"OK, so what are our next meeting about?" I rubbed my tired eyes, while slouching down on the couch. Mandy, my assistant rolled her eyes at my tiredness, which she claimed 'there was none'.

"Um, OK, there's a booking of the studio by someone of the name Valdez... Ring the bell?" she wondered to me. I shrugged, since I've met several hundreds of people in the course of my career that it's normal to forget a few "She didn't come here personally, she made the appointment by phone... Wonder why"

"You know the rutine, Mandy dear" I mocked her by the sugarcoated nickname "Unless the person makes the date personally, means that it's either famous or want not to be shot out once I see them..."

"You're right..." Mandy sighed "So many ugly people try to get an appointment with you..." I smirked, thinking about the perks of being one of the most (if not the best) well-paid photographer out there. I photographed several celebrities in my career, all around the world (though, I must admit that discovering those Korean celebrities who deny going down the knife is always fun), finally setting home here, in Los Angeles. Botox Valley.

"Anyway, when is or are these people schedule to arrive?" I asked, resting my head on the air. I heard Mandy check the agenda, ruffling with the papers.

"Um, sometime in the next two hours..."

"Which means it gives time to the crew to take off that crap that the editor magazine asked me to shoot his star in!" I celebrated, my tiredness forgotten. I got up immediately and started to shout people "C'mon, people! We need to clean this stage for the next shoot!!" I ordered around, watching people rushing to help me, getting in an immediate synchronization.

How I love to be the boss.

~oOo~

Less than two hours later, the crew had dissemble that awful set (thank God, because I couldn't stare it a second longer), got ready for any kind of solicitude that the client could have, especially with a wardrobe change and was waiting for my command to get on the move. Right now, they were kind of relaxing, knowing they would go into full work-mode as soon as the bell rang or the door opened.

"It's a miracle that we finished with time to spare" I recognized, surprised. I saw several smiles around, because of my compliment when the bell went off. Immediately, everyone got in their position "Alright, this is it! No more games, no more rehearsals!" I motivated them, walking towards the little office where the clients meet me. I walked in, and was received by nothing I was expecting.

There was a group of three, a couple of adults and a teenager girl around sixteen or something. Two of them (the male adult and the teenager) had stains around their faces and arms, possibly something like ink or oil. Nasty stuff. They were similar between them, which gave away the father-daughter relationship. Both had curly brown hair, though it's obvious the girl had it longer, because of her braid. They had ears slightly pointed and deep brown eyes. They were both dressed with tattered and stained clothes.

The woman was, in contrast, the epitome of elegance, in simple just a white tank top and a pair of jeans with sandals and a purse in her hand. She was talking to the girl and was showing off that perfect celebrity smile. Her skin, I could noticed, was just a tad darker than the others and her brown hair was loose, with multiple and colorful feather accessories around it. Her eyes were yet to be discover.

"So, remember what we talked about?" the woman's voice was enchanting, inviting to believe anything that was coming out of that mouth. The girl nodded, smiling, while the man smirked as well and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Yes, Aunt Piper" the girl acknowledged, trying to sound sure. I guess she was excited about something. I made that moment my cue.

"Ah! You must be the Valdezes?" I checked, pulling my hand out to greet the woman first "Kian Hollywood, photographer, at your service" However, instead of allowing me to kiss her hand, like I always do, she shook it, firmly.

"Um, sir?" Mandy butted in, timidly "These are Mr. Valdez and his daughter and their friend, Ms. McLean" she pointed out, trying to be subtle. Of course, she didn't managed it. I tried not to be impress by the name, of course I recognized it, which means she made the appointment, but I failed to noticed to whom it was it.

"Actually, it's been Mrs. Grace for a while now..." the woman complained out loud.

"I told you, Beauty Queen... You should had sue them when you could about that..." the man interjected, in a friendly matter.

"Yeah, well... Daddy didn't needed a scandal over a nonsense when he was about to retire..." she explained, shrugging "And, we're not here to talk about me" she pushed the girl up front a little "This is my niece, Zoë and she's about to turn fifteen!" she squeaked a little, obviously happy about that fact.

"Aunt Piper!" the girl, Zoë, whined, blushing. Her father ignored her and shook her shoulders gently.

"Excuse me when I say this, but I don't see the meaning about that age..." I half-admitted. I mean, I saw there was some kind of importance, but I failed to see why it was such a big deal about a birthday.

"You're kidding, right?" the guy replied first, which I didn't know if it was good or not "My daughter is about to have her quinceañera, one of the most important age of all!" he gestured wide open with his arms, but I failed to see the concept. The age was sixteen or eighteen for guys. Not fifteen.

"How about we resolve this differently?" I heard Mrs. Grace and I turned to see her multicolored eyes on me "You do the shoot just how we tell you to do it, and then, we leave this set and never come back. You can even send us the pictures-"

"And the negatives" Zoë added, smirking. Her aunt smirked and nodded.

"-and the negatives, if you're so uncomfortable into photographing a Mexican event" she made emphasized on the nationality on purpose, making me frown.

"Which ever way you want it" I answered at the end, not caring as long as they paid me "Follow me into the set" I walked back into set, hoping this would be light and easy.

"OK! There's a couple of things I wanna try" Zoë reached me and started to babble away "First, I wanna make it on a forgery set, you know, ovens and fire and dangerous things that girls don't do?Then, I want my outfits to be greek style dresses, but I want them long and colorful! And then-"

I take it back. It's gonna be a long day...

----

2/3