Chapter 24

The next day after Sean had left, Athena was getting ready for her practice when TB entered her room looking as bright as he always do with his always colorful hair, "hey there, baby girl, you ready for some learning?"
"You bet I am," Athena smiled, tying her hair up in a ponytail, "you didn t join us for dinner last night and neither did I see you this morning."
"Oh girl, I ate so early, right before you woke up," he shrugged, "as for last night, I heard from Esther that Esperanza was joining so I withdrew myself," he went and sat on her bed.
Athena frowned, "um, you didn t join because she joined us, why?"
"Darling, it s a long story."
"I have time," she replied, sitting on the bed beside him.
TB sighed, "well, I have known Sean for nine years now and have been leaving with him for eight."
"That long?" Athena was surprised.
TB chuckled, "well, back then, people hardly associate with me because of my preference and how I loved messing with colors, believe me, I really do love messing with colors."
"Of course, your room also proves it," she agreed and he laughed. The first time Athena had been in his room, she was shocked and couldn t count how many colors were there, the walls were green, white and black, the couch was orange, the drapes had different colors and she had concluded in her mind that the room is the multicolored room. She had been in almost every room in the mansion with only few to spare and one of those few was Sean s room, she has never been there and he has never invited her.
"It s how I become perfect with my make-up, duh," he rolled his eyes, "so back to the story, few months after I had converted my room into a makeup studio, because I ran away from home a year before. I wasn t having that much clients but one day, a man had entered, he was tall, muscular and have the most beautiful hazel eyes I have ever seen. At first I had a crush," he winked at her, "but the man was so cold that he told me bluntly at meeting my interested eyes, 'I m not gay " he rolled his eyes while Athena chuckled, Sean could do a thing like that. "that died off my hope so I went all business, that was when I noticed there was a girl with him. He told me to give her a makeover and if he is satisfied, he would pay me handsomely. I was surprised, no one has ever made that offer but then, I hardly have enough to eat so I accepted and worked my magic. He was impressed and paid me two thousand dollars, what the hell? So much for just a makeover in my room?" He shook his head.
"After that day, he kept coming every single day with the same girl for a month and every day he pays me well. I started looking forward to his visits, even if I don t have any other client; I hardly care because I know he would come. Then after a month, he changed the girl and started coming with another one, it lasted for a month and then he changed another. I started wondering if he was a womanizer but I never questioned him, it s his life and he has the money. It was four months of being in contact with him that I saw a magazine with his picture on it, that was when I knew who he was, his name also. He is CEO of the Brand entertainment that started a year ago and was doing favorably well, that was when I understood that the girls aren t his women, but his models.
It was on one of those occasions that he brought Gloria. That was a year after I have been working with him. After giving her a makeover, Sean offered me the contract to leave with him and be his makeup artist. That he would be paying me double of what I earn in a year in a month. Damn, the offer sounds so amazing and I gave in. I moved in with him, Gloria was staying in the house as well. Two years of working together, he came home with Esperanza one day, she looked so young and fragile, she looked almost like you," he glanced at her, "only that she was exposed and wanted to be a model. Things were amazing, I have worked with all his models but I only clicked with Esperanza, she was my best friend.
Then after three years of modeling, she received an award of the best international model, I gave her a makeover that day and I was so happy and proud of her that she had gotten her dream, it was her dream then to win the award. She has won it for three consecutive years now," he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, one day I overheard her talking with Sean, she had gotten pretty close to him then and had even believed that he has a crush on her because in all his models, Sean only signals her out and sometimes they would even go to dinner together, and she would even spend the night here sometimes, even though Sean had stopped all models from sleeping here but she was exception, she comes and goes whenever she wants and Sean sometimes walks around the garden with her. I even believed that he was in love with her too, just as other models.
So as I was saying, I overheard them talking in the dining room, Sean wanted to promote me, he wants to put me in charge of all his models except the A-Lists that could take care of themselves and he could handle them, he was asking her what she thinks and as my best friend, I was waiting to hear her speak in my favor but only for her to tell Sean that I m an amateur, that how could he expect me to take care of his models? That if he doesn t want his models to fall from their glory, he shouldn t bother giving me that promotion," he closed his eyes, "I was hurt, At, she was my best friend!"
He sighed and shook his head, "I left there, believing that Sean was going to listen to her, I mean, I believed that he was in love with her so he would do whatever she said. Could you believe that she came to me, telling me that Sean asked her to choose the best staff to give a promotion of looking after the model and she said I was her number one choice?" He laughed, "that was when I knew I should never believe anything she tells me, she lies to me, she wanted me to keep seeing her as a friend when she was badmouthing me behind my back." He sighed, "three days later, Sean called a meeting for all the models and me with the other makeup artists that he had gotten along the way and he made the announcement that he was putting me in charge of all models, no exception and that if any of the models wants anything, they should come to me. I was surprised, I mean, I never expected that to happen, I glanced at Esperanza and saw the shock on her face, when she caught me staring, she forced a smile.
Later I heard her questioning Sean and his reply surprised me, he said and I will never forget, 'in case you have forgotten, I met Tobias before you and I know his character well, I thought you were best friends but I never knew you would try to stop me from giving him a promotion, do you know how many endorsements he had talked me into giving to you? I thought you were going to be the same, talk me into giving him the promotion, but really Esperanza, you surprised me and from now henceforth, every rule that applies on all models, applies to you as well . She was surprised, I saw it on her face, Sean walked away then and I entered, she saw me and forced a smile, trying to act friendly and congratulate me, but I told her I heard everything, including the ones she said three days before. I ended our friendship and if it s nothing to do with business, I have nothing to say to her. Although Sean still talks to her and they chat, sometimes he invites her over for a chat but she never spends the night, they weren t as close as they used to be, though Esperanza always acts like they still are, but I know they aren t."
"Wow," was all Athena could say, the story was unbelievable to her.
"Wow indeed, At, wow indeed, Esperanza is something else and also, she never hesitates to show how perfect she is. Sean had trained me like the models so that no one would refer me as amateur again," he smiled, "he is a darling."
Athena smiled, "he is indeed, exactly with the way he handled what happened last night."
"What happened?" TB asked.
Athena told him everything that happened and he rolled his eyes, "believe me, she did that on purpose, she wanted to show off to you, don t care about her, she is a riff raff," he caressed her face, "and you are so much better than her in every way."
"Thank you, TB," she smiled.
"Anytime honey, come on, let s get some practice done or someone is going to bite our heads off when he gets back," he grinned and they both left the room to the one Athena has come to learn to be the training room.