that practically took her breath away.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Wilding,” she answered.
“Please call me Adam.”
“Hi,” Tiffany said in a shy voice.
“Hi,” he replied. “I’ve seen your picture, so I know you’re Tiffany. It’s great to meet you.”
“Me, um, too. That is, I’m glad to meet you, too. I really, really want to be a model and maybe an actress.”
“Then let’s go back to the small set we have. With your aunt, of course. We’ll take pictures and see how it goes. The nice part is that whether or not you become our client, you get to keep the photos at no charge. We give them to you on a flash drive.”
Cassie had been prepared to question if there was a fee for the photography, but his promise of no charge sounded different from what her friend had encountered.
Tiffany hesitated when Adam gestured to the hallway, and looked back at Glen. “Can my brother come? His name is Glen.”
Adam seemed to be assessing Glen, then he nodded. “Of course. Come along, Glen.”
In a small room, there was an area with sand and an ocean backdrop and on the other side was a city street scene.
Another man was there, working with a camera. “Hey,” he said. “I’m Logan Kensington and I’ll be taking the pictures. Sorry we’re cramped in here, but this is the only space we have.”
“Logan is one of my partners and was able to be here for a few days,” Adam explained. “He’s done photo shoots for some of the best-known models in the world, so you’re in great hands.”
The two men conferred quietly in a corner and Cassie did her best not to listen.
The world of fashion and advertising was completely outside her experience. She was a website designer and manager, for heaven’s sake. At home, she had a high-tech office with three computers, each with dual monitors. That was the world where she was comfortable. Taking responsibility for her niece and nephew had forced her out of that world to some extent; now she was being pushed into more unfamiliar territory.
For the next hour, she simply stayed out of the way. It wasn’t hard, though Adam wouldn’t let Glen remain buried in his video game, instead pulling him onto the set for “action” shots with his sister.
“That’s great, Tiffany,” Logan announced finally. “We have a small lounge stocked with snacks. Would you and your brother like something to eat while Adam talks to your aunt?”
“Sure,” Glen said enthusiastically, though Tiffany looked instantly worried.
Cassie gave her niece a hug. It would be tough if she had to explain Moonlight Ventures wasn’t interested, but they could always send her pictures to other agencies. After all, it was encouraging that the first one had asked to interview her... Cassie had already rehearsed several supportive speeches. In fact, she’d spent a sleepless night trying to find the right words.
The spacious office that Adam Wilding showed her to was quietly elegant, with a mahogany desk, comfortable chairs and a large flat-screen television on one wall.
“Please be seated,” he urged.
She sank into a padded leather seat. “If it’s bad news for Tiffany, please say it straight out, Mr. Wilding. You don’t have to let me down easily.”
His eyebrows lifted. “What makes you think it’s bad news?”
“I love Tiff with all my heart, but I don’t know what advertisers are looking for. She doesn’t seem to fit the pictures I’ve seen in magazines.”
“No,” he agreed, and Cassie’s heart sank. Though she might not be entirely comfortable with Tiffany’s desire to become a model, her niece had experienced enough hard knocks and disappointments. The practical side of Cassie’s brain said that was real life, but it didn’t keep her from wanting to keep real life from intruding again for a while.
Adam had been punching buttons on his computer, then gestured at the TV where photos of Tiffany began appearing.
“Tiffany wouldn’t be a typical teen model,” Adam said, “but that’s okay. She has something special, a uniqueness that we like and these confirm what we saw in the picture you submitted. She’s also cooperative, is highly photogenic and able to follow directions, which was the main reason we wanted to do a practice photo shoot. Once Logan is in Seattle full time, we plan to do this with all prospective clients.”
“R-really?” Cassie managed to choke out. Having prepared herself for bad news, she wasn’t sure how to react to the opposite.
“Absolutely. Naturally Tiffany’s bio didn’t contain much information, so now I need to ask a few questions. Who is her legal guardian?”
“I am. My sister has, uh...problems. I’ve had custody of the kids since last August.”
“What kind of problems?”
Cassie gave him a narrow look. She had a passion for privacy and it wasn’t easy to talk about Marie being an alcoholic at the best of times. “Why do you want to know?”
“You don’t have to answer, but all sorts of things affect a model’s career and his or her agent can function best by knowing the gritty details. I’m sorry if it seems intrusive. Frankly, I already know something is going on. While Tiffany is young in many ways, there’s a look in her face that suggests she’s been through quite a bit.”
“I guess I understand.” Becoming a model was so important to her niece, Cassie knew she would have to explain. “Marie, my sister, started drinking after the twins were born and it became progressively worse.”
“They’re twins?”
“Yes.”
Adam smiled a high wattage smile that practically knocked the sandals off Cassie’s feet.
“My niece and nephew are twins, too. Is your sister likely to sue to regain custody if control of income becomes an issue?”
Nausea threatened at the idea. Cassie honestly couldn’t say what Marie might do. The court had declared her unfit, but she could be very convincing when she wanted to be.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I can see it’s upsetting to talk about, but for Tiffany’s sake, it needs to be considered.”
* * *
ADAM HAD SEEN Cassie Bryant’s face turn pale and wondered if he should consider not moving forward. Presumably Tiffany had a decent home with her aunt since she appeared to be a well-adjusted kid. Having a career as a model wasn’t worth taking a chance on upsetting her stability.
Still, if she was determined, they would simply find another agency. At least Cassie didn’t seem to have stage-mother instincts. He hadn’t told her, but the practice photo shoot had also served in finding out if she would try to interfere or coach Tiffany.
“My sister would have the fight of her life if she tried to get her daughter’s money,
