is priceless.
“Rebecca Marie, don’t you dare!” She waddles away from me, and I can’t help but chase after her.
“I’m just kidding, Mel. You know me anyway; I couldn’t stomach it. He’ll be here, and Mom and I are, too. I don’t want you to worry.” I give her a tight hug of reassurance.
* * *
“What? No, I can’t! My sister is due to have her baby any day now. No, I won’t be there,” I say to my agent, just two days after promising Mel I’d be here.
Mel is about ready to pop, and my agent is frantically trying to get me to come back and sign a new deal with an up-and-coming shoe line. I guess they don’t mind “old” feet.
“What was that about, Bec?” Melanie calls from the couch, unable to turn around to look at me behind her.
“Oh, it’s nothing. It was my agent, Deb. She has an offer for me to rep some new shoe line, but I guess there’s a time constraint. They want me to sign immediately. Screw that, I don’t want to leave here.”
“Go. I insist. This baby has wedged itself so deep under my ribcage, I’ll be on Social Security before I give birth. Go back, get it done, and I’ll still be here when you get back, probably in the exact same spot if I can figure out how to go to the bathroom sitting on the couch.”
I hate to leave her, but Mom is here, and Brian is home, too. I could do a quick out and back, and get it done. With no other offers in the pipeline, it might be a bad move to turn it down.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind saying no,” I ask hesitantly. I want to make sure she’s really OK.
“Of course, don’t be crazy. Bring me back some awesome shoes, maybe someday I’ll be able to fit my doughy feet into them,” she says, and for emphasis, puts her thick feet and ankles up on the coffee table. They look like tree trunks.
“Deal. I’ll be back before you know it, or hopefully before Mom drives you nuts.”
“Too late on the latter. I sent her out to look for a special diaper that doesn’t exist : Perfect Purple Pampers . She’s now driving some teenager who works at the grocery store crazy,” she says with a giggle.
* * *
Well, I miss it. I haul my butt back to New York for a meeting that turns into to be one of the most humiliating experiences to happen to me in some while, even worse than the last contract bust. I show up at the meeting, and overhear Deb pleading with two executives to “give her a chance.” Apparently, they have changed their mind, citing something about my being difficult, and they don’t want any drama. Unfucking believable . I’ve been in this business more than thirteen years, and this is what they remember: A couple of outbursts, which other models have on a daily basis? Why my reputation is being dragged through the mud is anyone’s guess. How can I politely tell them to fuck-off while maintaining my dignity? I guess I can’t, so I choose the direct route. I poke my head in and say, “Hi, Deb,” look over at the other two women and say, “Fuck you both, and your ugly ass shoes,” and I walk out.
By the time I get a direct flight back to Chicago, Melanie has had the baby. Mom said labor came on quickly, and that they had to contact Brian at the game. Mel was insistent they not do so, but Mom did anyway. I’m so grateful that she did; Mel wouldn’t have forgiven herself otherwise. They have a baby girl, and name her after both grandmothers: Mary Louise.
In selfish apology, I haven’t put her down since I’ve been back. I’ll give her up for Brian but, otherwise, if she’s not nursing with Mel, she’s in my arms. Mom is getting pissy about it, but I don’t care. It was love at first sight, and I can’t let her go.
Chapter 3
I sell my apartment in Manhattan, and buy a condo in Glencoe, about ten minutes away from Mel’s house. I fired Deb after all the nonsense; I’m done with modeling for good. I might
“Rebecca Marie, don’t you dare!” She waddles away from me, and I can’t help but chase after her.
“I’m just kidding, Mel. You know me anyway; I couldn’t stomach it. He’ll be here, and Mom and I are, too. I don’t want you to worry.” I give her a tight hug of reassurance.
* * *
“What? No, I can’t! My sister is due to have her baby any day now. No, I won’t be there,” I say to my agent, just two days after promising Mel I’d be here.
Mel is about ready to pop, and my agent is frantically trying to get me to come back and sign a new deal with an up-and-coming shoe line. I guess they don’t mind “old” feet.
“What was that about, Bec?” Melanie calls from the couch, unable to turn around to look at me behind her.
“Oh, it’s nothing. It was my agent, Deb. She has an offer for me to rep some new shoe line, but I guess there’s a time constraint. They want me to sign immediately. Screw that, I don’t want to leave here.”
“Go. I insist. This baby has wedged itself so deep under my ribcage, I’ll be on Social Security before I give birth. Go back, get it done, and I’ll still be here when you get back, probably in the exact same spot if I can figure out how to go to the bathroom sitting on the couch.”
I hate to leave her, but Mom is here, and Brian is home, too. I could do a quick out and back, and get it done. With no other offers in the pipeline, it might be a bad move to turn it down.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind saying no,” I ask hesitantly. I want to make sure she’s really OK.
“Of course, don’t be crazy. Bring me back some awesome shoes, maybe someday I’ll be able to fit my doughy feet into them,” she says, and for emphasis, puts her thick feet and ankles up on the coffee table. They look like tree trunks.
“Deal. I’ll be back before you know it, or hopefully before Mom drives you nuts.”
“Too late on the latter. I sent her out to look for a special diaper that doesn’t exist : Perfect Purple Pampers . She’s now driving some teenager who works at the grocery store crazy,” she says with a giggle.
* * *
Well, I miss it. I haul my butt back to New York for a meeting that turns into to be one of the most humiliating experiences to happen to me in some while, even worse than the last contract bust. I show up at the meeting, and overhear Deb pleading with two executives to “give her a chance.” Apparently, they have changed their mind, citing something about my being difficult, and they don’t want any drama. Unfucking believable . I’ve been in this business more than thirteen years, and this is what they remember: A couple of outbursts, which other models have on a daily basis? Why my reputation is being dragged through the mud is anyone’s guess. How can I politely tell them to fuck-off while maintaining my dignity? I guess I can’t, so I choose the direct route. I poke my head in and say, “Hi, Deb,” look over at the other two women and say, “Fuck you both, and your ugly ass shoes,” and I walk out.
By the time I get a direct flight back to Chicago, Melanie has had the baby. Mom said labor came on quickly, and that they had to contact Brian at the game. Mel was insistent they not do so, but Mom did anyway. I’m so grateful that she did; Mel wouldn’t have forgiven herself otherwise. They have a baby girl, and name her after both grandmothers: Mary Louise.
In selfish apology, I haven’t put her down since I’ve been back. I’ll give her up for Brian but, otherwise, if she’s not nursing with Mel, she’s in my arms. Mom is getting pissy about it, but I don’t care. It was love at first sight, and I can’t let her go.
Chapter 3
I sell my apartment in Manhattan, and buy a condo in Glencoe, about ten minutes away from Mel’s house. I fired Deb after all the nonsense; I’m done with modeling for good. I might
Similar Books
The Family Greene
Ann Rinaldi
A New Kind of Bliss
Bettye Griffin
To Tempt An Angel (Book 1 Douglas series)
Patricia; Grasso
West of Eden
Harry Harrison
Nan Ryan
Burning Love
The Helavite War
Theresa Snyder
LATCH
LK Collins
The Playdate
Louise Millar
Cowboy Under the Mistletoe
Linda Goodnight
Bitter Melon
Cara Chow