Free Two-Faced by Mandasue Heller Page A

display case, and Mia looked absolutely stunning in them all, so Kim figured it had been worth it. Convinced now that it was just a matter of them being seen by the right people for Mia to be catapulted to instant fame and fortune, she’d wasted no time looking for an agent. Only not the one that the photographer had recommended, because he didn’t even have a proper advert in the book. No, if Mia was going to be a star they would start as they meant to go on – at the top.
    A month on, having visited every major agency in Manchester and chewed her nails to the quick waiting for the call-backs which still hadn’t come, Kim decided that something must be wrong. While she could accept that some of the agencies might have decided that Mia wasn’t right for them, they couldn’t all be that stupid. There had to be an explanation – like maybe she’d given out the wrong phone number, or something.
    Sure that this would turn out to be the case, she’d set about ringing them, only to find that she couldn’t get through to any of the actual agents. Instead, she got the same dismissive message from each of the receptionists: ‘Sorry, but we would have contacted you by now if we were interested. Please don’t call again.’
    Gobsmacked that they had all failed to realise that Mia had so much more to offer than any of the ugly anorexics whose pictures graced their office walls, Kim put the phone down after the last call and gazed helplessly out into the encroaching void of despair.
    Finding her mother like this when she finally dragged herself out of bed and came downstairs, Mia gave her a funny look.
    ‘I’ve got some bad news,’ Kim told her, dreading her reaction. ‘I’ve just rung the agencies, and they’ve all said no.’
    ‘What, all of them? Even her from Quest?’
    Nodding, Kim reached for her cigarettes.
    ‘Two-faced bitch !’ Mia spat. ‘She was well making out like she was interested. I hope you told her about herself, wasting our time like that.’
    ‘I would have if I could have got through to her,’ Kim replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the room. ‘But I couldn’t get past them snotty cows on reception.’ Mimicking them now, she said, ‘ Oh, no, our super-duper agents are far too important to talk to the likes of you.’
    Sucking her teeth, Mia said, ‘Oh, well, I didn’t want to work with that load of pretentious ponces anyway. They obviously don’t know what they’re doing.’
    ‘Maybe not,’ said Kim, wondering why Mia wasn’t as upset as she’d expected her to be. ‘But if they don’t want you, what are we supposed to do now?’
    ‘Nothing.’ Shrugging, Mia went into the kitchen.
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Kim asked, going after her. ‘Anyone would think you don’t care.’
    ‘I don’t,’ Mia admitted, taking a biscuit out of the cupboard. ‘To be honest, I’m fed up with all the bullshit. Might as well just sack it off and go back to looking for a rich boyfriend.’
    Kim’s mouth flapped open. ‘You selfish little cow! What about me ? I’m in a right mess because of you.’
    ‘Don’t blame me. No one told you to go and get yourself into debt over it.’
    ‘You begged me to get the money for them photos. What was I supposed to do? Tell you to bugger off, and have you accuse me of depriving you?’
    ‘God, why do you always have to have a shit fit about every little thing?’ Mia muttered, folding her arms sulkily. ‘ I ’m the one who’s had to put up with those idiots looking down their noses at me for the last month. So if I’ve changed my mind, it’s my business.’
    ‘No, it’s bloody not !’ Kim bellowed, slamming her fist down on the ledge. ‘One lousy month you’ve given it, and that’s nothing , so there’s no way I’m letting you give up just like that. You’ll damn well carry on until you get somewhere – even if I have to drag you round the agencies by your bloody hair !’
    ‘ Pfft ,’ Mia snorted. ‘Don’t see how,