He tried to concentrate on other things…watching the shapes of buildings…listening to the rumblings outside the window…anything to take his mind off of where he had been and where he may be headed. That's when he noticed someone staring at him. Across the aisle. A very well dressed woman. Even carried a briefcase. No matter. He didn't know her and knowing his luck, he wouldn't get to know her.

Some seats opened up in the front of the car and the gentleman next to him moved. The woman from across the aisle came and sat down next to him. He didn't notice at first. Then she tapped him slightly on his arm.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. What would she have to ask him?

"Have you ever done any modeling?"

He shook his head no.

"Have you ever considered doing any modeling?"

Again, he shook his head no.

"I usually am not this forward, but I think you have very classic features. And your eyes…..they are quite captivating-like they could look right through you!"

That comment made the man smile. He wasn't used to getting compliments from women-beautiful women too.

"I appreciate the compliments, ma'am. I really do. I just have a problem with people walking up to me and asking me such personal questions without figuring out there isn't something that's in it for them. If you don't mind, I'd rather be alone."

"Ok. I understand. You're not stranger friendly. I can deal with that. But I would hate to see you pass up an opportunity. Here's my card. If you're ever in the New York City area, please look me up."

The lady left and returned to her seat. He glanced down at the business card she handed him. Where he came from, people didn't have 'cards'. It said:

The man smiled. "Model! Hmmm!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Staring out her office window was something that was becoming a habit for one Amanda Cory. It had been 6 months…or was it more?..since she left Bay City and relocated Brava's main office to New York. Her mother had given her blessing on the move. Amanda couldn't stay in Bay City any longer. Too many memories.

The backers..the advertisers…were using more and more of her time. She was flying to the city more often than she was spending it in Bay City. She finally decided. New York would be good-for Brava and for her.

Having been distracted long enough with the noise and activity outside, Amanda was startled back to reality by the knock at the door.

"Miss Cory?"

"Yes Paige?"

"Carson St. Jeune is here to see you."

"Send her in, by all means!"

The door flung open and Carson St. Jeune entered a room like only she can!

"Amanda….it is so good to see you."

"Carson-no one knows how to enter a room like you do. No one!"

"And where has that gotten me? Just the head of the largest modeling agency in Manhattan, that's all!"

"Carson…you are so full of……."

"Amanda! Now you watch that kind of talk."

"Ok Carson….enough of the suspense. Have you thought of an idea to launch Brava's Valentine issue next year? I don't have much time left to present something to the board and I don't want the same thing every year. Bachelors..bachelors..bachelors!! B-O-R-I-N-G!!"

"Maybe if I was on the payroll, I'd come up with ideas for you!"

"You know I appreciate your help. You've been a friend to me longer than I can remember. You're the reason New York is like home…..so….have you…come up with any ideas I mean??"

"As a matter of fact I have!!"

"And?" Amanda couldn't help it. Her curiosity was piqued.

"What about an issue featuring romantic men and women from the past…..from movies….television shows….literature…..things like that….we bring in fresh faces……people who catch your eye with one look….you like??"

"I like it….I like it a lot! Where do you come up with ideas like this?"

"I was inspired this morning. I took the train in. While I was sitting there, I saw this man. God! He had the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. And this look. This raw, untouched look. That's the look you want. Hell, it's the look I want!!"

"And…" Amanda said.

"And what?"

"Did you talk to him? Anything?"

"I gave him my card."

"You didn't!"

"I did!"

"Carson! You think he'll call?"

"God, I hope so. That's the look your Valentine's issue needs. That face. Those eyes…hmmm…. If he'd let me, we could make lots of money together."

Amanda mumbled under her breath…"That's probably not all you would do together."

"Amanda Cory I heard that!"

The women laughed. Amanda grabbed her pocketbook and they left for a well-deserved lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After walking a few blocks from the station, he came upon his brother's apartment building. Walking inside and checking the mailboxes, he saw his name next to number 727. Taking the elevator up, he wondered what his brother would say after all this time. Much has happened since the last time they saw each other.

He was a little apprehensive knocking on the door. It didn't take long for his brother to answer.

"Cam? Is that you? It's about time you got here! I almost called the FBI to begin a house to house search for you!"

"Gary?" Cameron asked. The man standing in front of him was definitely his brother. Tall, dark, features like their mother. But, with a propeller hat on his head.

"Yeah, it's me, little brother. Come on in. Rest those tired feet!" Gary took Cameron's bags and led his into the living room. Cameron looked around and was surprised-very surprised at what he saw there.

Toys! Everywhere you looked. Toys, toys and more toys. Where there weren't any toys, there were designs for toys.

"Since when did you develop this interest in toys?" Cameron wondered.

"My! It has been a long time since you and I have talked, hasn't it? Check this out!" Gary showed him a picture of himself and the CEO of Tinker's Toys taken sometime last year. Under the picture was the caption, "Tinker's Toys welcome aboard its' new president and creative consultant, Gary Sinclair."

"So you're into toys now? What's that all about? All I can remember you talking about since we were kids is wanting to be a cop. Did you give that dream up now or what?"

"Well, Cam….the dream changed, or I changed. I was about to start the academy back then. I had done some private detective work for some people here and it was ok, I guess. Then one day I had to investigate this alleged 'family man' and saw what his deeds had done to his wife and kids and that made me think. About ma…and what our father did to you. To me. And I knew what we all missed as kids. Cameron, we didn't have half the stuff they have now. He never allowed us to have fun. So, I started to play around with some of the contraptions that were in my apartment. A friend recommended I take them to the head of Tinker's Toys and the rest…. Well….you know that!"

"I hope I find a fairy godmother like you did!" Cameron remarked, plopping himself down on the sofa.

"You will, Cam. You will."

"I did have someone approach me on the train with an interesting offer today!"

"See? I told you!" Gary answered, sitting down besides his brother.

"I was minding my own business, trying to get a little rest, I guess…when this woman sat down and started talking to me!"

"A woman, huh?" Gary started to laugh. Cameron too.

"Yeah-a woman. Pretty one too. Gave me this." He showed Gary her business card.

Gary read it and asked Cameron how to pronounce her name.

"It's Carson St. Jeune. Like the month."

"And she wants you to be a model? YOU?" Gary couldn't stop laughing. Cameron laughed at first, then was getting a tad annoyed at his brother.

"So….you think I can't do it? What's so hard about that modeling stuff anyway? You stand in front of a camera and they take pictures. I can do that. For the right price anyway!"

"You think it's that easy? I should have you talk to a friend of mine. Met her a few months after I came here. She runs a magazine. She'd give you the lowdown on modeling."

"No thanks. Never took that woman seriously anyway. I don't want to be another pretty boy. That's not me. That's not who Cameron Sinclair is."

"Then why don't you tell me who he is? I know the boy, Cameron Sinclair. But I want to know the man."

"Then let's go catch something to eat and I'll fill you in…on everything!"

Gary grabbed his coat and he and Cameron headed down the block to Steakhouse 100. Gary told him they served the best T-bones this side of the Mississippi. During dinner, Cameron told him about his life after he left the Sinclair farm. He was fairly successful in construction, until he hurt his back in a fall. When he couldn't do much lifting anymore, they tried to stick him behind a desk, which definitely was not Cameron's 'cup of tea'. Cameron reacted the only way he knew how and decked his boss, sending him to jail for a few days.

After that it was difficult to find steady work, everyone labeling Cameron a 'risk'. He decided to try his hand at landscaping and liked the fact he worked outdoors. But the work was mostly seasonal and while it paid well, it lasted only a few months. He was good at it, he told Gary.

"And that led me here."

"Here….why? After all this time? Not that I am unhappy to see you. Seeing you again is like having the answer to a million questions I never knew I had!"

"I know. I agree. I just needed to settle a few things in my life before I head up the ladder of success like you are doing."

"And I can help you do that?"

"You ARE my brother!"

"Your older brother and don't you forget it!"

"I won't. But I need to make peace with you."

"Why? You never did anything to me. I should be making peace with you. After everything he did to you. And I just stood by letting it all happen."

"Gary? What could you do? We were both in that house. We saw what was going on with ma and we couldn't stop it. I tried. You tried."

"Cam..listen. We can't do anything about the past. But we can make damn sure the way our father lived doesn't affect us now. You're a different man. I'm a different man. Let's say we go from here forward, and not look back."

"But Gary….how can you forget what he did…"

"I can't….but I can learn from it. And I think I've done that. Sounds like you've done it too…….but enough about that…..tell me more about this mystery woman you met on the train. A looker, huh?"

"Definite possibilities there. Not for me though. Not my type."

"And what IS your type?"

"Are you the only one who gets to ask all the questions here? Tell me about this woman…the one who runs this magazine. What's it called?"

"The magazine? Brava! It's called Brava."

"What kind of name is that? Brava….and what about this woman? "

"Oh she presents some interesting possibilities too."

"What's her name again?"

"Amanda Cory. Beautiful woman. Nice too. You'd like her."

"NOT! I'm not into those business types. Too uppity for me!"

"You think so?" Gary just shook his head and smiled some. ……."Hey Nick! Another round for me and my brother!"

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During the next week, Gary and Cameron rediscovered what it was like to be brothers. They took in a few sporting events; Gary even took him into the office and showed him around. Cameron was pleased at how well Gary was doing. Gary even tried to arrange dinner with Amanda Cory but work always seemed to get in the way. Cameron began to wonder if there really 'was' an Amanda Cory in Gary's life. "We're friends..just friends!" is all Gary would ever say.

One Monday while Gary was called away on business-he did much of his work at home since Cameron came to town-Cameron wandered about the city, checking things out. He came upon a small, intimate bakery and sat down for a bite to eat before looking through the want ads. He had just ordered his granola and yogurt parfait and orange juice when a familiar voice tapped him on the arm.

"Well, hello again!" It was Carson St. Jeune. "Cameron is it?"

"Good morning. Would you care to join me?"

"So, you're stranger friendly now are you? That's marvelous! Thank you. I would love to join you." Carson sat down next to Cameron with her croissant and cup of coffee. "Have you given any thought to my offer?"

"And what offer was that?" Cameron kept eating and by this time had picked up the want ads. He wanted to find a job, quickly…hopefully something to do with landscaping.

"Modeling. You would be perfect. You've got the face. And that quality everyone is looking for."

"Miss St. Jeune, I don't want to appear rude. Truly I don't. But I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Please. Call me Carson. You have what they call 'the' look. Raw. Untouched. New. It's the look all magazine CEO's want and they pay big money for it. Interested?"

"Frankly, Carson…. I'm someone who loves to work outdoors. With my hands. I can't get into this 'me, me, me' mentality that most models have. That's not who I am!"

"What can it hurt to take a few pictures? Let me pass the finished product around…make a few well-placed calls, and see what happens. It can't hurt and it will only be a few hours out of your day."

"Fine. If that's all it takes, fine." Cameron and Ms St. Jeune finished their breakfast and off they went to a photo session.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The photographer was not scheduled for another hour or so, but didn't mind coming in as a special favor to Carson. Besides, he could use the extra money.

Cameron couldn't believe all that was going on. He had to change his clothes what seemed to be a million times. He shied away from the make-up. Carson, too, thought she wanted to go with his natural look.

Head shots…..full body shots….shots with a shirt…shots without a shirt…shots both inside and outside! Finally it was done.

"It won't be long to develop the proofs. We can then pick out some of the best and see what happens next." Carson was very pleased. The photographer even told Cameron he thought things went well. Cameron wasn't so sure. This business wasn't for him.

He was getting anxious. Sitting around was not a specialty of his. He thought this would only take a few hours and it had all ready monopolized his entire afternoon. Cameron was about ready to leave when Carson came out of her office.

"Just look. Look at these!! They are gorgeous!! Look at your eyes. Now I know why they say eyes are the windows to your soul. Beautiful. Just beautiful!" Carson was looking at something she was holding with a magnifying glass.

Cameron couldn't see anything. They were so small. Carson explained they were just proofs and she would have them enlarged.

"Cameron, I am going to create your portfolio here. I know you're not into this modeling thing just yet. But when you see the pictures…when people in the business see these…..you will know what success feels like. They're going to love your look!"

"Whatever you say. This has already taken up too much of my time. I need to find steady work. I can't live with my brother forever!"

Cameron gave Carson Gary's phone number and address. Yes, he did want to see the pictures once they were developed but he still was not convinced that this was the thing he wanted to do with his life. He thanked her for her generosity and left the agency.

As soon as Cameron left and the pictures were in the hands of qualified professionals, Carson placed a call to her friend Amanda.

She was not at the office-some kind of emergency with the press, Paige said. No matter. She left her a message.

"Amanda. It's him. I found him. The one for the cover of your February issue. One look at him and he'll blow you away!"