Chapter Twelve


Tentatively Callan stood in the doorway of the studio the photo shoot was being held in

“Callan you came.” Claudine came across and hugged her “It's good to see you.”

“You too Claudine.”

“So are you going to do it.”

“I don't think so, I'm sorry.” she stopped and looked around her “I just couldn't stand up there in front of everyone.”

“Ok it doesn't matter, I'm not going to pressurize you”

“So how's it going anyway?”

“Come and see the man in action” Claudine took her arm and led her over to where she could see Dave standing in front of the photographer. “Looks good doesn't he?”

Callan just stood and stared for a few seconds, “He looks, he doesn't look like Dave...I mean” she started to blush “I mean obviously it's Dave but I don't know.. it's as if it's another person up there.” She looked at Claudine “Sorry I'm not explaining myself very well am I?”

“I know what you mean Calli” Claudine laughed “You'd never believe he was shaking before he got in front of the camera would you?”

“Dave nervous? I don't think so.” she smiled as she heard him laughing.

“What like this Darling? “ He winked at the female photographer giving her his charm treatment.

“That's it now just a couple more shots and we can break for a few minutes”

“What ever you say darling your wish is my command”

“I swear that man is such a flirt” Callan whispered to Claudine, “I'd hate to see him with his female fans.”

“Five minutes break ok Mr Gahan?” the photographer’s voice sounded across the studio

“Yes fine” he answered stepping off the set. He paused for a few seconds letting his eyes readjust to the lighting in the rest of the room before making his way across to where he could see Callan and Claudine talking.

“Calli you came.” he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug.

“I'll catch up with you in a minutes Calli I jut need to see the photographer about something” Claudine smiled at her.

“Ok”

“Wow look at you, looking pretty smart today Mr Gahan.” she teased, reaching out she ran a hand over the jacket he was wearing “It looks good on you.”

“Oh these, yeah something I just threw on” he chuckled looking down at himself “actually I'm thinking about getting them to design some stuff for the next tour again.”

“You should” she looked up at him searching his face to see if she could see something in his eyes but not knowing what she was actually looking for.

“Is something wrong?” he asked noticing the way she was looking at him.

“No”

“Callan are you sure? You don't look quite right is something the matter?”

“No” she forced a smile “I'm just tired I guess.”

“If you're sure you're okay.” he looked at her doubtfully

“I'm fine” once again she smiled at him wanting to change the subject “ I was saying to Claudine you look like you but at the same time you don't.”

Dave chuckled “You mean my other persona?”

“Now it sounds silly. I guess I'm just not used to you being this Dave Gahan.” she blushed as she looked at him

“I guess I do look a little different.”



“Lynne” Claudine stood next to the photographer “Do me a favour”

“What?”

Claudine handed her a card “I want you to take some photos of Dave and his friend on this for me.”

“Well...” Lynne frowned “I'm not sure..”

“Lynne for me please.”

“Why?”

“Because I'm trying to get his friend to model with him on this shoot, maybe if she sees some photos of her with him she'll agree.”

“Claudine you know I can't do that.”

“Please they'll work well together, if I can get her to do it it's going to change the whole of this shoot. Look if anyone asks I'll tell them I took them myself, please will you do it”

“Ok”


“Calli are you sure you are alright?”

“I'm fine why?”

“It's just that you sounded a bit down on the phone that's all.” he reached and took her hands in his “You would tell me if something was wrong wouldn't you?”

Once again she looked up at him her eyes searching his face to see if she could see something that she hadn't noticed before, some clue about his past, she'd know if he'd been a junkie like Jus had said he'd been, seeing nothing to convince her she gave a silent sigh of relief it was just as she thought Jus getting paranoid and over protective again.

“Callan” he looked at her face "You would tell me wouldn't you?”

“Yes” she whispered, slowly nodding her head “I'm just tired that's all, I pulled another all nighter.”

“You work too hard do you know that” he scolded her lightly satisfied with what she was telling him.



“Lynne” Claudine whispered as the two women watched them together “See what I mean?”

“Yes” quickly she took a few more shots. “But these photos don't go outside this studio ok. I don't want to get sued.”

“They won't I just want to convince Calli she's right for the job.”

“Who's right for the job?”

“Oh Mr Peterson” Claudine's jumped at the sound of her boss's voice. “Just someone I've got in mind for a shoot.”

“OK, so who's the model talking to Mr Gahan at the moment? I don't remember seeing her at the castings, did one of the agencies finally send someone with the look we asked for?”

Claudine shook her head “She's a friend of his who I've been trying to convince to do the shoot for a few days.”

“And she doesn't want the work? Perhaps if I talk to her agency.”

“She's not a model,” she motioned to Lynne who handed her back the card, “I'm just going to have one last stab at convincing her to do it.”

“Ok see if you can get her on board she's exactly what we need.”

“I'll try Mr Peterson.”


“Dave I need to borrow Calli for a minute if that's ok with you? ” Claudine asked slipping her arm through Callans “I just want to show her something.”

“Ok” Callan looked at Dave who dropped her hands and shrugged his shoulders “I guess so.”

“Good, I think Lynne's ready for you again anyway”

“Right” he leant over and gave Callan a kiss on the cheek “See you later sweetheart?”

“Over here” Claudine led Callan over to the table and slipped a memory card into her laptop, “I wanted you to see these.” She opened the file and Callan gasped as she saw photographs of her and Dave taken a few minutes earlier. “Didn't I say that you'd look good together, what do you think?”

“Is that really me?”

“Sure is honey.”

Callan looked at the photographs closer “ I really don't know Claudine.”

“Look at the two of you, see the body language between you?”

“Not really”

“Ok” she pulled a couple of photos from a folder, “this is the model we're using.”

“Wow she's really beautiful, much prettier than me.”

“Yes she's pretty but look” she pulled another couple of photos from the folder, “These we're taken earlier with Dave” she laid the photos down on the table in front of the laptop “Look at the two of them, then look at the photos of you and Dave. What do you see?”

“I'm not sure, what should I be looking at?”

“”You and Dave, see how the two of you look together, “ she pointed to the photo on the laptop “See how you compliment each other.”

“Yes, but the other girl does too.”

“Yes she does but look how natural you and Dave are together, see how you look at each other? Now look at the other photo now do you see the difference? There's just something between you and Dave that there isn't between them two.”

“Yes possibly it but I don't understand why it makes such a difference, she looks good with him”

“Yes she does, but we think that if you modeled with him it would be even better.”

“We?” she looked over at Dave “Is he in on it?”

“No I haven't mentioned it to him but I was talking to Lynne the photographer about you when my boss asked me who you were and why you weren't up there with Dave. So it's not just me that's thinking it now, would you consider giving it a go?”

“Claudine I don't know I hate having my photo taken, I always look awful in them, besides I don't think I've got the guts to do it.”

“Well how about we just do a couple of test shots see how you get on?”

“Perhaps...”

“Look at it this way then, how about you get a free makeover and have a couple of photos taken with Dave in return, then if you're not comfortable after that we'll stop.”

“Ok” Callan took a deep breath and nodded “I'll do it.”


Nervously Callan stepped into the outfit she was being photographed in. “ I'll just pin you in” the stylist murmured through a mouthful of pins as she altered the outfit to fit Callans proportions.

“Isn't that a bit too revealing” Callan fretted as the stylist undid a few buttons on the front of the shirt.

“I've had to” she chuckled “else the material pulls too tight across your boobs”

“I'm not sure about it” Callan frowned

“Sweetheart if I had tits like yours I'd show them off all the time”

“They're not yours on show though”

“Honey” the woman smiled at her sensing her nervousness “I've never let a girl go out there on a shoot looking slutty or anything and I'm not about to start now, come with me” She grabbed her hand and led her to the full length mirror on the wall “Here look at you, see do you look slutty?”

“No” Callan admitted

“Exactly, it's just the way you're looking down at yourself, this is what everyone else will see ok”

“Ok” Callan smiled tentatively at her.

“Good let's just get that face and hair sorted and you're ready to go.”

Claudine came into the dressing room as Callan’s last coat of lipstick was being applied “Wow Calli have you seen yourself yet?”

“No.”

“You look really good, finished?” she looked over at the makeup artist who nodded and spun Callan’s chair round to face the mirror.

“What do you think?”

Callan looked at herself in the mirror speechless “Is...is that me?” she managed staring at the reflection looking back at her.

“You'd better believe it honey.” she smiled “Ready to do this?”

“No”

“You'll be fine” Once again she linked her arm through Callan’s “If at anytime you feel uncomfortable and want to stop just say ok, don't carry on because you feel you have to.”

“Alright I won't.”


“Something wrong love?” Dave asked as the photographer paused and put down her camera.

“No everything's fine it's just that the other model is here now.”

“Other model? I thought you were only using the one from earlier” he asked puzzled and followed her gaze. With the lighting of the studio he could see she was smaller than the earlier one but was unable to make out her exact features.

“Yes we were, but we've found someone who might just work a little better in some of the shots that's all.”

“Ok” he frowned slightly looking at his watch “I thought we were finishing soon.”

“Sorry do you have to be somewhere, I thought you were clear today.”

“I am, I was just thinking about Callan and worrying about her getting bored that's all” he looked across the studio “Where is she by the way, I don't see her.”

“I'm here Dave” she murmured shyly in a quiet voice as she approached him.

“Where? I can't....” he swung round, stopped in his tracks and stared wide eyed “Callan?”

“Yes” she smiled

“Holy fuck” he stared at her for a few seconds. “What the...”

“I finally talked Callan into giving it a go” Claudine smiled at him “She's just going to try a couple of photos to see if she wants to do it first though.”

“But how..why?”

“She has exactly the look we were looking for.”

“Are you really going to do this?” he asked surprised that she would even consider it.

“Claudine did a good job of convincing me so I'm going to try.”

“That's great honey” he smiled “Just try and relax.”

“I think that's going to be easier said than done” she whispered as she started shaking

Quickly he put an arm around her and kissed her cheek “You'll be fine.”



“Do you want to stop Calli?” came Claudine's voice a few minutes later “Or are you ok?”

“I'm ok Claudine”

“Are you sure? You can stop if you want to, remember there's no pressure.”

“Do you want to?” Dave asked squeezing her hand

“No I'm fine I think I'm actually beginning to enjoy it now.”

“Good.” Claudine beamed. “I knew you would.”



“Just a couple more and I think we're done.” came Lynne's voice a while later

“Wow already? That was quick” Callan smiled

“We've been doing this nearly an hour already” Lynne called back to her

“No way”

“Believe it or not yes. Dave turn to Callan a bit more that's it and put your hands on her shoulders and look down at her, Now Callan look up at him, and smile a little, try not to look so worried darling” she soothed.

“Pretend I'm a bridge you love, geek” he laughed distracting her and making her smile.

“Lovely Callan that's it, Ok I think we've got everything we need, thanks guys.”

“Phew” Callan sighed in relief, that was so scary at first.” She smiled at Dave “At least I didn't throw up though, I thought I was going to at first.”

“I've done that before” Dave chuckled

“What on a photo session?”

“No silly but before going on stage I have, the first time I played with the guys I stood outside the building going can't do it, can't do it.”

“Poor you, I've never really thought of you being like that, you always seem so confident, and self assured.” she smiled at him “At least I won't have to go through that again.”

“Don't you fancy modeling as a career then?” he asked holding out his hand and helping her step down.

“Uh huh” she shook her head “I'm going to stick to Engineering.”



“Calli around?” Claudine asked walking into the dressing room a few minutes later as Dave was looking in the mirror and straightening his Jacket.

“Still getting changed” he nodded towards the far corner.

“Ok look I've got to shoot off and collect Mollie can you give her this for me” she asked placing a memory card next to his wallet.

“Sure no problem” he turned and smiled “That was a surprise Callan doing that. That's one thing I never would have expected her to have done.”

“I know she took some persuading to do it. Dave I've got to go I'll catch up with you soon and thanks again.”

“No problem see you soon Claudine.”

“Ok sweetie” he smiled as Callan joined him at the mirror.

“Yes” she nodded and looked at her reflection still unable to believe the change in her appearance. “I suppose I'd better do something about this” she smiled her hands reaching up to her hair.

Dave reached out to stop her, “No don't, I like it like that, it suits you, why don't you leave it up for now.”

“I suppose I could do” she smiled “I kind of like it like this too, although I'll never be able to do it like this myself.”

“Do you fancy going out for dinner, there's a new place opened that's supposed to be really good, I thought we might try it.”

She looked doubtfully at the dark suit and shirt he was wearing which was the total contrast to her own combats and vest she'd put on earlier. “I'm not sure I'm not really dressed for it.”

“We could go somewhere else then,”

“I don't think so, I look ridiculous in these clothes compared to my make up and hair.”

“Well we'll go to yours first and you can get changed, you're not getting out of it that easily.”

“Mmm I suppose we could, yes ok then.” she looked around her “I'll just find my bag and my shoes.”

“Ok hon” he picked up his keys and wallet and automatically transferred them into the pocket of his leather jacket along with the memory card that he was supposed to give to Callan.

“Ok I found them” she called from further down the room “Are you ready?”

“Ok” he smiled “Lets go.”

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