Love Through Your Lens (Completed)

Chapter Five: Art Reimagined

Present Day

"Thank you so much for coming, Alexis! We love having you on the show."

I crossed my legs gracefully and smiled. "Thank you for having me, Joanne. Always lovely to talk to you!"

We smiled into the cameras and waited to hear "cut" after the audience applauded. Promptly after, we stood and hugged.

"Seriously, my dear. I was so happy to see you on the schedule for this week!" Joanne gushed, pulling back from the hug. I always loved coming on her talk show. She was probably the closest thing I had to a mother figure since moving to New York. "You are a breath of fresh air."

"Thank you so much." I blushed and saw Julia and my assistant, Melissa move in.

"Sorry to cut the reunion short, Joanne. We have a meeting back across town at the agency." Julia gestured for me to come follow her.

Joanne waved her hands without a care in the world. "I'll be fine. Alexis, we'll have to catch up over dinner sometime."

"You got it." I gave her one last hug and air kiss, then followed Julia and Melissa out to the stage exit.

Melissa peeked down at her smartphone as we left the studio. "I have a company car waiting for us. Should take 10 minutes to get back to the office."

"Perfect." Julia nodded in satisfaction.

We made our wait out of the building and climbed into the spacious SUV waiting at the curb. I buckled my seatbelt and looked wistfully out the window at the bustling city around me.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Julia asked timidly. It seemed just like yesterday that she was the one ordering me around.

"It's time," I insisted calmly, not breaking my view from the window. "And my contract is up."

Julia processed my answer for a moment. "I know. I'll miss you..."

I looked up to Julia with a grin. "I'm just leaving the modeling industry, I'm not dying!"

"Sorry..." She laughed at herself and reached for my hands. "I guess I still don't fully understand why."

It was a valid question. I'd kept the real reason rather close to my chest.

"I enrolled back in school. I was accepted for a screenwriting program."

Writing was my true passion. And after talking with several models who had done acting, it seemed like a natural fit for me.

It was only a certificate program, since I left school without finishing my Bachelor's, but I hoped to go back to finish that too. Thankfully the program I had applied to agreed to keep my admission status quiet, so I wouldn't have too much media attention buzzing around.

"I start this fall."

Julia's mouth fell open. "Alexis, that's amazing!"

We were briefly interrupted by Melissa's phone ringing. She answered the call promptly, turning away from us to avoid disrupting our conversation.