Chapter 29
ONE DAY TO GO
Model Anoush:
Shaggy, cream faux-fur coat
Tight pale jeans
Cream knee-high platform boots
Orange and burgundy knit
Huge gold-hooped earrings
Neon pink trolley bag
There was literally too much to do, Annie thought as she buzzed up and down in the lift for about the seventeenth time this hour, arms full of boxes and bags.
The rooms seemed to be full of everyone – from complaining Svetlana, to stressed-out Paula, to Connor and Vince arguing about lines, to Lauren taking photos, posting and rolling her eyes every time Annie looked at her, to the dance girls worrying about ‘But do I look good in this?’
They had scheduled a full dress rehearsal for 4 p.m. and by 3.
30 p.m., Paula and Annie were just about ready to go lie down in darkened rooms as the arguing about outfits and shoes and belts and who was wearing what reached fever pitch.
It was at that moment that a smartly trouser-suited woman walked into the main event room, pushing a wheeled suitcase and issuing a brisk and decidedly American: ‘Good afternoon, everyone. I believe I need to speak with Annie Valentine or Svetlana Wisneski-Roscoff.’
Annie stepped forward and found herself being introduced to Carina Delroy of the museum in New York.
‘I’ve arrived in London. I’ve come straight over because we’re going to buy the Schiaparelli items, there’s just no question of us not doing that.
We have a donor who is going to make it happen for us. So, let’s get talking.’
She might be dainty, petite and looking just a little tired from her transatlantic flight.
But there was no question that Carina was on a mission and she was going to succeed.
‘Hi, Carina, so lovely you could make it. We are so, so busy right now,’ Annie told her.
‘We’re just about to start the dress rehearsal.
Your interest in the items is amazing though, honestly. ’
‘Is anyone else as interested as us?’ was Carina’s first question.
‘I think it would be fair to say, you’re the only person here in the room pushing your suitcase directly from the airport.’
This at least made Carina smile. ‘Good,’ she said.
‘Look absolutely no one is negotiating right now. So don’t you want to go to your hotel… freshen up… and Svetlana and I can talk to you in… an hour or so?’
‘No… I’m not going to my hotel before we talk,’ Carina insisted. ‘I’ll probably fall onto the bed and not surface for six hours. But I could go and get some coffee. Then come back in… forty minutes. Does that sound OK?’
Forty minutes… forty minutes…! Annie looked at the catwalk, the models, the frazzled Paula. Florence still hadn’t called to say what she’d decided and Annie didn’t want to push or rush her at all. And where was Svetlana anyway? Off in another room, complaining about something else, no doubt!
‘Yes, come back then… and we’ll see where we are. I’ll make sure Svetlana is around to talk then.’
‘Great. See you very soon.’ Carina went out, but as soon as she’d left, the door burst open and in came their star model, Anoush. A totally pared-down, dressed down version of the beautiful model whose face had graced catwalks, billboards, ad campaigns – but it was definitely her.
Everyone in the room couldn’t help staring and smiling as she ran over and flung her arms around Annie.
‘Hello! How is the woman who discovered me?!’ she gushed generously.
‘Anoush!! Very funny, you were a mega-star who could never have gone undiscovered, babes.’
‘I hope I’m not late, it took so long to get off the flight.
What is there a shortage of? Steps? Buses?
’ She gave that hands in the air, French-style shrug.
Then set down her bags, her jacket, and headed for the backstage area, telling Annie: ‘This is all coming together brilliantly. I’m so excited to be doing this.
Now where are my model family for the show and what am I going to wear?
!’ Her starry, but still down-to-earth presence was utterly galvanising as she introduced herself to the other girls and began to compliment them on their hair, their eyes, their outfits.
Annie sidled up to Paula to tell her, ‘I’m going to have to go off for a bit and sort things with Florence, Svetlana and our new friend, Carina… are you going to be OK for dress rehearsal?’
Paula looked at Annie and told her, ‘Don’t worry, looks like me and Anoush have got this. You come back to us when you’re ready.’
* * *
First came calling Florence. She really had wanted to wait until Florence was ready, but Carina was going to be back very soon wanting news, action and deals. So Annie rang Florence’s number. ‘I’m sorry to call for news. I don’t want to rush you…’ Annie began.
‘It’s fine,’ Florence assured her. ‘I think I’ve made up my mind. I just wanted to dwell on it a little more… to make sure.’
‘Shall I call back later?’ Annie added, trying to sound as if there was all the time in the world.
‘No, it’s OK, Annie. Here’s my decision. The lobster dress and the orange dress…’ Annie could feel her breath tightening in her chest. She even closed her eyes as she waited for this decision to land. ‘I’m going to let you sell them both for charity.’
‘Oh my God…’ Annie heard herself squeak. ‘That is so exciting, so amazingly generous of you. It’s incredible.’
Wow! she couldn’t help thinking. This was going to mean so much for the charity and the level of donations.
This was going to boost the coffers by tens of thousands…
and it would put the show on the map. This was now a major charity fashion event, selling very important items. She was finally beginning to feel proud and excited that her name was on the invitation.
‘Well, my mother didn’t buy the items, she was loaned them on their way to a museum, so I think that’s totally fitting, but I am going to be selfish and keep that beautiful velvet and gold jacket for myself. I just love it. It’s so soft and gorgeous and fits me very well.’
‘Good for you, Florence,’ Annie said.
‘Yes, I’m planning to wear it every once in a while. Maybe I’ll attract a handsome diplomat who wants to show me a good time,’ she said with a warm giggle in her voice.
‘Oh, you will!’ Annie assured her. ‘And this is amazing, amazing news! Thank you so much. I can’t wait to tell Svetlana. I can’t wait to tell the very important woman who has flown in from New York.’
‘Really?’
‘She wants to make a pre-show deal. She has a donor with very deep pockets. She is buying those dresses.’
‘Absolutely no pre-show deal, Annie,’ Florence warned her. ‘We have to have on-the-night bidding and raise the roof.’
‘Oh, I agree and that is totally what Svetlana will say too. Speak soon, speak very, very soon,’ Annie said, knowing she had to ring off and get back to the rehearsal. But this was so exciting, she felt almost breathless with the thought of the buzz this show would now create.
There was a brand-new round to plan now – the Schiaparelli round. What music? She wondered. That was a detail to be decided. But she could already picture Anoush in the lobster dress closing the show.
That was going to both bring the house down and raise the roof.