UP IN SMOKE
WESTCHESTER MALL
LEVEL 1
FEBRUARY 27
4:00PM
"I can't believe we haven't been to the mall for this long," Massie said as she walked through the sliding doors. She gazed around with wonder and awe, instantly feeling an adrenaline rush and ready to shop.
"I can't believe you dragged us to the Westchester," Alicia said, "It's been years."
"I have a family reunion after," Massie said.
"Well I'm pumped," Kristen said.
Claire rolled her eyes. "Once you've been around designer clothing 24/7 because of the magazine, I find it hard to be so happy."
"Claire, shopping never made you thrilled," Dylan commented. "But I don't know why, you're figure is so perfect, you'd look gorgeous in designer instead of Gap. You look so thin."
Alicia nodded. "If only I could get in you into some Ralph Lauren…"
Claire just shrugged. "I don't know."
"I KNOW!" Massie said as she spotted a gorgeous white dress dripping off a mannequin in one of the unknown boutiques. "Let's go shopping for Claire's wedding dress!"
"Cam and I don't even have a date set up-"
"Maybe this will get you guys on track!"
"Ehmagawd yes!" Alicia squealed and clapped her hands together. Claire protested but Alicia and Dylan grabbed her arms and pulled her to the store. They shoved through the door and stumbled to the center of the store. It was pink inside with candy-green couches and plush gold chairs. Dresses were shoved to the sides of the stores, and an oriental looking door to the dressing rooms was ajar on the far side of the room. The air smelled sweet.
Claire looked around, and found that Massie, Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan were already off, sifting through dresses in Claire's size. Claire sighed and leaned up settles into one of the chairs, and rested her head on her hand. She already wished she was home on her couch eating gummies, or talking to Cam on the phone, or drinking coffee in Starbucks with him. But her friends were too busy looking for dresses Claire could never afford, even with the major paycheck she had. She hadn't been born rich, although if she continued to invest and save as much as she was now she would be rich. But, it would not happen until she was 30 at least.
Groaning, Claire rolled her head back and readied herself for a long day.
WESTCHESTER MALL
PINK AND WHITE BOUTIQUE
FEBRUARY 27
7:30 PM
"Massie, what happened to your family reunion?" Claire asked from the dressing room. She had tried on her last dress, and it was failing like the rest of them. It had a mandarin collar and a straight drop waist. It was ugly and horrible, and Claire was scared to show everybody.
"I'm coming at nine," Massie called. "Come awn Kuh-laire, hurry up! Just show us!"
"Alright but don't laugh," Claire said. She slowly pulled back the curtain and stepped outside to where Massie and everyone else were lounging lazily on the chairs. The second they spotted her their manicured nails instantly went up to their well glossed mouths to stifle their laughter. Finally, Kristen couldn't stand it and she let out her famous cackle. Before long everybody was laughing. The old saleslady looked disgruntled.
"You just don't have the right shape," The lady muttered as she took the dress from Claire back in the dressing room. "This is our best dress."
"Apparently not," Massie said. She then reached into her black Prada bag and fished around for her wallet. She extracted a fifty dollar bill and placed it in the old lady's hand. "Here, this is fifty bucks I'm giving you to burn this dress."
Kristen cackled again, and the saleslady blushed before shuffling away. Claire sighed. "You don't have to be so mean."
"Maybe you can develop a fashion sense…or I can pay for a designer dress and you wouldn't look like a dork in front of Cam," Massie retorted. Claire just shook her head and the girls headed out.
"Lets hit Ralph Lauren!" Alicia declared and the girls nodded in agreement. Claire followed, watching their designer heels click on the marble floor, wondering if she should accept Massie's offer. A designer dress sounded so….fabulous. And Claire wanted everything to be perfect.
"Come on Kuh-laire," Massie called over her shoulder. Claire ran to them, hating every second her old sneakers had to step with Massie's Jimmy Choo's.
MASSIE'S OFFICE
SMOKE MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 29
9:00 AM
Massie yawned and leaned back into her chair. She smoothed her short hair and re-glossed her lips as she checked her e-mail. They were shooting Massie's jungle idea today with Shauna. It had started at 8:15 PM and Massie wanted to know how things were going. Maybe she'd stop by the shoot.
Just as she thought, Vicki had e-mailed her the progress.
MASSIE-
IT'S GOING OK; WE JUST SET UP THE JUNGLE BACKGROUND AND HAVE THE SMOKE SET. WE GOT A COUPLE OF GOOD SHOTS SINCE SHAUNA IS AMAZING. MAYBE SHE SHOULD REPLACE EMMY? LAURA'S REALLY MAD AT HER. WELL, THE PHOTOG LOVES SHAUNA…..I'LL E-MAIL YOU WHEN WE'RE DONE.
-VICKI
Massie deleted the e-mail and looked around the office. The elevator dinged and Alicia walked out, clutching a gold folder, talking none other to Melissa J. as Massie had dubbed her, although she wrote it out as Melissa Jordan Hawke. It sounded very… official. Massie wondered if she should get a middle name. Alicia sat at her desk and pointed the girl to Massie. The girl nodded and approached Massie with an air of confidence surrounding her thicker than her Lancome perfume.
"Hi," She said. "I'm Meli-"
"Ms. Hawke." Massie said smoothly. Despite the fact that Melissa Jordan Hawke was decked out gorgeously in BCBG tan cropped blazer over a burgundy C&C tank top and black with white pinstripe pants, and looked liked she belonged among Massie's friends, she was still replacing Sasha in a lowly assistant job and therefore she would get the same brush off as she had given Sasha. Who knows? Maybe Melissa J. would prove worthy and she'd soon get a promotion and wouldn't have to put up with it as long.
Melissa nodded. "Yes?"
"Well, I need you to run the plans to the shoot incase Vicki forgets- Leesh has it- I want you to call Marge and get me my car so I can go to the shoot as it's rapping up, Get me some Starbucks, someone will tell you how I like it, and pick up some skirts from Cara at the Agency, and call Laura and see if she can get Shauna to do another shoot if she's better than Emmy and if she is fire Emmy. Thank you."
Melissa just tilted her head to the side, letting her gold-red curls cascade down her face. "Alright." She strode confidently away.
Massie tapped her purple pen against her sketch book. She leaned back in her chair and contemplated the last conversation. She then realized Melissa wouldn't know yet that she was supposed to get her coffee first and not do everything in order. Sighing, Massie text messaged Alicia.
Massie: Leesh? Get me some coffee please? You can have the one Melissa J. will come back with.
Alicia: Of course, brb.
Massie watched Alicia push back her chair and scurry out of the room, starting out slow, and then slowly picking up speed. It wasn't noon yet, and Alicia would still be her slow self. Massie rolled her eyes and then slowly rolled her feet back into her wedges. She could live off of the coffee left in the café downstairs…at least for today.