SECOND CHANCE

Chapter 8 - No pain, no gain

A/N: Please bear with me. I have little knowledge about the modeling industry. Just let me write for fun. Peace. 

All of the news concerning Crystal was completely wiped out the next day. Crystal was making her way towards Gio's agency. The hot sun hit her hair, making it shiny as she stepped out of the car. The driver drove away when he saw her getting into the building. Crystal didn't dare to drive at all. It seemed like her body was traumatized and she didn't really know how the vehicle worked.

When she stepped into the entrance, she was immediately met with Gio's handsome face. "There you are", he exclaimed. She observed him as he pulled her into a hug. Today, he had tied his hair into a ponytail, and he wore a black turtleneck paired with khaki trousers. Crystal wasn't used to the skin touch but subtly hid it. She smiled and greeted him. They made some small talk while they walked through the reception and into Gio's office room. The building wasn't enormous like the Knight building but it was very modern and cozy.

"My dad's lawyer has drafted a contract", Crystal stated and pulled out the contract from her purse. Then she crossed her legs while Gio grabbed his glasses. He looked through the contract and read out loud, "Party B will not do any underwear shoots if not willingly". Gio was party A and Crystal was party B. "Party A will not pressure party B to do things party B doesn't want to", he mumbled and put his right hand on his chin. After a few moments of him mumbling and thinking, he put the contract on the table. Crystal was seated in front of him and he leaned back on the couch.

"I do agree with all of the conditions, but I have a condition", said Gio. Crystal bit her inner cheek and asked, "What conditions?" He then leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "If you don't take this seriously or if you're not showing any improvements within a year then we'll cancel the contract. My agency doesn't do lazy models or dull models", Gio deadpanned as he seriously looked into Crystal's blue eyes. Crystal stilled and nodded in silence. A few seconds passed and he smiled as he exclaimed, "Don't worry, sweetheart! You'll be successful under my wings, I'll make sure of it as longs as you are willing to work hard and put your full effort in this job". The care-free Gio was back and he arose from the couch.

He sighed in happiness as he explained to her how the modeling industry worked and told her about his journey to how he went from a poor kid to a famous and rich man. Gio Negro parents were from Spain, but they immigrated to the US before he was born. He came from a poor family and they could barely live off his parents' earning. His father worked at a convenience store and his mother was sickly and thus she was bedridden. Gio became very emotional as he thought about his struggles in the past. He worked very hard to get where he was today. He remembered the countless rejections at the auditions and the feeling of shame when someone learned that he was poor. When his mother died, he decided to work even harder to provide for his father and himself. Eventually, after years of trying and hard work, his effort paid off. He became famous because he created a unique and unforgettable walk on the run-away. After that everything just went smoothly and when he hit 32, he decided to retire since he had enough wealth for generations, and he started to grow "old". A few weeks after he founded his own model agency and that was six years ago. Still, until today his business was doing extremely well. Actually, it was beyond well because all of his models became popular and were popular.

Crystal teared up at his emotional story and comforted him by giving him a friendly hug. At the moment, she didn't care about the gender separation. "I'm sorry to hear that you have to go through all that all alone", Crystal spoke. Gio was now standing in front of a giant picture of his parents that were hanging on the was behind the desk. He smiled warmly as he glanced at the picture. "They say no pain, no gain".

Gio introduced Crystal to her new manager, Liza, before bidding her goodbye. They were now sitting in one of the meeting rooms as they talked about her schedule. Crystal stole a glance at Liza. She was beautiful. Her hair was red like the beautiful flame of a fire, and it was curly and long. Her small nose was covered with cute freckles as her skin was slightly tanned. She was probably in her late-twenties.

After talking and getting to know each other, Liza measured Crystal. "So...your first audition will be in two weeks. Since you're already thin, you have to build more muscles on your tights, stomach, and arms. I'll introduce you to our personal trainer", Liza explained. Working out two weeks before an audition was usually too little time, but she believed Crystal could make it. All she needed was a little more muscle then she's good to go. "Will I pass?" Crystal was worried because this was all new to her. Liza chuckled, "Oh sweetie, you'll do great with more training". Afterward, Liza introduced Crystal to the agency's personal trainer, Pete. He was a well-built man, and Crystal was amused when she saw how short his hair was. It was approximately five inches long. Pete was a dark, handsome man and he had a stubble beard. She liked him because he seemed like a nice guy. She thought he would be a very strict and tough guy since he looked very scary. In fact, he was like a big teddy-bear.

The big teddy-bear, Liza and Crystal discussed her dieting and training. They agreed that she will start tomorrow at seven am. Liza and Crystal walked out of the meeting room and towards a shooting room. A model was just done shooting and they walked towards her. "Aileen, this is Crystal", Liza introduced both of them to each other. Aileen was a rising supermodel. Her honey hair was straight, and it reached below her chest. She had chocolate brown eyes and her lashes were thick and long like Crystal's. Aileen beamed at Crystal. "Hi! So you're our newest family member, it's so nice to meet you!" Her smile was so bright that it could blind people.

"Hello, nice to meet you too", Crystal smiled back. Liza clapped her hands, "Great now that you've met. Aileen, can I ask a favor from you?" Aileen seemed curious and joked, "You're already asking but yes?"

Crystal giggled at her comment. She did really like this girl because she seemed like a genuine girl. "Gio and I thought of hiring someone to teach Crystal the walks, but we figured it might be best of one of our own, did it. I'm asking if you want to teach Crystal?", Liza didn't pressure her but asked her. Aileen stilled and pursed her lips. Then she shrugged, "Since I don't have anything big going on right now, why not?"

Crystal felt happy and thanked her. "So, when's your audition?", Aileen asked while exchanging her number with Crystal. "In two weeks", Crystal replied. "Oh, so soon! We have to start right now!" Aileen dragged Crystal away to the fitness room.