Chapter Text
"If you're not wearing Madej then you might as well not wear anything" Sara Rubin, the most esteemed writer for the most esteemed publication in LA , said in the fifth interview Ryan had clicked on that evening.
This was the woman he needed to impress. So far he's learned that she's eccentric, professional and apparently very picky with her clothes.
What she's wearing could be considered a 'problem pattern' dress but it’s the right kind of problem pattern. Like it knows it’s an eyesore and yet you can't look away as the detail is so stunning.
Ryan had never been a fashion guy, he kept everything practical for LA weather or for working in the crappiest office ever. Never taking bold moves.
Hell he didn't even know what wearing Madej meant.
But if he wanted to be someone Ms. Rubin noticed, to stand out in the crowd of people vying for her attention, and a spot in her publication, he needed to do everything he could to play to her just short of kissing her ass.
Although judging from some the interviews he watched she hated ass kissing. So he just needed to make the right first impression, and let his work speak from there.
He needed, god help him, to wear Madej.
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Madej's clothing line was certainly ..... expensive.
Who was he kidding it was crazy rich expensive. The suits alone cost more than a years worth of Ryan's rent. How the hell was he supposed to wear Madej when he didn't have the money for it.
Ryan scrolled through the Madej website, looking for even a dumb accessory for him to afford, to at least show that he had taste. The pieces varied so drastically, switching from pedestrian chic to high concept artsy clothes to a classical approach to different pieces. It was like Madej had no defined direction with his clothes, simply made whatever took his fancy.
Admittedly some of it did look quite cool. The designer seemed to have gone through a denim phase and some of the jackets looked pretty awesome. Ryan also noted that none of the models wearing the clothes were ever alike, different genders, ethnicities, body sizes. As sporadic and diverse as the clothing itself.
And yet it was all so expensive.
Ryan wrote fluff pieces for a woman’s health magazine he wasn't exactly rolling in dough. And the website in which he ran his 'Unsolved' series wasn't a hub of interest outside of the select few oddballs like him who found stuff like murder interesting.
He needed to get into Rubin & Pan publications, to run the stories he actually cared about. To have his voice heard and respected.
But how the hell was he supposed to wear Madej?
He gnawed on his lip as he stared at the Madej Fashion denim collection, racking his brain for someway he could do this.
Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he spotted something familiar. Or rather someone.
That was Eugene! That was definitely Eugene modelling a faux leather and denim jacket, no shirt on underneath.
Ryan maybe had a few calls to make.
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"The latest batch of models sir" TJ said, laying the resume's on Shane's desk. Shane barely looked up from his sketch book, furiously trying to get the fucking pink to work with him.
Pink.
The bane of Shane's existence. He'd seen a dumb internet post, of Trisha goddamn Paytas of all people, wearing the most hideous pink track pants he'd ever seen and since then the colour had haunted him.
He'd had several yards of different plain pink fabrics brought into the office/warehouse so that he could see how it moved, how looked in the light, the different textures and tones.
It happened to him on occasion, he'd get fixated on one specific thing. He'd gone to a country show and did a denim line. He'd visited his grandmother and the gawdy overthrow on the couch had such unique almost tacky pattern that he'd produced several dresses with the same feel to them. His stint in velvet had nearly sunk his business with how difficult it was to keep pristine but dammit he did it.
And now pink.
It was alluding him, what he wanted to do with the colour. He wanted it somewhere, wanted a collection that was defined by the colour and yet couldn't get any of his creations to work.
He practically threw his pen on the floor, the bodice he was working on quickly becoming uninspired and shabby.
A deep breath in, a deep breath out.
He reached his hand to grab his long since cold tea, forcing it down his throat and convincing himself that he didn’t need the bitter caffeinated coffee that he so desperately craved at all hours of the day. He promised himself he'd cut it out, become more mellow.
He was more mellow, most of the times, but his current project was testing that chill vibe he was going for.
He sighed and picked up the resumes, only three or four this time. Shane was selective in his models and the pre-vetoing Quinta did usually helped to narrow it down to people he'd actually want wearing his clothes. He didn't care for the classic beauty, the perfect measurements, the strong jaw. He wanted someone who would wear his clothes and not have his clothes wear them. They were clothes after all, what else were they for.
He shuffled through the first two, both returning clients that Quinta might have thought would look good in pink. He could see it he supposed, he knew what had worked on both of them so maybe it would make the creation process easier.
The third resume had stopped him dead in his tracks.
Over the years Shane had seen a plethora of attractive people. People who would be considered the most beautiful or handsome in the world. And yet none had quite stolen his breath like this guy.
Ryan Bergara.
Shane threw aside the other resumes opening up Bergara's fully, taking out the mug shots and body shots. He was in good shape, attractive for sure. There was one mug shot in particular, that put emphasis on the model’s big brown eyes, making him appear soft and inviting, warm almost.
The next mug shot made him look fierce and professional. The body shots sure were nice as well. Those arms were nothing to laugh at. Maybe to drool over.
Shane had never had such a reaction to a model before. He kept it so professional, had been so dedicated to his own work for nearly five years now that he didnt have the time or the energy to find people attractive.
Shane drew his eyes from the guys pictures and instead looked at the resume. It was ... bare to say the least.
He was a crime journalist with no previous modelling experience. There was certainly something weird and yet oddly alluring about this Bergara guy.
Dammit Quinta knew how to pick the ones that would pique Shane's interest. Slightly weirder resumes tended to be his favourites. Some of his best models had come of out those.
A glance back to Ryan Bergara's pictures had sealed it for him. How could he not at least see what this guy was made of? Why the hell he was suddenly taking up modelling and why was Madej Fashion his first stop?
With a new vigour Shane returned to work, the pink inspiration practically flowing out of him as he filled with determination. The sooner he had a garment made the sooner he could see Ryan Bergara in it.
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He got the call, he actually got the call.
He, Ryan Bergara, normal average joe schmoe, got the call to model at one of the hottest fashion brands on the market right now.
With no previous experience.
His mom must have been praying for him extra hard in the past couple of days because this had to be some sort of miracle from on high. He wasn't a model and yet now he technically was.
It was kind of insane.
The first person he told was Eugene who'd helped him put together his modelling resume, calling it a favour for a favour as Ryan had written a rather dazzling fluff piece on him a year ago that helped up his number of callbacks.
"You bastard! You seriously just got the job, no grueling interview or embarrassing interactions with Alexander Madej himself?" Eugene asked, sounding as disbelieving as Ryan felt.
"No, they just said I got the job and needed to come in Monday for a fitting" Ryan explained, sort of dazed that it had really been that easy. This was it though, his one way ticket to impressing Sara Rubin and finally getting a job he actually cared about.
"Bergara I want you to know that I'm happy for you but I also want to wring your neck. Do you even know how many times I put my resume into Madej's before I even got a callback?" Eugene asked, frustration evident in his voice. Ryan couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Maybe Madej likes short guys" Ryan teased causing Eugene to scoff.
"Madej is a goddamn giant! EVERY guy is shorter than him" Eugene informed him. Ryan didn't know what to do with that information but he catalogued it away for later anyhow.
"I hope you kill it Ryan, no like literally fall on the runway and break your neck so I can take your job. I heard he's going through a pink phase as well so lucky you" Eugene told him, humour in his voice.
"Wait what?" Ryan asked, panic suddenly setting in.
Eugene, bastard that he was, simply laughed and hung up, leaving Ryan to his thoughts.
Pink huh?
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"Isn't a pink suit a little..." TJ trailed off as Shane presented his ideas to him.
"Tacky, gaudy, tasteless?" Shane filled in, raising an eyebrow, as if daring his assistant to agree with him. TJ, unfortunately for Shane, was too used to his ways and simply rolled his eyes.
"All of the above and then some. I mean how the hell are you gonna class up a gaudy pink suit?" His PA asked skeptically. Shane handed over his sketch pad to show him one of the finished products.
TJ looked at it for a moment before his eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"It's good right?" Shane asked, eager to hear some feedback. He had more in the sketchbook, half finished ideas that he couldn't possibly finish until he got his model's sizing.
"It's ... specific" TJ said, voice rising a little, a clear tell.
Shane's heart sunk to the floor. If TJ didn't like it then how the hell could he put it on Rya- on the model?
"You hate it" Shane said, reaching the notepad ready to tear it out and start again.
"No no, its a stunning suit it's just, you've never done your sketch models this specific before. At least not before seeing them. It looks good on ... whoever you've drawn it on. But we need to market it to the masses sir" TJ reminded him, tucking the sketchpad under his arm so that Shane couldn't take it back.
"The models inspired, yes, but the suit speaks for itself I think" Shane replied albeit a little defensively. Truthfully he had gotten carried away when drawing his basic figure. He'd started with good intentions and yet as he continued on subtle things began working themselves in, like biceps that where a little bigger than he usually drew, a jaw that was a bit more specific in its shape than just a quick slant on paper.
Still the suit had turned out perfect. An all over pink wool and cashmere blend suit which give the suit a rigidity it might otherwise lose with silk or linen although those fabrics would be ideal for L.A's whether. He'd added a tarten pink blend to the inside, the pocket and even at the upturn of the cuffs for just a hint of eccentricity. The pant had thin barely noticable light pink and a slightly darker pink strips that from a distance would appear all one colour but the upclose the detail could be noted. He paired it with a classic white dress shirt and the same pink tartan tie. to match. It was a bit cartoony but subtle enough to be passed off as classy on the right person.
Namely Ryan Bergara.
TJ made his leave, giving Shane one last weird look before doing so. Shane just had to hope his assistant wouldn't make the connection between the drawing and the soon to be model of the suit.
And perhaps all of the pink line.
Although TJ didn't have to know that for now.
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Ryan arrived Monday morning in the nicest dress shirt and slacks he owned which weren't all that nice. He had showered, cleaned up his stubble, applied deodrant, applied cologne, applied deodrant again and then fixed his hair to the best of his ability before leaving to face his first day as a model.
Self-consciousness had finally kicked in the night before. Sure Ryan knew he didn't look too bad but he wasn't model levels either. It wasn't like he was Eugene, who was effortlessly handsome.
And then there was the matter of the pink. Now Ryan didn't care that pink was considered a more feminine colour, and he's sure anything Madej made would be the highest fashion pink the world had to offer. His problem came in the fact that he didn't think 'take me seriously oh great and powerful Sara Rubin' and 'Pink' went hand in hand.
Maybe he was wrong. But then he couldn't say he'd feel all that confident and handsome rocking a ken doll prom suit.
The building he arrived to was very 'New York'. The exposed brick, multiple floors and the pure implication that behind the glass doors was an entire world renowned fashion brand made his Californian head spin.
"We're not in Kansas anymore Toto" Ryan muttered under his breath as he straightened himself up, prayed to God to keep his sweat under reasonable control and strode as confidently as he could into Madej Fashion HQ.
The interior was stunningly modern. Everything clean and white with colour being added by blown up framed pictures of the various publications Madej pieces had presumably been featured on. The receptionist at the desk was a bored looking blonde man that could easily have been a model with his handsome set face, strong jaw and general aura of 'I'm meant to be here and you're not'.
Ryan timidly made his way over to him. The man barely looked up from his computer at Ryan's arrival.
"Um.." Ryan said, unsure what he was supposed to do. Finally the blonde dragged his eyes up to Ryan, looking unimpressed.
"Can I help you?" He asked, voice deep and monotonous.
"Ugh.. I'm Ryan Bergara, I was told to come in today for a fitting" Ryan explained, trying his best not to sweat under the guys intense gaze.
He reached down into a drawer, presumably to press a panic button to get security to escort Ryan out.
Instead of being booted out onto the street the receptionist pulls out an access pass.
"Take the elevator to the basement, you'll find Steven down there annoying someone about something" The blonde told him, rolling his eyes like Steven was annoying him just by being mentioned.
"Thanks" Ryan said tentatively, taking the access pass and making his way over to the elevator, mind reeling with all the new information being presented to him.
The elevator opened and someone was already inside, an almost impossibly tall man with messy hair, a pair of dark rimmed glasses with a simple flannel and jeans on. So far of everything Ryan had seen in the building this guy appeared to be almost too normal for a place like this.
Ryan stepped in, giving the stranger a polite nod before pressing the button for the basement.
The guy looked at Ryan with wide eyes, practically staring at him.
God, did he stand out that much?
"F-first day on the job" Ryan explained reaching a hand up to rub at his neck awkwardly. It was one of his nervous ticks, of which he had a couple. Ryan was a pretty nervous guy.
The tall guy coughed, a faint pink dusting his cheeks, probably embarrassed at being caught staring. Which was fine considering Ryan was pretty embarrassed at being stared at.
"I couldn’t tell you're ... I mean, you're a model right?" The guy asks, not looking Ryan directly in the eye and oh wow.
Wow that was a pretty in-fucking-credible compliment to get.
"I mean yeah, technically, though this is kind of my first day ever. I'm Ryan by the way" He introduced himself, turning the charm on a little. Hey, if he got laughed out when they realized he had no idea how to model at least he might leave with a cute guys number.
A guy that instantly thought he was a model... holy shit that didn't happen to Ryan everyday. Or, like, ever.
"Shane" The guy says holding out his hand. Ryan takes it and gives it a firm shake, noting the strength of Shane's grip and how much bigger his hand was than Ryan's.
"Nice to meet you" Ryan said, flashing the guy one of his best smiles. The guy turns a little red but offers his own back. The elevator had been moving but Ryan barely noticed, it dinged open at what appeared to be the top floor.
"I'll see you around Ryan" Shane said, giving him a wink that left Ryan a little weak kneed if he was honest with himself. The elevator door closed and Ryan presumed that would be the last he saw of Shane ever.