Sunset Model Agency was located in a nice storefront in the university district. There were about a half dozen beautiful people, both male and female, sitting in the waiting room and a short, round bespectacled man behind the desk. When he looked up at me, his face lit up. "Sara!" he said. "You're back! How are you feeling? Ready to go back to work?"
"I'm feeling great," I said. "I just thought I'd stop by and see what was happening."
"Courtney is going to be tickled to see you. Come on back."
I glanced at the people in the waiting room and saw their looks of jealously. They'd probably been waiting all afternoon for an interview.
The little round man ushered me into an office and said, "Courtney, look who's back."
The thin, stern faced woman behind the desk started to stand and I thought her smile would crack her face through all of the make up. When she finally quit standing, I could see that she was over six feet tall. She came around the desk and took both of my hands in hers. "Sara, I'm so glad to see you," she said. "We've really missed you around here. Such a tragedy about Dennis. We knew how close you two were."
"I don't remember anything from before I woke up in the hospital. My past life is a total blank."
"At least you found your way back here."
"I remember you coming to see me and I found your business card in my purse, so I thought I'd see if there was any work for me."
"There'll always be work for you, my dear. You're so photogenic. And you're so much more thinner now, you can do more fashion work even though your breasts are still a little large."
"I must have been a little butterball."
"You were the darling of the swimsuit photographers and I was always getting asked to have you do lingerie shoots."
"I didn't see any lingerie pictures in my portfolio."
"You steadfastly refused to do them and nudes were out of the question. We could have made a fortune."
"Well, I'm a whole different person now. I think I'd enjoy doing something sexy."
"You mean it? There's at least a dozen photographers that have been begging to have you do something like that."
"I'd like to do some nude modeling too."
"Yes!" Courtney exclaimed. "We're going to make each other rich! You're going to need a whole new portfolio. Okay, let's start at the top. Henri Bouchard is the best and I know he's shown interest in you. I think I can cut a deal with him for a thousand dollars and a dozen portfolio shots. How does that sound for starters?"
"That would be great, except for one thing; I don't have clue what modeling is about. I can't even put on make up anymore."
"Just don't you worry, we'll take care of everything," Courtney said as she refolded herself behind the desk and started dialing the phone. "Henri?" She said into the receiver. "Courtney, from Sunset Models. Have I got a deal for you. Do you remember talking to me about Sara McFarland? Well, she's here and wants to do some nudes. You do? You will? That's great! We'll talk after the test shots come out." She hung up the phone and looked up at me. "Seven thirty tomorrow morning at Henri's studio, that okay?"
"Oh god, I hope I can handle it."
"Henri is real easy to work for. He'll tell you exactly what he wants you to do. And don't worry about the make up thing. He always has Tresa, his assistant, do the make up. Oh, and one other thing, wear something loose and no binding underwear. We wouldn't want to have any press marks on your beautiful body. A test shoot should only take a couple of hours. He'll do some Polaroids, a video, and maybe some thirty-five millimeter. It'll be fun, you'll see. If you've forgotten everything about modeling, maybe we should go over all your paperwork again any way," she said as she dug out my file and a stack of blank forms. While we were going over the individual forms, she explained all about her commission and the model release forms. There was also a stipulation in my contract as a Sunset Model that I would at all times maintain a professional attitude and conduct myself in a moral manner. "We make sure all of the photographers that use our models are licensed and bonded professionals. What it all boils down to is that we don't want any screwing around on the job. There are some agencies that are nothing more than outcall services for hookers and we want no part of that business."
As I was filling out the individual forms and signing them, I had to copy all of my vital information from the cards in my wallet to get them right. I guess amnesia is like that.
It was a little after seven the next morning when I finally found the Bouchard studio located up in the hills overlooking the city. I was hoping that I could pull it off. Tresa met me at the door and led me inside. She was a stunning little blond with a fabulous body tucked into a pair of skintight jeans and a chambray shirt, tied at the waist to show lots of cleavage. Her honey colored tresses were tied up haphazardly and her bright blue eyes twinkled through a pair of heavy rimmed glasses. I would have said she was a world class beauty. "Boy, you're sure early," she said.
"I wasn't sure if I could find the place so I left early."
"You've been here before, haven't you?"
"Maybe, but that was before my amnesia."
"Oh, yeah, Courtney said something about that. Care for some coffee?"
"That would be great," I said as I followed through the big house. "What am I supposed to do? It's like I'm new to this."