Rendezvous

by Zondervan

  “Trust me,” I soberly tell him, “I would rather work in serious film than participate in a reality show about fashion. I’m learning a lot on the set and sometimes it’s kind of fun. But the truth is I started doing the TV show in support of my sister. I keep telling myself that the work experience will look good on my résumé.” I make an uncertain face. “It will, won’t it?”

  “It would to me.”

  Suddenly the others are swarming about Andy and the conversation zooms back onto tonight’s film and his upcoming project. And, once again, I feel like I’m on the outside looking in. But, hey, at least Andy Dresden knew my name. That was something. Still, there’s a part of me that’s longing to be part of this group. Oh, I love my sister and will stick with her and her show for as long as she needs me. But realistically, how much longer will that be?

  Lionel walks me to the door after our date. I’m relieved that instead of a good-night kiss, he merely takes my hand and tells me to have a good time in Paris. “Maybe we can get together again when you get back,” he says hopefully.

  “Sure,” I say with a smile. But the truth is I’m not so sure. Really, what does this mean? Am I agreeing to more than I want, or am I just making this into more than what it really is? Seriously, maybe I need to take a correspondence course—Dating 101.

  Chapter 3

  “We’ve already shipped most of your wardrobe,” Fran’s assistant Leah informs us as we go over the final details before our Paris trip. “It should be at the hotel before you arrive, but you know how that can go.”

  “And to be safe, we’ll all take some extra things in our checked bags.” Fran directs this to Paige.

  “What if our checked bags get lost again?” Paige asks.

  “That won’t happen,” Fran assures us. “But just in case, make sure you have what you need in your carry-on. Because the day after we arrive, we’ll have to hit the road running.”

  “That’s right,” Leah confirms as she hands us hardcopies of our itinerary. “We’ve got you scheduled to do Vogue Paris on Monday morning, and that was almost pure luck.”

  “So we need to have it together,” Fran points out.

  “You’re saying you want me to have everything I need to do Vogue Paris in my carry-on?” Paige looks skeptical.

  “I’m saying just try.”

  “You can put some things in my carry-on,” I offer.

  Paige laughs. “Yeah, right. And you can show up looking like the street lady who slept in her clothes.”

  “We’ll manage,” I assure her.

  “Before you go, I want to teach you both how to roll your clothes,” Fran says.

  “Roll our clothes?” Paige frowns.

  “To fit more into your carry-on bags,” Fran explains. “It’s a packing technique.”

  Fran takes us to the wardrobe room where she takes a bunch of clothes off the rack. “Do you think these garments will fit in this carry-on?” She holds up a small rolling bag that will fit in the overhead storage bin of a plane.

  “No way,” Paige tells her. “Not unless you’re a magician.”

  Fran takes each item off its hanger and, one by one, lays them out one on top of the next on a table. She smoothes this stack flat and proceeds to roll it into what looks like a humongous cigar, which she then manages to fit into the carry-on, zipping it closed. “Presto.” She proudly holds up the bag. “I am a magician.”

  “Wow.” Paige nods. “Impressive.”

  “So, just in case the lost baggage nightmare in New York repeats itself, roll your clothes, girls.”

  “Will do,” I agree.

  “And make sure you don’t forget your passports,” she reminds us.

  Leah goes over some final details and then Paige and I are finally leaving the studio. “Less than two days until Paris,” Paige says as we head for the car. “I can’t wait.”

  “Are you going to do anything this weekend?” I ask.

  “Benjamin wants to see me before I leave,” she says as she unlocks her car. “But I think I’m going to pass. How about you?”

  I consider this. “I’m not sure. I thought Blake would’ve called…” I open my phone to check for missed calls, and see that I have one from Mollie and one from Lionel. Nothing from Blake.

  “I’ll bet Blake’s nose is out of joint, Erin.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so.”

  “Get real. I’ve seen the boy look at you. He’s totally into you.”

  “Really?”

  “Totally. Can’t you tell?”

  I just shrug.

  “Maybe you should call him.”

  “Maybe…” But even as I say this, I know I won’t. Even if Paige is right, even if Blake really is into me, I’m not sure I want that. The truth is I’m not even sure what I want. I do know that I don’t want to look like I’m chasing after Blake. Yet I don’t want to feel like going out with Lionel has chased Blake away either. Not that I expect Blake to give up on me that easily—at least I hope he wouldn’t. And that makes me wonder…If I had to choose between Lionel and Blake, who would it be? Then I realize how ridiculous it is to even go there. Good grief, I’m not choosing anyone. Still, as I mentally compare the two guys, I realize they are almost as different as night and day. Blake is pretty much an open book. He’s upbeat and funny and a good encourager. Whereas Lionel is harder to read. He tends to be a realist, slightly pessimistic, and artsy. And he wants to be perceived as artsy. To be honest, Lionel and I are probably more alike. But is that a good thing?

  When I get home, I return Mollie’s call. I’m tempted to launch into my life, debating over which guy is more right for me. But I know Mollie is on pins and needles right now because she’s getting ready to tell her parents that she’s pregnant. “How’s it going?” I ask cautiously.

  “I told Mom today,” she says in a quiet tone.

  “And?”

  “And she cried.”

  “And?”

  “And then we talked and she hugged me, and I think she’s okay. I mean, sure, she’s disappointed and in shock and stuff. But she’s also excited about having a grandchild.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “But now I have to tell my dad.”

  “Yeah, that won’t be easy.” I really like Mollie’s dad, and I know he’s going to take this hard. So far Mollie has been his perfect little princess, like she can do no wrong. But no matter how good a person tries to be, no one is perfect.

  “I begged Mom to tell him for me, but she refused.”

  “It’s probably better if you tell him, Moll.”

  “I know, but I also know it’s going to crush him.”

  “Maybe it’ll seem like that, at first. In time he’ll get over it and he’ll be as happy as your mom to get a grandchild. You know how much he loves little kids.” Okay, even as I say this, I’m not sure. Mollie keeps acting like she plans to keep the baby, but I can’t help wondering if that’s a good idea. I wonder what I’d do if I were her. I hope I never find out.

  “Do you think I should have Tony there with me when I tell him?” she asks with uncertainty.

  “I don’t know, Mollie.” I try to imagine Mollie’s dad with Tony standing in front of him with his head hanging down and hands in his pockets. Not that Mr. Tyson would do anything violent or crazy, but I know he has a temper and this could make him pretty mad. “Maybe not,” I tell her. “Maybe you should wait on that.”

  “Yeah…I guess so.”

  “So how is Tony anyway?” What I’m really asking is: How has Tony been dealing with this lately? So far he’s vacillated between flaky and absent.

  “He’s trying to be supportive of me.”

  “That’s good.”

  “And we’ve even talked about getting married.”

  “Uh-huh?” I try not to sound too surprised at this.

  “I’m not going to twist his arm. I told Tony he either marries me because he loves me and wants to be a dad or he has to just take a hike. I don’t want to have a shotgun wedding
.”

  I kind of laugh. “Your dad doesn’t even own a firearm.”

  “Funny. You know what I mean.”

  “Would you want to be a single mom?”

  “I might not have a choice.”

  I almost mention the adoption option again, but stop myself. The last time I said something like that, Mollie fell apart. I know she wants to keep the baby and I’m trying to respect that, but I can’t even imagine how hard it would be.

  “So are you and Paige getting all ready for your big Paris trip?” I think I can hear envy in her voice.

  “Yeah. We just met with Fran. She taught us how to roll clothes.”

  “What?”

  As a distraction device, I explain the jellyroll packing technique, and I’m just finishing up when she tells me that she’s getting another call. “Probably Tony,” she says. “I guess I should take it.”

  “See you at fellowship tomorrow?” I ask hopefully.

  “I’ll ask Tony.”

  We hang up and I consider calling Blake and asking him about going to fellowship group tomorrow night. Really, I’d rather he was the one calling me. I know that’s probably not fair, but it’s just how I feel. I can’t even explain why, because I’ve called him lots of times. There was just something about the tone of his voice when I told him about going to the premiere with Lionel that made me uncertain. Now I’m worried that our relationship already went to the next level without me fully realizing it. Or maybe I’m simply in denial.

  Suddenly it’s Saturday afternoon and Blake hasn’t called once. Paige and I are all packed and ready for Paris. I let her use about half of my carry-on space, and rolling our clothes allowed us to pack more.

  “Mom’s on the phone.” Paige calls into my room. “She’s getting off work early and wants to know if we’ll be around to go to dinner with her.”

  I consider this. “Sure,” I agree. “I can skip fellowship group tonight.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell her to make reservations.”

  I decide this might be the best thing for me to do anyway. After all, it is our last night to be home for awhile. Why not spend it with Mom? Besides, it allows me to avoid seeing both Lionel and Blake at fellowship group tonight. I may be making this into more than it is, but just in case, I’d rather lay low.

  And it’s fun to go to dinner with just Mom and Paige. I realize it’s been awhile since the three of us have done something like this. We talk about the upcoming trip and Paige gives us an update on Benjamin’s ongoing legal issues, but it sounds as if things are looking up for him. And, while I don’t want to see him abusing his celeb get-out-of-trouble-free card, I can tell that Paige feels relieved for his sake. Then I ask Mom about Jon. Suddenly both Paige and I are all ears.

  “Jon and I are talking about wedding dates,” Mom says after the waiter sets down a decadent chocolate dessert, which we plan to share. Paige and I exchange glances and I can tell she’s as surprised as I am. Of course I know they’ll eventually tie the knot. I guess I assumed it would be a ways down the road.

  “So when do you want to get married?” I venture.

  “Well, I was hoping you girls would help us pick the date.” Mom toys nervously with her coffee cup. “That is, if you can squeeze us into your busy shooting schedule.”

  “How soon were you thinking?” Paige asks.

  “Well, we’re not getting any younger.” Mom smiles. “We thought we’d just have a simple ceremony, maybe as early as June.”

  “June?” Paige’s eyebrows arch. “That’s right around the corner.”

  “Do you think it’s too soon?”

  Paige looks at me.

  “I think we’re just a little surprised,” I confess to Mom. “But it’s your wedding. It’s up to you and Jon.”

  “I want you girls to be comfortable with this.” Mom sets her napkin on the table. “If you think we’re moving too fast, I want you to speak—”

  “Erin’s right,” Paige says quickly. “It’s up to you and Jon.”

  “Maybe it is too soon…” Mom looks uneasy. “I suppose there’s really no need to rush things.”

  “Is there a reason you wanted to be married in June?” I ask.

  Mom sighs. “Well, you know how Dad and I got married in Vegas, and that was on New Year’s Eve.” She chuckles. “Back in the eighties it seemed like a glamorous thing to do—kind of fun and crazy. But as a little girl I’d always imagined a June wedding. Corny, isn’t it?”

  Paige pats Mom’s hand. “Not corny—sweet.”

  “And waiting until June of next year…well, that seems a long ways off. It’s not like we want a big fancy wedding that will require lots of planning. Just close friends and family.”

  “You should go for it,” I tell her. “Plan it for June.”

  “We’ll check with Fran on our schedule,” Paige promises. “We can go over it on our way to the airport tomorrow.”

  “So you really don’t think it’s too soon?” Mom asks again. We both assure her that we’re fine with this. I know it’s going to take me awhile to totally absorb this bit of news, but it’s Mom’s life, not mine.

  “Where will you and Jon live after you get married?” I ask.

  “We’ve been discussing that. There are a couple of options.” She makes a slightly forced smile. “I don’t think our condo is one of them. Although it’s fine for the three of us, it would seem a little tight with a man around. Don’t you think?”

  Paige and I both nod.

  “Then there’s Jon’s house. It’s nice and roomy and you girls would be welcome to join us. Or, if you prefer, you could keep the condo and stay there as long as you like.”

  “By ourselves?” I ask. And, okay, I know Paige and I aren’t exactly kids anymore, but the idea of living in the condo without Mom feels a little weird.

  “We’d be okay,” Paige assures me.

  “Another thought is for both Jon and me to sell our current homes and get something together. Something bigger—and again, you’d be more than welcome to live with us.”

  “Would you really want to take that all on in your first year of marriage?” Paige asks. “I mean, selling both your places and combining households. It seems kind of risky to me.”

  “Risky?” Mom’s brows lift.

  “You know…in case things didn’t work out.”

  “The marriage, you mean?” Mom frowns. “I guess I hadn’t really considered that.” I can tell by the way Mom’s lips are pressed tightly together that her feelings are hurt, and I’m trying to think of something to say to smooth this over.

  “I’m not saying your marriage won’t last,” Paige says quickly. “But, you know, just in case.”

  I feel really sorry for Mom. It’s like we’ve both kind of rained on her parade. “I think Mom and Jon are going to have to figure out where they’ll live for themselves,” I tell Paige. “I’m sure they’ll come up with a great plan.”

  “But I can’t leave you girls out of the equation,” Mom says quickly.

  “Then I like the idea of hanging on to the condo for now,” Paige tells her.

  Mom looks at me. “How about you?”

  I nod. “Sure. That probably makes sense—for now anyway.”

  Mom looks relieved. “Well, okay. That’s what I’ll tell Jon then.”

  “And go ahead and start planning your wedding,” Paige says cheerfully.

  “We’ll get back to you on dates as soon as we talk to Fran,” I remind her.

  “Hey, I’m getting a great idea.” Paige turns to me. “What if we do a special wedding feature on our show? We could cover designers like Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta and—”

  “Maybe you girls will want to shop for some designer bridesmaid dresses in Paris,” Mom suggests. “Because, of course, we want you both in our wedding.”

  “What kind of colors do you want for us?” Paige asks, eager.

  “Something that will look good on you both, and that will look nice in a garden wedding,” Mom tells her. “I
’ll trust you with picking out something appropriate, Paige. You have such an innate sense when it comes to fashion.”

  “This is going to be fun.” Paige’s eyes light up with enthusiasm. “I can already imagine the show.” Suddenly Paige and Mom are discussing the best wedding gown designers and what styles would look the most flattering on Mom. As I listen to them chattering away, trying to nod and appear interested and enthusiastic, I realize that life as we’ve known it is about to change for good…and like many things lately, I’m not sure what I think about that.

  Chapter 4

  On our way home from the restaurant, I catch a snippet of a voicemail message that Paige is listening to. It’s from Fran and it sounds like she’s excited and like she’s planning something special for our arrival in Paris.

  “What’s that about?” I ask as Paige closes her phone.

  Paige flashes a mischievous smile. “Oh, nothing.”

  “It sounded like something to me,” I tell her. “What’s Fran planning?”

  “It’s a surprise,” she tells me.

  I frown. “I don’t really like surprises,” I remind her.

  “Is it something to do with your show?” Mom inquires.

  Paige nods with sealed lips.

  “Come on,” I urge her. “If it’s about the show, I have a right to know.”

  “It’s a surprise, Erin.”

  “I hate surprises,” I tell her. “You know that. Remember the time Dad tried to surprise us with the trip to Hawaii?”

  Paige groans. “Who would expect anyone to throw a fit over going to Hawaii?”

  “I wouldn’t have, except that I missed out on the school play. At the time I thought I was a pretty good actress and I wanted to play Juliet.” I kind of laugh. “Okay, I realize now that it was probably a blessing in disguise and I’m sure the drama teacher and my understudy were relieved. But at the time, I was crushed.”

  “Yes, and you generously shared your heartbreak with all of us in Maui.”

  “Just for a day or two,” I remind her.

  “Erin has a point,” Mom says. “If it has to do with the show, she has a right to know what’s up, Paige.”