× 11:02AM ×

"Busy morning."

"Yeah. Fun, though. You okay?" Jessi stared back at him with a shy smile.

"I'm good." Jenson nodded slightly.  He glanced behind and couldn't help but fidget in the makeup chair.

Everyone else looked busy with their own thing. Lots of makeup kits. Hair products. Endless chatting. Bright lights and photo shoot equipment.

"I just got done with Margaux and I'll be doing your makeup today. Ready?" Jessi stood before him with another polite smile lifting her shapely lips. They looked pinkish. She had small dimples below her mouth.

Cute. "Yeah." He nodded. "Ready if you are." Jenson placed his forearms on the armrest and inhaled a lungful of air.

Her jasmine-scented perfume stang his nose a little, but it didn't mask her natural scent. "Great." Jessi grabbed some wet wipes. "Just a quick question: any allergies to certain cosmetic products? Any brands you prefer?" she asked while wiping his face clean.

"Nope. All good." The cool wipes cleaned his forehead now. With his eyes closed, he kept still in his seat, appreciating the lightness and gentleness of her hands.

She was trying to put the least amount of pressure onto his skin. "Okay. Thanks. What about some lip balm? That okay with you?"

Jenson opened his eyes and almost smiled at the uncertainty in her soft voice. Her tone alone denoted nervousness and some anxiety, but he wasn't sure what caused it. "Yeah. Just nothing too pink or red. Please. Just trimmed my beard this morning. Don't wanna look more baby-faced than DJ over there."

"DJ?" Jessi grinned, her dark brows creasing. They looked naturally thick up-close. Long lashes and almost puppy-dog eyes. Beautiful. And her skin had a youthful glow. Her entire face would be perfect for any makeup product brochure.

"Darren. I call him DJ. They call him Dar sometimes."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry. Very new here." She started putting toner on a round cotton pad. "I don't even know the others' names yet, honestly."

The rest of the cast? Most likely. He put on another smile and regarded her apologetic expression. It looked genuine enough. "New here in LA? Or newly hired by Steinway?"

"Both." Jessi wiped his cheeks using the toner-drenched cotton pad. Her strokes on his skin were rushed but also careful. Maybe it's the nerves. It could be her first time working with actors, if his hunches were right.

"First job?" He squinted at her.

"Yeah. As a professional makeup artist. Was just a small-time freelancer before this." She giggled. "Nervous but really glad to be here, in all honesty."

"Cool," he muttered when her face got nearer. He inhaled her natural scent again. Pureness. And a distinctly human scent.

Fats. Glucose. Some mild-smelling sweat. Not a hint of dishonesty. Apparently she wasn't making up stories about her background. No hints of werewolf or vamp blood in her system, either.

If Magnus sent her to spy on him, why would he send a young, fragile, naïve human to do the job?

Her background sheet also said she was a temp assistant in a corporate company for a couple of months, but perhaps her passion was doing makeup.

"Your new boss is Zach? Right?" he asked after a moment of silence between them. His eye bags were being shrunk by cold gel patches now.

"Yep." She was applying some beige foundation on his cheek, perhaps testing the shade. "I like him. So nice." Jessi flicked a makeup brush onto her dainty wrist. She looked slim in her clothing, but not a size zero.

Some nice curves, and she looked rather petite. Her forehead barely reached his chin when they first met in that convenience store.

That was only a few days ago. But maybe she just didn't remember talking to him that afternoon?

"First time you seen us in person?"

"Yeah. Except you. Actually..." Jessi backed off and giggled. She held a puffy brush now. "I saw you the other day. In a store."

He stared at her again. "Really?" He feigned confusion.

"Yeah. The convenience store in the corner."

"Ah... Yeah. I just remembered. I was buying booze," he said, forcing a grin. "You wore your hair differently."

"Yeah." Jessi smiled at him again. A bashful reaction. She even blushed a bit. "Funny you remember that. You gave me your spot, in the queue."

"I remember a lot of things," he wanted to say. He kept his mouth shut and faked another friendly grin.

Damn. This one was honest to the bone—his total opposite. Almost too nice for his liking.

No way was she working for someone like Magnus. The man never hired inexperienced mentees. He plainly had no time for it, busy boss that he was.

"Small city," Jenson joked. "I guess you've never met Zach before?"

"Yeah. Met him in person just this morning." Jessi was styling his hair now with some sticky product. "Kinda looks like my old boss. Weird."

"Also a makeup artist?" Jenson asked.

"My old boss? No." Her voice thinned out. She frowned slightly and scrunched up her cute nose. Her feminine features and slim build hinted she had Asian genes, but maybe not entirely of Asian descent.

"Not in this industry?"

"Not at all," she replied.

"Ah." He kept staring, noting the uneasiness in her reaction after he asked about her previous employer. When she didn't say anything more about her old boss, he tried to smell her again. There was some anxiety coupled with shame in her demeanor now.

Was there something unpleasant about her previous experience working for that corporate company?

If so, he should back off now. Talking about the subject made her uncomfortable. It was none of his business, anyway. Jenson reclined in the chair. He was basically her new boss' boss, but he had no right to ask her personal questions.

While she finished his makeup and styling his hair, they mostly talked about the show. He even gave her some tips and information about their schedules during shooting days, after Jessi asked about his producer role.

She also mentioned she just came back from New York after Zach sent her there for a quick makeup gig. A test run.

Jenson kept up the small talk while he glanced at Darren in the corner every minute or so. Darren had said the dead girl used to work with Zach.

Could Zach be looking for the girl now? Did Zach catch Ramona leaving the party with Darren?

Did anyone report her missing yet? Well, shit if someone did. Jenson checked his phone.

No new emails or calls from any unregistered numbers. And no new texts from Magnus. Perhaps he still had no clue about what happened.

Jenson breathed a sigh at the thought. For now, he and Darren had to figure out whether anyone else on Zach's team knew Ramona personally.

He hadn't done the research yet, but he already paid someone to delete the video recording of Darren entering the hotel room with Ramona. Too incriminating.

So far, no one among the hotel staff thought Darren walking out of the hotel room by himself was cause for suspicion. For now.

It was almost lunch time. Jenson tapped on a familiar name on his contacts list. He should call the hacker again. Just to double check.

Better sure than sorry.

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