EPILOGUE
September 2007
M sat at the small dressing table in their bedroom at the Beekman Place apartment in Manhattan, putting the finishing touches to her makeup. There, that’s it, she thought staring at her face. Half an Audrey, that was her look for tonight.
She smiled to herself, sat back in the chair, her gaze shifting to the view from the window: the East River and Long Island City beyond. She was happy to be back here for a few months with Larry, before returning to Paris in December to prepare for the new spring collections, to be shown next January.
Her thoughts suddenly shifted to the meeting she’d had yesterday with Dr Melissa Glendenning, a psychiatrist who specialized in treating rape victims. M had liked her immediately, and made an appointment for another session next week. She had promised Larry to seek counselling once they were in New York, and she was now glad she had finally taken that step. And so was he.
‘Are you ready, darling?’ he asked from the doorway, startling her, and she sat up with a jerk, swung her head to look up at him. ‘Yes, give me five minutes.’ As she spoke she stood up and went to the wardrobe, took out her favourite black dress. Showing it to him, she said with a smile, ‘I thought I’d wear this, Larry. I was wearing it the night I met you, when Geo ran into James again. A lucky dress, wouldn’t you say?’
‘It is, but come on, love, hurry up, we’re running late.’
‘Zip me up, please,’ she murmured, swiftly took off her cotton robe, stepped into the dress and turned her back to him. Once he had zipped it, she put on large pearl earrings, picked up a small black purse and a cashmere stole and ran out of the bedroom after him.
He was waiting in the front hall, looking more handsome than ever, she decided, the blue shirt he was wearing emphasizing the blueness of his eyes. Smiling at her, he nodded his approval.
Outside on Beekman Place, the car and bodyguards were waiting. Larry bundled her in and told Craig the address of the art gallery in Chelsea, then exclaimed, ‘We are going to be late. What a nuisance, and we’ve been waiting for this event for months.’
M moved closer to him on the seat, and slipped her arm through his. ‘Don’t worry so much, it’s all right. It is an art show, after all, so we don’t have to be there on the dot.’
Turning to look at her, he gave her a small smile. ‘Why is it you always manage to make me feel better?’
‘I don’t know actually, but I’m glad I do.’ She drew even closer to him, and said quietly, ‘Are you sure you’re not upset we finally had to cancel the yacht and our cruise on the Bosphorus?’
‘Not at all.’
‘But we haven’t had our honeymoon,’ M protested.
‘Being married to you is a permanent honeymoon, M, my darling girl,’ Larry answered, grinning at her. ‘And we can always take a cruise next year, you know.’
She smiled at him, and squeezed his hand, leaned back against the seat. They didn’t speak much after that, lost as they were in their own thoughts.
The moment they arrived at the Gresham Art Gallery in Chelsea, the flashbulbs began to pop, as the photographers swarmed around them when they stepped out of the car. Stuart escorted them through the crowds and into the gallery, and stayed with them as he always did. They were the ‘in’ couple, adored by the world and the press, and there was always a potential risk to their safety. Larry called it the price of extreme fame.
The minute they entered the gallery the noise abruptly stopped, and everyone stared at them. Suddenly there was Geo, smiling and waving, hurrying forward to greet them, followed by James, with Dax in tow. They all hugged each other, and M took hold of Geo’s arm, and said, ‘Sorry we’re late. So much traffic. And I hope my favourite painting hasn’t been sold.’
‘No, it hasn’t,’ Geo replied. ‘Come and see it. It looks much better now that it’s framed.’
‘It was fantastic without a frame,’ M shot back, happy for Geo, who she knew was about to become very famous.
They all trooped to the area of the gallery where M’s favourite painting was hanging, followed by some of the other guests. Larry stopped a waiter, and they all took glasses of champagne. After they had clinked their glasses, Larry said, ‘Congratulations, Geo. The show’s going to be a huge success!’
Geo simply smiled, linked her arm through M’s, and murmured, ‘I hope Larry’s right.’
‘Of course he is,’ M reassured her. She turned to Dax, and continued, ‘You’ve got one movie under your belt, so what’s next for you, Dax?’
‘Another movie.’ He grinned at the two women he cared so much about, and exclaimed, ‘We made it, M, didn’t we? And now it’s Geo’s turn. She’s about to become the new star in the art world.’
‘She certainly is,’ M answered, and then shifted the direction of her gaze.
Larry was staring at her. Their eyes met and held, and they began to walk towards each other. And suddenly, M knew that he was all she wanted. Nothing else mattered. Not really. He was her life, just as she was his, and they would always be together. Forever.