by Zondervan
“Oh, admit it,” Mollie pushes in. “You’re like the heel-dragging, reluctant little starlet. Your TV show is handed to you on a silver platter and you turn your nose up and—”
“It was not handed to me,” I protest. “It’s Paige’s show. I’m just a secondary character, if that. I’m the lowly camera girl and—”
“Not true,” Blake interrupts. “That makeover episode in Paris sent your popularity soaring.”
I frown at him. “And how do you know that?”
He grins. “Because I pay attention to these things.”
“So do I,” Mollie tells me. “And, whether you like it or not, that episode turned you into a star. So get over it.”
Okay, now I don’t have a response.
“I think they’re right,” Lionel confirms. “I saw that episode too, and I’m guessing that your role in the show is going to change.”
“Is changing,” Mollie interjects.
“And you’re not happy about that?” Sonya looks like she’d love to slap me.
“It’s just not what I wanted,” I try to explain. “It’s Paige’s gig, not mine.”
“Did you even listen to Eric’s message tonight?” Blake demands with a twinkle in his eye.
I consider this. Eric is an assistant pastor at our church and he led the fellowship group tonight. But at the moment I’m blank. “I listened,” I tell him. “But I’m having a hard time remembering…”
“Eric said that God sometimes puts us in bad situations for good reasons.” Mollie grins at me like she thinks I’ll give her a gold star.
“Oh, yeah.” I nod. “Thanks, Mollie.”
“Like Joseph,” Lionel reiterates. “Sold as a slave by his brothers, then falsely accused and put in prison—talk about some hard situations.”
“But God had a plan,” Blake adds. “He worked it together for good.”
I nod, knowing where this is going. “You guys are right. I do have the wrong attitude about the show.”
“You need to see your TV show as an opportunity,” Blake tells me. “You can be a light in a dark place, Erin. Remember that night in Bordeaux.”
“What night in Bordeaux?” Lionel asks with a creased brow.
“It’s like everyone was starting to get into a big fight,” I explain. “Our hostess was having some issues. Paige was caught in the middle. Yet somehow Blake managed to get everyone gathered around a campfire and we sang and stuff, and then, before the evening ended, Blake actually gave his testimony and it was pretty cool.”
Lionel actually gives Blake a fist bump. “That is very cool. Way to go, Blake.”
Blake smiles and I can tell he appreciates this coming from Lionel. I must admit it’s a relief to see a couple of Christian guys acting more like brothers than competitors.
“So maybe you need to remember Joseph next time you feel like complaining,” Mollie tells me. “He didn’t exactly like being sold as a slave or doing time, but he did his best and God used him in some big ways.”
“And the bigger your role on your show becomes, the more visible you’ll be,” Lionel says. “And the more influence you’ll have…”
“To be a light in a dark place,” Blake finishes.
And so that’s my new attitude—or it’s what I’m trying to adopt as my new attitude. I obviously need God’s help to carry it off. But my goal now is to do my best job, and even if I don’t particularly love being on the show, I’ll give it my all and just see what happens. I thought that would make everyone happy—especially everyone working on the show.
Unfortunately, I quickly discover that might not be the case. The following week, after previewing a couple of the Paris episodes, Paige and I are in a planning meeting with Helen and Fran and the rest of the crew when Helen suggests that my role in the show has changed.
“I know that you like filming the show,” she tells me. “But I see the show going a different direction now. We no longer need a camera girl.”
“What do you mean?” Paige demands. “You can’t take Erin off the show. I need her!”
Helen laughs. “No, of course we’re not taking her off the show. On the Runway needs her too, Paige.”
Paige has a relieved smile. “Oh, you scared me.”
“Sorry.” Helen pats her hand. “What I’m saying is that Erin needs to become more of a partner now.”
Paige’s forehead creases ever so slightly. “A partner?”
“Yes. No more remaining behind the scenes. The fans are connecting with Erin in a big way now. She needs to come out of the background and become a featured costar.”
“A featured costar?” Paige looks unconvinced.
“Of course, you’ll still be the host,” Helen assures her. “But Erin will play a more significant and visible role alongside of you.”
“How, exactly?” Paige glances at me then back to Helen.
“Mostly by being herself.” Helen smiles at me like I should get this. But frankly, I don’t.
“We want Erin to bring her opinions about fashion onto the screen,” Fran injects. “You two girls are so different. Sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re really sisters.” She laughs. “But it’s apparent that our fans are diverse as well. And we’ve gotten some great viewer responses in regard to topics like green design and economical fashion.”
“So we’ve decided we need to include more segments along these lines,” Helen finishes for her. “And Erin is the perfect one to take us there.”
Everything in me wants to stand up and protest—to remind everyone in this room of our original agreement, that I am merely “Camera Girl” and that it’s acceptable for me to remain a wallflower. But at the same time I remember the conversation at Starbucks on Saturday night. I remember how my friends challenged me to change my attitude and let God use me however he wants in regard to the show. So how do I back down now?
Paige lets out a little laugh then shakes her head. “Okay, I’ll admit that sounds like a sensible plan and, naturally, we want to expand our audience. But there’s one itty-bitty problem.”
“What’s that?” Helen adjusts her glasses and peers at Paige.
Paige makes what feels like a patronizing smile at me. “We all know how stubborn my little sister can be. Of course, Erin would never agree to this, would you, Erin?”
Now all eyes are on me, and with a furrowed brow Helen points her silver pen in my direction. “Is that right, Erin? Are you still going to play the spoiler?”
I clear my throat, which suddenly feels like sandpaper.
“Speak up,” Helen urges.
“Actually…” I glance at Paige then back at Helen. “I am actually…sort of…open.”
Paige’s jaw drops ever so slightly. “Open? Open to what?”
“Open to…you know…whatever. I mean, if the show needs me to step up, well, I’m willing.”
Helen clasps her hands together. “I just knew you’d be game, Erin. I felt it in my bones. When I saw the initial footage from Paris I said to myself, our little Erin is finally growing up!”
Suddenly they’re all talking and making plans, and it’s obvious that they’ve already given this some serious thought, but when I glance over at Paige, who is sitting silently, I can tell she’s not really on board. And the way she’s looking is reminiscent of something…something I’d nearly forgotten…something that happened a long time ago.
When we were little—I was in kindergarten and Paige was in first grade—my sister begged my parents for gymnastic classes. Her friend Kelsey was bragging about how she was going to become an Olympic gymnast (which never happened), so Paige insisted she needed lessons too. My parents eventually agreed, but Dad decided both Paige and I should be enrolled in the academy so that I wouldn’t feel left out. Naturally, I was happy to be included since I already loved jumping, climbing, and rolling around like a monkey. But after a couple of months at the academy, which I thoroughly enjoyed, Paige’s interest started waning until she refused to go at all.
Years later, I learned by a
ccident that Paige’s reason for quitting gymnastics was simply because I’d been outshining her and she did not like to be second best at anything. Although I continued going for a while, it wasn’t long before my sister convinced me that gymnastics was silly and the outfits we had to wear were even worse, and that it would be much more fun to take dance classes instead. Naturally, she turned out to be far more gifted and graceful at ballet than me. And, once again, she was back in her comfort zone—where she reigned.
Although my sister has grown up some since then—she’s matured a lot these past few months, and our relationship is stronger than ever—I still suspect that some of her old habits die hard. Forcing Paige to share the limelight with me could come with its own set of challenges. Which brings to mind Joseph…and how his own brothers sold him to strangers. Okay, I’m pretty sure my sister wouldn’t sink quite that low. But it does give me pause to wonder.
Other books by Melody Carlson:
ON THE RUNWAY SERIES
Premiere (Book One)
Catwalk (Book Two)
CARTER HOUSE GIRLS SERIES
Mixed Bags (Book One)
Stealing Bradford (Book Two)
Homecoming Queen (Book Three)
Viva Vermont! (Book Four)
Lost in Las Vegas (Book Five)
New York Debut (Book Six)
Spring Breakdown (Book Seven)
Last Dance (Book Eight)
BOOKS FOR TEENS
The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series
Diary of a Teenage Girl series
TrueColors series
Notes from a Spinning Planet series
Degrees series
Piercing Proverbs
By Design series
WOMEN’S FICTION
These Boots Weren’t Made for Walking
On This Day
An Irish Christmas
The Christmas Bus
Crystal Lies
Finding Alice
Three Days
GRACE CHAPEL INN SERIES, INCLUDING
Hidden History
Ready to Wed
Back Home Again
Copyright
ZONDERVAN
Rendezvous
Copyright © 2010 by Melody Carlson
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ePub Edition July 2010 ISBN: 978-0-310-42669-1
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