I'd been officially hired for about a week, and was awaiting word of
when my first assignment would be. Every day I would call the agency,
trying to get ahold of Alexis, each time reaching her receptionist who
assured me that she'd call me once the details were finalized.
As each day passed, I grew more and more sure that I'd either been
forgotten about, scammed, or that she suddenly had come to her senses
and realized that she'd contacted the wrong guy, and was just hoping
I'd go away.
Then I finally got a very brief email from her, giving next to no
details, beyond an address and instructions to be there at seven PM.
That evening, I packed my gear into the car and followed my GPS which
led me to a modest looking house that sat rather isolated from the
rest of its neighborhood.
Grabbing my camera case, I headed to the front door and knocked. I
waited for around thirty seconds before the door opened to me. It was
Alexis. She was dressed in a business-appropriate blouse and skirt,
her brown hair up in a bun on top of her head. Her green eyes stared
at me through a pair of horn-rim librarian glasses. She pursed her
lips tightly together as she stared at me for a moment.
"Mrs. Adair?" I asked, quite unsure. We'd never laid eyes on each
other, and I could see I was being appraised.
"It's MS. Adair," she said, correcting me with a strong emphasis on
the Ms."
"I'm Steve," I said, shifting my feet a bit awkwardly. "I'm here for
the shoot."
"I know who you are," she said, still no hint of friendliness in her
voice. "Follow me." She turned and headed down a side hallway, not
waiting for me to keep pace.
I briskly trotted behind her, following her into a room with a desk
and little else. A few boxes with files protruding and a filing
cabinet were behind the desk, and there was a leather loveseat in
front of it, which she gestured toward. "Sit down," she said with the
tone of a woman who is used to being obeyed. "We have a few things to
go over before you begin."