Read Online London by Carina Axelsson - Free Book Online Page B

works at Johnny’s in publicity, in the building where you’ll be going for your casting tomorrow. And, honestly, considering how long she’s been at her job, she can’t be all that good. In all the years she’s worked there, she’s never advanced beyond her present position.”
    Hmm…I wondered if there would be some way for me to “accidentally” meet Georgie tomorrow at the Vane headquarters. For a moment I entertained the thought of using my school magazine, the Notting Hill News , as an excuse to interview her. But would a member of a famous fashion family really give me a few sound bites for a school magazine? I doubted it.
    â€œOther than that, I don’t know anything about her. She certainly doesn’t go out and about.”
    â€œThanks, Charlotte.” Then remembering another question, I changed tack. “By the way, does a muse get paid?”
    Charlotte laughed. “That came out of nowhere!” I watched as she got up and walked to the bookcases behind her desk and pulled out a book.
    â€œWell, there’s Amanda Harlech, she’s a muse to Chanel’s creative director, and she has some sort of salary. But this,” she said as she handed me a book, “should answer any questions you may have about what a muse is or does. The exhibition was fab, by the way.”
    I took the large-format, hardcover book from her hands. It had been published by Yale University Press, and the title said it all: Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion . It was actually the catalog for an exhibition some years ago at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The entire book was about models who were also muses to the fashion elite.
    â€œTake it and read it,” Charlotte said. “You can bring it back when you’re finished with it.”
    â€œThank you, Charlotte.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. I hope it helps…” Her voice trailed off as her direct line rang. I watched her as she took the call. “Great, thanks,” she said as she looked at me and gave me a thumbs-up. “I’ll tell her now.”
    She hung up and said, “Good news, Axelle. That was Jacky calling to book you for the Teen Chic shoot with Josh Locke. You’ll work for three hours tomorrow afternoon at Spring Studios.”
    My mouth dropped open. Booked? Me? For Teen Chic tomorrow? With Josh Locke !
    Argh!
    Why? Why was I booked when he and I clearly didn’t get along and when Jacky Sykes had barely acknowledged my existence at the casting?
    â€œJacky says you met Josh at the casting, you lucky girl! How could you keep that a secret?”
    Easily, I thought, because (A) I never imagined I’d be booked for the job; (B) Josh Locke is painfully arrogant; and (C) I had a case to solve—and therefore other things to think about.
    Speaking of which, the case was shaping up to be a really meaty one, so I was going to need every minute I could get to solve it before Gavin was targeted again—but now my week was filling up with bookings!
    â€œAxelle, you’re the only model I know who’d look so miserable after hearing such fab news,” Charlotte said, laughing. “But I’m sure you’ll have fun at the booking. After all, everyone loves Josh Locke.”
    Grrr…
    I needed to vent, so after leaving the agency I called my BFF and neighbor Jenny Watanabe for some support. As I walked to the Tube, I told her all about my Teen Chic casting and how Josh Locke’s fame seemed to affect everyone in his orbit.
    â€œYou should have seen them. The models were preening, the reptilian editor was giggling, and a dozen people were listening at the door!”
    â€œYeah, but, Axelle, he’s Josh Locke,” Jenny said. “He’s famous! Of course people watch his every move and hide behind doors listening to him.”
    â€œBut it’s like a circus around him…and he just acts like that’s normal!”
    I