InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "TRUFFLE SHUFFLE!"

Abigail Therese Hart (lapislazuli) wrote in haunted_roads,
@ 2008-02-25 18:12:00

Entry tags:

abigail, anthony

WEEK TWO: TUESDAY
WHO; ABIGAIL & ANTHONY
WHEN; Tuesday 11th Feb. (evening)
WHERE: The Towers - Anthony's condo
WHAT; Abby responds to ads placed on college noticeboards. This is a bad idea.
RATING; ? M?

She didn't need money. Her Father sent her plenty, every month, but something about that just didn't sit well with her. He paid for her apartment. He paid for her university tuition. He paid her bills, paid for her groceries, her clothes...and there was always a sizable amount left over for entertainment, or incidentals. And that bothered her. It wasn't that she objected to getting a free ride, necessarily. I mean, wasn't that what everyone wanted? It was more that it felt suspiciously like her Father was trying to plug up the emotional holes in their relationship with big fat wads of cash. And that bugged her.

She'd been thinking for awhile about getting a job. Obviously, it would have to be something that wasn't terribly time consuming - she was still studying, and couldn't manage anything full time, or anything too stressful. She didn't want to work in food - what little self respect she had dictated that flipping burgers was not a viable career option. And she didn't want anything that was going to bore her to tears.

She'd been combing the paper, notice boards, online job search sites and so on, for awhile, looking for something fun, easy and well-paid. Something she could do casually, and something where the work wouldn't follow her home. Nothing had really jumped out at her. She'd briefly considered a career as an exotic dancer, and then remembered that she had two left feet, and would probably fall off the podium. Besides, the idea of old men reeking of booze sticking dollars in her thong wasn't exactly appealing. In fact, the mere idea of wearing a thong wasn't particularly appealing.

Then she'd come across it, on her way to one of her classes on Tuesday afternoon. An ad posted on one of the university message boards. Models wanted for a local photographer. She'd been hesitant, initially. After all, 'photographer' usually meant something like 'amateur porn producer', and 'artistic' generally meant 'if we don't see your parts, you're not getting paid'. But she'd actually recognised a few of the sample shots the guy had included in the ad - a few commercial shots that she'd seen whilst leafing through magazines in the doctor's office. Surely that meant he was legit? Besides, the address he gave was one of the condos in her apartment building. She could at least go along, and see what the deal was. If it all went badly, she only had to run down a few floors to the safety of her own apartment.

She still couldn't quite believe she was doing it, when she found herself in front of a highly polished wooden door, several floors above her own apartment's level. She swallowed heavily, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear, tugging awkward at the hem of her white dress. She hadn't exactly dressed up - the outfit was smart casual, maybe...innocent looking. A kid at her highschool had told her, once, that it made her look like a bride of Dracula. She figured that would do, for a striking look.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to the door, and knocked, loudly.

Ads by Project Wonderful! Your ad here, right now: $0

(Post a new comment)

shadowwhisper
2008-02-25 09:53 am UTC (link)

Well, to be honest ‘amateur’ porn producer wouldn’t be far from the truth. The whole art of photography, especially in the larger American cities such as New York and Los Angeles always brought out the desperate in young people. Which made them easier to exploit, and then easier to feed upon. Always nice to have your meals come to you, after all. But then, those style of pictures were always published under another name, not his own.

Anthony was surprised when he heard the door knock. He had not been expecting anyone, and he highly doubted that Slade would come over so early. She liked playing hard to get and games with him, after all. Coming to his doorstep would make things far too easy for that, so he doubted it was her. And he hadn’t made nearly enough enemies for a bullet to greet him at the door, so he walked over toward it and opened the door.

And the sight greeted him was the last one he had expected. The girl at his door had been one he had noticed before. One he had actually taken an interest in, though as of that moment he hadn’t had time to pursue the matter. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of ones toys coming to them, though he was certain the smile would be misunderstood.

“Can I help you?” he asked as he arched a brow toward Abigail. The Italian accent of the man obvious in his voice. No matter how much time he spent in America, it was one thing he was always going to hold on to.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

lapislazuli
2008-02-25 03:26 pm UTC (link)

Abigail had to restrain herself from doing a double take when the door opened. The man who answered it - Anthony Pastorelli, assumably - looked somehow familiar. It took a few seconds for it to click in to place, but it was undeniable. It wasn't so much the way he looked...after all, in her dreams, it was always dark. Too dark, certainly, to pick out features on a shadowy figure - except the teeth, and the bright eyes. But there was something about him. A jolt of electricity down her spine, a gnawing feeling in her gut. She swallowed heavily, and tried to push it to the back of her mind. She was being paranoid, of course. Seeing connections where there were no connections.

He spoke, and she snapped out of it, her eyes focusing again, meeting his, a small smile sneaking across her lips.

Accent. God, what was it with accented men, lately? Still, the name should have tipped her off, this time.

"Oh. Hi - er, I mean, Hello. My name's Abigail Hart. I suppose I should have called before just turning up like this, but I saw your ad, and you happened to live in the same building as me, so I..." she trailed off, realising how awfully unprofessional and stupid that all probably sounded.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

shadowwhisper
2008-02-26 04:07 am UTC (link)

He looked her over for a moment, and was not at all shy about it, before he let his gaze rest on her eyes. Her reaction told him a lot of what he would need to know, if he had been a full time photographer, rather than his true purpose involved in it. But, after a moment he took a step back and motioned for her to enter the condo.

“You must be from the college.” Tony said as he waited for her to enter. The door would then be closed behind her, as he turned to study her again. “Have you modeled before?” An eyebrow arched as he regarded her, and waited for an answer. “Have you got a portfolio?” His head cocked slightly to the side as his lips curled into a faint smile. He was sure he knew the answer to that question already.

The condition of the condo would show that he was still in the process of moving in, though from the furniture and what few decorations (mostly paintings) he has on the wall, money is not something he is wanting. There would be no indication of a photo studio in the living room, however, despite the condo being listed as his place of business.

After a moment of standing at the door, however, Tony would instead walk over toward the kitchen area. “Care for anything to drink, Miss Hart? I’ve got water, beer, and some.. stronger drinks if that is more preferable.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lapislazuli
2008-02-26 07:31 am UTC (link)

Despite being a little bit foolish sometimes, Abigail was not stupid. In fact, she was fairly sharp. It didn't pass her notice that the guy was checking her out, and it made her uneasy. Photographer or not.

And yet, for some reason she couldn't fathom - perhaps it was the bizarre nagging (not to mention irrational) feeling that he had something to do with her dreams - she stepped through the door, almost jumping at the soft and inoffensive click it gave as he shut it behind her.

"Yes. I saw your ad on one of the messageboards." she tried to steady her voice, and sound professional. "I've modeled for a few photography assignments before...college stuff." this was almost the truth - though it had more been a case of some guy taking a few shots of her in a corset and laughing about it, later. She let the question about the portfolio go. It was obvious she didn't, surely.

She looked around the place, as he headed off towards the kitchen. It was pretty luxurious, really, despite being rather bare at the moment. The guy clearly had money - and taste. The artwork on the walls was beautiful...and it all looked like originals.

"Oh." she looked up at him, smiling shyly "...no, thank you. I'm fine." it was a lie. She'd have killed for a vodka and orange...something to calm her nerves. But that wouldn't look good.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

shadowwhisper
2008-02-26 09:23 am UTC (link)

He took a bottle of beer from the fridge, two in fact. One he opens and takes a gulp from, the other he left on the dining room table. A clear offering in case the young lady changed her mind, though he did not say anything further. Although, he looked her over again as if thinking about something for a very long moment, before he nodded his head.

“Professional is a far cry from College photography. We will need to work up a portfolio for you.” Tony said as his lips pursed together. He took another long, deep gulp from his beer bottle before setting it on the table as well. “And those are unfortunately, not cheap. But no agency will accept a model without one.”

A smile touched his lips before he continued. “Most photographers would not either. Well, not the professional ones. The sleazy ones would smile, tell you how beautiful you are, get you into bed, and never return any of your phone calls afterwards. And there are far too many of those around.”

He took a long deep breath as he gave her one more once over. “I think, however, we can come to an agreement, and I can help you get a start. From there, its up to you, of course. I just take the pictures, turning it into a career, is entirely your doing.”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lapislazuli
2008-02-28 01:02 pm UTC (link)

Abigail noticed the gesture, but didn't reach for the bottle. Something felt...off, about all this, though she couldn't put her finger on what, exactly. Drinking under such circumstances probably wasn't the wisest choice.

"Oh, I..." she bit her lip, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm really not trying to forge a career, here. I uh..kind of aspire to greater things than modeling. Besides which, I'm not a size 0, so I doubt I'd have much luck." she looked up at him, sheepishly. "Sorry. I must have misunderstood your ad. I thought...I don't know." she shook her head "...yeah, sorry. I got the wrong end of the stick. I'll just go."

Despite her words, she didn't make any move towards the door. She was still trying to figure it out, in her head. What had she thought? The ad had seemed to indicate that he was after models for his own artistic projects, and it certainly hadn't said anything about needing to be professional. Hell, he'd advertised on a college noticeboard...and she didn't know too many professional models who hung out on campus. The sinking feeling in her gut was accelerating rapidly. Something really wasn't right, here.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

shadowwhisper
2008-03-01 08:44 am UTC (link)

“Aspire to greater things than modeling?” Tony asked with a chuckle and a shake of his head. He took a long, deep gulp from his bottle of beer again before he set it back down against the table. “Not a size zero so you won’t be able to get anywhere?” The man seemed amused a the thought.

Another shake of his head was given as he began to walk toward her. “So, you are not looking for a career in modeling… so I presume that you are just looking to make a little bit of extra money on the side?” He tilted his head slightly as he regarded her, though this time his eyes did not move anyplace but from her own expression. “Am I right about that?”

His smile only widened then as he seemed to think about the idea for a moment. And this time, when he spoke, that accent only seemed to deepen even further, becoming that much more pronounced. “Most women who let themselves be photographed for ‘extra money’ tend to be in photographs that they would not wish their parents to see them in. Is that what you came here expecting me to get you into?”

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lapislazuli
2008-03-04 03:04 pm UTC (link)

She swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to take a few steps back, when he stepped towards her. She reminded herself, quietly, that she was free to go any time she liked. She controlled the situation, here. If she wanted to leave, she could leave.

Part of her wanted to leave right now. To apologise, tell him she'd been mistaken, and walk out the door. But something was holding her back from doing so. No matter how uneasy this entire situation was making her feel, some part of her - the logical, rational part - kept insisting that she was overreacting.

She cast a sidelong look at the only available exit, lightening quick, sizing up her options. She'd stay, for awhile. If it got too bizarre, she'd go.

"Yes. Well, no. I mean..." she cleared her throat, trying to order her thoughts "...when I first read the ad - you know, with a cursory glance - that was what sprang to mind. But when I'd read it properly I concluded that it probably wasn't that type of modeling." she looked up at him, a little nervously "er...why? Was I wrong?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

shadowwhisper
2008-03-06 07:03 am UTC (link)

“Well, I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to get you out of that outfit, though getting you on film that way wouldn’t be my first choice. But I suspect, a young lady of your beauty is used to men trying to get her into bed.” Tony just grinned at her as he tilted his head.

He watched her reaction, and the looks she gave the exit and his smile only widened a bit further. He took a step to the side as he studied her, this time taking in her form from a side view. “Would it bother you to know that I have done that sort of photography?” He winked once at her, before he shook his head once. “Though I tend not to advertise that, it has the tendency to scare away potential models.”

He was silent for another moment before he nodded his head. “If I haven’t completely scared you off, why don’t we take some test pictures to see how you look on film?” Without waiting for her answer, he took a step back, smiled at her and then turned to walk back toward the back of the condo.

He would turn into the guest room, rather than the bedroom, however. This room would not be furnished as a bedroom. Instead, it was setup as a studio. Bright lights, green screen background, the whole works. Even a couch on the side for someone to relax upon. In the center, upon a tripod, a video camera.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lapislazuli
2008-03-14 12:57 pm UTC (link)

She blushed darkly, dropping her eyes to the floor, feeling, if possible, even more nervous and awkward than before. It wasn't a pleasant kind of awkwardness, either. She felt distinctly uncomfortable.

What are you doing here? the little voice in her head demanded, caustically. You don't need the money. Are you going to sell your body, now?

Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze to him, again, chewing on her bottom lip unconsciously. "Oh. Well. No, not really. I mean, uh..."

Just lie. Lie. Then everything will be fine.

"...well, I have a boyfriend, actually." she swallowed thickly again, hoping she sounded convincing, "...he's pretty...you know...butch, so he tends to er...frighten people away...?" her voice curved up in to a question at the end of her sentence, an unwelcome expression of uncertainty that she knew, instinctively, gave her away for the absolutely awful liar that she was.

So ridiculously feeble was her attempt to convince him that she was secretly dating a mobster, she followed him in to the studio without even really thinking about what she was doing. She grabbed the bottle of beer off the table, on her way past, taking a brief swig. God, what the hell was she doing. It was like she wasn't acting of her own accord, at all.

To her immense relief, however, the room he turned in to didn't look particularly seedy or dodgy. She stepped a few paces inside, taking it in bit by bit. The only thing that did seem a little out of place was the video camera...

"Um..." she looked at him, raising an eyebrow "...I thought you did still photography, not film..."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

shadowwhisper
2008-03-14 10:46 pm UTC (link)

He watched her for another moment, before he chuckled a bit and shook his head. “I photograph women for fun, Abigail. While I might do it for a living, I do not need the money. I enjoy what I do. And I enjoy taking the pictures people want taken of them.” And some they do not. But he was not going to put that part in. Not just yet.

“A boyfriend, huh? Must be a lucky man to catch a prize as lovely as you.” If he even noticed the wavering and dead give away, he did not show it. Either that, or he was just playing along to help her feel a little better. “I’ll be sure to be careful around him. Though, if you’re in the mood for something more risqué… you should bring him along next time…” Tony winked at her as he said that last.

Her question about the camera, drew his gaze over toward it and he seemed to think about it for a moment. “I do both. Model shoots are sometimes easier when done on film, rather than stills. With the digital technology available, its just as easy to take stills off of the footage.”

Tony then walked over toward the camera, and picked it up and pulled it over toward the side and pointed away from the center of the room, and of course, toward the couch. He would also turn it on, though no light was left on the device to show that it was active. He had long ago removed those.

“But you’re uncomfortable and nervous enough already, without me pretending to be more sleazy than I am.” He winked at her again, before he walked back toward what would have been the closet before he altered the room, and opened one of the sliding doors. From a small dresser there, he pulled out a smaller digital camera, and turned that smile of his back toward her.

"Better?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lapislazuli
2008-03-22 07:09 am UTC (link)

Abigail shifted from one foot to the other, awkward and slightly shaky with adrenaline. The little voice in her head was back again, pestering her relentlessly with tirades on how unwise continuing with this little charade would be.

Did you hear that? it needled her, causing her to momentarily tune out from whatever it was Anthony was currently saying. 'A little more risque'...he's practically admitting he's a perverted sleaze! Why are you here!? Just get a normal job, like a normal person, and stop endangering yourself with your criminal laziness...

The voice had a point.

She swallowed heavily, placing the beer she'd barely touched on a nearby dresser, taking a step backwards towards the door.

"I uh...actually I just remembered that I have to...pick up my...um...this assignment, from university, and if I...well, the library shuts in about twenty minutes. Er. I mean the office. Offices. So...I should..um..."

Oh yeah, very convincing.

"Maybe another time?" she tried, managing not to stammer, but hardly pulling off a confident tone. Her smile was weak and flimsy, as she took another few steps backward, not waiting for him to reply before she turned, heading down the hall to the living room, and the front door. "I'll show myself out!" she called back, hurriedly, not stopping until her hand was curled around the doorknob, turning it, half expecting it to be locked, but finding (fortunately) that it wasn't. She slipped out of his apartment unscathed, closing the door behind her and hurrying towards the lifts.

Well. That was interesting. Clearly she wasn't cut out to be a model.

(Reply to this) (Parent)