Chapter Text
Ever since Victoria's parents had divorced life had been different, and not in a pleasant way.
Dad's army of lawyers had meant that her mom only got full custody at the cost of receiving practically nothing in terms of alimony, besides the extra checks he'd occasionally send that were supposedly meant for Victoria as a 'modest allowance'.
Privately, Victoria often thought to herself that it was her dad's way of mocking her mom.
After the divorce and leaving her dad's house, she and her mom had to spend a few months living humbly in Aunt Veronica's studio apartment. Aunt Veronica was kind for letting them stay but Victoria quickly tired of her early morning singing and insistence on calling her 'Vicky', and she learned to thoroughly despise the air mattress she had to sleep on each night. Victoria, to this day, was still glad they had no reason to ever return to that apartment now aside from visiting her aunt.
Catherine Fournier had worked as a freelance photographer before her chance meeting with her art dealer ex-husband and it was through a similar stroke of luck that the former Ms. Chase happened upon a relatively cheap property that eventually became the Seattle photography studio that now provided her livelihood, the same studio that Victoria stood in now.
The early years were rough for the studio, and that's why they had to start small. Their clients were essentially anyone who wanted to wander in off the street that could pay enough up-front, and the meager rates they charged were barely enough to keep the lights on at times. They never went under the poverty line, but Victoria's new life had been a far cry from the old luxury she used to enjoy as her Chase birthright.
Victoria still had vivid nightmares about all the times she had to babysit kids while their parents were posing for pictures... all those grubby hands so eager to smudge expensive lenses and push over studio lights that cost at least three times more than what the studio made in a month each. She still didn't think she'd ever enjoy seeing children in the studio.
In between training her daughter as her protégé and running the studio, Catherine had continued to network and do occasional freelance photography work on the side to make loose ends meet when the income from the studio was still low. That freelance work is what eventually managed to get the studio on the map, as people quickly took notice of the fact Catherine's photographic skill had not declined during the hiatus caused by her whirlwind romance and subsequent marriage.
Soon the rates they charged began to steadily climb, and the only people who'd walk through the doors would be those with names you'd remember. Local celebrities became C-listers became B-listers, and the studio continued to grow.
Worrying about paying enough to keep the lights in the studio on was a thing of the past and Maribeth Portraiture was now making enough to keep Catherine and Victoria comfortably afloat, though it still paled in comparison to the old days where they had access to the Chase family fortune.
They still couldn't afford to be picky about their clientele, but now the studio was a fully-fledged company that paid for itself and they had actual employees and a handful of interns, who were mostly students who took the photography class in a nearby high school.
Stood at the side of her mother's desk, Victoria silently glared at the video playing on the computer. A stern-looking woman with dirty blonde hair stood at a lectern occasionally sparing a glance at the open Bible that was sitting upon it before continuing to gesture passionately toward the camera, the harsh glare of the stage lights reflected by her hazel eyes made it look like she quite literally had fierce flames burning in her eye sockets as she spoke. The effect was unsettling, to say the least.
Mary Marsh wasn't a household name by any stretch of the word but anyone who had delved into the world of televangelism and Christian blogging was guaranteed to have at least heard of her in passing. In between her sporadic television appearances, she maintained a constant social media presence including blogging about her supposedly perfect and puritanical Christian family.
Catherine paused the video of Mary and swiveled her chair to face her daughter, her face completely impassive aside from a slight raise of one eyebrow. "So, what do you think?"
"I think she lost me around the part she actually said 'It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve' with a straight face," Victoria scoffed. "I'm waiting for you to tell me this is a joke."
Her mother drummed her fingers on the desk and replied in a warning tone, "Victoria."
"I know, I know, we can't be picky with our clients but I mean... you did just watch that with me, right? We both heard the same sermon that had this bizarre obsession with dancing around outright saying 'gay people are going to go to hell'?"
"Yes, Victoria, we did. You're right." Catherine pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back in her chair, letting out a brief sigh. "But you're also right about how we cannot be picky with our clients, especially ones who are paying extra rates I managed to talk them into because they don't know the first thing about photography."
Victoria supposed that this lousy televangelist being charged extra on top of their already high rates cushioned the blow somewhat, but it was still embarrassing that this was the clientele they still had to deal with.
"So to put it simply we are going to be doing a session with her whether you want to or not." Catherine summarised, placing extra emphasis on the 'are' by tapping a manicured finger on her desk.
Victoria resigned herself to the idea, mostly because it'd be pretty easy to take the day off to avoid having to be near this disaster waiting to happen. "Okay, when is the shoot supposed to be happening?"
"In three hours."
"We're doing it today?" Victoria asked sharply, "I'll be there taking pictures of this woman?"
"Yes, Victoria. Because if I didn't spring this on you, then you'd have made an excuse and had me do this shoot with one of the interns as my assistant photographer."
Maybe she could still talk herself out of this, "But I-"
A hand was quickly raised to silence Victoria's protests. "Victoria, you take great pleasure in telling me about how you are better than 'all of three of our interns put together'."
Victoria suddenly wished she wasn't so boastful, but how else would she assure others of her confidence? Her mother always encouraged her to not be afraid of acknowledging her skill.
Maybe it wouldn't be too late to learn how to fake a heart attack? It'd be an easy way to get out of this.
"And I have to admit you are more skilled than any single one of them - though I wouldn't use the same choice of words as you - which means that to fulfill my promise to Mrs. Marsh to have this done by my best photographers it will require both of us working in tandem."
Victoria decided to avoid voicing further protests and take the backhanded compliment from her mother, which was probably the closest thing to an 'I love you' Catherine had in her lexicon.
"Fine," After she had walked round to the opposite side of the desk from her mother and pulled out a chair for herself to sit on, she continued, "At least you're finally recognising my talent, so perhaps now we could discuss if I could direct my own shoo-"
A pair of slender hands rose to take off the glasses balanced on the bridge of Catherine's nose and quickly folded them before setting them aside, and she leaned forward staring intently at Victoria. "Go on?"
Victoria paused, then continued. "I meant to say perhaps now we could discuss what this particular photo shoot is going to involve?"
Her mother quickly opened an email with a few clicks of her mouse, "Mrs. Marsh wants us to take some portraits of her and her family which includes herself, her husband, and their three daughters. They want quite a few photographs done, a few group shots then some single-subject work, so don't be shy with your camera."
Victoria sighed at the mention of three daughters, "Please don't tell me I'm going to be babysitting a bunch of little girls swaddled in their Sunday best."
There was no reply beyond Catherine turning the monitor around to face Victoria. There she could see the contents of an email that included a family portrait that showcased the Marsh family in all its glory.
It was a very unexceptional photo, obviously taken by someone who knew photography but likely only to an intermediate degree. The backdrop was the out-of-focus interior of a well-decorated house, albeit one that seemed rather sparse considering how wealthy Mary Marsh supposedly was.
Standing in the back was Mary Marsh herself in a simple white dress with a necklace of pearls, smiling primly. Mary looked somewhat younger in the photograph compared to the video though Victoria was unsure if that was just due to the lack of harsh stage lights to highlight her wrinkles. Her eyes seemed oddly dead, almost as if all that fire and passion she showed during her sermons had just vanished into the ether before this picture was taken.
Beside Mary stood her husband, a tall man with a long face and glasses in a well-tailored suit. From what Victoria had heard so far he was a preacher as well but lacked any sort of social media presence unlike his wife - for all intents and purposes, he seemed content to fade into the background and let his wife take the spotlight. His face was impassive, though the corners of his mouth were upturned the slightest bit.
Stood in the front were three girls, all were shorter than their parents and each had the same dirty blonde hair. Going purely by looks the girl on the left and the girl in the centre were younger than Victoria by at least a few years each, and the girl on the right was probably around the same age as her.
The girl on the left was the tallest of the trio and had the same long face as her father, the resemblance emphasised with the addition of a similar pair of glasses. The girl in the centre was shortest and resembled their mother more, though her features were more rounded and her smile was a great deal friendlier.
The girl on the right grabbed Victoria's attention, mostly due to the contrast in her appearance with her mother's. They were similar in facial structure but that's where the resemblance seemed to end, mostly because the girl looked so full of life and welcoming compared to her mother.
Her youthful face had none of the subtle wrinkles or frown lines that made the elder Marsh seem so vaguely angry at all times, and the smile on her lips seemed genuine and not plastered on like the one worn by the rest of her family. She was strikingly pretty in an understated way, with her hair tied in a messy bun.
Victoria furrowed her brow as she tried to shift her focus from the girl to the family as a whole to try and guess at what sort of photographic style would be best to aim for. They'd likely be looking for a more kitsch style, evoking the idea of that family photograph that is all bright smiles and nostalgia.
Her mother finally spoke, "As you can see from this picture, there will be no wrangling children for you today, Victoria."
"It seems like the technical side will be easy enough for us," Victoria mused. "They've probably got a lot of practice posing for photographs considering Mrs. Marsh's social media presence."
"Hm," Catherine let a slight smile play across her face, "Shame about how you will be interacting with the subjects so much then. I'm guessing that is implicitly the hard part?"
"What? What do you mean I will?" Victoria questioned, her confusion rapidly turning to dread as she noticed the smile on her mother's face.
"I thought you wanted to discuss if you could direct one of our sessions?"
Realisation dawned on Victoria as she narrowed her eyes briefly - this was her mother testing her, to see if she could handle the responsibility. She would rise to this challenge and she would not blow this opportunity to prove herself!
Victoria quickly recomposed herself, "Oh, you're referring to what I said earlier?"
"Ah, so you do remember your own words? Excellent." Catherine leaned back in her chair and waved a hand in her direction, "You will be directing this shoot, though I will step in to prevent any disasters from taking place if you cannot stop them yourself."
Victoria had to focus on preventing a nervous tone from entering her voice as she replied, "Thank you for the opportunity, mother."
Catherine looked unimpressed, "You're welcome. Make sure that during the shoot you call me Catherine when we're in front of the Marsh family, none of this 'mother' business."
Victoria had to stop herself from laughing, "Why?"
"If this shoot goes wrong then I don't want her to throw around accusations of nepotism when she bad-mouths this studio, it'll hurt our reputation more than whatever other slander she can dream up," Catherine explained. "You may leave. Start preparing for the shoot once you're back from your lunch - they don't want a backdrop, so don't bother with anything besides the lighting equipment and other essentials."
Victoria stood up and began to walk away from the desk, anxiety churning in her stomach.
Her first time directing a shoot is will be composed of dealing with five different subjects - one of whom is a homophobic televangelist who'd probably flip their shit if she found out that Victoria is gay, another is a girl she has never even met that she just spent half a minute staring at while thinking about how pretty she is - and on top of all that her mother will be the fellow photographer she's directing?
Fuck, I need a drink. Something hard like that Grey Goose Taylor got last weekend. Or maybe I can still try and fake that heart attack?
"Oh, and Victoria?"
She glanced over her shoulder to look at her mother questioningly.
"When you're attempting to show initiative as you did earlier? Don't let someone taking your proposition seriously dissuade you. If you're going for the throat then you have to make sure to latch on with your teeth," Her mother looked wistful as she continued, "Your father taught me some good lessons, and that was one of them."
Victoria didn't even want to begin to think about what that meant, so she continued out the door without thinking to ask any more questions.
As Victoria passed the reception desk, she stopped and leaned over to say hello to the girl sitting there who was too preoccupied with idly clicking away at a spreadsheet to notice the click of Victoria's shoes as she approached.
"Hey, Courtney."
Courtney looked up at Victoria, frowning slightly. "What's up? Your mom just get finished yelling at you or something?"
"You know how I was talking about how I wanted to direct a shoot?"
"Yeah?" Courtney cocked her head and narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked up at Victoria somewhat confused, "You said you were gonna mention it to her at some point."
Victoria just looked at Courtney expectantly for a moment, waiting for it to click.
"Wait," Courtney suddenly stood up and leaned across her desk while grinning, "Did she say yeah?!"
Victoria simply nodded her head, still unable to summon any of her usual poise and confidence.
"Vic, why aren't you happy? You're going to direct a shoot! That's like, a major step up! You wanted this!"
"Courtney, I'm directing it today."
"Wait, what?" Courtney sat back down abruptly and started scrolling through a planner that she pulled up on the computer in front of her. "I thought the only shoot she had today was... Oh my God, she's making you direct the shoot with that crazy preacher lady's family?"
Victoria nodded again, simply gazing into the distance. Courtney continued tapping away at her computer, skimming through some notes Catherine had written on the planner.
"You're screwed," Another few clicks of the mouse and a gasp. "No, scratch that, you're fucked. This is the first shoot you're directing and she's using all the big-name cameras for this according to the planner, even the Hasselblad!"
The fact her mom was using the expensive cameras that they had in storage meant that on top of having to juggle the responsibility of directing the shoot, Victoria would also have to ensure that none of the equipment was damaged in the process. It was easy enough considering her mother was the only other photographer who would be on set, but it was yet another variable in this increasingly troublesome equation.
She probably changed that on the planner just because I tried to do my little power move. Fuck.
Victoria let out a sigh and gave Courtney an annoyed look, "Gee, Courtney. It's almost like there's a reason I came to your desk looking upset!"
"I thought it was because you're a lesbian and you're gonna have to take photos of like, one of the leading anti-gay evangelical bloggers, not because your mom was gonna make you direct the shoot!"
"Oh," Victoria gave a bitter laugh, "I actually managed to forget she was a homophobe for a few minutes. That is just the pièce de résistance, Courtney."
Courtney looked hurt briefly, then pulled out her phone and walked out from behind her desk. "Alright, we're taking our lunch break now because it's emergency drink time. I'm calling Sweet-T, and you are coming with me."
Victoria let herself be led out of the studio by the hand, a few words repeatedly echoing in her mind all the while Courtney pulled her along to the nearest bar their IDs would hold up at that wasn't a total dive.
"You're screwed."
"No, scratch that, you're fucked."
"So, okay, let me get this straight," Taylor held her hands up to silence Courtney's rambling and turned to Victoria. "You're going to be directing a shoot with some psycho preacher and her family?"
Victoria nodded blankly and took a long sip of her cocktail, "Like Courtney said, I'm fucked."
Taylor waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, we get it, you're fucked. Here's my question Victoria - why the fuck have you not told your mom yet?!"
Victoria looked away and darkly muttered, "Told her what?"
"Don't act dumb, you know what. You like girls, you're a lesbian, whatever you want to call it." Taylor leaned across the table to grab one of Victoria's hands, "She needs to know, Vic!"
"No she doesn't, she doesn't need more to worry about and it would just cause problems." Victoria reached across to grab her cocktail again, but Taylor was faster as she snatched the glass. "Fuck, Taylor! Can you just let me finish this one drink?"
"No, I can't," Taylor shook her head. "Victoria, the shoot is in an hour. You have to go back to the studio so you can get your big girl pants on and do your job. You don't do this mopey thing, this isn't you."
Courtney nodded, "Taylor's right! You don't need to tell your mom anything right now, but you do need to go back down there and prepare for it. Get your game face on, girl!"
Victoria sighed and smoothed out her cardigan as she stood up, fixing a determined look on her face.
She's right. All I want is to be a successful photographer outside mom's shadow, but the only way to do that is to get this shoot done. It's just some stuck-up Christian blogger and her family, I can do this.
She looked at Taylor and gave a small smile, "Thanks, T. I needed that."
Taylor returned the smile, "You've dragged me out enough slumps of my own, Vic."
Victoria picked up her bag and began walking out, calling over her shoulder as she went. "Come on, Courtney!"
Courtney glanced at the three cocktails sitting at the table before she left. "You ordered us all drinks just so you could finish them yourself, didn't you?"
Taylor smirked, "Yep! Better get a move on, Court. Your lunch is nearly over."
Once they got back to the studio, Courtney and Victoria made quick work of preparing for the shoot. Studio lights were set up, cameras were taken out of storage, and eventually the two were sat around with some time left to kill.
Victoria sat on Courtney's desk looking up what she could about the Marsh family in an attempt to familiarise herself with them while Courtney idly scrolled through her own social media, a comfortable silence in the air between them.
Like Sun Tzu said: 'Know thy enemy and know yourself', or something like that.
Victoria scoffed at a particularly garish selfie on Mary's Instagram account, taken in a church and capturing herself with rays of sunlight beaming through the stained glass windows behind. The caption had several cross emojis too many for Victoria's liking.
Why does this woman seem to think that all the contour she's wearing is gonna help her make look less scary? She looks like she gets her foundation applied by a mortician.
Most of what Mary Marsh seemed to post on her account was pictures from the sermons and events she'd host or pictures of her family.
Curiously, the pictures of her family were mostly of her two younger daughters Lynn and Grace. Her husband and the elder daughter only ever seemed to appear in group photos or in the background, never as the focus of a photograph like Lynn or Grace often were.
That's kind of weird. Maybe those two don't like having their picture taken.
A lone video caught her attention, it had seemingly been posted almost three years ago. The thumbnail was of the mysterious elder Marsh daughter sitting on a chair looking somewhat younger than she was in the picture from the email, a violin resting on her shoulder. The caption read "Kate's getting better with her violin, I must thank the Lord for giving my eldest such musical talent!"
Victoria tapped her finger on the play button and watched as the girl began to play a slow and solemn tune, dragging the bow across the strings with fluid motions as her fingers on the neck of the violin deftly shifted around to press on the strings. Victoria didn't know much about the violin but she could tell the girl had skill.
I don't know anything about the Lord giving it to her, but 'Kate' certainly does have talent.
The clicking of heels on the hardwood floor startled Victoria, and she looked up to see her mother walking over with the Hasselblad in her hands. She slipped her phone into her bag, quickly silencing the violin playing with a press of the power button.
The Hasselblad was one of the most expensive cameras they owned, and Catherine typically only used it for their big-name clients. Mary Marsh hardly fit in that group.
God, she's trusting me to direct her even though she won't even let me touch that camera? Why is she even using the Hasselblad, to make me worry more?
Catherine's face betrayed no emotion. "I hope you've gotten everything prepared, Victoria?"
"Yes, mother."
"Remember what I said earlier about using my name?" Catherine inquired, fixing Victoria with a vaguely amused look.
Victoria had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes, "You said to use it only when we were in front of the Marsh family."
"Just making sure you were paying attention, Victoria."
Victoria shifted uncomfortably, now keenly aware of how much scrutiny she was guaranteed to be under during this shoot. Her mother never made things easy.
A moment passed as Catherine looked at Victoria as if waiting for something. "I noticed you haven't been paying attention to the time," she commented with a faint smile.
...The time? The time. The time! I didn't realise it was 2:30 pm already!
Victoria didn't reply, and instead quickly began walking to the room they had set up. Her mother followed at a relaxed pace with the same vaguely amused smile still ghosting across her features.
Victoria arrived at the set before Catherine and realised that the Marsh family was nowhere to be seen.
Shit, did we miss them or something?
Victoria glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was only 2:27 pm.
Catherine began fiddling with the camera in her hands as she spoke, "I did not say we were late. I was simply making an observation, one that was clearly accurate."
Victoria tensed the muscles of her jaw and fought the urge to ask when her mother decided to develop a sense of humour.
Focus. I need to focus, and I need to get through this shoot, and making comments won't help with that.
She strode over and picked up one of the cameras she had left out earlier, one that she was used to using. She had already changed the settings earlier, so now it was just a matter of proper technique and lighting to get some good pictures.
If there was one thing Victoria was sure of it was her skill as a photographer. She was the most skilled photographer in the studio besides her mother, leagues above the rest of the interns and even the two other full-time photographers that they had on staff. She could never get the hang of candid photography, but posed was the area she excelled at - total control over the scenery, the framing, and even the subjects.
It helped that she was a natural at ordering people around, which is why she had felt in the first place that she would similarly excel at directing a shoot.
Well, that theory's being put to the test today.
Victoria peeked around the corner as she heard Courtney speaking to someone, "Oh, h-hello! You must be the Marsh famil-"
A slightly shrill and dismissive voice interrupted her, "Yes, of course we are! Surely you know we're to be your only clients for today? I arranged that with your superior earlier, girl."
I think it's safe to assume she hasn't got a voice for the church choir. I'm going to have a headache by the time we're finished if that's how she sounds all the time.
Stood at the entrance to the studio was Mary Marsh in all her glory, a slight sneer on her face as she spoke to Courtney. "Be a dear and show us to the people who know what they're doing, don't think I didn't see you on that phone as we walked in!"
Fuck. I knew this was never going to be easy, but still... Fuck. She will not be easy to work with, that much I can tell.
To give Courtney her due, the flicker of annoyance that crossed her face was probably invisible to anyone who didn't know her as well as Victoria. "Right this way, Mrs. Marsh!" she replied, sweeping her arm theatrically as she walked ahead of the group to lead them toward the set.
Trailing behind Mary were her husband and their three daughters. Their faces and body language practically screamed the word 'uncomfortable'.
As the group neared the set and caught sight of Catherine and Victoria, Mary suddenly made a bee-line for Catherine. "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you in person Cathereen!" she squawked, shoving a hand out enthusiastically.
Victoria blinked. Did this woman seriously just try and say her mom's name with a faux-French accent?
Mon Dieu, Mom doesn't even say her name like that.
Catherine gave a polite smile and took the offered hand, shaking it. "The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Marsh."
Mary launched into an overenthusiastic rant as a reply. "Oh, Mary is fine! I simply could not stop talking about your work on the drive here with the girls, my eldest is in a photography class and recommended we go to you and I was simply amazed at every picture! It's practically like meeting one of your idols, isn't it Kate?" Mary finished by abruptly turning on her heel to face Kate with a toothy smile and an expectant look.
The look on Kate's face could be best described as a mix between confusion and nervousness as she glanced between her mother and Catherine. "Um, yes I suppose? It is a... p-pleasure to meet you, Miss Fournier?"
Mary's eyes briefly narrowed at Kate before she whipped her head back to face Catherine, "Oh, ignore her, she's simply starstruck!"
Either that or you just made that entire story up.
She suddenly clapped her hands together, a piercing sound in the quiet of the studio. "Okay - who's ready to get their picture taken? I know I am!"
Catherine - who up until this point had simply watched the scene unfold in much the same way one watches a car crash - took the opportunity to step forward and begin speaking to the group as a whole.
"It's a pleasure to have you all here in my studio today, thank you all for the opportunity to photograph you. As you know, I am Catherine, and today I will be acting as the assistant photographer to my co-worker," she explained, finishing by gesturing to Victoria. "This is Victoria, she will be directing you all today and I'm going to allow her to take things from here due to that."
Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Here goes nothing.
Victoria opened her mouth, but before she could get a word out Mary interrupted with her short bark of a laugh. "Excuse me? I was under the impression you would be directing this photo shoot, Cathereen."
Catherine replied flatly, "I said no such thing. Will there be an issue with this arrangement?"
Mary looked offended at Catherine's words before she pointed a finger at Victoria, speaking disbelievingly, "The girl looks like she is barely out of diapers! How do you even trust her to use your cameras?"
Oh, I'm barely out of diapers? You'll be wearing adult diapers after I put you in the hospital, you hag!
Victoria had to bite her tongue to prevent the comment from slipping out as she felt her face flush with anger. This woman was turning out to be the most disrespectful client she had seen in the studio so far, and the fact she couldn't say anything back to her was nothing short of humiliating.
"I taught her myself and have worked with her for a great many years. I am confident in her ability to direct this photo shoot, so I must ask again - is there an issue with this arrangement?"
Mary's face suggested that she indeed had an issue with the arrangement. "Well, I suppose not, provided you will still be taking the photos?" Mary replied after sparing a disdainful glance at Victoria.
Oh, it is so on, bitch.
Victoria interjected before her mother could reply, "Yes, Catherine will still be taking the group photos. Once they have been done, we will both switch to an identical model of camera and each take a member of your family aside at a time to do the individual portrait shots."
Mary almost seemed to flinch slightly at the sound of Victoria's voice before turning to look at her with a slight sneer, "I don't recall asking you a question, girl."
God, I wish I could have gotten a picture of that kicked puppy look on her face. If I ever open a gallery it could be the centrepiece - 'Psycho Preacher's Pout' by Victoria Chase.
Victoria fought to keep her voice even as she replied icily, "I will be the one directing you all today, so I felt that I was the person most suited to answering your question, Mrs. Marsh."
The slight sneer on Mary's face briefly grew before she quickly looked to Catherine, abruptly switching to a much warmer expression in the process. "Cathereen, I would much prefer if you could do my portrait work. I feel that we could take the opportunity to discuss some future opportunities for collaboration?"
The feeling is mutual, Mary. I'll have Courtney remind me to get a restraining order once this shoot is over.
Catherine flashed a false smile at Mary, the practiced rictus that she reserved for the particularly annoying clients. "Certainly," she replied.
All the while this exchange had occurred, the rest of the Marsh family had been stood shifting around uncomfortably. Victoria briefly made eye contact with Kate, who gave a weak smile and mouthed a single word - "sorry."
Well, at least the entire family isn't horrible. They're clearly all embarrassed by Mary.
Victoria returned the smile before breaking eye contact with the girl to glance around the set.
"Okay, I'll leave organising the order you're in to Mrs. Marsh, but we need you all in the centre of the room so we can alter the lighting." Victoria gestured as she spoke to the group, making sure to emphasise Mary's control of the order - it was safe to assume that the best way to go about things was to try and appeal to the woman's ego.
The group began shuffling around the centre of the room as Mary barked directions at them, shifting the order several times as Catherine and Victoria adjusted the position of the studio lights.
They spent about half an hour on the group photo portion of the shoot, with most of the time spent waiting for the Marsh family to settle on a position for each photo. The issue was how perfect Mary needed things in addition to how little patience she had, to the point that Victoria could have sworn that she saw Grace on the verge of tears several times after being on the receiving end of her mother's wrath for being a second too slow to follow a direction or daring to shift around instead of staying still.
The family dynamic was definitely something to behold between Mary acting as if she were a drill instructor, barking orders and marching around the set; her soft-spoken husband, Richard, encouraging her to calm down only to be completely ignored; in addition to Grace, Lynn, and Kate spending the entire time looking miserable, resigned, and quietly frustrated respectively.
Victoria found the entire process frustrating because of just how openly dismissive Mary was of her, meaning that there were several times Victoria had to repeat herself until Catherine finally stepped in and echoed what she was saying in order for Mary to listen. Victoria wasn't sure what exactly it was about herself that earned the ire of Mary so much besides not being her mother.
Mom can be cold sometimes, but Mary is something else. I feel bad for her family.
Eventually, the time came for the individual portrait shots and Victoria was not at all envious of her mother's position - having seen how Mary acted during group shots, she would likely be even more of a nightmare to work with during one-on-one work.
Victoria decided to work with Richard first, and approached the man as Catherine walked off with Mary. "Could you follow me, Mr. Marsh?"
Richard turned to her and gave a polite smile, "Just give me a moment, please."
Victoria nodded, and Richard stepped away to speak to Kate briefly. Lynn and Grace were now sitting on some chairs to the side as they waited for their turn to have their photos taken, and Kate stood beside them softly speaking to a somewhat misty-eyed Grace.
The two spoke in low tones, but Victoria was able to hear what they were saying from where she was standing.
"Do you need me to stay here, or are you fine taking care of your sisters while I'm gone?"
"I'm fine, dad, but that's not the issue," Kate spoke with her brows furrowed, looking at her father with a disapproving look on her face.
"Kate, please, not now." His tone was similarly disapproving, but with a tired tone that stripped it of any bite.
Kate's voice rose in volume as she gestured toward Grace, "Dad, she can't keep speaking to Grace like that! Look at her face and tell me the way mom was acting is justified."
"She wasn't justified, Kate. It's just... she's stressed at the moment," he sighed, "But, I will talk to her about it later."
The look Kate gave her father said a lot of things, but the message Victoria got from it told her that Kate had probably heard that line too many times before to believe him.
He gave her a weak smile, "Just tell Grace your mother didn't mean it, please."
Kate said nothing, simply turning back to Grace and rubbing her shoulder.
Richard finally finished with Kate, so Victoria began walking to the other room she had prepared earlier with Courtney with him following shortly behind.
A stool sat in the middle of the room, and Victoria gestured toward it as she picked up her camera.
Richard took the cue and sat down before straightening himself up and looking straight at Victoria with a neutral expression.
"Try and look at the camera instead of me, and smile."
He did as he was asked but the smile didn't reach his eyes. The angle his head was at meant his glasses caught the light strangely, rendering the lenses fully white. The overall effect was unsettling - sitting on the stool with his glossy lenses and false smile, he resembled some sort of overgrown doll.
"Can you tilt your head left a bit?"
He tilted his head as asked and his eyes became visible once again, dull brown and tired. Victoria lifted the viewfinder to her eyes and snapped a picture.
His eyes were once again meeting hers, the passive look on his face replaced with a slight frown. "I'm sorry about my wife being unkind to you."
That's an understatement and we both know it, Richard.
Victoria looked down at her camera, both to alter the settings and to avoid his gaze. "She wasn't unkind, but I appreciate your concern," She replied, picking her words carefully.
"I heard the way she spoke to you, so I am obligated to offer you my apologies."
Victoria looked up from her camera a moment to really look at him. His face was wary, and his voice so very tired. She realised how much older he looked with his face at this angle and in this lighting, every wrinkle and line highlighted.
He broke the silence, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
"Pardon?"
"Ephesians 4:32," He explained, "My wife lives by the good book, but neglects what the book says about how to treat others."
So, am I meant to take pity on her because she's worse at quoting the Bible than you?
Victoria didn't know what to say to that, so she raised the camera's viewfinder to her eyes again. "Can you tilt your body back a bit, please?"
She tried not to meet his eyes for the rest of their mini-shoot. Victoria wasn't sure why, but something about the sheer weight he seemed to bear on his shoulders made the room feel oppressive.
They finished in about fifteen minutes mostly due to Victoria purposefully rushing, eager to escape Richard's presence and finally speak to Kate.
She was genuinely curious to see what the girl was like, mostly because of how she was the only one of the Marshes that seemed to be openly opposed to her mother's behaviour. The mystery surrounding her helped make her seem more interesting.
As they walked back onto the set where they started, Victoria took note that Mary was standing off to the side talking to someone on the phone quite loudly. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, but Lynn and Grace's absence meant that she had likely taken it upon herself to do the two younger girls' portraits.
Kate herself sat in the chair Grace had formerly been in and looked up as Victoria walked in with Richard in tow. She stood up and briefly shared a significant look with Richard as he passed, looking him in the eyes and then briefly glancing in the direction of her mother. Victoria wasn't sure what the exchange of looks meant.
Kate walked up to her and offered a hand, "Hi, I'm Kate. It's nice to meet you."
The first thing Victoria noticed about Kate now that she was up close was how the picture on the email didn't do her justice. Her hazel eyes had an oddly piercing quality that made Victoria feel seen in a way she never had before, the small smile on her face looked absolutely nothing like the tired imitation her father wore or the exaggerated one her mother plastered on, and the studio light behind her framed her blonde hair and made it seem to glow. She was pretty in the picture, but she was nothing short of beautiful in person.
Alright, stop thinking about how she looks and focus on getting the shoot done.
Victoria seldom felt nervous, but she was sure she'd always remember how strangely lost for words she felt at that moment. She wasn't sure why her heartbeat seemed to quicken so much - in her time working in the studio she'd seen plenty of girls, and none of them had ever affected her the way Kate did.
"Victoria," She said as she took the offered hand and shook it, suddenly keenly aware of how warm Kate's skin felt on her own. "It's nice to meet you too. Follow me, please."
Victoria led Kate to the same room she had brought Richard earlier and gestured to the stool. Kate looked at the stool then glanced at Victoria, "How would you like me to sit?"
"I mean, however is most comfortable for you," Victoria continued. "We'll be taking a lot of photos, so we can experiment and see what looks best later."
Kate sat down on the stool and crossed her legs, folding her hands to rest them on her knee. She's looked up expectantly at Victoria with a completely neutral face as if waiting for her to take the picture.
Victoria raises her camera and takes a step to the left, "Can you lean back a bit for me? And try to smile."
Kate does as she's asked, the lean allowing the key light to better catch the subtle contours of her face. Victoria puts her eye to the viewfinder and snaps a picture.
They continued in relative silence for the next few minutes, Victoria pacing around and exploring different angles to capture Kate from while occasionally giving her directions.
Victoria ended up feeling impulsive after a while and like she had to fill the quiet in the room somehow, so she decided to try and make some conversation. "You're not used to getting your picture taken, are you?" she asked.
"What makes you say that?" Kate countered, tilting her head slightly.
"Well, for one, you didn't smile until I told you to. Most people try and smile when they're getting their picture taken, it's like a reflex."
Kate smiles sheepishly for a moment, "I was actually waiting for you to tell me to smile, if I'm being honest."
Victoria laughs softly at that, and snaps a picture of Kate after she straightens and poses again. "I do have to admit that I'm not that much of a psychic."
Oh, I should have rehearsed this. Please don't think I'm a stalker when I say this, please don't think I'm a stalker when I say this.
"I actually went through the liberty of looking through your mother's Instagram a bit when I heard we were doing a photo shoot with her," Victoria explained. "It was mostly just to get a feel for what sort of style she liked."
Kate surmised, "And you noticed I'm not in many photos?"
"Yeah," Victoria raised an eyebrow, "Why is that?"
"Oh, that's an easy one," Kate said as she shifted into a straighter sitting position. She narrowed her eyes, scrunched up her nose, and began to speak in a shockingly accurate impression of her mother.
"Kate, you're just not marketable like your sisters are. You don't have the passion for my work like they do, and that hurts my image!" Kate even manages to capture the oddly shrill way Mary puts emphasis on certain words, practically screeching the word 'marketable'.
"I try and involve you in things, but all you want to do is play that violin of yours all day and draw! Spreading the word of God is our duty, how do music and drawing accomplish that?"
Victoria bursts out laughing, a high-pitched giggle escaping in response to how practiced the impression seemed. Kate has clearly had time to refine it.
Kate's beaming smile at that was like a ray of sun that shone brighter than the studio lights, and Victoria quickly raised the viewfinder to her eye and took a shot on pure impulse.
It captured Kate in an unguarded moment. All the obvious tension she had around her family was completely absent as she unabashedly sat there, grinning broadly at Victoria just behind the camera.
Kate pouted, "Hey, I wasn't ready for that picture!"
Victoria briefly gazed at the screen on the camera, studying how sharp and vivid Kate seems at the centre of the frame - it felt like Victoria wasn't looking at a photograph, but instead looking through a window that framed that precise moment in time.
God, that sounds like the kind of faux-poetic bullshit that Max spouts sometimes.
She looked at Kate and shrugged, "Well, I was. It's a good photo."
"I'm sure they all are," Kate gave her a knowing smile, "You've got talent, Victoria."
Victoria felt a warmth in her chest at the compliment but narrowed her eyes slightly upon seeing the smile Kate gave her. "How would you know? I've not shown you any of the pictures I've taken so far."
Kate seemed to flush at Victoria's question, "...I have to admit that my mother was right when she said I knew about this studio. I'm not a fan like she said I was, but I do know one of the interns here, Max?"
Victoria raised an eyebrow, "You're friends with Max? Max Caulfield?"
...Okay, that's kind of creepy. I was only just thinking about her. But Seattle's only so big, I guess.
"We go to the same high school," Kate explained, "She's always mentioning you, she even brought a few of your pictures to show me once after photography class."
Max likes my pictures? She's got better taste than I thought.
"I was serious when I said you had talent," Kate stressed her words as she gave Victoria a sincere smile, "I don't know much about photography, but even I can tell you've got talent."
"Thank you," Victoria replies. She can feel herself going red at the praise, especially with the smile Kate's giving her.
Kate suddenly looks thoughtful for a moment before she fixes Victoria with a curious look, "Max also mentioned how mean you are to her sometimes."
Oh. There goes my chances of making a friend. Thanks, Max!
Instead of saying something judgemental as she expected, Kate surprised Victoria. "I've not noticed you being mean at all so far, so I think Max might just be misjudging you a bit." She said, glancing at the doorway as she finished speaking.
Kate leaned forward and spoke in a low tone, "Is it hard? Working so closely with your mother, I mean. Max makes her sound scary."
How the hell did that hipster manage to almost kill my chances of making a friend and then save them without even being here? Ugh.
Victoria felt the urge to lie and say it wasn't, but she didn't want to lie to Kate. Lying to her to look stronger just felt like it would be an insult to the girl. "It can be hard, sometimes," She admitted, "Catheri... - I mean - My mother is... very demanding."
"You're probably just under a lot of stress," Kate gave her a sympathetic look, "But please, just try and be nicer to Max. She actually wants to be your friend, you know?"
Well, it's worth a shot I suppose. We've got a few things in common.
"I'll try."
Kate gave another broad smile and glanced at Victoria's camera, "Can I see that picture you took earlier?"
Victoria didn't reply and simply walked behind Kate and leaned over her shoulder to show her the preview of the image on the camera's display.
Kate silently looks at the image, "Wow. You made me look amazing!"
You don't need me to help you look amazing.
Victoria quickly cleared her throat and tried to think of anything else to say because she did not want to explore the implications of that particular thought.
"I've seen Max's portfolio before," Victoria blurted out as she stepped back in front of Kate. "She likes doing these sort of candid shots, but it's never appealed to me."
"Why?"
"I find posed photography more satisfying. There's more control, room for artistic technique, and you see something different," Victoria continued, gesturing as she spoke. "You see... how people want themselves to be seen. It's in how they hold themselves, the faces they pull, it's all the image of themselves they want to be seen and captured."
Kate seemed to be looking up at Victoria with utter interest, almost as if she found Victoria's rambling somehow profound.
She's probably just being polite.
"So, what made you take that picture then?"
"What do you mean?"
"When you took the picture earlier, that was candid, wasn't it?" Kate explained, "You took it when I wasn't trying to pose or anything, I was just talking to you."
"It was just," Victoria paused to search for the words, "You looked so... carefree for a moment. Different. Like you were enjoying yourself."
Kate smiled so sweetly at her that Victoria felt herself blush again, "I'm still enjoying myself now, you know."
That warmth from earlier spread in Victoria's chest again, and she felt herself returning Kate's smile.
They stopped to take a few more pictures, with Kate sitting there looking much more relaxed this time around. Victoria once again felt the urge to find out more about Kate.
"So, you go to Willow Park High?" Victoria asked, finally deciding on a topic of conversation.
Kate nodded, "We moved here about a month ago, and I've been going there ever since then. I've never seen you there."
Victoria shook her head, "That's because I don't go there, I go to Spruce Lake."
"I've heard of it," Kate raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that where all the rich kids go?"
Victoria scoffed, "That's just because of the area it's in, it's not a private school."
Another pause as Victoria took a photo, then she spoke. "So you said you moved here, where are you from?"
"Arcadia Bay, in Oregon," Kate replied. "How about you?"
"Seattle, I was born here."
Victoria glanced at her watch and realised just how long they had dragged this part of the shoot on, by now her mother was likely already finished with Kate's sisters.
"We should really try and wrap this up soon," Victoria noted with a hint of sadness.
"Yeah, we have been sitting here talking for a while, haven't we?" Kate replied, "It's been fun."
This doesn't have to be the last time I see her. I could give her my number. Would that be weird?
...
Giving your number to some random client's daughter, that's totally weird.
...
Fuck it.
"We could," Victoria paused for a moment, "We could keep talking after this if you wanted to. I could give you my number."
Kate looked surprised briefly before she beamed at Victoria, "That'd be great! You could show me around Seattle a bit, I still don't know the city well. I don't have my phone with me right now though, so you'll have to just ask Max for mine."
"Would you not be able to just write my number down?" Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I could, but you did say you were going to try and be nicer to Max. Having an excuse to talk to her will make that easier, won't it?" Kate responded, still smiling sweetly.
Victoria suppressed a sigh as she returned Kate's smile, "Yeah, you're right. I'll make sure to ask her."
Talking to Max is a small price to pay, I suppose.
"Alright, we'll only need one last picture. Can you pose like you did earlier, please?"
Kate straightened her back and smoothed out her skirt, gazing up at Victoria with a prim smile as she raised the viewfinder to her eye.
Victoria took the shot after briefly pausing to take in Kate one last time. At the start of the shoot, the smile she gave the camera seemed practiced and ill-fitting, but the smile she gave the camera now was genuine.
The knowledge that she was responsible for that change made Victoria feel something indescribable, some bizarre mix of joy and nervousness.
Victoria sat across from her mother, who was slowly clicking through a folder with all the photos Victoria had taken that day in it.
They had been sitting in complete silence for almost ten minutes as Catherine peered at the photos through her glasses, occasionally scrolling to zoom in and observe finer details. Victoria felt as if she was laid completely bare, awaiting the scathing critique that her mother was surely thinking up as her eyes glanced over every picture.
God, I always hate this part of doing a shoot. You always know that there's some sort of criticism coming.
"You did well today, Victoria. Your grasp of lighting and composition has seen a definite improvement, though you do still leave something to be desired when it comes to posing your subjects." Catherine continued, folding her glasses and setting them aside as she spoke, "And I have to commend you on how you handled yourself around a difficult client like Mary. You displayed patience I doubted you had."
Without the glasses in the way, Victoria was exposed to an unfiltered view of Catherine's cold green eyes staring down at her. She held her breath and awaited the usual barrage of ruthless nitpicking that would follow the initial handful of backhanded compliments.
Here we go.
"Still, I would have preferred if you did not purposefully agitate her in the process."
Excuse me?!
Victoria narrowed her eyes, "How exactly did I 'purposefully agitate' her?"
"She asked me the question, and I am still your superior despite the fact I appointed you to direct today's shoot. You electing to answer that question could have soured her opinion of this studio had you not conducted yourself as you did today."
"Oh, okay," Victoria leaned back and gave a sardonic smile, "So, you don't trust me to conduct myself properly now?"
"Victoria, I do not care for your tone. I am speaking to you as your superior and you shouldn't be eager to take that tone with your mother, either."
Victoria bit her tongue and said nothing as she glared at her mother.
"Now that you're finished with your little outburst, I will continue," Catherine said flatly, "In addition to preferring you did not agitate our client I would have also preferred if you had avoided spending so much time with her daughter. We have no policies against fraternizing with clients, but the delay in you finishing with Kate did nothing to redeem your image in Mary's eyes."
Oh, come on, she was only five minutes later than was expected!
Victoria tried to ignore the urge to roll her eyes, "Noted."
Catherine put her glasses back on and looked back at the screen, "You may leave for the day. Our only booking was Mrs. Marsh - a privilege she paid extra for - so you can also tell Courtney she's free to go. I'll be home in a few hours."
Looks like she's going to be here until 7 pm again. What does she even do when there's nobody else here?
Victoria stood up and walked out of her mother's office, quickly making her way to the reception desk where Courtney sat.
Courtney looked up with a smile as Victoria approached, "So, did it go well? The preacher from Hell looked happy when she walked out of here."
"Kind of? I'll tell you more once we catch up with Taylor. We're done for the day according to my mom."
"Oh?" Courtney raised an eyebrow, "Is she staying here until late again?"
Victoria glanced over her shoulder at the door to Catherine's office before looking back to Courtney, "Seems like it."
"Hey, I'm not complaining," Courtney said as she picked up her bag, "The shoot went kind of well according to you, it's Friday, and we get to leave early. Drinks are on me!"
As they were sitting outside the studio waiting on Taylor to come and pick them up, Victoria started texting back and forth with Max.
Me - 4:31 PM: I met Kate Marsh today. She said to ask you for her number.
annoying hipster intern - 4:33 PM: Hey Victoria! I'm just waiting for her at the tea shop
annoying hipster intern - 4:34 PM: Once she gets here I'll give her your number!
annoying hipster intern - 4:34 PM: How did the shoot go? I know what her mom can be like.
Me - 4:34 PM: I feel like meeting Mary Marsh once was one time too many, but the shoot went fine. You can ask Kate about it if you want more details.
Taylor's car pulled up by the studio. Victoria quickly typed out another two texts before she got in.
Me - 4:35 PM: Have to go, my friend just got here.
Me - 4:35 PM: Text me Kate's number when she arrives, please. Enjoy your tea.
annoying hipster intern - 4:35 PM: I'll make sure to! You should join us sometime
annoying hipster intern - 4:35 PM: Speak to you later, Vic!
Me - 4:36 PM: Let's just stick to Victoria for the foreseeable future. I don't like nicknames.
annoying hipster intern - 4:35 PM: Got it!
As she sat in the back of Taylor's car Victoria smiled to herself. Even though the day had ended up being so stressful, there was a silver lining.
And as it turns out, that silver lining had a name: Kate Marsh.