“It might be something he’ll have to prove in court,” I tell her.
“His attorney is already insisting on blood alcohol level reports.”
I just shake my head. What a mess. It’s something that could’ve been avoided. Should’ve been avoided. But what point is there in saying this now? Besides, it’s not Paige’s fault. I know she’s learned some hard lessons from all this.
“How do you feel about Benjamin?” I ask her as we’re going up to our condo unit.
“The truth?”
“Yeah. I mean this is me, your sister.”
She nods. “I know. Well, I was ready to break up with him that night. I mean, I practically said as much. But to break up now, when he’s like this? Well, it’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”
And I guess she’s making the right choice here. I mean, it might be cruel to dump Benjamin when he’s down like this, although I can tell it’s taking a toll on Paige too. But then, I remind myself, God sometimes uses hard things like this to get through to us. And Paige admits to me that she has been praying lately.
“I’m sure I don’t pray as much as you do. And I might not even be doing it right,” she tells me.
“I don’t know that there’s a right or wrong way,” I assure her. “I think it’s mostly just that you talk to God.”
“Well, I’m trying. And it even feels like God is listening. When I get done, I always feel better. In fact, I told Benjamin that he should try it.”
“Really? What did he say?”
“He said he’s thinking about it. But it’s a pretty new concept to him. I mean, he’s never gone to church at all.”
“Hey, maybe Blake could visit him,” I suggest. “They seem to get along okay. And Blake’s got a solid and strong faith that might encourage Benjamin.”
The next morning, Paige runs it past Benjamin, and he’s okay with it too. Blake went to visit him and called me afterward.
“It’s going really well,” Blake tells me. “Benjamin is really open to hearing about God. I gave him a Bible and a book about the basics of Christianity. And he was cool with it.”
One week after the car wreck, a memorial service is held for Mia Renwick. I go with Paige and we sit with Benjamin and his family. I feel a little uneasy about this, but Paige assures me that it’s the right thing to do. And when Benjamin leans over, quietly crying, I notice his bruised and cut face, as well as his arm in a cast, and I feel some sympathy for him. But mostly I feel for Mia’s family. And the service seems sad and sort of hopeless to me. I can’t imagine how her parents are feeling right now. And, as I pray for them, I remind myself that God’s mercy is far bigger than I can even imagine.
Two weeks have passed since the wreck, and Paige seems to be more like her old self, which is a good thing since we’re now planning our Paris trip. We’re at the studio, meeting with Helen and the others. I’m thinking that this might be just what we need, or rather what Paige needs. Something to distract her from Benjamin and his troubles, which seem to be piling higher daily.
“We’re structuring this trip a bit differently than New York,” Fran is telling us. “Each show will feature one French designer for an entire episode, so we really have to make these interviews count. And we’ll only do one or two actual fashion shows.”
“That sounds good.” Paige’s eyes light up with interest. “I like doing the interviews.”
“Great.” Fran nods. “We’ll also try to set something up with Vogue Paris and whatever else Leah gets lined up for us by then.”
“That all sounds fun.” Paige nods eagerly.
“And, sad as it is,” Helen says, “all this publicity with Benjamin and Mia has sparked even more interest in our show internationally as well as closer to home.” She frowns. “How is Benjamin these days, anyway?”
Paige gives a quick report about his health—other than a broken arm and some cracked ribs, he’s pretty much back to normal. “He’s taking a very serious look at life though,” she tells them. “And he’s spending a lot of time with his attorney.”
“I can imagine.” Helen shakes her head. “And we don’t want to tell you how to live your life, Paige, but we would like to encourage you to distance yourself from him a bit.”
“Paris will be handy for that,” Fran says lightly.
“I’m okay with distancing myself,” Paige tells them. “In fact, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Helen just nods then glances at her notes. “While we’re on the subject of men and romance, there is a rumor circulating in the fashion world that a certain designer might be making designs on you, Paige.”
“What?” Paige looks puzzled. “Who?”
“Dylan Marceau.”
“Oh.” Paige actually looks slightly embarrassed. “Really?”
Helen laughs. “Well, you know how rumors can be. But we thought that, if you were on board with this, we’d like for you to spend some time with Dylan in France. He’ll be doing a show during that same time. And perhaps he could sort of show you around. You know he grew up there. What do you think?”
Paige’s eyes light up now. “Seriously? That would be fantastic!”
Helen looks relieved. “Okay, Fran, see what you can set up.”
As we leave the studio, Paige is starting to bubble over. “Can you believe it, Erin? Paris and Dylan Marceau,” she says happily. “Does it get any better than that?” And suddenly she’s gushing about what she thinks is about to become the biggest trend in fashion and how Paris is the fashion capital of the world. That’s when I realize that my sister’s kite is starting to soar again. And this time, I will do all that I can to hold onto the string. I can’t control my sister or her choices, but I can try to be a good influence. And, even more than that, I can pray.
As we’re walking to the car, her optimism begins pulling me in. I realize that her enthusiasm is contagious. Before long, I’m just as happy as she is and we both begin practicing our rusty French, although hers is much better than mine. And I think, okay, this is going to be fun.
“Vive la France!” she shouts when we get to her car.
“Vive la vie!” I shout back.
Then Paige hugs me. “Yes,” she says, “Hurrah for life!”
“Amen!”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Early in the story, Erin expresses an interest in green fashion. What are your thoughts on this kind of clothing? What do you think of Paige’s opinion of green fashion?
2. Paige sometimes seems to live for fashion. Do you think that’s a good thing? Why or why not?
3. What’s your reaction when Paige and Benjamin appear to be getting back together? What would you advise Paige to do?
4. Why do you think Erin has such a problem with judging Benjamin? Explain how you’d deal with a situation like that.
5. Were you surprised when Paige got into so much trouble with the security guards at the airport? How do you think a situation like that should be handled? What could Paige have done differently?
6. Erin seems to vacillate between criticizing her sister and running to her rescue. Why do you think that is? What do you think Erin could do differently?
7. Paige sometimes seems to suffer from princess syndrome. Why or why not might this be a problem?
8. On a scale of one to ten, how do you rate as a princess? (1 = I’d rather scrub toilets than be seen as or treated like a princess. 10 = I was born to be treated like royalty.) Explain why you feel this way and what being a princess means to you.
9. What’s your reaction when Paige helps Erin to improve her fashion image? How would you react if you were Erin?
10. Who did you most relate to when the girls have their “slumber party”: Erin, Paige, Eliza, or Taylor? Describe why.
11. What was your reaction when you read about Benjamin’s car wreck? (Concern, outrage, sadness, criticism, or something else?) What made you feel this way?
12. Do you think Paige should continue her relationship with Benjamin or end
it? Why?
Preview
A NOVEL
Rendezvous
On the Runway
Melody Gartion
Bestselling Author
Chapter 1
“Not another French movie,” I complain when I see Paige setting a new DVD on the counter. “We don’t want to OD on Paris before we even get there.”
“This movie happens to be for Mom. She mentioned that To Catch a Thief is one of her favorites, and since she doesn’t get to go with us, I thought we could at least humor her a bit.” Paige proudly holds up what I’m guessing is a new handbag. “And this, little sister, is a gift from Hermès, Paris.”
“A gift or a bribe?” I question as I study the square leather purse with a silver clasp. If it wasn’t pink, I might actually like it.
“Let’s call it an enticement.” She makes a sly grin. “Not that I needed any, since I already wanted to visit Hermès. They’re at the top of my list. I absolutely adore Hermès.”
“You and Paris Hilton—maybe you were twins separated at birth,” I tease. I know the Paris Hilton connection drives Paige nuts. Especially since some celeb-trackers have compared Paige to the hotel heiress, which I personally think is rather insulting to my sister. In my opinion, Paige has more class than Paris. Not that I would ever admit that to anyone.
“For your information, Paris Hilton wasn’t the first celebrity to discover Hermès.” Paige opens the pink bag, retrieving a black and white scarf, which I assume is also Hermès. “In fact, Jackie O and Grace Kelly were both fans of Hermès decades ago. Hence the Kelly bag.”
“Kelly bag?”
She holds up her bag and gives me a duh expression. “The Kelly bag. Designed for Grace Kelly back in the forties, I think. Anyway, it was a long time ago.” Paige gets a faraway look. “What I really want is the Birkin bag.”
“Birkin bag?” I ask, at the risk of a long fashion lecture.
“Jane Birkin, the actress, you know.”
“Right.” I nod. Of course I know who Jane Birkin is. I was in film school back in BS. BS is not what it sounds like—it’s actually my new personal shorthand code for Before (the) Show. Anyway, I do know that Jane Birkin was in films during the sixties and later, and I also know she was a fashionista too. Sort of like Audrey Hepburn, but not nearly as popular. “So Jane Birkin has an Hermès bag named after her too?”
“Only the most popular, most expensive, and hardest to get handbag of all time.” She shakes her head sadly. “The waiting list is, like, years.”
“Even for you” Paige gives me a slightly catty smile. “I suppose we’ll find that out in Paris next week.”
“Maybe you’ll totally wow Monsieur Hermès and he’ll design a special Paige bag just for you.”
She laughs. “For starters, there is no Monsieur Hermès. Not as in a designer like Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren. Hermès was originally a family-owned leather company. They made saddles in the 1800s.”
“From horses to handbags,” I say with irony. “Fashion is so fickle.”
Paige places a finger under her chin as if thinking. “Come to think of it, there is a Monsieur Damas-Hermès, but I don’t think he’s a designer per se. He just runs the company. And he’s one of the richest men in the world.”
“Will we meet him?” I’m not sure I even care, since I’m not that into money, but it might be interesting.
“I doubt it.” She picks up the DVD. “So anyway, back to tonight’s plans…I thought we’d do something special for Mom, since it’s only three days until we leave for Paris, and I could tell she was feeling bummed last night when we watched An American in Paris.”
“I thought it was because Grandpa had always been a Leslie Caron fan.”
“That’s what she wanted us to think,” Paige replies. “Really, she wishes she could go with us. She even tried to get time off from Channel Five, but there’s no way.”
“Too bad she didn’t take Helen Hudson up on the offer to help produce the show back when she had the chance last December.”
Paige shakes her head. “No way. I would not want Mom producing for us. I love her, but I don’t want to work for her. Besides, she’s as fashion-challenged as you are.”
“Thanks a lot.” I make a face at her.
“At least you’re learning, Erin. Not that Mom couldn’t catch on, but she loves her news job. And what about Fran? She totally gets the show. Can you imagine Mom and Fran working together?”
I nod, knowing that she’s right. “So what are you going to do that’s so special tonight? I mean, besides the movie.”
“I ordered dinner from Patina and I thought we’d set a really pretty table and do candles and flowers—the works. Then we can watch To Catch a Thief.” She frowns. “Although I’d rather watch Funny Face again. That’s such a great Paris movie.”
“You mean because it’s all about fashion?”
She sighs. “Fashion and Paris and Audrey Hepburn…it doesn’t get much better, does it?”
I chuckle. “Well, I’ll admit that I did like Funny Face, but that had more to do with the photography focus and Fred Astaire’s dancing skills. Plus the fact that Audrey’s character was more into philosophy than fashion. I could appreciate her reluctance to become a model.”
Paige points her finger at me. “Come to think of it, her character was a lot like you.”
“As a matter of fact she was, at least in the first part of the movie. I could sort of relate to her.”
“And you know…” Paige squints at me as she makes a frame with her thumbs and forefingers. “You even kind of look like her.”
“Oh, yeah, sure.” I shake my head.
“Seriously, Erin, you really do. You’re both petite and you both have that pixie sort of face, big expressive eyes, dark hair.”
Now I just laugh. “Okay,” I say cautiously, “what do you want from me?”
She makes a face. “I’m serious, Erin. You are an Audrey type. I can’t believe I never noticed it before. That explains why you look so great in those little black dresses.” She frowns. “But maybe we should change your hair. Then you’d really look like her.”
“I don’t think so.”
She takes my chin in her hand, tilting it up. “Really, I’m surprised I didn’t see it before, Erin.”
“Well, thanks,” I say quickly. “I think. But you have to admit that I’m not nearly as skinny as Audrey was. Do you think she was anorexic?”
Paige considers this. “I don’t really know for sure, although she nearly starved during World War two and that probably took its toll. I’ve always adored Audrey Hepburn, and she was and is the most fashionable woman ever, and every single thing she wore instantly became haute couture. That might not have happened if she hadn’t been so thin.”
“And see—” I point my finger at her. “That’s one thing about fashion that makes me want to scream and pull my hair out. Stick-thin models. Seriously, if we interview any stick girls in Paris, I might not be able to control myself from asking them about their health and eating habits.” I kind of chuckle. “Or maybe I’ll just bring in a bunch of croissants and pastries and sit there and noisily pig out in front of them.”
Paige presses her lips together with a slightly creased brow. “You know, Erin, that’s an interesting angle. The skinny trend had really been changing a couple years ago. Several designers even banned overly thin models from their runways. Now that I think about it, though, it seems like some of them went back to their old ways. Especially internationally. You know, maybe we should do a show that specifically addresses this issue.”
“Seriously?”
She nods eagerly as she picks up her cell phone. “I’m going to call Fran right now and see what she thinks.”
“What about dinner? Is there something I can do?”
“You could run and get some flowers. Something Parisian-looking, like you picked it up from a street vendor, okay?”
“What about Jon?” I ask. Jon and Mom have been engaged for
a couple of months, but already he feels like family.
“Don’t worry. I already invited him. He even offered to pick up dinner on his way over. We’re aiming to eat at eight. Is that okay?” She’s got the phone to her ear now.
“Sure.”
As Paige begins explaining to Fran about my anorexic models story idea, even giving me credit for thinking of this angle, I grab my bag and head down to my Jeep, trying to remember where the closest florist shop is located. The only one I can think of is a few miles down the freeway and it’s commuter traffic time now. Still, it’s the least I can do, considering Paige has already put this Parisian dinner plan together for Mom. I’m impressed that she cared enough to go to this trouble. My sister used to be a lot more self-centered and selfish. But I can tell she’s changing. And that’s pretty cool.
It hasn’t always been easy being Paige Forrester’s little sister. It’s even harder playing Camera Girl, Fashion Flop, or even Jiminy Cricket, as our producer, Helen Hudson, likes to call me, since a big part of my job is keeping Paige out of trouble. But sometimes it can be kind of fun, and I am actually looking forward to Paris.
Yet, at the same time, I wonder just how needed I’ll be on our reality show now. Because, to everyone’s surprise, Paige has really grown up a lot in the past couple months. She’s taking life more seriously, taking responsibility for more things both at work and at home, and actually thinking about others. I realize it’s greatly due to Mia Renwick’s tragic death on Oscar night. Talk about a tough wake-up call for everyone. For a few horrid hours, we actually thought it was Paige who’d been killed in the car wreck. That’s a night I never want to relive.
Paige had gone to a party with Benjamin after the Oscars, but when they were leaving and she found out he’d been drinking, she refused to ride with him and called a cab. Then Mia made the fatal mistake of getting into Benjamin’s car. Now Benjamin has been charged with vehicular homicide but, according to Benjamin, both he and Mia had been drinking. He claims Mia actually caused the accident when she lost her temper and physically laid into him while he was driving in the Hollywood hills, even grabbing and twisting the wheel right before the accident occurred. Benjamin says that Mia was still enraged over their breakup several weeks earlier. Apparently the evidence is starting to support Benjamin’s side of the story too, because witnesses reported Mia was acting hostile when she and Ben left together, and her blood-alcohol level in the toxicology reports was very high. Ben’s blood alcohol, however, was under the legal limit when the police arrived and administered the Breathalyzer. Also, according to Paige, the police said the skid marks at the scene of the accident match his story—it appears someone changed the direction of the vehicle very suddenly.
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