3/7 (Gaëlle)

Part I

“Paul! Look, I understand you need to finish this shoot, but I told you last week when you took over my portfolio that I just can’t work tomorrow. I’m sorry!” She wasn’t sorry. She was actually just annoyed. She had this tendency to get annoyed with other people when she didn't get what she wanted. In fact, this was the second time this week– her first week on the job– that she yelled at her manager. Perhaps having slept with him during her hiring process just didn't get her the under-the-table perks that she'd wanted. Oh well. No major loss.

There was something about Gaëlle that just spelled luck, like this job, for instance. She had come out to Anaheim, California just last Wednesday ago to visit her brother. On Monday, she took a trip out to LA to do some shopping that she’d wanted to do since she was a little girl. Lo and behold, her luck seemed to have followed her out to LA because that one thing that every girl dreams of actually happened to her: walking down the street, Gaëlle was offered a modeling job.

Naturally, she had wanted this since she was a little girl, but had wisely written off the possibility long ago. That said, it didn’t take her more than a half second to accept the job. She figured that it was too good an opportunity to pass up, even if the future of it was more vague than not. Her family back home had expected her back after a week’s visit with her brother, but due to extenuating circumstances, they had actually all come out to Anaheim. None of them had seen it coming, but last Friday, Gaëlle’s brother had in fact had an accident and passed away shortly after Gaëlle’s arrival.

While her parents were grieving, Gaëlle was busy submerging herself in the modeling industry; makeup, lighting, posture-perfection, and even off-stage demeanor were the priorities on Gaëlle’s list. That said, she knew that she had to attend her brother’s funeral. She left the studio a little early on the day before the service because she was annoyed with her manager and felt she was entitled to a few liberties.

Once at home in her off-the-cuff apartment, Gaëlle made herself a quick martini and plopped down on the sofa. She noticed the blanket smelled of the cigarettes she would steal from her roommate, Eva, knowing full well that Eva kept track of these things but would never voice it. The worst thing about Eva so far was that she was blatantly passive-aggressive. Even that was ok, because she wasn't around the apartment so much. Eva was either always working as a waitress or knocking on Paul's door, trying to get Gaëlle's job (and Eva thought she was oblivious!). With all of this in mind, Gaëlle really didn’t mind smoking Eva’s cigarettes. If karma existed, it would come around eventually. For the time being, however, karma was out of sight and out of mind. 

The next day, Gaëlle woke up earlier than usual to spend a little extra time doing her hair and makeup: the funeral was, after all, a formal occasion; and although she asked, her personal beautician would not come over to the apartment to do her makeup for her.

The funeral went by as one would expect: Gaëlle’s mother looked something like a zombie: empty and speechless. Her father expressed something between anger and confusion. Her parents were clearly shocked, and Gaëlle simply didn’t know how to act around them. There was one thing that caught her eye though. There was an unusually handsome young man standing alone and very close to the casket. Tall and blond with high cheek bones, he acted as if he had known Gregoire very closely.

Gaëlle used the blond man’s demeanor as a pretext to go meet him at the following wake. As she approached, she caught his eye and he walked up to her as if it was his mission. He introduced himself as Lucius, adding a wink and saying that his friends called him Lucky.

Gaëlle slept in the next morning and missed saying goodbye to her parents'. She took her time getting up, and Lucky made coffee for the both of them.

Part II

By their six-month anniversary, Gaëlle still didn’t know that Lucky was having an affair with Eva. For better or worse, Gaëlle just didn’t pay that much attention to her roommate anymore. If she had, she would have noticed that Eva had seduced Lucky, and that despite Gaëlle being a model, Eva was in fact quite good at taking things from other people.

By their one-year anniversary, Lucky told Gaëlle that he was leaving her for her roommate, and that he didn’t want it to be uncomfortable, that everyone should just try to be an adult about the situation.

On the morning after the breakup, Gaëlle got a call from Paul, her manager, explaining that she'd been cut from the agency; they'd found someone "easier to work with." As she hung up the phone, Gaëlle noticed Lucky leaving Eva's bedroom and pretended to be busy making breakfast. When the front door clicked shut, Eva came out of her room, joined Gaëlle in the kitchen, lit up a cigarette, and winked at Gaëlle as if to say “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”