"Well, let's say I'm hellip; well hellip; zoftig, I guess."
"Are you Jewish, Peaches?"
"What?"
"That's a Jewish expression, zoftig," he said. "But Muldoon isn't Jewish, is it?"
"No, no. I'm Irish."
"Red hair, I'll bet."
"How'd you guess?" she asked, and laughed.
"And isn't that a faint Southern accent I detect?"
"I'm from Tennessee originally. I didn't think it still showed."
"Oh, just a trace. Which is why zoftig sounded so strange on your lips," he said. "Well, I'm sorry you're not a model, Peaches, truly. We're paying a hundred and twenty-five a hour, and we're shooting something like two dozen pages, so this could've come to a bit of change. Do you work full time as a nurse?"
"No. I do mostly residential work."
"Then you might be free to hellip;"
He hesitated.
"But if you're not experienced hellip;"
He hesitated again.
"I just don't know," he said. "What we're looking for, you see, is a group of women who are mature and who could be accepted as everyday housewives. We're not shooting any glamor stuff here, no sexy lingerie, nothing like that. In fact hellip; well, I don't really know. But your inexperience might be a plus. When you say you're a zoftig type, you don't mean hellip; well, you don't looktoo glamorous, do you?"
"I wouldn't say I look glamorous no. I'm forty-nine, you know."
"Well, Sophia Loren's what? In her fifties, isn't she? And she certainly looks glamorous. What I'm saying is we're not looking for any Sophia Lorens here. Can you imagine Sophia Loren in a housedress?" he said, and laughed again. "Let me just write down your dimensions, okay? I'll discuss this with the ad agency in the morning, who knows? You said five-nine hellip;"
"Yes."
"A hundred and twenty pounds."
"Yes."
"What are your other dimensions, Peaches? Bust size first."
"Thirty-six C."
"Good, we don't want anyone who lookstoo , well hellip; you get some of these so-calledmature models, they're big-busted, but very flabby. You're not flabby, are you?"
"Oh, no."
And your waist size, Peaches?"
"Twenty-six."
"And your hips?"
"Thirty-six."
"That sounds very good," he said. "Are your breasts firm?" he asked.
"What?"
"Your breasts. Forgive me, but I know the ad agency'll want to know. They've had so many of these so-called mature models who come in with breasts hanging to their knees, they're getting a little gun-shy. Are your breasts good and firm?"
Peaches hesitated.
"What did you say your name was?" she asked.
"Phil Hendricks. At Camera Works. We're a professional photography firm, down here on Hall Avenue."
"Could I have your number there, please?"
"Sure. It's 847-3300."
"And this is for the Sears catalogue?"
"Yes, we begin shooting Monday morning. We've already signed two women, both of them in their late forties, good firm bodies, one of them used to model lingerie in fact. Do me a favor, will you, Peaches?"
"What's that?" she said.
"Is there a mirror in the room there?"
"Yes?"
"Does the phone reach over there? To where the mirror is?"
"Well, it's right there on the wall,"
"Stand up, Peaches, and take a look at yourself in that mirror."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because I want an objective opinion. What are you wearing right now, Peaches?"
"A blouse and a skirt."
"Are you wearing shoes?"
"Yes?"
"High-heeled shoes?"
"Yes?"
"And a bra? Are you wearing a bra, Peaches?"
"Listen, this conversation is making me a little nervous," she said.
"I want your objective opinion, Peaches."
"About what?"
"About whether your breasts are good and firm. Can you see yourself in the mirror, Peaches?"
"Listen, this is really making mevery nervous," she said.