Free Crystal by Walter Dean Myers Page A

little scared.”
    “Then he should feel fine when he sees me,” Crystal said, “because my stomach is doing flip-flops.”
    “Are we friends?” Rowena asked.
    “Sure.”
    “Really?”
    “Of course.”
    “I’m glad,” Rowena said. “Because I think you’re really nice. Sometimes in this business, you’re so into being something that somebody wants you to be, you don’t have time to be friends.”
    “We’re friends,” Crystal said. “We’ll make the time.”
    “Thanks.”
    The door to the studio opened and Jerry Goodwin started to come in just as Crystal knelt next to Rowena. Rowena wiped her hand off on her bare thigh and took Crystal’s hand in her own. The soft light from the frosted windows framed the two girls as they shared a silent moment. Jerry started to speak, thought better of it, then left the room in search of his cigarettes.
     
     
    “This is the waiting room?” Crystal sat with Jerry Goodwin in the ornately designed room.
    “The Blue Room is famous,” Jerry said. “I mean, have you ever been in a room with blue rugs, blue curtains, a blue piano, and blue furniture before?”
    “And it looks like somebody’s living room,” Crystal said.
    “Let me tell you something about Marc Everby.” Jerry lowered his voice. “The guy’s the most powerful man in the magazine business. As a matter of fact, he’s the most powerful man in the girlie business. If he wants a room that’s all blue, that’s what he’s going to get.”
    “You said Loretta talked to him about me?”
    “Yeah.” Jerry turned away from Crystal, inspecting the room.
    Soft music came from somewhere in the room. It sounded vaguely Spanish with lots of drums. Crystal could feel the excitement in her stomach. Part of it was from Jerry. She could tell he was nervous, too. Even the way he said La Femme was different. He said it with a kind of reverence.
    There were pictures of girls on the wall. All of them were beautiful, most of them were nude. Crystal swallowed hard.
    “What exactly did Loretta say to Mr. Everby?”
    “She told him that you were young and fresh,” Jerry said. “She must have been convincing, because he doesn’t see many people in person.”
    “She said he was anxious to see me,” Crystal said. “That sounds good.”
    “Did she tell you that he wants a new set of pictures?” Jerry asked. “Something a little fleshier?”
    The music seemed farther away. Crystal glanced at Jerry, wondering what to say.
    “I’m only sixteen,” she said. “I can’t…”
    “He probably wouldn’t risk anything too sexy in themagazine, but he’ll want them for the magazine’s files.”
    “Just how sexy does he mean?”
    “You can always say no,” Jerry said, “if that’s what you want to do.”
    “I couldn’t pose for him nude.” Crystal shook her head.
    “You wouldn’t be posing for him,” Jerry said. He put his hand on Crystal’s arm. “He would get the photos, but he’s not a photographer.”
    “I couldn’t…”
    “That’s what I thought, too,” Jerry said. “That’s why I was disappointed that Loretta hadn’t spoken to you. If you were my client, I’d of spoken to you.”
    “I feel like leaving right now,” Crystal said. She felt the tears stinging her eyes.
    “Look, Crystal, you’re a big girl now. People are talking about big things for you.” Jerry lifted Crystal’s chin gently. “If he asks us for photographs, you owe it to yourself, I guess you even owe it to Loretta, not to make a decision right away.”
    “I know I’m not going to pose without my clothes on!” Crystal hissed.
    “I’m not saying that you should,” Jerry said. “All I’m saying is that you should at least see what Marc says. You weigh the benefits, you weigh what it means to you. All you have to do today is to give him a pretty smile and then you make your own decision later, okay?”
    Crystal suddenly felt very small. She looked down at the rug. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a