Just like the pageant- bitchin' beauty queens 'n' all
Grace sat drumming her fingers on the dressing table of her hotel room. Eric sat on the bed looking at her. They were all alone. Grace looked anywhere but him, knowing that his brown eyes would just make her melt.
The loud knock at the door broke the silence, & the tension, & Eric got up to answer the door. "Okay, really… what's going on? Hey, I know you!" Grace could hear Karen's voice before she even entered the room. "Well, if you're here," Karen said to Eric, "Then so must be… GRACIE LOU!!!" Karen, Mary-Jo & Cheryl all hugged her in turn.
"What are you doing here?" Cheryl asked sitting down on the bed, "This isn't another mission thing is it?"
"Oh Cheryl, do ya not think that Gracie could be here just to take part in the competition?" Mary-Jo chided.
"Actually, she's right, but thanks for the vote of confidence Mary-Jo. This is another FBI mission," Grace stood up, "All details are classified, however we need your co-operation in keeping my cover." Grace pulled out three FBI jackets, "These are for you. You'll all be honorary members of the FBI. Just don't do anything agent-ish."
"Okay." Cheryl took her jacket, "We won't put these on here- we'll just keep them in our rooms for now."
"Thanks Cheryl." Grace led them to the door.
"It's great to have you back Gracie Lou Freebush." Cheryl hugged her.
"It isn't Freebush anymore- it's Wyatt. See you downstairs in ten minutes!" Grace went to close the door & noticed Vic, who had brought the girls down, & Eric still standing there. She opened the door, "OUT!!"
* * *
"So are we allowed to know anythin' apart from the fact that you're gonna' kick some baddie ass?" Mary-Jo popped a cucumber into her mouth.
Grace groaned, "I hate rabbit food." She smiled, "Well, I don't think so. Just that you have to be really careful. Don't go anywhere alone & if anything unusual happens you tell me immediately."
The four girls & Carina sat around the restaurant table, eating dinner. Cheryl leaned in, "Can I ask something?"
"Sure." Grace answered as they all leant in.
"Were the other girls murdered? Is that why you're all here?"
Grace glanced at Carina & pressed her ear-piece into her ear. She listened intently for a moment & then looked at them, "Yes, but you've got to trust me- I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?" The girls nodded.
"So, what's tomorrow?" Carina asked.
"It's the final rehearsal & then the show." Karen replied, sitting back into her chair, "Then they choose the final five, who will travel with the Supermodels from other countries to other countries. Then we finish in London for the finals."
"Okay, that's good- I can handle that." Grace said, chomping on a piece of celery.
* * *
"Rise and shine!!!" Vic stood over Grace's bed.
"Oh god," Grace rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face into the pillow. "How did you get in here?" she asked, her voice muffled.
"Eric gave me a spare key. Now up- you have a long day ahead of you."
Grace pushed herself up, rubbed her eyes & looked at the clock, "Jesus Vic! It's seven thirty in the morning!"
"Yes and all the other girls are nearly ready. Now move!" Vic pulled an outfit out of his portable clothes rack while Grace went into the bathroom to wash.
Ten minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom dressed in the same jeans as the day before, with a white v-neck t-shirt, white stiletto sandals & a long denim jacket that matched the jeans. "Really into co-ordination, aren't you Vic?" she said sitting down in front of the mirror.
"Take off the jacket please." was his simple reply.
Grace did so & Vic pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, complete with 'artistic' loose 'bits'. He then applied her make-up &, at 8.30, proclaimed her 'ready to go'.
"Thank God for that." she replied, heading out the door to meet Karen.
* * *
"I chose you because you're funny. You're easy to talk to- when you're not armed. Give yourself a break. Cut Vic and the pageant ladies some slack 'cause if they ever get a chance to see what I see then………they're gonna' love you."
* * *
"Hey Gracie-Lou, I'm Kenneth Healy. I'm the one creating the outfits you'll wear." The loud, brash, English designer shook hands with Grace.
"Hey…" Grace smiled awkwardly.
"I'll just introduce you to everyone," He led her alone the rows of dressing tables, "This is Katie, our chief make-up artist…" Katie waved. "Josh, our chief hairdresser…" Josh nodded his head towards her & went back to pinning Cheryl's hair up, "And last, but by no means least, Marie Hesson."
"I'll take over from here," Marie took Grace's armed and guided her towards a seat, "I'm Marie and I'm sort of like house mother for you girls. If you have a problem, any problem at all, you come to me and I'll sort it out, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," Grace smiled. "Now, Katie is going to do your make-up, before the rehearsal. I, on the other hand, have got to go and stop Carrie & Juliette fighting. They're at again." Marie gave her a reassuring squeeze on the arm & left.
"Hey there," Katie pulled up a chair & set her make-up bag on the table, "We haven't been properly introduced- I'm Katie Semple."
"Hey," Grace replied, "Gracie Wyatt."
"So you're replacing Susanna?" Katie began to dot concealer onto Grace's face, "So sad about her. She was a nice girl."
"Nice my ass." Josh shot from the next table, where he was now curling Karen's hair.
"Josh!" Katie reprimanded him.
"I'm sorry Katie," Josh unravelled the tongs from Karen's hair, "But that girl was a bitch, you and I both know it. She was only in it for herself and she didn't care who she hurt to get here."
Karen leant over to Grace, "Susanna was seeing one of Josh's friends before all this and she slept with Kenneth to in. Eventually Josh found out and…"
"And told Michael, who dumped her seeing her for the slut she was." Josh finished.
"Yeah, but still… you gotta have respect for the dead Josh." Katie replied.
"Yeah, whatever." Josh finished Karen's hair, "You done, I've gotta straighten Gracie's hair."
"I'll be done in a minute." Katie replied.
"Fine, I'm gonna get a cup of coffee." With that he stalked off towards the coffee machine.
"Don't worry about him," Katie said looking at Grace, "he just gets a little worked up sometimes."
"Yeah," Grace replied, "did he have problems with the other girls?" "Well, he had a fight with Sarah and Claire about hairstyles," Katie said touching up Grace's lip gloss, "but I think he was okay with Sinead and he got on really well with Jen. There… all done."
"Thanks, you've been a great help," Grace watched Katie walk away and muttered, "In more ways than you could know."
* * *
"So, we have our first suspect- Josh Heaton." Eric sat beside the surveillance screen, "Jenson I want you to watch him. If he does anything, anything out of the ordinary report back to me. Understand?"
"Yes sir." Agent Jenson grabbed his jacket & ran out of the room.
"Okay, that's it. Just keep an eye out for unusual activity." Eric opened the door to let everyone out & he followed Grace out of the room. "How you doing?" He asked, walking her back to her hotel room.
"I'm good. It's just like the pageant." Grace replied, "I just hope this ends the same."
"Oh, you mean with Lady Liberty blowing up?" Eric said with a cheeky grin.
"No," Grace punched him playfully, "With everyone being safe."
They stood at her hotel room door. "But will this time round end with a kiss?" Eric asked stepping closer to her, still grinning cheekily.
"Who says it has to end with a kiss?" Grace replied playfully. Eric leant in closer, his hot breath caressing her skin. Her breathing deepened and her skin flushed. Suddenly she stopped, "Eric, I…"
"I know," he replied, pulling back, "we can't."
"I'm sorry," Grace said, "I'm just not ready."
"I know." He replied, rubbing her arm, "You'll tell me when you are. Goodnight Gracie." He leant in and kissed her on the cheek, "See you in the morning."
He turned to leave but was stopped by Mary-Jo & Cheryl running down the hallway screaming. "Where were you?" Mary-Jo asked.
"I was busy with… stuff. Why?" Grace replied.
"Because they chose the final five," Cheryl said excitedly, "me, you, Mary-Jo, Karen and Juliette. Isn't it great?"
"Yeah, it's fantastic!" Grace said, "We have to go out and celebrate."
"We can't," Karen walked up, "We have to be on a flight to Paris in the morning."
"Oh, come on-" Grace started.
"No really," Karen cut her off, "You know I'd normally be up for this sorta thing, but we really need to stay in tonight."
"All right," Grace replied, "But we'll have our fun in Paris."
"Hell yeah!" Cheryl burst out.
Grace looked at her in surprise & then started to laugh, "All right, you guys, see you in the morning."
They girls left, leaving Grace & Eric alone again.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks." They looked at each other in awkward silence. "Okay, um…" Grace started.
"Yeah, goodnight." Eric replied turning to leave.
"Oh, Eric!" Grace stopped him, "I, um… I told you that, ah… oh yeah; they cut a load of stops out of the tour. We're only going to Paris, Berlin and London now."
"Yeah, you told me. Goodnight." Eric turned and walked away.
Grace practically ran into her room and, closing it behind her, she put her back up against the door and sighed.