"And… Just one second…" With a final flick of my wrist, my work was complete. I pulled back, clutching my makeup brush in hand, and gasped. "Oh, I've outdone myself this time. You look stunning, my darling. Would you like to see?"
She squealed with joy. "Yes!"
I put my hands on the back of the studio chair and gently whirled around with great fanfare. "Voila!"
My client sucked in a sharp inhale, then clapped her hands over her mouth. Tears of joy made her eyes watery. "Oh my God! I can't believe how good I look. Fabian, you're literally a miracle worker!"
I chuckled and gave her a hug. "No crying, now, you'll ruin the makeup."
"I'm just so happy. Thank you so much. Um, is it okay if I take a selfie with you? I want to remember this moment forever. And also I want proof that this happened, because I don't think my girlfriend will believe me."
"Absolutely," I said.
Humans were adorable and fascinating creatures. Whenever my clients felt beautiful, it made my heart sing. My joy mirrored theirs. That was why I loved my job so much.
We each put an arm around each other and smiled for the camera. My client squealed and bounced up and down. "This is the best day of my life, thank you! Can I post this to my social media?"
I grinned and flipped my hair over my shoulder. I couldn't help but preen when people complimented my work. "Of course!"
I spent a few more moments chatting with my client before she left the studio. I'd technically gone past her appointment time, but I had no other clients this afternoon so I was free to do as I wished. Of course, I didn't charge her for the extra time either. The happiness on her face was payment enough. Despite my world renown, I didn't feel the need to charge exorbitant prices for my work. I wasn't human and didn't regard money with the same reverence. If you asked me, those little pieces of paper were more trouble than they were worth.
Since it was time for a break, I grabbed a coffee and sat in one of my chairs, spinning idly around while I checked my phone. I chuckled as my notifications blew up. My recent client’s post already had thousands of interactions, and since I was obviously tagged in the post, I was on the receiving end of them as well. I smiled and wrote a cute comment, thinking her for spending the day with me. Then I put the phone away for some me time.
I was sipping my coffee and fixing my own eyeliner in the mirror when my assistant Rudy walked up to me.
"Hello, Rudy," I said, in the middle of drawing a wing. "What can I do for you?"
"I just got off the phone with that company. They've got a winner for their big contest."
I perked up, setting down the eyeliner and facing them. "Oh? Do tell."
Rudy looked down at their notes. "It's a guy named… Stan Smith?"
"Stan," I murmured, trying out the name. "Stan Smith."
Rudy grinned. "Not the most exciting name in the world, is it?"
"Simple can be good, too. Have you made the arrangements for the transportation?"
"Yep, it's all taken care of."
I stood up and patted their shoulder. "Excellent. Well then, let's call it a day. I'm going to get some rest and prepare before I meet this Stan Smith."
"Okay! See you tomorrow."
I waved goodbye to Rudy before pulling out my phone again. I didn't usually do any snooping on my clients because I prefer to meet them face-to-face, but this contest winner intrigued me for some reason. However, searching for Stan Smith yielded about a million results. When I tried adding the company he worked for, I didn't find any results. A private man. I could respect that.
That meant when I met him tomorrow, everything about him would truly be a surprise. I couldn't wait.
Stan Smith, here I come.
3
Stan
Another day at the office.I got off the elevator with my tea in hand, expecting to walk to my office the way I did every day. But on the way there, I ran into Donna and Alice, who looked shocked to see me.
"Stan!" Alice cried. "What are you doing here?"
