Epilogue
Madison
" T his can't be happening. I can't believe this is happening."
I stare down at the model puking her guts out on the floor, and I couldn't believe what was happening either.
One of the assistants held up her hair and patted her back, while I turned around and went over to one of the dressing tables to find her a bottle of water. When I returned and handed it over, Emma was still panicking.
"The show has started," Emma whimpered. "They're going to call them out any moment. Hey, didn't we get a spare model? Why the fuck did we have to hire one that hadn't even had the good sense to not get drunk the night before her show?"
"Oh, I get it," her tone sharpens. "We're not a famous brand, right? So, you couldn't even have the decency to respect our time and our show. After all, it's just some stupid fucking gig for the money, right?"
At this point, if she got any louder, I was sure they were going to be able to hear her over the loud music and already ebbing Steel Dan making introductions.
"Come with me," I took her hand and pulled her to the stage with me, right in a corner where we could peek and not be seen.
"This isn't just some stupid show, is it? It's going to be televised, and every single seat is packed."
She stared out at it while I looked exactly in the direction of the seat I had prepared for Hunter. I soon found him, and maybe it was dim light, but he looked so impossibly handsome that I couldn’t believe it.
"People care, and people are here," I told her. "This is a big deal, and we expected this. We'll fix it."
She went silent for a while as she looked out at the crowd, and then she turned to me.
"This is your fault. You know this, right?"
"How is it my fault?" I argued.
"You were the one who forced me into doing this show. I wanted this to launch quietly, and then Hunter had to butt in."
"He has the experience. He wanted us to hit the ground running and get as much exposure as we can possibly get.”
"Well, we're definitely going to hit the ground for sure. This is ridiculous, for God's sake. We rented out a place; we have catering! Maddie!"
"We also have exposure."
"And no model! The piece she is showcasing is the final piece. You have to have a certain body type to showcase that. I'm shaped like a brick. You think I can do it?"
I narrowed my eyes at her and then turned around to look at the other girls.
"Maybe one of the early girls can take her place after they're done with theirs."
"And one of the final walks?" she asked.
"When they're all side by side for the photographer. What are we going to do then?"
"We'll figure it out. We still have about five minutes more,” I replied.
I tried to pull her back with me, but just as we arrived, she stepped back and gave me a creepy look.
"What?" I asked as I looked around, trying to figure out what to do and how I could resolve this.
"You have the body type for the final piece," she said. At first, I didn't hear because her words... these kind of words just didn't compute, but then eventually, they hit me, and I turned to her in shock.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"This is for our business," she pleaded. "Our dream. You've put all your savings into this, and so have I. Even Hunter has invested."
"Because you made me force him to," I grumbled, and she nodded.
"Exactly. You want to waste his money? You want to go back with your tail between your legs and ask for your old secretary job back?"
I considered this and shrugged.
"He'll be happy to have me back."
"Of course," she snapped. "But I'll be homeless! I'll be forced to become a fucking lawyer again. Don't be selfish. Get in that lingerie now and walk down the runway. It's like every other normal day."
"I don't dress half-naked and strut in heels on every other normal day," I protested.
And she shut her eyes.
"You're our only chance. We don't have time for this. You have to do this right now. We're out of time for you to consider. Your makeup needs to be done, and we need to make last-minute adjustments."
"Carlos!" she yelled out, and the makeup artist we had hired came over.
"See her face, hurry. Three minutes. She wears the final lingerie."
He too was surprised but never one to ask questions for chats more than he needs to with how little we were paying him, he took instructions, and I was pumped down onto a chair.
I couldn't believe this was happening, but it was my business, and I didn't have a choice.
I wanted to call Hunter, to come over to talk some sense into me, but he didn't seem to be responding, and so I had no choice but to wait and somehow pull this through.
"Fuck."
Hunter
"I can't believe you're at a fashion show," my sister Piper said. "I can't believe you're in love with a lingerie designer."
There were a lot of things she couldn’t believe that I myself couldn't believe as well, but none of that was important. What was was the box in my pocket and what I was planning to do later that day. And of course, the program schedule and when exactly she would be coming out along with Emma to close out the show. Piper leaned closer to me then and nudged me.
"You're awfully quiet," she said, and I knew then that I had to tell her. I had to tell someone.
"I want to give her more exposure, that's why I suggested this show to them."
"It's a great idea. I love it. The show is gorgeous, the cameras are clicking. Wonderful start."
"Yeah, but that's not the only reason. I mean, that's not the only way I want to give her exposure."
"How else?" she asked, and once again, I didn’t respond.
"Hunter," she called. "You're usually not antsy, but you've been antsy for a while now. Your usually calm persona is off, and I know it. But now I'm not sure if you're just being silent as usual or if you really can't respond to me because you're anxious about something. And that scares me immediately because you're never anxious. So, can you just-"
"It's starting," I said, and she turned away.
We focused all our attention on the stage, and the music started. One by one, the models came out, strutting their pieces, and I focused my attention on listening to Piper ooh and aahh by my side.
"God, they're gorgeous," she said. "I mean… I don't have the body for them, but damn, I want one just to look at it. Freaking gorgeous. Hunter, you have one-"
She turned to me, and she didn't stop because my face was overcome with shock.
"What happened there, are you okay?" she asked.
I nudged my head towards the stage, and there she was. Looking unbelievable.
I was shocked and awed all at once, but there she was in one of the pieces. I wanted to shield the eyes of the whole world from her body, but at the same time, I needed everyone to know that she was mine.
She looked so beautiful, so confident, even though I knew her well enough to know that she would have never wanted to do this. There was probably an emergency.
Shocked, I pulled out my phone, and there it was. Fifteen missed calls. Multiple text messages.
"Fuck," I swore.
"Fuck indeed. She's gorgeous. Jesus, how much luckier can you get?"
"Right," then I put the phone away and instead grabbed something else from my pocket. It was a black velvet box, and in it was a diamond ring that probably cost more than the building we were in.
"How much luckier do you think I can get?" I asked.
Piper turned to me, startled at my question.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"If I… if I ask her to marry me…, do you think she will say yes?"
Piper went completely silent, but it didn’t matter because my gaze was solely on the love of my life.
She stood with the other models, and then it was time to introduce the designers, and she came forward along with Emma. Someone seemed to be hurrying over from backstage then with a jacket of some sort, and I moved. I didn't second guess myself. I moved and got onto the stage, and to say it caused a ruckus was an understatement. Everyone was curious and excited, but she... only she was pissed off.
"You are so fired from being our adviser," she said. "So, so fired. I tried to reach you."
She said all this under her breath with gritted teeth too that the cameras wouldn't pick it up, but it was more endearing than frightening.
"I'm sorry," I asked. "I kind of had my mind completely occupied."
"By what?" she nearly yelled this one out.
"This is for publicity's sake," I said. "What I'm about to do now. I mean, it's not entirely so, but I want to support you all the time in whatever way I can. I'll probably do this again, but for now... I want to do it now where the whole world can see, hopefully, they will witness our engagement, and as a result, talk as well about all the happenings at your show where you just launched yours and Emma’s lingerie line."
She went into shock as she listened to me, and then I shrugged off my jacket. I wrapped it around her, and then I lowered onto one knee. Tears filled her eyes in disbelief, and then there's another commotion interruption.
“There are so many things I want to say," I began as I pulled out the ring. "And a lot of them I've already said throughout these past few months. Being with you makes me feel like I've known you forever, but now I truly want to ensure that this becomes a reality and that this will not change.”
"Madison Leslie Parish, I love you with all my heart, and so I am hoping that you will say yes as I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me."
I opened up the box then, and the room seemed to explode. Flashes went off from every angle. Of us... of the ring... of the lingerie that was being launched.
She stood, unable to speak. I slipped the ring onto her finger, and she pulled me up.
"Yes," she whispered into my mouth as she kissed me.
"With all of my heart... yes."
The End