CHAPTER 3: FRESH MEAT

Jessica peeped out from the wings of the stage, watching her models parade up and down the catwalk. Good, everything was going ahead without a hitch, she thought as she smiled to herself. And to think things were so different backstage. All that bitching and name-calling and fighting...could you ever imagine so much fun, she giggled.

“Hey Jessica, one of your models are missing,” the programme manager ran up to her, panting away.

Jess gave her a look. Whatever was this woman blabbering about?

“How can my models be missing? Everybody’s here,” Jess said, in a tone of voice that seemed to suggest she was talking to a moron.

“Well, it seems one of your male models have gone walkabout. Look, he’s due to be on next and I want to know where he is,” she said, obviously irritated by Jessica’s manner towards her. “It says here his name is Hayden.”

Hayden? The new guy we signed. Damn. Flo and I just saw him. Where could he be now?, Jess thought.Then turning to the pipsqueak programme manager, “I’ll find him. In the meantime, switch the slots around. Let Sandy go on first.”

The programme manager looked at her indignantly. “You expect me to change the programme because you can’t control your people?” she said haughtily.

“Okay, don’t change it around then. Have an empty stage,” Jess told her apathetically and strode off without waiting to hear her reply.

Jess fumed off in search of one missing model.

“So, how long have you been in this business again?” Flora smiled at the new ‘meat’ in front of her.

“About a year and a half,” came the reply.

“Oh? And what were you doing before that? “

“I was a cop.”

Flora giggled. “Oohh... that must be how you got your body. You’re soooo fit.”

“Hee...” he gave Flora a silly grin, a little embarassed by her brazenness.

She noticed how he blushed at her remark.

“Well, big loss for the HKPD, big gain for us,” she continued and deliberately brushed her hand on his arm.

“Hee...”

Flora chuckled to herself.

Jessica rolled her eyes when she found her friend flirting shamelessly. Gawd, one really couldn’t leave Flora alone for a second in the vicinity of men. Trust her to have cornered him so quickly. She shook her head and marched right up to them.

“Hayden, aren’t you supposed to be on now? Come on, we’ve got to be professional about things,” Jess scolded even though she knew it was more her friend’s fault than his.

“Err, yea...sorry,” he stuttered an apology at Jessica. Then turning to look at Flora. “I’ve got to go,” he told her sheepishly.

“Okay, bye!” Flora grinned at him cheerfully. Then she winked and added, “I’ll see you later.”

“Hee...err...yea.”

Much to the amusement of the two girls, Hayden half-walked, half-stumbled away, nearly tripping over his own feet as a result of looking at Flora rather than where he was going.

“Jeez...I just can’t leave you alone for a second, can I?” Jess threw her hands up in the air as soon as Hayden was out of sight.

Flora just laughed and shrugged.

When she thought about it, Jessica couldn’t help but laugh too. “Hmmm...so?” she asked her friend cheekily.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be busy these next few days,” Flora chortled mischieviously, conspicuously eyeing the direction in which Hayden had headed.

“So will I,” Jessica retorted.

“Oh, really?” Flora cocked her eyebrow.

Flora could have Hayden. Jessica smiled. She had plans of her own.

“Let’s see who manages to wrap their little fingers around their men first, girlfriend,” Jess snickered.

“Ooohh...a challenge,” Flora smirked. “You’re on, honey. First one who gets their guy into bed wins.”

“Hmmm...I kinda like the LV Epi leather range. It’s time I got a full set of new travel bags. Thanks dah-ling,” Jess hinted with a smile.

Flora laughed out loud at her friend’s suggestion. “Well dah-ling, YOU had better get your cheque book out. I hear the watch I like isn’t going cheap.”

Jessica chuckled. “We’ll see, we’ll see.”

Flora wrapped her arm around Jess’ shoulders as they walked away together. “So, who’s the poor soul you’ve got your eyes set on?”