My Adult Gallery

# The Light Between The iced oat milk latte had gone warm in Lana's hand, condensation pooling on the reclaimed wood table at the Melrose coffee shop. She stared at her phone screen, at the two emails that had arrived within hours of each other, each representing a different version of her future. "You're doing that thing again," Sophie said, reaching across to tap Lana's wrist. "The thousand-yard stare. Very editorial, very haunted. But also very annoying when I'm trying to have brunch with my best friend." Lana looked up, tucking a strand of copper hair behind her ear. Sophie had been her friend since their first cattle-call audition three years ago, back when they'd both been wide-eyed transplants convinced that Los Angeles would recognise their potential immediately. Sophie had learned faster than Lana how this city worked. "Sorry," Lana said, setting down her phone face-up between them. "I'm just... I have to make a decision." Sophie leaned forward, her perfectly contoured face catching the late morning light filtering through the café's industrial windows. She'd just come from a shoot for a fast-fashion brand, still wearing the heavy makeup they'd applied at five in the morning. "The Derek campaign?" "And the Elena Moreno editorial." Sophie's eyebrows rose. "Wait, Elena Moreno? The Elena Moreno? The one who shot that incredible series in Aperture last year?" "The same." "Lana, that's huge. That's—" Sophie stopped herself, reading something in Lana's expression. "What's the catch?" "No pay.