“I don’t know what you’re thinking so hard about, but you’ve got to stop,” the makeup artist said as he touched up Jess’s face, “You’re making a crease in the make-up with all this frowning.”

“Oh, sorry,” Jess shrugged and tried to relax her face, “I didn’t realize I was doing that.”

“No worries,” he smiled, “We’re almost done here, and then you can get your last set of pictures done and get some rest.”

“Don’t I have two more sets to do after this one?”

“Yep, but they’ve been rescheduled for tomorrow,” he replied as dusted her face with some kind of powder.

“Oh, OK.” She wondered when they would possibly be able to fit photo shoot into the next day’s schedule.

Lance popped his head into the room.  “How’s it going, Jess?”

“Fine, Lance.”  She hoped she sounded confident enough to set Lance at ease.

“Great!” he disappeared from the doorway.  Yep, apparently she sounded confident enough.  Now if only she could fool herself into feeling confident.

A few minutes later, Jess made her way out to the set, trying not to teeter on stiletto heels.  She pulled self consciously at her skirt, as if by tugging she could make it longer.  Out of all the outfits, this one made her feel the most anxious by far.

Jess spun on her heel and nearly lost her balance when she heard a whistle from behind her.  She quickly regained her equilibrium and saw Joey and Justin staring at her.

“Whoa!  Girl, where have you been hiding those?”  Joey asked, nodding his head in the direction of her chest.

Jess rolled her eyes.  “Oh, grow up, Joey.  And Justin, stop staring!  Haven’t you ever seen boobs before?”

“Sure we have,” Joey replied, “Just not on you!”

“I can’t help it,” Justin stated as he continued to stare.  “I never knew you had so many curves under all those baggy clothes.”

“Oh please,” she groaned as she shoved his face away from her so that she didn’t have to see him stare.  “Let’s just get this over with.”

Jess felt Joey’s eyes on her while the photographer was setting the lighting up near a bar set.  “Will you stop it?”  She smacked his chest.

“What?” Joey asked defensively, trying to protect himself from her further assault.

“Stop staring at me!  I’ll call Kelly I have to,” Jess looked to make an escape.

“No, don’t do that,” Joey held her arm.  “I’m sorry.  I’m just not used to seeing you like, well, like this!”

“It’s this stupid push up bra they made me wear,” Jess shifted her shoulders around, trying to get comfortable. “It feels like they’re cinched up under my chin.  Good grief, if I was to get a good run going, I’d give myself two black eyes!”

Joey laughed.  “I don’t think so, Sweetie.” He gave her a quick hug, trying to keep her from getting more self conscious.  “You look really good though,” he grinned.

She looked down at her outfit, “You really think so?”

“No, I just go around lying to all my girl friends for fun,” he rolled his eyes. 

Jess giggled.  “OK point taken, but I feel like a freaking Barbie doll.”

“Nah, you look better than Barbie,” Joey laughed.  “She’s plastic and fake and you are so not like that.”

            In no time at all, Jess and Joey were posing in the club set.  First, they shot Joey checking Jess out, and then they were posed as if they were flirting by the bar.  Joey had her laughing by feeding her really bad pick-up lines the whole time. 

            Chris and JC came back into the room in time to hear Joey being instructed to “sex it up” by lifting Jess's thigh up against him.

Jess laughed loudly.  “Ack!  Joey, that tickles!” 

            The two guys rounded to corner and gaped in unison.  Who was this vixen and what had she done with Jess?

            Chris swallowed hard.  “Whoa,” he rasped.

            Justin turned around with a big grin.  “I know, right! She’s babe-alicious!  If she were a president she would be Baberaham Lincoln!”

            JC elbowed Justin.  “Now is not the time for your ‘Wayne’s World’ impressions, you dork!”

            Justin blinked, “Why not?  Jess is totally hot!”

            JC clenched his teeth.  “Shut up, Justin!”

            Chris glanced over at Lance.  “Does he really need to be so close to her?  Couldn’t they like tone it down a bit?”

            Lance put a hand on Chris’s shoulder and led him out of the room, “Come on, Bud.  I don’t think you really need to see this.”

            “It’s not that I think anything is going to happen, Lance, I just don’t like seeing any guy that close to her.”

            “I know,” Lance nodded, “especially when it’s not you.”

            “You got that right!” he agreed.  “Especially when it’s not---hey, wait a minute!  That’s not what I was going to say!”

            “Sure Chris,” Lance nodded as if he believed Chris.  “I should warn you that the clothing company wants her to keep everything she’s modelled so she can wear it out in public and be seen.  And I’m pretty sure Joey and Justin are going to try to convince her to wear that outfit the next time we hit a club.”

            “Great,” Chris muttered as Lance led him away, “now I’m going to spend all my time watching other guys hit on her.”