Catwalk. Part 15

"Right."

"And I'll be expected to keep the conversation interesting. And, well, I remember from when I was younger how it can get at a slumber party."

"What do you mean?" I'm trying to remember, but mostly what I can recall is just a lot of talking, eating junk food, watching weird movies, laughing, and staying up too late. I don't see the big deal.

"You know how girls can be at a slumber party."

"You mean like in middle school?"

She shrugs, but I have a feeling there's something she's not telling me.

"What?" I persist. "Did something happen to you at a slumber party?"

She shrugs again.

"What happened, Paige?"

"Well, it was a long time ago."

"Tell me."

She frowns. "It's not important." But I urge her and finally she pours it out. "I'm not sure if it was premeditated or if it just happened, but it was McKenzie's fourteenth birthday and for some reason she decided to target me. She kept kind of jabbing at me, making fun of my outfit, making fun of how I was into fas.h.i.+on, making fun of everything...and since it was her birthday and her party...well, the other girls...even my best friend Kelsey joined in. I finally just left."

"Was that the time you had Mom pick you up in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah." She nods sadly. "I couldn't take it. They just got meaner and meaner. It was really brutal."

"I thought it was because you were having cramps."

"That's what I told Mom. No way was I going to admit to her that I'd been the girl that everyone had turned on. It was so pathetic. But I guess it still hurts."

"I can understand."

So, a couple hours later, when we're going up in the elevator to Taylor and Eliza's fifteenth-floor apartment, I try to be as upbeat and positive as I can. And I a.s.sure Paige that middle-school mean girls are a thing of the past. Of course, even as I say this, I'm recalling another mean-girl incident-and it had nothing to do with middle school, but instead the cast members of Malibu Beach. Malibu Beach.

As expected our camera crew is already there and JJ is set up to film us as we emerge from the elevator with our overnight bags. Then we are mic'ed and Paige makes a smooth transition into what we're doing tonight and who we expect to see.

"Just girls visiting with girls," she says lightly. "Letting our hair down after a long eight days of Fas.h.i.+on Week." Then she rings the doorbell and within seconds, Taylor warmly welcomes us into their beautiful apartment, where the rest of the crew is already set up and rolling. Taylor explains that DJ is picking up Rhiannon and that they should be here in about an hour. "And I know it sounds juvenile, but I ordered pizza. I hope that's okay."

"A model who eats pizza?" I ask.

Taylor laughs. "Yes. Eliza wasn't too happy with that decision. She's been on a pretty strict diet lately."

"Where is Eliza?" Paige asks.

Taylor nods toward a partially closed door. "Primping, of course."

"I am not not primping," Eliza calls back. primping," Eliza calls back.

Taylor gets us sodas, and is giving us a quick tour of the plush apartment when Eliza finally makes her entrance. I have to agree with Taylor, I think she was primping. Her makeup is perfect. Her hair is perfect. Although she has on warm-ups, they too are perfect-pale blue and about the same color as her eyes. In fact, I think Paige might have the exact same ones.

"I was just getting comfortable," Eliza says as she grabs herself a diet soda then gracefully arranges herself on the sectional-as if she's striking a pose for a leisure wear ad. Or maybe it's a jewelry ad, because she's wearing diamonds. I can tell she's aware of the cameras, and I suspect JJ and Alistair can tell too.

"This is a beautiful apartment," Paige tells Eliza as she sits in a chair adjacent from her, crossing one long blue-jeaned leg over the other and showing off her new pair of Prada boots.

"Thank you." Eliza makes a blase look. "But it's my mother's decorator who should take the credit. Lamar is a magician when it comes to making small s.p.a.ces seem larger."

"This seems like a fairly big apartment." Paige observes. "For Manhattan anyway. And I'm guessing most models don't have digs quite this posh."

"The successful ones do," Eliza says in a slightly arrogant tone.

"So, is that how you'd describe your career?"

Eliza's smile stiffens. "Oh, I don't know."

"How about you, Taylor?" Paige turns her attention to Taylor as she sits down next to her roommate. "How would you describe your career so far?"

"Interesting...challenging...fun." Taylor picks up a copy of Vogue Vogue and starts to flip through it. and starts to flip through it.

"What's your favorite part about modeling?" Paige asks her.

Taylor considers this. "Maybe the go-sees."

"Go sees?" I echo.

She nods. "That's when your agency gives you a call, saying that someone-you know, a designer or a photographer working on a print ad-wants you to stop by so they can check you out and go over your portfolio. It's called a go-see. go-see."

"As in go see if they like you," Eliza adds.

"And then it's a callback if they do," Taylor tells me.

"How about you, Eliza?" Paige asks. "Are go-sees your favorite part too?"

"No way." Eliza shakes her head firmly.

"Why not?"

"Too stressful."

Paige turns back to Taylor. "So why do you like go-sees?"

Taylor's dark eyes seem to spark at this question. And I think it's no wonder she's such a sought-after model. "It's like a challenge, you know? Kind of like taking a test so you can prove that you're good at something. I think it's fun to walk in cold and suddenly you have to win these people over. Kind of like a game. If DJ were here-she's into sports-I think she'd get it. It's like a contest and you want to win. Does that make sense?"

Paige nods with enthusiasm. "Absolutely. In fact, that's exactly how I feel when I walk into an interview situation. I have no idea how it's going to go down, but I can't wait to get started. It is kind of like a game too."

"I get that," I tell them. "It's kind of like that for me when I'm trying to get a good shot on my camera. It's exciting."

"Like it stirs up your pa.s.sion," Taylor continues. "It energizes you and you want to do your best."

"How about you, Eliza?" Paige tries again to include her. "What is it about modeling that feels like that to you?"

Eliza frowns as if she's trying to think of something, and then she just slowly shakes her head. "I'm not really sure."

"But you do like modeling?" Paige tries.

"I love it."

"So what about it do you love?"

"I guess it's the actual doing. You know, striding down the runway. Or if it's for print, posing for the camera. I love to be the center of attention."

Taylor laughs. "That's the truth."

"Well, so do you," Eliza shoots back.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. But it's more than just that."

"Which do you like better?" Paige continues. "Runway or print?"

"Both," Taylor admits.

Eliza nods. "Yes. I like both too."

Paige continues to quiz these two girls about the modeling life and Eliza seems to relax a little, as if she's forgetting the camera crew is there.

And then DJ and Rhiannon arrive with the pizzas and the place gets much livelier-and crowded. Paige continues to keep the conversation fas.h.i.+on-oriented, and the banter and chat is animated and fun. But after an hour or so, Paige suggests that the camera crew might want to call it a night.

"We'll see you again on Monday," JJ tells Taylor as they're leaving. And I can tell by the way he smiles at her that he's looking forward to coming back.

And then it's just the six of us and Paige sets aside her interviewer mode and just acts like one of the girls. But something weird is happening. It's like Eliza has decided she doesn't like Paige.

"So how did you manage to land this TV job anyway?" Eliza asks Paige. She's been quizzing her about On the Runway On the Runway, but in a way that sounds like a putdown. "Did you just sleep with the right guy?" She laughs like this is funny.

"Well, Helen Hudson spotted Paige when she was doing a news spot for Channel Five News," I explain. "Helen said that Paige has what it takes to do a show like On the Runway. On the Runway. Helen called and set up the interview, and that was that." Helen called and set up the interview, and that was that."

"So what if your show doesn't really take off?" Eliza asks. "Do you have some kind of backup plan? Any other aspirations?"

"Nothing specifically," Paige tells her. "But I'm hoping whatever I do will be fas.h.i.+on-related. And who knows...maybe one thing will lead to another."

"Have you ever considered modeling?" Rhiannon asks Paige. "I mean, you seem like a natural."

"Thanks." Paige smiles at her. "But I don't think I'd really want to model. To me it's more fun talking talking about fas.h.i.+on. Besides, unless you're a Kate Moss, Heidi Klum, or Tyra Banks, a model's career doesn't usually last too long." Paige turns to Eliza. "How about you? Do you have any aspirations beyond modeling? Or a backup plan if it doesn't work out for you?" about fas.h.i.+on. Besides, unless you're a Kate Moss, Heidi Klum, or Tyra Banks, a model's career doesn't usually last too long." Paige turns to Eliza. "How about you? Do you have any aspirations beyond modeling? Or a backup plan if it doesn't work out for you?"

"Besides your family's fortune," DJ says teasingly.

Eliza scowls. "I promised my parents I'd go to college after I'm done modeling. Not that I'm planning to do that anytime soon."

"How about you?" Eliza asks Taylor.

"It might be fun to get into acting." Taylor kicks off her shoes and tucks her legs beneath her. "Once the modeling thing dries up."

"Not that Taylor's modeling career will dry up any time soon," DJ adds. "Did she tell you the good news?"

"What good news?" Paige asks with interest.

DJ nods to Taylor. "You didn't tell them?"

Taylor just shrugs.

"Couture has chosen Taylor to be in their next editorial fas.h.i.+on spread," DJ tells everyone. "Isn't that great?" has chosen Taylor to be in their next editorial fas.h.i.+on spread," DJ tells everyone. "Isn't that great?"

"Seriously?" Eliza looks shocked. "When did this happen?"

"Grandmother told me about it," DJ explains. "Apparently the editor-in-chief thought Taylor was the hottest thing during Fas.h.i.+on Week."

"That's probably an exaggeration," Taylor says.

"And I'm guessing Mrs. Carter suggested it," Eliza says to Paige. "You know she used to be editor-in-chief at Couture. Couture. I'm sure she still carries some influence there. Plus, she always did tend to favor Taylor over the rest of us." I'm sure she still carries some influence there. Plus, she always did tend to favor Taylor over the rest of us."

"I wouldn't say that," DJ challenges. "She might've thought Taylor had the most potential for modeling, but she recognized talents in others too."

Eliza just laughs-but in a mean way.

"She encouraged me toward design," Rhiannon says. "And helped me get into FIT."

"Hey, I have an idea," Paige says suddenly. "How about if we take Tuesday's On the Runway On the Runway shoot over to shoot over to Couture Couture?"

"That's a great idea," I tell her.

"What do you think, Taylor?" Paige asks.

"Wouldn't you need to ask Couture Couture what they think first?" Eliza says sharply, cutting off Taylor. what they think first?" Eliza says sharply, cutting off Taylor.

But Paige is already on her phone, calling Fran and telling her about this idea. She explains how Taylor has been chosen for the editorial fas.h.i.+on spread and how that would make a great angle for the day in the life of a model episode, then finally hangs up. "Fran loves this idea," Paige tells us. "She's all over it. And I'm guessing Couture Couture will be too. After all, it's free publicity for them." will be too. After all, it's free publicity for them."

"So your day in the life of a model is basically turning into a day in the life of Taylor Mitch.e.l.l," Eliza says sullenly.

"We'll include you too," Paige a.s.sures her.

"Yeah, right." Eliza stands and goes into the kitchen. And I'm sure her feelings are hurt, but it also seems like she's being pretty selfish. Why can't she be happy for Taylor's sake?

"Now don't go off and pout," DJ calls to Eliza. "We all know you're feeling jealous of Taylor. Nothing new about this." DJ turns to Paige and me. "Living in the same house for a year, we started acting a little like sisters."

"Come on, Eliza," Rhiannon now tries. "You can talk to us about what's bugging you."

So Eliza returns, flops down on the sectional again, and just shakes her head. "It seems like no matter how hard I try, it just never goes quite the way I want it to."

"Maybe it's because you want the wrong things," I say hesitantly.