Model Behavior

Chapter 2
The Setup

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Chapter Description: Jennifer thinks that she's being set up for a date with Ken. In reality, the only setup is being perpetrated by her friends...and Ken.

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Jennifer woke up the next morning in some kind of fog. She didn’t remember driving home from Amy and Joe’s, or even most of what she had been doing the night before. All she could really remember was that she had gone over there to babysit Phil, everything after was a big hazy blank.

Nonetheless, she had to work that morning. She figured she’d ask Amy about what had happened the night before when she got there, and everything would be a little bit clearer. For now, she was late, and she wanted to clear out the cobwebs quick.

She got to work fifteen minutes late, which no one noticed, so she went about doing her work in a lightning quick fashion. It was the first time she had ever been late to work, although back when she had been a model it was easier to wake up for work in the morning sometimes.

Amy and she went out for lunch, and finally as they were enjoying some tacos, Jennifer asked.

"What happened last night, Amy?" asked Jennifer pensively.

Amy looked puzzled, then asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I, well. Um. I don’t really remember going home last night is all," Jennifer responded, looking quickly to dismiss her own concerns. If Amy didn’t see anything happen, then nothing must have happened.

"Oh, that. You were pretty tired when we got home, you and Phil were dozing on the couch together. So, I drove you and your car home and helped you get to bed. Joe picked me up in our car so that I could get home," Amy explained, then said brightly, "We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, after all."

Jennifer was confused a little by the last statement. It almost sounded like Amy was talking to Phil, rather than her. And for a split second, Jennifer felt a bit like a little child being fawned on by her mother. But it was a quick, momentary thing and it passed quickly. Jennifer was satisfied that she had found a good friend, and that was what she had been craving since she’d lost all her friends and family.

Jennifer was locked in a haze for a few moments while she dealt with that, and when she came to, Amy was asking her a question.

"-- So will you come over on Sunday, Jennifer? Hey, Jennifer! Hello?" Amy waved her hand in front of Jennifer’s eyes and Jennifer shook herself awake.

"Oh, uh...sure, I’ll be there. What are we doing again?" Jennifer asked, dully.

"Geez, Jennifer, what’s with you? We’re having dinner with a friend of ours, we want you to be there. I think you’d like to meet him. Plus, you and Phil get along so well, we figured you could keep him entertained for a little bit." Amy said, chuckling to herself.

Jennifer didn’t really understand what Amy was getting at. Was she setting her up? Jennifer supposed she could use a boyfriend to have a little fun with. So she agreed. The two finished lunch and went back to the office, where they worked an uninteresting second half of their shifts.

The days passed quickly and Jennifer became more and more excited about being set up by her friend. She hadn’t had a steady boyfriend since the tenth grade, since her career had gotten in the way of such things, and so she giddily prepared her clothes, hair, makeup and whatever else she could think of for the dinner party.

Finally the date was upon her, and she dolled herself up, heading over to the house.

"Whoa, Jennifer, looking sharp, hon," Amy greeted her at the door.

Joe just wolf-whistled at her and grinned, for which he was greeted with a semi-playful elbow from his wife.

"Thanks, Amy...so, is he here yet?" Jennifer asked, almost breathlessly and completely betraying her excitement.

Amy just smiled and shook her head, "Not yet, hon, but you can pass the time with us and Phil on the couch."

So the three went to the couch, Jennifer stopping to pluck the half-naked toddler out of his playpen, and giving him a raspberry on his bare stomach. Phil giggled as they sat down, Phil on Jennifer’s lap.

The three talked about the usual, work, life, kids, friends, enemies. The conversation bounced around for a while, when a knock at the door drew the two hosts off to greet their friend at the door.

"I hope he’s cute, Philly, or at least as cute as you," she cooed to the little boy. "Sometimes I wish I could date little kids your age...you’re so much easier to handle than a big grownup man."

Phil just giggled at Jennifer.

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"You’re stunning, Jennifer," Ken said, as he drove her home. Jennifer had gotten a little tipsy at Amy’s house, but she would have left with Ken anyway. Her attitude from the get-go was one of complete puppy-dog love, the kind one would expect from a high school freshman, rather than a fully grown woman.

It, of course, helped matters along that Ken was more than a little attractive, and that Jennifer had lowered her already dropped defenses a little bit more with a few glasses of wine. But as far as Jennifer was concerned, Ken was -the one-.

So she giggled, gazing at Ken enamoured, "Tee-hee...hehehe. You really think so, Ken?"

He smirked, "I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it, babe. Plus, that dress you’ve got on just brings it all together even more."

He had noticed her backless gown, then...it wasn’t many men who would notice that kind of thing. "Thanks!" Jennifer gushed, slurring it a bit.

"Really, doll, you ever think about modeling?" Ken asked, innocently. Of course he knew the facts behind Jennifer’s past, but he was an excellent "fisher". And this was an excellently played "lure".

"Oh, well...I used to be one, you know," Jennifer said, coyly, playing with her hair.

"Really? Hmmmmm. I know some people who were looking for a good model in their younger twenties...modeling prom dresses, actually. Maybe I could give them a call, set you up with some work?" Ken asked, his eyes doing the smiling for him. He looked the part of a man who was being all around friendly, and Jennifer was in the perfect state of mind to fall for it.

And she did. Hook, line and sinker. She agreed to talk to the agent the next tuesday...and to celebrate with Ken that night afterwards.

Just as she agreed to it, they arrived at her house.

"So I’ll see you next Tuesday?" Ken beamed pearly-whites at Jennifer as he asked.

"Sure. You don’t want to come in?" Jennifer asked, far more pleadingly than she’d have liked.

"I’ve got some work to do, actually babe, or I would, I swear. But next Tuesday?" Ken pressed, while remaining firm.

"Okay, yeah. Next Tuesday. I’m looking forward to it." Jennifer managed, with all the self-control she could muster.

Jennifer got out of the car, kissing Ken on the cheek as she did, and headed inside to sleep off a red wine hangover which was just starting to kick in.

Ken remained parked out front of her house for a few minutes, making a quick cellphone call, then headed off to bed himself.

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*A ringing tone.*

"Hey, Ames. Ken."

"Ken, my friend, what’s the story?"

"So the babe is all set. I probably could have hooked it tonight if you wanted...you know it’s a process. The quicker we start, the quicker we can finish, right?"

"We’re in no rush, don’t worry about it. Get as much use out of her as you need to make it worth doing. And I can’t thank you enough, again."

"Oh, Ames, it’s no problem. Joey and I go way, way back. Plus, she’s grade A. Pre-trained, good figure. It’s a top-shelf package. I should be thanking you."

"Once she’s ours, you still going to need to use her?"

"Oh, sure. But you’ll have better control at that point anyhow. It’s these first steps we got to worry about. This first one she’ll be down to one seven."

"Do you really have to drop her down that gradually? That’s gonna be a pain for awhile otherwise."

"Yeah, but the other option is a completely shattered brain. So one seven it’ll be, we’ll keep her round till she mental flops, then down to one one."

"Okay, cool. But the mental, not gonna be any problem?"

"No way, Ames, I’ve done this a whole lot of times. But speaking of which, I got to work tomorrow...I’m going to bed. Call me up if you got any questions."

"Will do, Ken. Thanks."

*A beep indicates the call ending.*

 

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