Color Blind
Copyright© 2026 by Evie Olivia Niven
Chapter 2: Model
“What do you think, Xandri, should I go for it?”
Startled, Xandri turned her attention to Janice, who was studying a piece of paper. She glanced over her friend’s shoulder at the paper; it was an advertisement for an artist who was looking for a model. If she hadn’t been waiting for Bea, she wouldn’t get stuck in this. Xandri didn’t like it when her friends asked for her opinion on this sort of thing. She thought it was such a waste of time.
“It’s up to you,” Xandri answered, shrugging.
“But it’s Quinn Wolfe,” Janice sighed.
“Is he famous or something?” Xandri asked.
Janice stared at her. “Of course he is! Well ... maybe not quite as much as he used to be. But still ... he’s supposed to be dreamy!”
Xandri fought to keep from rolling her eyes. So what? she thought. Is he a good artist? That’s what’s important. She turned away from Janice and finished packing her camera away. As she was doing that, Bea approached, heading down the ramp from the second floor. Bea was a petite redhead with a figure even Xandri envied. She had a camera with her, as well, and a folder full of pictures she said she wanted to bring to her friend.
“You’ve got to come with me,” Janice said, grabbing Xandri’s arm.
“What? But ... but I can’t...” Xandri stammered, pulling her arm away. “I’m going with Bea.”
“Where are you going?” Bea asked Janice.
“Look,” Janice replied, handing the paper to Bea.
Bea read it over, then smirked. “Why don’t we go with her, Xan?”
“I guess...” Xandri said, frowning.
Bea flashed a smile that said she knew more than she was letting on. I’d better just go with it, Xandri thought, sighing. She followed Bea and Janice out of the building and down to Janice’s car. This was not how she wanted to be spending her afternoon. Fortunately, it was, at the least, a short ride. Their destination was a large house in the suburbs. That’s a beautiful house, Xandri thought, eyeing it wistfully. It must be wonderful to live in there.
She trailed behind Janice and Bea as they headed to the door. Janice had no problem going up and ringing the doorbell. She chattered anxiously until the door opened. Xandri stared at the man standing in the doorway. It’s him! she thought, her eyes widening. From the club! His hair was down and it was kind of messy, but she wouldn’t ever forget that face. Or those eyes! So pale blue, like the color of the sky in spring.
“Can I help you?” the man asked, looking them over curiously. “Oh, Bea, hello. Alanna’s upstairs.”
“Right,” Bea said, grinning. “Come on Xan ... Xandri? What’s wrong?”
She knew she was staring, but she couldn’t help it. This was the man she’d kissed at the club, and Bea knew him! He looked straight at her, his eyebrows raising, and Xandri felt her cheeks burn. She took a step back, dropping her gaze to her toes, which scuffed at the ground nervously.
“I ... I’m sorry...” Xandri stammered. “The other night ... I shouldn’t have ... it was a dare, you see...”
The man’s eyebrows rose further. “Excuse me?”
“Oh!” Janice exclaimed, suddenly realizing. “Is he the one you kissed, Xandri?”
“Yes,” Xandri said, at the same time the man said, “No.”
Bea started laughing. Frustrated, Xandri looked over at her and scowled. What’s so damn funny? she wondered, glancing from Bea to the man and back again. The man was laughing too, now. He turned slightly, enough to look back into the house.
“Hey, Quinn!” he called. “You’ve got visitors! Get down here!”
Confused, Xandri stared into the house. Soft footsteps came from within, and then another man stepped into the doorway. Oh my, she thought, unable to keep herself from staring. There are two of them! This new man, Quinn, looked just like the other, except his hair was a bit shorter and pulled neatly back. Also, he wore a pair of glasses. These he took off as he inspected him, and when his eyes fell on Xandri, they widened slightly in recognition.
Janice turned to stare at her. “You kissed Quinn Wolfe and you didn’t tell me?” she hissed.
“I didn’t know!” Xandri said defensively, lifting her hands. “Honestly, I didn’t.”
“You have been busy, haven’t you?” the first man teased.
“I’m Janice,” Janice said, cutting into the conversation and offering Quinn her hand. “I saw that you were looking for models...”
“Right,” Quinn said.
His eyes lingered for a moment on Xandri, then he turned and headed back into the house, beckoning for Janice to follow. Xandri’s heart was pounding so loudly that she was afraid that someone else might hear it. She glanced at Bea, who was still grinning, then at the other man. Feeling like she ought to do something, she stuck her hand out.
“I’m Xandri,” she said. “Uh ... Alexandria Thomas...”
“Alastair Wolfe,” the man said, taking her hand. “Quinn’s my twin, as you can no doubt see.”
To her surprise, Alastair lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles gently. She felt her face turn red, and suspected that even her freckles were blushing. Bea was grinning at her still. When Alastair turned and led them into the house, Xandri followed in a daze. She didn’t snap out of it until a girl came bounding down the stairs. She had light brown hair, shot through with streaks of honey gold, and her demeanor was bouncy and cheerful. She looked to be only a year or so younger than Xandri herself.
“Bea!” the girl chirped. “Who’s your friend?”
“Alexandria, this is my friend, Alanna Wolfe,” Bea said. “Alanna, this is Xandri. She goes to school with me. We’re in the same class.”
“Oh, she’s the one you told me about,” Alanna said. “How are you, Xandri?”
“Uh ... um ... well...” Xandri stammered.
“She just met Alastair and Quinn,” Bea explained.
Alanna laughed. “Ah, I see. Come with me, then.”
Bea followed Alanna as she headed up the stairs, so Xandri followed them both. The house was as big inside as it looked outside; upstairs they went all the way down the hall into a room at the end. It was a big room, with a queen-sized bed and numerous bits of furniture. Everything, from the bed frame to the walls, had been carefully painted. The furniture had a more traditional paint job, but each one of the four walls was a giant mural. Looking up, Xandri saw that the ceiling was painted, too.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Bea asked. “Alanna did all of it herself.”
Xandri glanced at Alanna. “How do you live here?”
She blushed. Xandri hadn’t meant to be so rude, but Alanna just laughed. She beckoned to a giant stuffed cushion on the floor. Bea sat, so Xandri followed suit, perching there nervously. She just listened silently as Bea explained what she had learned, about Xandri kissing Quinn. By the time she was done, Alanna’s eyes were sparkling mischievously.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” she asked.
“No,” Xandri replied, scowling. “I wouldn’t have kissed him if I did. But that isn’t why I’m here...”
Alanna laughed softly. There was nothing malicious in her laughter, and Xandri found she didn’t mind. She relaxed on the cushion and found that it was just about the most comfortable thing she’d ever sat on. Something about Alanna was reassuring and comforting, and Xandri found herself spilling out her whole problem to her. When she was done, Alanna sat quietly for a moment, then nodded.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Twenty-three,” Xandri answered, blushing. “I ... I was raised in a convent. It’s not that I’m religious, I just ... I’ve never felt any need for a boyfriend or anything ... or even any attraction, really, except...”
“Except my brother?” Alanna teased. “It’s okay, plenty of girls suffer from that. But it isn’t as strange as you think, to not be interested. You’re into photography, right?”
Xandri nodded. “I love it.”
“That’s an art form,” Alanna said. “And a lot of artists don’t ever develop an interest in the opposite sex. My drawing teacher never married, for example.”
That, at least, made Xandri feel a little better. She leaned forward, propping her head up in her hands, and smiled slightly. “So, tell me about your brother...”