Xander's Chance

Toni looked her over in irritation as Jessi walked towards Laurencio. The photographer was pleased, Xander suspicious.

"All time fave," she repeated and batted her eyelashes at him the same way Toni did.

"We'll have to do some post-photo work," Laurencio said, looking her over.

Jessi forced herself to keep smiling. He'd just called her ugly after insisting she participate in this stupid photo shoot.

"Quite a bit, I'd say," Toni added. "You may want to focus on a headshot."

"I got an idea," Xander said. "Similar to the last shot but a bit more … provocative. I've got my fangs."

Jessi refused to flinch. "Omigod, that would be awesome!" She pretended to fan herself.

"Oh, we haven't seen those yet," Toni said in a honeyed voice. "You're welcome to bite me, Xander. I'll warn you that I bite back."

"I look forward to that," Xander replied.

Laurencio stepped back and was alternately gazing at Toni and Jessi through a box he made out of his hands.

"You're both right," he declared with enough self-importance that Jessi wanted to scream. "She's got the innocence but not the body. Headshot, close-up of Xander and his fangs." He motioned to his assistant.

"I can do innocent," Toni whined.

"Not this kind of innocence," Laurencio replied. "Those big eyes are the key. You're a little too ..."

"Whorish," Jessi supplied with a sweet smile.

Toni stared at her. Xander chuckled. Laurencin's assistant took Jessi's arm before she could see how red Toni's face turned. Disappointed, she turned her attention to Xander, whose half-smile was one of warning, not comfort.

"On your back," the assistant said, motioning to the sand.

"Total fan girl moment," Jessi said.

"What's the name of my show, fan-girl?" Xander challenged.

Jessi pretended to take her time settling on the sand, struggling to recall what Gerry said the name of Xander's show was. She lay down.

"Vampire something," she said then gave a breezy sigh. "I'm too excited to remember!"

The assistant squatted over her mid-section and fanned out her hair, positioning and repositioning it around her head.

"Makeup," he said without glancing up.

Someone tossed him a small kit. He dipped a pinky into it and roughly spread lipstick across her lips then dipped his pinky again to smear something on her cheekbones.

"Eyes closed."

She obeyed. He swept something over her eyelids.

"Rub your lips together."

She did. He took her hands and positioned them over her head. She opened her eyes. He was frowning and glancing back at Laurencio for direction. He positioned her hands on either side of her head.

"Good," Laurencio said. "To keep this a headshot, Xander will need to be lower than last time."