The city of pavement didn�t fly by my window it crept as I was trapped in the middle of the rush hour, or should I say rush hours. I�ve already missed a meeting with the lawyer, I missed my fitting with Riana and I told Cori I was on my way. I should have been home hours ago but she�s my assistant and her only job is to cater to me. Besides, there�s food, TV, radio it�s not like she is sitting in a room with nothing but four walls. We passed the building that should have been my home. It was my first choice but I didn�t get approved by the board. Only New York City. You have to interview to get a damn place to live. If you�re too young, your income isn�t one thousand fucking percent higher than the rent and other sorts of bullshit then, �Sorry darling, we just don�t feel you and the building aren�t a complimentary match.� My second choice didn�t approve me because I just wasn�t famous enough. My third choice said no because even though they wanted people with money they didn�t want people who earned that money in front of a camera. So that meant no actors, singers and yes, not even a model. I was told to understand the value they had on privacy, they didn�t want camera crews, fans and paparazzi invading their homes.
When I arrived in New York City I was sixteen years old and I was merely happy to be in the best city in the world. Ever since I first moved to Paris all I dreamed about was when I would return to the United States so I could buy an expensive New York City apartment overlooking the water and a view of the tallest and brightest buildings in the world. I imagined sipping on glasses on chardonnay in beautiful lingerie with my handsome and rich boyfriend as I stared out my floor to ceiling window. I expected to be walking down the streets of Manhattan with loads of bags with a big hat and a pair of dark sunglasses. I anticipated walking into exclusive stores with expensive designer clothes being laid out for me and salesclerks at my beck and call but I never needed to produce a dime because everything was a gift simply for showing up and bringing publicity to their establishment. In fact, everywhere I went I never had to pay because it was either free from the store, club or restaurant or some guy, maybe even a random one, was pulling out platinum cards because I was too stunning to pay for anything. To a certain extent my life was almost like my dream and what wasn�t yet accomplished I have determined will happen within the next year.
I walked in the door to smell the intoxicating aroma of jasmine in the air, the sound of easy listening music in my ears and the sight of Cori in the kitchen preparing something to eat.
�Hi.� She called out as she wiped her hands on a towel before exiting the kitchen, �I figured you�d want something to eat. I have the dresses laid out in your room in case you want to try them on.� I didn�t say anything as I walked into my bedroom, followed by Cori, and surveyed the dresses she picked out. She actually did a good job but there is no way in hell I�m going to let her think she can, for one minute, pick out clothes like they are off the rack at some cheap knockoff department store. She wasn�t a designer, a fashion stylist or even a model. She was an assistant and no matter how much of the fashion world she had been exposed to because of her job as my assistant she still was a damn outsider,
�Cori, what did you major in at college?� She looked like she had been asked the most outrageous thing in the world. She was literally surprised, so much so, that her mouth was slightly ajar and she frowned at me momentarily,
�I have a degree in Art History.� Art History? That would have to make on a creative person.
�Well, it shows.� She smiled,
�Really how?� She took it as a compliment and if I were in a giving mood I would haven given her a compliment but I wasn�t in that kind of mood,
�Let�s just say I knew it wasn�t fashion.� I picked up a powder blue satin halter dress with a beaded skirt that stopped mid thigh, it was from the Marc Jacobs Collection and it was wonderful. I held it up after running my hands over the small beads,
�What was this for?� She walked over near the bed.
�I was thinking that would be good for the pre show party Wednesday night.� I shook my head,
�No, not at all.� Her other two choices, just like the first, were good and I didn�t bother to sink her boat any further. I�m sure my point was made,
�I take it this is for the show?� She nodded her head and confirmed as I held up a beaded silk chiffon asymmetrical dress with the tiniest spaghetti straps known to man. I placed it back on the bed,
�Riana really does have great taste.� I glanced at the third dress and it was equally impressive,
�What�s this dress for?�� It was a red Sue Wong dress and it was the first thing I wanted to try on as I began to strip out of my surely ruined dress.
It�s for the In Style after party.� I stepped out of my dress and into the Sue Wong, feeling like a million bucks, �Take that to the cleaners and see if they can do anything with it.� She picked up my dress, filled with memories of the previous night,
�What shall I say this is? I mean, when they ask me so they know how to clean it.� She must be having a damn Pam moment,
�It�s water for fuck�s sake. Call Riana and let her know I will be stopping by to pick out a few things for Vegas. Tell her I need party clothes and one dress for the pre party.� It was going to be a great time in Las Vegas, I could feel it. I was going to have the best outfit at every event I graced with my presence and I wasn�t going to get too wild. Who would have ever thought a good time for me would insist on toning down my antics? But it�s for a good reason. I don�t want to do anything that would set Steven off. I do need to take a break for a little while, if only to let the waters calm.
�When would you like to go? You have Esquire and your dental appointment.� I rolled my eyes and slipped on a pair of shorts and a tube top,
�Cori, isn�t that your damn job? If you can�t do it then maybe you need to find something else to do.� She hurriedly shook her head,
�No, no, I�ll take care of it.� It was just something about her lately. It was if she wasn�t whole-heartedly into her job as she was before. Before, she would do things and prepare my days without me having to say a word and it would always be exactly what I wanted or needed. Even down to what I wanted to eat from day to day.
After serving my dinner and remaining to clear the dishes and clean the kitchen Cori left around eight o�clock. After sleeping well into the afternoon I�m wired and I�m not even close to wanting to go to sleep tonight. I stood in the middle of my apartment and wondered what I was going to do and who I was going to do it with. I picked up the remote and flipped the television until I saw a familiar face flash across the screen. It wasn�t long before he looked in the camera and gave a perfect smile. I couldn�t help but return his smile as I stared at him and picked up the phone.
Chapter 98
Stranger Than Fiction
Stories
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