Baniel's Angel

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My hands trembled as I reread the name over and over. MA Modeling. MA Modeling. Michigan. Avenue. Modeling. I shook so bad that my hands didn't reach the accept button in time. I prayed over and over that they would leave a voicemail, and that it would be a message of acceptance. I waited for my phone to beep. Finally, after a few minutes it did. I turned off the stove, my macaroni could wait. I went and sat on my white sofa that overlooked the streets of Chicago. 

My mind began to play games with me. What if its an automated call? What if it's Stacey calling from the agency? What if its to deny a job?

I pressed the home button to light up the screen. I entered my voicemail. 

"Please enter a passcode." The phone read outloud. I'd never had to use my voicemail before. I entered my common code numbers, but nothing worked. I searched my mind for what it could be. 

Finally, I gave up. I was near tears and grabbed a chocolate ball from the coffee table. I stuffed them in my mouth and called Stacey. I stuck the shattered phone up to my ear. 

"Hello?" Stacey asked. 

"The MA Modeling Agency called and I didn't answer in time." I said in tears. 

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE SO LUCKY!" She shouted into the phone. 

"No, you don't get it." I said. 

"What's wrong?" She asked. "Aren't you happy?" 

"I. Didn't. Answer. In. Time." I said slowly. 

"They leave voicemails." She said. "Atleast they should. They'd be stupid not to." 

"I don't know my voicemail's password." I said. 

"Seriously?" She asked. 

"I know. Im such an idiot..." I said. 

"No, I mean... Seriously as in even I know your phones voicemail password." She said. 

"What?" I gasped and sat up at the same time. 

"9573" She said. "Easy." 

"How do you know my phone's voicemail password?" I asked with a smile. 

She laughed. "It's the last 4 digits in your phone number." 

I started laughing with tears in my eyes. "You're a life saver." 

"Girl, don't you forget it." She said. She lowered her voice and suddenly spoke faster, like she had a secret that she had to tell within the next 5 seconds.  "Oh and also don't forget about our lunch date tomorrow at noon sharp at Picos you need to tell me all the details in that voicemail forward and back." She brought her voice back up to normal. "Love you bye!" 

Then she hung up. I quickly typed 9573 into my voicemail. 

"Hello, and welcome to your voicemail center..." My phone said aloud. It began explaining how to change the code and what buttons to press for different actions but I ignored it. I stood on my feet and paced the whole apartment. I paced the room 10 times before the message started playing. 

"Hello this is Jeremy Reed." It said. I screamed in excitement but then quieted myself to listen. "I'm calling for Gabriella Hendsley from the Michigan Avenue Modeling Agency. I talked to you at the interview today and-" He paused for a second. "I really want to know you better. You seem like the perfect fit. Could we... maybe... talk over dinner? I need you to start quickly. Please call me back or text me so we can arrange dinner for tonight. Goodbye."

Jeremy Reed. Jeremy Reed. Yes, the man on the end. The one who wants to know what I do in my free time and my other interests are. He was the only one who wasn't wearing the label of a big modeling company that I recognized. Maybe the key is to start off small? 

I collected myself in front of a mirror. He'd called an hour ago. I'd broken my phone an hour ago.

"Well with all this money I'll be making I can definetly afford a new phone." I said cockily with a smile. 

I called back nervously and tapped my fingers on the counter. I looked over the dimming city. 

"Hello, this is Madison Avenue Modeling how can I help you?" Said a receptionist. 

"Hi, can I reach Jeremy Reed?" I asked. 

I heard the ruffle of papers in the background. "I'm sorry Jeremy Reed doesn't work here."

"I think he was only here for the interview session today, do you have his contact info?" I asked.

"No, the only thing he left with us was the name Too loo roose ad date?" She said. "I don't know if that means anything to you." 

I walked over to the window and looked on the city to think. "No, I dont know what it means, but thanks for your time." I hung up the phone. I searched the city for a clue. Two Lure Oo sedate? Why did that sound so familiar to me? The clock ticked in the background. I turned around and looked at it as it turned 7:55. I turned around to the streets. Pizza Hut. Olive Garden. Lurus. Ginos. 

Suddenly, it clicked to me and I grabbed my bag and rushed out the door. I pressed the elevator button, but quickly ran down the stairs instead. I ran down 40 some floors and reached the bottom. I sprinted into the streets and down a block. I walked through the door to Lurus just as the bell chimed eight.