

It was a lacy crimson bra with a diamond buckle in the middle, and a leather jacket. My legs were clad in denim skinny jeans with rippings at the knees and thighs. It was paired with peep-toe ankle boots with a silver buckle. Anna, the girl helping me dress, put on a long silver necklace with a crucifix around my neck.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked...unlike me. Different. Hot and looking sexily wild. Like this gorgeous, rebellious biker chick.