Page 70 of Sweet Thing

It all sounded a bit whacky, and having seen the garments with their straps, cords, and enlarged pockets, it looked a bit crazy too. There were diverse, urban weekend clothes: anoraks in raspberry, navy, and teal; sports jackets in mustard, hookers-green, and royal blue, black leather coats with secret baby carriers on the back. The babies were to be dressed in matching garments and attached to the daddies in such a way that they fitted, chameleon-like, into the design.

The male models lined up for the walk-through without their babies in tow, and practiced their timings, counting steps as they walked the circle and then down the runway to the tip of the arrow. Pieter watched Simeon as he walked ahead of him, and even though it was nice to do this as a one-off, he realized that he did not miss this life. He looked at the line of pretty boys, their eyes wide with hope. Fashion was a hard life. It was hard to submit to being an object, and even harder on the self-esteem. As he considered the other models, Pieter knew that he’d made the right decision to quit. No matter how much Veronik wanted to put him back out, Pieter was happy with his simple life and loving family. He was content being a baby daddy. Simeon, on the other hand, had always got off on the attention from photographers, designers, make-up artists, and hair stylists. When they began modeling together, Sim had loved being primped and groomed until he looked the best he could look, even if what was happening internally was a slow-motion car crash. But now, sober and clean, Simeon was much quieter backstage than Pieter remembered. He wasn’t full of frenetic energy and buzzing around people like an agitated bee. Simeon had always become restless, and then he would vanish for a while. Pieter knew he was off giving or getting head. What else was there to do when Sim was surrounded by hot ass! But this time, a more subdued Simeon did not need to chase anyone’s tail or disappear for a little illicit fun.

After the walk-through they were ordered back to the model's room to wait to be called. Pieter had lost track of Sim, but when he found him, Simeon was sitting in the middle of the soundproofed Mother-and-Baby room surrounded by toys and babies. The mothers cooed over Simeon, and the babies clambered on him like he was their very own jungle gym. Pieter had never seen anything like it.

“If you ever want a new career, maybe training as a nanny might work for you!” Pieter scoffed.

“Nah. These guys are all my little buds, but I couldn’t look after a kid full-time. That would send me crazy”, he admitted steadying a chubby, red-headed baby as he rose on wobbly legs and gripped onto Sim’s arm.

“Hey, there little buddy. You’re doing so well with the standing practice”, he said. The baby boy erupted into peals of laughter, laughing so much that he lost his balance and sat back on his ass.

“You’re with Gretchen and Dan for hair. You have two minutes to extract yourself”, Pieter informed with a snicker.

“Okay, I’d better make it quick before they notice I’m gone.” Simeon picked up and handed three babies back to their mothers and left the room ringing with howls of disdainful tears in his wake.

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It had taken an hour and a half from the walk-through to hair and makeup, and then dressing.

“Oh my gahh’d your skin looks amazing”, Simeon enthused when Pieter was released and told to join the line-up.

“You don’t look too bad yourself”, Pieter replied, relieved that Simeon had no after-affects from his detour to St Hedwig’s three days before. Bastian had looked after him well.

The models were at least in their mid-twenties. The hipster daddies had natural beards, and there was a range of builds, from stick-thin to athletic. It was controlled chaos when Sandrine and Julien called them to line-up. The models stood in the order they had been given earlier, and then the moms and babies were called and stationed beside their allotted ‘daddy’ models. Some of the guys held their babies and were getting on well, other babies were fractious, and so the mothers were waiting until the last moment to attach the child to the daddy by whatever means the look required before he stepped on stage. It was a delicate balance.

Eight-month-old Lukas Bayer sat up in his father’s arms. He appeared alert and curious about all of the sound, color, and people rushing around him. His cheeks were as red as rosy apples, and his blond hair stood up like the bristles on a hedgehog. He held a teething ring, and when he gnawed on it, drool ran down his chin. Luckily, Uncle Simeon was on hand with a muslin cloth, which he draped over Pieter’s shoulder to prevent the garment he wore getting slimed. Oscar was sitting at his mother, Erika’s hip and each time Simeon tried to engage him the baby whimpered. Simeon was getting a little bit anxious. He knew this would happen.

François Masculo attended the lineup, eyeing each model up and down, directing his assistants to make last-minute adjustments. Simeon and Pieter were to open and close the show, and there were five minutes until Pieter stepped on stage and made his grand entrance. He was dressed in a blue floral shirt, green dungarees with a large transparent PVC kangaroo style front pouch that was situated just below his chest for balance. His blond hair was loose, and flowed down his back. Simeon was in the same garments but different colors. Pieter was about to take Lukas from Emily’s arms and sit him in the transparent pouch, but he heard a distressed wail from Oscar, who was being handed to Sim. Pieter turned, and the distress in Simeon’s eyes at seeing the dark-haired baby bawling alarmed him. He thought for a split second that Sim might freak out. There was one person who always calmed Simeon.

“Here, why don’t you take Little Bird, I’m cool with Ozzy,” Pieter suggested.

“But they’re wearing the wrong outfits; we don’t have time to change them,” Simeon replied, his voice edged with anxiety. He did not want to walk with a screaming baby strapped to his chest. The stage manager, Sandrine, was listening in for the ‘standby’ and ‘go’ cues on her headset.

“Julien, ask Mr. Masculo to come to the top of the line, we have an urgent situation.” she said into her mic. Oscar’s mother took him aside and tried to calm him with his favorite bear. A minute later, the designer was in front of Pieter listening to his suggestion. He made Simeon and Pieter stand side by side. He pursed his lips and scowled. Pieter was blond and blue eyed, wearing hookers-green. Sim’s hair was raven black, his eyes chocolate brown and he was wearing carmine red. Masculo clicked his fingers at his assistant who reached for blond Lukas. He was passed like an accessory to the assistant who then, taking the designers instruction, gave him to Simeon. Lukas’s green dungarees worked in counterpoint with the carmine red Sim wore. Then, dark haired Oscar was passed to Pieter. The baby didn’t kick up a fuss at all. His red outfit stood out against the green background of Pieter’s ‘daddy’ garments.

“Yah, this will work,” the designer decided abruptly, and then sauntered off back down the line of models to continue his perusal.

“Thank gah’d for that!” Simeon sighed with relief as Lukas was strapped into the transparent pouch at the front of his dungarees. Lukas called to his father as if saying ‘look at me’ as he was placed in the PVC front pocket with just his head, shoulders, and arms protruding, and then strapped in. Simeon wrapped his arms protectively around the baby.

“Okay, one-minute guys; remember, you are encouraged to smile and interact with the babies as you walk. No stiff faces”, Sandrine said. A shrill of violin cut the chatter as the classical music score began, and the audience hushed. And then on cue, Pieter, clasping Oscar, stepped out and onto the runway.

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In the blink of an eye, Simeon and baby Lukas had done their first walk, and as they both returned through the woodland silhouette, the hipster daddies were lined up, ready to walk next. There was only a thirty-second interval between each model stepping onto the runway, so Simeon rushed to the dressing area where Emily stood awaiting Lukas. He unclipped the baby, who seemed to enjoy his first outing as a male model and handed him to his mum, who undressed him quickly. Three dressers stripped the clothes and boots from Simeon and dressed him in his second outfit. Pieter was already dressed, and Gretchen was checking his make up, then Oli preened Pieter’s hair before letting him go to the end of the line-up with Oscar. Simeon joined him a minute later.

Lukas was returned, dressed in a little three piece suit, matching Simeon’s. Sim stood beside Pieter and Oscar, who were also suited. They were on the cusp of stepping out on stage together. This was it; this was the end of three years of hell for Simeon, and also a new beginning. Lukas jigged happily, strapped to Simeon’s chest as if they were parachuting together. He wriggled his arms and legs and giggled, and the innocence of the child brought Simeon to reality. People in the fashion industry took themselves far too seriously. Simeon decided there and then that he would have some unplanned fun.

The final model returned, and Sandrine cued Simeon and Pieter to step out. They stood in the tree line for a moment as the music changed, and then they gave each other a knowing side glance and held hands. The photographers in the pit went crazy, and bulbs flashed and popped. Lukas bobbed up and down in the sling suit clapping his hands in time to the jolly music. Oscar gnawed on his fist, and his eyes widened with all of the flashing lights. On cue, they walked the circuit. Simeon saw Bastian in the front row, beside Pieter’s mother and father. Bastian was standing to applaud with the crowd. He wore a tight black T-shirt with B.R hearts S.D printed in white script across the chest. Simeon thought he should have been embarrassed by the ridiculous public display of affection, but it was such a romantic thing to do that he couldn’t be mad with Bastian for going through with his threat to wear a personalized T-shirt. He was just relieved Bast hadn’t brought a banner.

The models stopped at the tip of the arrow runway. This was the moment Simeon had been waiting for. He pulled Pieter’s hand and leaned in closer, then kissed Pieter on the lips. Simeon felt Pieter’s shock at the unplanned kiss, but then he relaxed and went with it, feeling the light of camera flashes, and hearing lenses clicking. Pieter’s lips were as soft and yielding as Simeon had dreamed, and he tasted of apples.

Pieter smiled into the kiss, knowing Sim had done this on purpose to add to the spectacle. He heard the applause from the audience and saw the flash of photographers trying to get the ‘money shot’ of them. The image of two male models kissing with their babies in tow would be flying around the world via the internet before he and Sim had even left the catwalk. Pieter drew back and looked at Simeon who wore the most self-satisfied grin. They had come full circle, not only on the runway but in their friendship. They’d been through some devastating times together, but their bond was still strong.

Simeon took in the adulation of the crowd and struck his signature poses. His heart felt huge as the rush of adoration from Bastian, Pieter and their friends registered. This kind of love was a drug Simeon never wanted to be without. He was deeply grateful that no one had abandoned him, and so, with everyone working to ensure his continued health and happiness, it would be wrong to fight it. Simeon blew a kiss to his partner.

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