Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl Read Free Book Online Page A

settled on flopping back into her chair
and staying put. She had just enough time to straighten up before the women
glanced her way.
    Grace took a breath to steady herself, then grabbed the
portfolio and stood. A woman with a long brown ponytail offered a smile before
saying goodbye to the older woman she was with. “I’ll call you with the numbers
tomorrow, all right? Hi,” she said as she walked toward Grace. “How can I help
you?”
    “I’m Grace Barrett.” She held out her hand and thought very
hard about the pressure of her handshake.
    “I’m Eve Hill. It’s nice to meet you. What can I do for you,
Grace?”
    “Jenny from the, um, saloon? She gave me your name.”
    “The saloon?”
    “I’m sorry. I don’t know what it’s called. It’s right next to
the…” She swallowed. “Stud Farm?”
    “Oh, Jenny! Of course. That’s the
Crooked R Saloon. After Rayleen, I think. Anyway, are you looking for a
photographer?”
    “No, actually. I’m a makeup artist. I don’t know how much work
you’d have for someone like me, but I brought my portfolio, if you’d be
interested in taking a look. I’ve been working in L.A. for almost ten years. I
just got to Jackson yesterday.”
    Eve took the portfolio. “You’re planning to stay?”
    “I’m not sure yet.” It was a lie, but at least she wasn’t
promising to settle down.
    “Why don’t we sit down and I’ll take a look.”
    “Sure. Thank you.”
    She followed Eve to the conference room and sat across the
table from her, watching as she paged through the book of photos. This part
didn’t make her nervous, at least. Her work was good. So she was free to study
the photographer. Eve looked about thirty-five. Pretty in an unassuming way. She
didn’t wear much makeup, but didn’t really need it. Her dark hair contrasted
nicely with her faintly tanned skin. Her hazel eyes were wide-set and
interesting, though she looked the slightest bit tired.
    “You’re really good,” Eve said when she looked up.
    “Thank you.”
    “So, what are you doing in Jackson?”
    Well, she wasn’t subtle. Grace liked that. “I needed a
change.”
    Eve nodded, and her gaze roamed unself-consciously over Grace,
taking her in. The wild hair. The tattered sweater. “I’m not sure I have steady
work for you in makeup. Brides, sure. Right now they just get their makeup done
at local salons, but they don’t always understand what’s best for photos. I
spend a lot of time touching up the prints.”
    Grace was nodding already. It was what she’d expected to hear,
after all.
    “But…” Eve said just as Grace was about to pitch herself for
whatever freelance work she could get. “A lot of these are modeling shots and
movie stills. You obviously know the industry.”
    “Yes.”
    “You know how the business works?”
    “Yes.”
    “So maybe you could do something more for me.”
    “How so?”
    “I do some work setting up shoots for the industry. Magazines.
Movie stills. That kind of thing. Right now, I have a lot of that and then some.
More than I can handle. You know the players. You know the language and
politics. If you’d consider taking some of that on, in addition to the
occasional makeup job, we might be able to try something out.”
    Grace was too shocked to say anything for a few long seconds.
This woman wanted to give her a chance? This woman wanted to take a risk on a
girl with purple hair, a bad attitude and a completely unknown past? Why?
    When Grace didn’t answer, Eve cleared her throat. “If you
really don’t want to do the other work, I’d be happy to call you when I need a
makeup artist for weddings. And sometimes there are big charity events
that—”
    “No! It’s not that. I’ve just never done that kind of work
before, but I’d be happy to try.” Would she? She had no idea.
    “How much do you charge for freelancing?”
    “In L.A., I charged a hundred dollars an hour for freelance
beauty work, but I’m quick, so I’m never more than thirty