by Scott, D. D.
But power. Sheer power over her life was something she’d never felt she had. She’d simply spent a lifetime running away from or at least dodging from the power and influence her family yielded and thrived on.
It had been her tiny drawing on some fancy art pad and her carefully drawn letters reading “Running with the Big Bulls”, a logo and slogan that was soon to become her father’s brand that had set Audrey apart from her family. And thank God for that.
Oh, her family had tried to capitalize on her talent and had to a degree which, Audrey had to admit, helped her continue to grow her clientele list until she was ready to officially make a go of it with the money she’d saved from all her designs.
To show off her ad designs, logos and brands, her father had arranged for her to appear on a very popular, daytime news hour magazine. By the age of 12, she was regularly featured on the New York Post’s Page Six, the youngest and most brilliant, new darling of the ad world.
By the time she finished her business and advertising degree at Wharton, she was the go-to ad and branding queen and had amassed quite the Fortune 500 clientele. All of whom, unfortunately left her cold turkey once her father had been exposed and brought down.
But damn was she so glad she had the talent she had. That had been her only escape from her family’s fortune.
She’d gone out and made her own living. And a very good living at that.
Thanks to the internet, she didn’t need the Fortune 500 anymore. She could and was making a beyond successful online-based business doing start-up work and branding for new, small, empires-in-the-making, like Roxy’s boutique and Jules’ bakery.
And, in turn, because of their success and word of mouth, Audrey couldn’t keep up with everyone wanting to hire her. And being as they didn’t know who she really was behind the monitor and websites, she hadn’t and shouldn’t lose any of that new and prospective business.
While reliving these tiny pieces of her past, trying to convince herself that her experiences could lead to a promising future, despite all the negative stuff tossed into the mix, Audrey felt her two best friends flanking her sides, shielding her by the way they walked with her, just like the handlers had showed them how to do.
Feeling their fierce loyalty and love surrounding her and her and Damian’s babies too, a tight pinch grappled with her heart.
For all her hell right now, she was so damn lucky to have Roxy and Jules and their fabulous men in her life. And she and Damian’s children would be lucky to call these people their family. Their true family.
Audrey truly believed there were two kinds of family. The family you were born with. And the one of your heart.
Two fairy godmothers, straight from the family of her heart, now ushered her into The Bellagio’s world famous Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Chapter Thirteen
Brilliant reds, turquoises, sunny yellows and thousands of gold coins burst forth from the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ fabulous take on the Chinese New Year.
Everywhere Audrey looked, she took in the majestic, almost surreal world of the occasion.
From the myriad of Chinese children dressed in attire made entirely of flowers, to the huge Chinese man who towered to the roof at the head of the garden, she knew that Roxy had to be totally in awe of the fabrics and detailing of this gentle, peaceful looking giant and the world he guarded over.
Audrey sure was taken with it, and she wasn’t into fashion and fabrics.
“Oh look, it’s the year of the rabbit,” Jules said then laughed, motioning all of them to notice the gazillion little rabbits — also bedecked with millions of tiny flowers — peeking out from behind all the lush trees and plants.
“No wonder you’re breeding like one,” Roxy said, causing all three of them to get lost in giggles.
It almost hurt to laugh this much. Hurt because it bounced her full belly. And hurt because she hadn’t done near enough of that lately. A day with the girls was just what she needed.
They walked across a beautiful little red bridge crossing an exquisitely kept pond with amazing water features. Then wandered into what appeared to be an incense filled meditation garden.
Audrey had never seen anything like it. All these large clay pots and cauldrons, filled with what looked to be sand and large incense sticks burning with amazing aromas. She thought she noticed hints of sandalwood, cedar, and perhaps gardenia. And thank goodness she was finally at a point in her pregnancy where she could actually enjoy the smells.
“Are those pandas?” Jules asked, directing their focus above them, into the trees creating the forest they’d moseyed into. “Pandas made of topiaries and tiny seeds?”
“Oh wow, I think you’re right,” Audrey said, just amazed by the attention to detail in this place. It truly was a must-see.
Stepping into a floor area covered in nothing but Tuscan yellow mums with gigantic gold coins strategically fitted amongst the mass planting, Audrey shook her head.
And here she thought she was good coming up with all her logos, brands and slogans. But damn, these designers and horticulturists were out of this world.
They’d thought of everything and had interpreted all the unique elements of this holiday using the finest plants, flowers, trees and fibers that Mother Nature grew.
She couldn’t wait to bring Damian and their children here. And the designers had even made the paths large enough for double-wide strollers. Noting the new ways her mind now thought, she laughed all to herself.
Lush water gardens greeted them next with really cool, almost psychedelic lighting plus these beautiful trees lit with gorgeous little, what looked to be red pumpkin lanterns of some sort.
In fact, Audrey had noticed a ton of red throughout the display.
“Why all the red, Rox?” She asked, knowing the designer making up every ounce of her best friend would surely know the color’s significance.
“Myth has it that the beast these people fear is afraid of red. So they hang and use the red to scare him off and thus protect their families,” Roxy explained, suddenly arching her eyebrows like she did when conceptualizing some far-out, new design element.
“Oh, boy, I know that look,” Audrey said. “So what are you thinking?”
“Well, I was going to use a ton of red in my Chinese New Year inspired collection, but why not start with you?” Roxy asked, tapping against one of her palms the Botanical Garden brochure that she’d rolled up into a weapon worthy stick.
“Start with me? I don’t get it,” Audrey said totally lost with where this was going.
“Oh, I do,” Jules piped-in a delicious, joyous pitch to her voice that had recently been covered up probably due to her worrying about Audrey. “We’ll dress Audrey in nothing but red.”
“Yes! That’s it! I’m surprised though that you got that and not our resident genius here,” Roxy said, thumping Jules on the head with the brochure.
“Ouch,” Jules said although she was laughing at the same time she feigned injury.
“Must be the hormones messing with my mind,” Audrey said, thinking too that she usually tuned into Roxy’s brain waves way quicker than Jules.
“So yeah. You’ll be wearing nothing but red or at least red something ‘til those puppies pop and you’re outta this mess,” Roxy said, a new, even sassier edge to her already come-get-me-world stride.
“Oh brother,” Audrey said, knowing she didn’t stand a chance in hell of changing her friends’ minds.
And who knew, maybe the red would ward off the evil beasts waiting to bring her down.
“Does that mean I can quit wearing these God awful wigs? They itch like hell,” Audrey said, scratching the next spot on her scalp that was currently on fire.
“No,” Roxy and Jules said in unison, once again flanking Audrey’s sides and leading her out of the gardens for their next girls’ day stop.
• • •
There was nothing like retail therapy to lick your wo
unds.
And The Forum was more than up for the task.
Audrey took in the buying and branding power assaulting her senses, breathing in the healing scent of being back in a fabulously lit and buy-me, brand blissful Mecca of a Mall.
Underneath the mall’s sky, hand-painted a brilliant blue, Audrey stood next to one of the spirit saver Roman motif fountains dotting the lay-out, and found another respite from her live-crazy present.
No wonder these upscale boutiques were located in Caesars Palace as they were indeed fit for nothing less than a king and his court of gorgeous divas.
Walking past the enormous electric blue aquarium that served as the focal point of the section they were now in, Audrey followed the fish through their gigantic bowl, knowing exactly how they felt from constantly being watched.
It was as if she were also living in a fish bowl. A big ‘ole glass one, that she so feared would be smashed into tiny bits the next lap she made around the bowl.
“Lucky for you, I just got my Zoe Report on my Blackberry,” Roxy said, pulling up the email she subscribed to from stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe, who Audrey admitted she kind of got a kick out of herself.
“So why does that make me lucky? You’re the designer of our bunch,” Audrey said, knowing this oughta be good.
“It’s your lucky day because our doll Zoe is talking about Maternity Fashion Must-Haves today, and there’s no better place to take advantage of what she’s selected than The Forum. They’ll have everything you need right here,” Roxy said, not even looking up from her Blackberry, apparently scoping the report.
“I have everything I need right here with you two,” Audrey said looping her arms through Roxy and Jules’ hoping the little fishies in the tank had super fabulous friends like she did while fighting the faces waiting on the other side of the glass.
“Thanks for that, Honey,” Jules said, squeezing her hand. “So where to first, Ace?”
“Zoe says Audrey needs to focus on what she’s wearing because that can really affect her overall mood and comfort level,” Roxy said, still with her head buried in her Blackberry screen.
“Kiss boots ring a comfort bell there, Sista,” Audrey couldn’t help rubbing that old wound between them.
“Nice,” Roxy said taking just a moment from her screen to narrow her eyes and glare at her. “Point taken.”
“All right you two, so what else does she suggest?” Jules asked, starting to step between them like she often did, but evidently remembering the handlers’ orders, quickly moving back into position on Audrey’s exposed side.
Audrey felt a slight chill plop onto the top of her heart, watching as once again her family’s past controlled her future and how she lived in her present. And now, even how her friends lived too.
“Zoe says definitely long tunics, flowing blouses and ponchos for the top. So I got that right,” Roxy said running her fingers through the big ass fringe she’d sewn onto Audrey’s shawl-like poncho.
“Brilliant like we already knew you are,” Jules said. “Keep going, these boutiques are calling our names.”
“Ooooo. This one is good. Both 7 For All Mankind and J Brand make maternity jeans so those are a must-find today. Let’s see what else. Ohhhh…”
“Uh, how did we get from your gushing ooooo to your quite depressing ohhhh?” Jules questioned, a devilish grin apparently unable to be stopped from spreading across her perfect mouth.
“Zoe says shoes should be…ummm…flats or wedges.”
With that, Audrey and Jules were both giggling with glee.
“Okay, Wise Asses, one little fashion blunder, but I’m dead on with the rest,” Roxy said shoving her Blackberry back into her huge ass purse that could be mistaken for carry-on luggage.
“I have a feeling you’re going to be dead,” Jules said between stifled giggles, “if you give Audrey another pair of boots like those bad boys.”
“Whatever. We’ve got shopping to do before we’ve got to be back to meet the boys for dinner and the show,” Roxy said. “Chop chop, Chicas. The boutiques await us.”
An hour later, Audrey and her chicas, were deeply entranced in the back of one of the posh boutiques in The Forum, cussing and discussing which pair of Zoe Report-approved, “oversize sunnies” Audrey should buy to hide her tired eyes.
Well…okay…so the sunnies would be for hiding more than tired eyes in Audrey’s world, but it helped to think it was just a maternity necessity and not a personal safety must-do.
Suddenly, Audrey’s attention was taken from the sunglasses on the table by what she swore were bright flashes of light.
She turned in the direction of the flashes — the front of the store — and dropped the pair of glasses she’d just picked up, not giving a shit if she’d broken the beyond pricey sunnies.
Everywhere she looked, paparazzi lined the storefront windows, their horrendously bright bulbs flashing a million times per second.
She could hear them chanting, calling and begging for someone to “just look this way”, “c’mon, Baby, just one shot”, “over here, please, just one quick-one over here, “what are you buying”, “is that for the babies”.
Hearing something about her babies for a second time, Audrey dropped to the floor, panic-stricken, trying to wedge herself and her huge stomach under the sunnies’ table.
She heard both Jules and Roxy gasp then felt Jules fall down beside her, covering her back with her body and placing her hands on the back of Audrey’s wig which was now sideways on her head.
Screw hiding with them, however, Roxy evidently had another plan. She stomped towards the boutique’s windows, shouting profanities and back-off-asshole warnings the whole way there.
“Oh, it’s okay, Dear,” Audrey heard a soft, velvety smooth voice drift past her, in what she swore was a French Canadian accent.
Then, she caught a wonderful note of the woman’s fragrance, which surprisingly didn’t make her sick. Flowers and incense were okay smells now, but Audrey still had trouble stomaching rich, heavy colognes and perfumes. But this fabulous floral concoction was somehow soothing her wild, wild nerves.
“Really, Dear, it’s quite alright. I’ve learned to just give them their shot and be on with it. At least they won’t chase me through the rest of the mall. They’ll be on to someone else,” the gorgeous woman said, her silky smooth, auburn hair in a pony tail, the rest hidden underneath a man’s style fedora.
“Is that really her?” Jules whispered in Audrey’s ear while they remained nestled together under the table.
“Are you thinking Celine Deion too?” Audrey asked, hardly able to get the name out of her mouth, not because she was star struck but rather because she couldn’t adjust her breathing after fearing those camera-carrying beasts were after her.
There must have been fifteen to twenty photographers lined up along the window, Audrey noted, partially clearing herself from the underside of the table.
Roxy was standing in the window display, face-out, cussing a bad ass blue streak at all of the paparazzo, ‘til Celine, or her look-alike twin, came and stood beside her to graciously wave to the paps.
The paps went crazy. And Audrey couldn’t help but laugh.
Those pictures, with Celine on one side of the photo and a gaping mouthed Roxy on the other, would be fabulous to use in Raeve’s publicity. Plus, fabulous for her scrapbook.
“Take a picture of that from our side of the show, will ya, JuJu,” Audrey said, now laughing so hard she swore she’d pee her pants.
“Will do, Audie. I don’t think we’ll ever see her that speechless again,” Jules said, whipping out her digital camera and snapping away.
Chapter Fourteen
Well, Jules was definitely right about that, Audrey decided, while enjoying — really enjoying — an amazing meal at The Bellagio’s Circo restaurant.
Roxy was far beyond speechless now.
With each added description and detail she relayed about their fish bowl boutique experience, Audrey’
s table of friends and handlers erupted with additional laughter.
Audrey could hardly eat her food, despite the immense culinary delight of every bite she devoured from her plate.
If Roxy didn’t stop her revelry soon, Audrey would have a ton more than pregnancy heartburn to deal with. She’d never been able to laugh that hard, while eating, without really upsetting her digestive process.
Roll on the floor laughter for her, resulted in Rolaid moments. And being as the medical jury was still out regarding the safety of using Rolaids during pregnancy, she wouldn’t take the unnecessary risk for the twins tucked away inside her. The heartburn would get its way tonight. And she sooo didn’t want to be miserable for the show.
She’d been looking forward to seeing Cirque du Soleil’s O ever since they’d arrived at The Bellagio.
And Damian’s suggestion - to get ‘em all in the mood for the acrobatic circus they were about to see, by dining at Circo with all its European carnival-like, big top décor - was a totally terrific start.
The restaurant’s atmosphere was a true celebration of the heart of big-top bonanza. With the added bliss of The Bellagio’s Fountain Spectacular right outside the window serving as the backdrop to their table, the night was starting out perfect. And the upscale Tuscan, homemade pasta and cuisine were simply added bonuses.
The richly colored and dramatic drapes lining the windows looked as if they’d been made from circus tent, big-top fabric. Coupled with the dark woods of the chairs and décor, the dirty blond blush of the wood-paneled walls, set against red carpet, bright yellow table cloths and cobalt blue water glasses, Audrey felt as if she were in the middle of a primary color extravaganza.
She leaned over in her chair and whispered to Damian, “I think I’ve figured out our nursery colors.”
“You’re kidding?” He whispered back, a look of both excitement and relief covering his expectant face.
He tapped his spoon against the edge of his water glass.