April laughed and glanced down at her watch. "Come, let’s go. The models are going to start pouring in here in the next fifteen minutes. We need to have our butts glued to our chairs ten minutes before."
"Alright, alright!" I conceded, grabbing one of Christine's notebooks off her desk. "I'm coming."
* * *
By the time we got to the auditioning room, I was at least somewhat versed on how to judge the models.
Of course I can pick who I think has the best body, but I was told to give preference to those that were in a particular age bracket and had an edgy look. They had to be fit, but not overly muscular.
The auditioning room was large, with brick walls and clothing racks lining the perimeters. A table, where the judges were sitting, was at the back of the room, and a large platform where the models would be standing was erected in front of it.
April and I made our way to the table. I quickly greeted Gabe and my coworkers and then sat down beside April in the middle seat. After a moment of discussion, the auditions began.
"Bring them on in," April called, clapping her hands together.
"Oh, I so can't wait for this," Gabe said excitedly, wiggling in his seat.
Oh god, I thought. Gabe was going to have a fucking field day with this.
On April's command, one of the waiting interns opened the doors and a line of men wearing just white underwear flowed into the room.
Though I'd seen men in their underwear before, I couldn't keep from blushing at all the bared flesh before me. And bulges. So. Many. Bulges.
Just keep repeating to yourself they're all gay, I told myself. So you don't get any ideas to procreate.
It was hard, though, with so much temptation in front of me. This type of job definitely was not for me. And if I was having trouble focusing, Gabe definitely shouldn’t be here.
Chiseled jaws, chiseled thighs, chiseled abs everywhere. Perfect, white smiles. Almost too perfect.
April smiled at the first round of men that lined the platform. "Thank you all for coming. The wonderful Mrs. Christine Finnerman couldn't be here today, so her right hand assistant, Victoria, will be sitting in her place helping us judge. You all will be judged by certain criteria that Christine is looking for right now. If you’re a good fit, you'll be called back in. If you don't hear back from us . . . well, you can always try again next time. Christine is always changing what she’s looking for, so don’t get discouraged if you’re not chosen.” April looked around at all the young, half-naked men. "Any questions?"
Most of the them shook their heads.
April smiled wider. "Alright, let's begin. First man up! Please state your name before walking down the runway."
"Aubrey."
Aubrey was a skinny blonde guy, with high cheekbones, blue eyes, and an average package . . . though we weren't supposed to be judging bulge sizes. Besides that, he certainly fit the bill, but I wasn't too impressed by him.
Aubrey walked down the platform onto the runway with an awkward gait, his expression stoic and lifeless. He posed for a moment and then walked toward the judges, turned, and then made his way back onto the platform.
April scribbled something on her notebook and I wondered if I should be doing the same.
"He's too skinny," Gabe whispered. "Even by industry standards."
"Well?" April pressed me. "We don't have all day, Vicky. You gotta be quick."
"I wasn't impressed," I admitted finally, feeling sick to my stomach.
April nodded and then turned to beam happily at the young man. "Thank you for coming, Aubrey. You'll hear back from us if you’re selected.” I watched her cross the young man's name off the list as he walked off.
"Don't worry about it, honey," Gabe whispered to me, seeing the trepidation on my face. "That guy will find work with one designer or the other. And stop worrying about judging these dudes. They got into modeling to be judged on their looks and bodies, and if they can’t handle it, they don’t need to be in this business."
Gabe's words did little to ease me of my anxiety as the next guy stepped up.
"Jake."
Jake was tall and auburn-haired with a masculine jawline and a toned body. I had to admit that I liked what I saw.
He walked down the walkway with a smile, winking at the judge table before walking back. Even his butt was cute.
"He's a keeper," Gabe whispered immediately.
In thought, April chewed her pen for a second and turned to me. "What do you think?"
"I'm with Gabe, but are we supposed to sit here and discuss them all or can we just scribble down our thoughts and move this along?”
April stared at me for a moment before shaking her head. “Just trying to get you used to it all, honey.” She turned her head to Jake. “Thank you, Jake.” She smiled at the handsome man. "Next!"