Drop Dead Gorgeous

A Model’s Life

“I would die, just die, for these cheekbones, darling.” The stylist’s enthusiasm gushed through his aura as much as it emerged from his mouth, his perfect set of veneered white teeth as flawless as his own makeup, hair and carefully selected hipster casual button up, vest and dark wash jeans, the single gold earring in his right ear flashing with a well-sized diamond accent. “Honestly, and these eyelashes.” He’d already finished applying a thin layer of mascara, discarding the false set someone else had handed to him while I fought my amusement, observing my transformation in the brightly lit interior of the white tent where a collection of other locals—all of us recruited for this interesting activity of what amounted to being background props for the “real” models—chattered in their own excitement while trying on items from the racks of clothing assembled behind me. “Girl, how old did you say you were? Twenty-four?”

I allowed myself a grin at last, knowing Valiant Oslo was only being sweet—much as his heavily dosed cologne. He batted his own false lashes at me, the liner he wore so flawless I had to imagine it was somehow applied without a human hand behind it. “Forty, and thank you for the compliment.”

When Georgia agreed to join her young neighbor, Holly Henry, as background for a pro photo shoot, she wasn’t expecting to have to trade her glamorous dress for a pair of gloves when one of the crew on the set dies during the session. With the victim’s nasty personality creating multiple suspects, Georgia discovers beautiful photos can hide ugly secrets. Welcome back to the Whitewitch Island Paranormal Cozies!