MESSED UP - completed!

15- The Friday

15 The Friday Magazine

Kareem believes that by taking pictures of women at their workplace, he can spread a healthy image of hardworking women, and that's how they started the photoshoot of me at Whoosh. Zahra has helped me wear a black suit, which exposes my cleavage to above my belly button, and there's no shirt inside it. It feels a little weird to be exposed in my workplace, even though nothing else but my cleavage is showing.

My hair is styled in a wet-like posture, pulled back, and I have heels. It is a masculine yet feminine style. I would always dress like this. The Friday's makeup artist has done my makeup, and everything is ready.

"I knew there was a gem inside that woman," Kareem says while Jeff, the photographer, is shooting me.

"Now put a hand in your pocket," says Jeff, and I do as he says. "Perfect. Change your position to the left. A little more. Good. Now another one."

"What's going on?" I hear Isla's voice, and suddenly she sees me. "Oh, my God! Kareem?!"

"Yes. Take in your friend's fabulous sight," Kareem says.

"What is going on?"

"She's going in my magazine."

"Hey, where did you go?" a familiar voice says and goes silent when Isla hushes him. "Is that—?"

"Mia," Isla says.

"Damn."

Now, I wear an elegant dress with even more uncomfortable heels. I struggle to stand in the positions that Jeff asks for while wearing these.

"Mia, you don't look good in these pictures. Is there something wrong?" Jeff asks.

"Yes." I kick off my heels and run toward the guy in the corner. It's the same guy who cooked the perfect pasta. "Can I have your sneakers?" I ask him, and he gives them to me without asking why. After wearing his shoes, I run back to Jeff. "I'm ready," I say while sitting on a chair with one leg stretched to the front and the other bent as my foot touches the chair's seat.

"Perfect," he says and starts taking pictures. "Keep going like that. Great, now put a hand on your knee. You're amazing."

When the shooting stops, everyone claps their hands for me. I feel too shy to look up at them. Kareem approaches me.

"You're not mad, are you?" I ask him. "Those heels were uncomfortable as hell."

"Mad? Your presence blesses my eyes. I'll send you the photos when they get edited." He leaves with his assistant by his side.

Isla approaches me. "Mia!"

"Isla!" I say as she squeezes my hand.

"You looked amazing! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you!"

"You looked... too good," Jon says, standing by Isla. I hadn't noticed him before. I look at Isla as I clench my jaw. She gives me a sorry look with a lifted shoulder to indicate that she didn't mean to bring him to me. She knows I hate seeing him after he slept with me and then got engaged to his cheating ex.

"I see you a lot lately," I say to Jon, and he says nothing. Isla stays silent and doesn't intervene. "Sometimes it feels like if I stand in front of a mirror and say 'bloody Jon' three times, you will appear," I add, and Isla snorts, trying to hide her laughter. Jon looks at her with a raised eyebrow, and she presses her lips into a line to prevent herself from laughing.

"I was meeting up with Isla," Jon says, "but we couldn't leave while you were being... that cool."

I open my mouth to be bitter, but a man's appearance stops me.