2.1 Initiative 1

3 days after our Fated Encounter.

'The number you are calling is not in service. Check the number and dial again...'

That was the twelfth time I tried to call Jester Lee. I didn't want to admit it, but the truth is hard to ignore. Either the number he gave me was false or he was blocking my calls. 

Realistically speaking, why would anyone bother to hand out their number if they were planning to block you anyway? So it's most likely he gave me a wrong number on purpose so I couldn't bother him in the first place. 

I smirked. He's got pluck, I'll give him that. Most men (and women) would be pushing each other out of the way in order to get my attention (I am not exaggerating, I've seen it happen) and there he was, nonchalantly giving me a false number and treating me like some sort of fangirl who would only waste his time. 

There's a chance, of course, that he thought that way precisely because he didn't recognize me at that time. He probably didn't realize that the girl he had in his arms was a worlds-renowned superstar. But he had been close enough to the medic van to hear me introduce myself to the police. So he should have known. 

Whether he knew or not, it doesn't matter. I knew when I asked for his number out of the blue that there was a chance he wouldn't give it to me. The fact that the number he gave me was probably a dud, only confirmed my suspicion that the guy had a cautious and sensible personality. I gleaned as much from our short conversation and from the various articles I had scoured about him online. 

"Miss Vega, you're up in ten minutes!" the intercom buzzed, and I glanced at Bea who answered for me. 

"Send in Outfit #3!"

A team of five assistants came into the room, pulling a mannequin of my exact dimensions wearing a shimmering black dress and matching knee-high boots. As I changed into the dress, I activated the dial function of my earpiece and called up one of my ace pieces. 

'Hey Mister Louie, you busy?"

'Alisa! For you I'm always free, dear. What's up?'

'I need you to verify who's using the number I'm gonna send you. And how long it's been active and where.'

'Oh, is it another stalker? I hate those.'

I giggled. Louie was the Deputy Chief of the R&D Department of Vega Technologies and Communications, a subsidiary of Vega Industries that owns and operates 30% of the total communication technology in all three worlds. Louie had been a substitute teacher in my high school before I scouted him for our company and he bore great results. Now, this dwarf has a little girl that is convinced he is the best dad ever when he took her backstage at the latest concert for a VIP Meet-and-Greet with her favourite boy band, courtesy of me. In exchange, Louie helps me identify unknown numbers that keep calling me and various other little technological favours in his spare time. 

'No, in fact this person is someone I really want to find. So I would totally love it if you could help me.'

'Send it over, dear. I'll get back to you by the end of the day, don't worry.'

'Thanks a lot! Regards to your wife and lil Cheska!'

I ended the call just as the intercom buzzed again. 

"Miss Vega, they want you on set in three minutes!"

"Three minutes? Are they nuts? We still have to attach the hairpiece!" one of the assistants muttered.

"I need more pins! Hey you, get that box--"

"Miss, you sure you're cool with the makeup? We gotta send you out on time or the bosses will have our asses--"

I smiled winningly at them. "I feel perfect. Thank you so much for your hard work!" 

As one, the assistants smiled at me, suddenly at ease. It was obvious from their expressions that they don't often get praised by the celebrities they work for. That was a pity. Dad always told me that being nice costs nothing, but the rewards are usually priceless. I made a mental note to get Bea to send these people home with a gift box, at least.

*******

LeBlanc (not his real name, of course) had been a fashion photographer for nearly three years. He was relatively new to the business, so to speak. A talented rookie that caught the eye of one of the most prestigious fashion magazines, and he was about to take his first step into the big leagues. His editor told him (indirectly) that the results of this photoshoot could propel him into the heart of high fashion. Or it could be a proverbial boot up his ass if he messed this up. To make matters worse, his model for today was none other than Alisa Vega herself. 

It was every photographer's dream to work with a model like her. To the general populace, Alisa Vega was the unparalleled star of blockbuster movies like Pay for Your Crimes, Flower in the Sun, and The Daydream. Or if you haven't seen those movies (were you living under a rock for the past five years?) you surely would have seen her in her role as Princess Lavinia in the multi-award winning TV thriller/drama Bonecastle Life. And even if you were a complete recluse who only went out of your apartment once a month for groceries, you would have seen her face on holo screens and advertising blimps since she's a sought-after endorser of fashion and beauty brands. In this day and age, is there someone who doesn't know the face and name of one of the most beautiful and wealthiest young women ever to grace the world of showbusiness?

But some argue her real talent wasn't in acting, but in modeling. It's not her popularity that make photographers like him line up for a chance to capture her image, though. It was was the young lady herself. LeBlanc's mentor who had worked with the young Miss Vega during the early years of her career once told him that some of his best work was with her. 

He had been puzzled at first. Sure, Alisa Vega was beautiful. Golden hair and blemish-free skin, delicate but arresting features, and big brown eyes that just made you think of hot chocolate and cozy firesides. It didn't hurt that she had a naturally slim figure that meant she could fit into anything those insane designers would produce. All that would make anyone a good model. 

But there was something else that only she seemed to have. His mentor had guaranteed he would see it when he worked with her himself. 

And of course, the old man was right.

She stepped into the set wearing a shimmering black dress like a piece of the night sky had been sewn together just for her. Her trademark golden hair spilled down her bare back in elaborate curls. And her face, its delicate qualities emphasized by her minimalist makeup, made him think of those old stories about goddesses masquerading as humans. She smiled at all of them.

"I'm looking forward to working with all of you," Alisa Vega said, far too humble for someone of her reputation. "I'm so excited for this project. I just love Mister Zagreb's creations." Then those brown eyes looked straight at LeBlanc. 

"You must be Mister LeBlanc. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Vega. I have been looking forward to this opportunity." He had worked with celebrities before. But he had never been this starstruck. He was afraid that he might completely lose his head and not be able to take a proper shot. His hands were sweating profusely.

But as he began to explain about the theme for the shoot and told her his ideas, his nervousness seemed to lift. He felt strangely at ease. No, he began to feel more confident. He could do this. 

He had been a fool. How could he possibly make a mistake when Alisa Vega was his model? Her every pose, her every expression, was exactly what he wanted. 

Click! Click! Click! 

He was on a roll. He had never felt so focused before. 

The photoshoot ended in good time. LeBlanc reviewed his shots and he swallowed his amazement at the results. It was difficult to pick a set, since every one was usable. 

His editor noticed his frown and came up to him.

"Having trouble?"

"Yes. Everything is so good. How can a model be this good?"

His editor smirked. "You lucky bastard. The goddess showed you her favor, that's why those photos are gorgeous. But it's not her that made em, it's you. She just put you in the right mood, that's all."

LeBlanc gave him a puzzled look. But his editor just smiled mysteriously and gave him the same advice he's given every rookie that Alisa Vega had taken a liking to.

"You got something going for you, so work on it. Someday maybe every shot you make will be as perfect as this one, no matter who models for you."