Party 'til you pass out / When the party's over

1.1

'This is my brother, and the owner of Drop Dead,' he said as she turned around and I was met with a wide smile that made my lips curl up too. Then her eyes narrowed a bit at me, as if there was something about me that set her off. See, I thought, always judging me. My heart rate got up a bit and I was glad I took some ketamine to take the sharp edges off, or else I would go into an anxiety attack right here and now.

To hide my sudden insecurity, I stuck out my hand to her, and she shook it hesitantly.

'Oliver Sykes,' I said. 'But I'd prefer Oli.' The last of her smile faded from her face.

'Alison Evans,' she said in a small voice. 'Nice to meet you...'

'Yeah! Really excited to see what our collab will bring!'

'Me too.' She tore her almost shocked gaze off me and turned to Tom. 'Shall we start then?'

*

The day had been long and my ketamine had worn off hours ago, which left me tired and a little shaky and on edge. Alison had been a great director together with Tom, and I was looking forward to seeing the photos.

She was discussing something with Tom behind her laptop, flashing through some pictures we had taken today.

'Maybe if I retouch a little, it will fade,' I heard her say. Tom hummed.

'Just do what you think is best, I trust you with it.' Alison flashed him a smile and turned her head when I nearly tripped over a cable while I tried to silently walk up to them. I felt my cheeks flush from my stupidity.

'So eh, how did the pictures turn out?,' I asked, trying to regain my cool and getting up to them.

'They look good,' she answered, turning to the screen again. She had been distant to me throughout the entire day. Except for a few clues on my poses or outfit changes, Alison hadn't talked to me all day. She had interacted with the rest of the models though, even Tom, whom she seemed to like a lot. It annoyed me, because although he really helped me out with Drop Dead, it still wasn't his brand but mine, and I felt a little secluded right now.

'When do you think you'll be done?' I leaned on the set up table, looking down on her. Alison sighed and kept staring at her laptop screen, lips pursed together.

'Give me a week, maybe.'

'Cool.' I listened to her and Tom falling back into easy conversation again and I sighed, getting back to the dressing room to get changed and go home. While I walked into the back, Amanda pulled me around a corner and pinned me down to the wall.

'Am...'

'What? I miss you,' she whined, getting on her tippy toes to brush her lips against mine. Oh God... Amanda and I had always agreed, without even having talked about it, to be just friends with benefits. That was what suited me most; I didn't want to be in a relationship and be limited in whatever I felt like doing. Now she was saying she was missing me, and it made me feel uncomfortable.

'Amanda...,' I said again, softly pushing her away. She pouted at me.

'Oli, please.'

'Not tonight.' I shoved her aside and walked off, back to the dressing room.

'Why not?'

'I don't feel like it.' I pulled my shirt over my head and threw it on a chair, feeling her gaze at me burn my skin.

'You're getting bored of me,' was her answer. I turned around.

'Maybe.' I wasn't even lying and I didn't care that I was hurting her; I didn't owe her anything. I was in for as long as I had fun, but my fun with her seemed to have had its longest time.