Chapter 4 – Mallory
The music was thumping loudly and the bright flashes of cameras could be seen over the high partition. The booming voice announced the name of the designer, "Henri de Lousou" in his thick French accent. Then, with the loud bass intro of the next song as her cue, Mallory Pike stepped out onto the catwalk. Strutting proudly down the long runway, showing of the latest in couture fashion, Mallory was in her element. Her tall 5'10, thin frame showed off the outfit with perfection, her long, copper hair swung as she walked with grace and power. This was her life. Fashion, Europe, music, life!
After the show ended and all the models had taken their last walk down the runway, the designer caught Mallory's hand and together they bowed to the audience. Mallory then went with the rest of the girls to the back of the stage and staggered over to her dressing table and yanked the uncomfortable alligator skin boots off. She demanded an espresso from one of the assistants passing by and lit up a cigarette. Quickly she took off all of the heavy makeup and slipped into her favorite black leather pants and off the shoulder black top. She gave two cheeked kisses to a few of the girls and the designer before heading outside into the crowded Paris streets.
Allesandro was waiting for Mallory on his Vespa motorbike. Allesandro was her latest boyfriend whom set met in Milan during her last fashion show. He was an aspiring male model and together they made a gorgeous, young, fun, flirty couple.
As they whizzed through the narrow streets, Mallory marveled to herself, "Who would have ever imagined that boring, dull Mallory Pike would be living the life she is today?" Sometimes she still had to pinch herself that it was all true. When she was turned fourteen, the braces came off, she got contacts, a hair straightening iron, and went through a fantastic growth spurt. She was as long and leggy as a newborn colt. While a freshman at Riverbend, her class took a field trip to New York City. While walking to the Empire State Building, she was spotted by a scout from one of the top fashion agencies in the world. Her parents were always very lenient and felt their children should make their own choices, but even they weren't soft enough to allow their fourteen year old daughter to drop out of school and enter the modeling world. So, the day she graduated from Riverbend, she headed to New York City and to the agency that first spotted her. They were still interested in her and the rest was history.
Mallory was presently living in her own flat in Paris. She traveled around Europe doing fashion shows and a few select print ads. Life was busy and fun. She had a lot of friends in the fashion world and when not working, she liked to hit the top clubs and night spots in Europe. She was recently in Ibiza and Greece sunbathing during the day and partying at night. Who would have known she ever had it in her?
Alessandro and Mallory arrived at Rue St. Etienne where they climbed the stairs to her third floor flat. When she opened the door into the living room, Alessandro removed his sunglasses and exclaimed, "Mon dieu, Mallory! When was the last time you cleaned your apartment?"
"I know, I know," she wearily replied. "I was in Frankfurt last week, Greece the week before that and I only got in from the airport last night from Amsterdam." She surveyed the clothes strewn everywhere, plants that were dead and shriveled, a distinctly sour smell coming from the kitchen, and take out boxes of Indian food that had gone moldy on the coffee table.
"This is disgraceful, Mallory," Alessandro lectured her. "A beautiful girl such as you coming out of all of this mess.....c'est impossible!" Mallory just laughed at him. "Regarde! Your post has piled up for weeks here. You just walked on top of it!"
"Oh, that," Mallory replied with a toss of her head. "No big deal. My manager will handle the bills and stuff. The rest is junk anyways."
Just then the doorbell rang. Mallory opened the door to find a courier service representative.
"Bonjour, mademoiselle," he handed her an air mail envelope that required her signature. She quickly signed her loopy scrawl and took the envelope from him. "Merci beaucoup," she thanked him and shut the door. Mallory tossed the envelope down on the floor and started to sort through the clothing in a nearby wardrobe.
"I know my favorite Hermes scarf is here somewhere...." she murmured to herself. "It will be perfect for the party tonight."
"Mallory!" Alessandro exclaimed. "Aren't you going to open the envelope?! It could be something very important!" He picked up the envelope and handed it to her.
Sighing impatiently she ripped it open. "For you, Alessandro...anything" and gave him a slightly annoyed look.
"Oh my lord!" she exclaimed.
"Bad news?" he asked.
"No, no, amazing news. A reunion of a group of my old childhood friends back in the States" she replied.
"See!" Alessandro said triumphantly. "You would have missed this...reunion...if it weren't for me! That envelope would still be sitting on the floor by the time it was over."
Mallory smiled at him dearly. "You're right, Alessandro. I don't know what I would have done if I'd have missed this! It's my chance!"
"Your chance?" he asked befuddled.
"Yes!" Mallory exclaimed. "My chance to show them the new and improved Mallory Pike. Mon cheri, you can't imagine what I used to be like!"
"A horrible beast?" he laughed. "A la Hunchback de Notre Dame?"
Mallory laughed. "Not quite." She went over to a cardboard box she had not yet unpacked and pulled out an old photo album. She then cleared some clothes off of the couch and together they sat down to marvel over the old Mallory Pike. As she laughed at the photos from BSC trips together, she started smiling at the old memories. Would anyone else have changed as much as she did? Only time would tell.
The music was thumping loudly and the bright flashes of cameras could be seen over the high partition. The booming voice announced the name of the designer, "Henri de Lousou" in his thick French accent. Then, with the loud bass intro of the next song as her cue, Mallory Pike stepped out onto the catwalk. Strutting proudly down the long runway, showing of the latest in couture fashion, Mallory was in her element. Her tall 5'10, thin frame showed off the outfit with perfection, her long, copper hair swung as she walked with grace and power. This was her life. Fashion, Europe, music, life!
After the show ended and all the models had taken their last walk down the runway, the designer caught Mallory's hand and together they bowed to the audience. Mallory then went with the rest of the girls to the back of the stage and staggered over to her dressing table and yanked the uncomfortable alligator skin boots off. She demanded an espresso from one of the assistants passing by and lit up a cigarette. Quickly she took off all of the heavy makeup and slipped into her favorite black leather pants and off the shoulder black top. She gave two cheeked kisses to a few of the girls and the designer before heading outside into the crowded Paris streets.
Allesandro was waiting for Mallory on his Vespa motorbike. Allesandro was her latest boyfriend whom set met in Milan during her last fashion show. He was an aspiring male model and together they made a gorgeous, young, fun, flirty couple.
As they whizzed through the narrow streets, Mallory marveled to herself, "Who would have ever imagined that boring, dull Mallory Pike would be living the life she is today?" Sometimes she still had to pinch herself that it was all true. When she was turned fourteen, the braces came off, she got contacts, a hair straightening iron, and went through a fantastic growth spurt. She was as long and leggy as a newborn colt. While a freshman at Riverbend, her class took a field trip to New York City. While walking to the Empire State Building, she was spotted by a scout from one of the top fashion agencies in the world. Her parents were always very lenient and felt their children should make their own choices, but even they weren't soft enough to allow their fourteen year old daughter to drop out of school and enter the modeling world. So, the day she graduated from Riverbend, she headed to New York City and to the agency that first spotted her. They were still interested in her and the rest was history.
Mallory was presently living in her own flat in Paris. She traveled around Europe doing fashion shows and a few select print ads. Life was busy and fun. She had a lot of friends in the fashion world and when not working, she liked to hit the top clubs and night spots in Europe. She was recently in Ibiza and Greece sunbathing during the day and partying at night. Who would have known she ever had it in her?
Alessandro and Mallory arrived at Rue St. Etienne where they climbed the stairs to her third floor flat. When she opened the door into the living room, Alessandro removed his sunglasses and exclaimed, "Mon dieu, Mallory! When was the last time you cleaned your apartment?"
"I know, I know," she wearily replied. "I was in Frankfurt last week, Greece the week before that and I only got in from the airport last night from Amsterdam." She surveyed the clothes strewn everywhere, plants that were dead and shriveled, a distinctly sour smell coming from the kitchen, and take out boxes of Indian food that had gone moldy on the coffee table.
"This is disgraceful, Mallory," Alessandro lectured her. "A beautiful girl such as you coming out of all of this mess.....c'est impossible!" Mallory just laughed at him. "Regarde! Your post has piled up for weeks here. You just walked on top of it!"
"Oh, that," Mallory replied with a toss of her head. "No big deal. My manager will handle the bills and stuff. The rest is junk anyways."
Just then the doorbell rang. Mallory opened the door to find a courier service representative.
"Bonjour, mademoiselle," he handed her an air mail envelope that required her signature. She quickly signed her loopy scrawl and took the envelope from him. "Merci beaucoup," she thanked him and shut the door. Mallory tossed the envelope down on the floor and started to sort through the clothing in a nearby wardrobe.
"I know my favorite Hermes scarf is here somewhere...." she murmured to herself. "It will be perfect for the party tonight."
"Mallory!" Alessandro exclaimed. "Aren't you going to open the envelope?! It could be something very important!" He picked up the envelope and handed it to her.
Sighing impatiently she ripped it open. "For you, Alessandro...anything" and gave him a slightly annoyed look.
"Oh my lord!" she exclaimed.
"Bad news?" he asked.
"No, no, amazing news. A reunion of a group of my old childhood friends back in the States" she replied.
"See!" Alessandro said triumphantly. "You would have missed this...reunion...if it weren't for me! That envelope would still be sitting on the floor by the time it was over."
Mallory smiled at him dearly. "You're right, Alessandro. I don't know what I would have done if I'd have missed this! It's my chance!"
"Your chance?" he asked befuddled.
"Yes!" Mallory exclaimed. "My chance to show them the new and improved Mallory Pike. Mon cheri, you can't imagine what I used to be like!"
"A horrible beast?" he laughed. "A la Hunchback de Notre Dame?"
Mallory laughed. "Not quite." She went over to a cardboard box she had not yet unpacked and pulled out an old photo album. She then cleared some clothes off of the couch and together they sat down to marvel over the old Mallory Pike. As she laughed at the photos from BSC trips together, she started smiling at the old memories. Would anyone else have changed as much as she did? Only time would tell.