"Ah! Ees that you, Grace?"
"Oh, so it is. Ha-ha. Good to see you, Jackie. I see you've landed on your feet in New York?"
"Ah! Do not call me that , ah-ha, just my l-eetle joke! Jacqueline . Eet ees not so 'ard, ees eet? Ah! See? There I go ag-ain. Ha-ha!"
"I didn't think I'd see you at Vogue . Didn't you - er, sorry, my memory's a bit foggy."
"Ah! Eet ees, 'ow you say - alright. Ha-ha!"
"Aren't you the new president for James Holt International?"
"Ah! Oui . That ees why I am 'ere. James ees a prec-eeous, prec-eeous cli-eent of mine, ah-ha! I would like to propose w-eeth Anna that James show een 'er mag-a-zeen."
"She's very busy, I'll warn you. And you are - no offence, of course - "
"Ah! None tak-een."
" - but you used to be with Runway , didn't you?"
"Ah, but Grace . That ees all een the past! I am s-eem-ply helping James . You know, I talk to my mother - mère , ah-ha! - and she tell me, she tell me when I am a l-eetle girl, she tell me - Jacqueline, tu n'es pas ambitieuse . (Jacqueline, you are not ambitious.) And you know, she ees right! All I want to do ees 'elp James. You know me, Grace."
"Not really… "
"'Elp me 'elp you. I would like an interv-eew w-eeth Anna today - eef that ees not ask-eeng too much, of course, ah-ha!"
"I'll see what I can do… we have a busy today day, but - oh, avoid that hanger, it always pokes out. You see our hallways? Full of clothes. I'm like to think anyone could walk in and steal it."
"Ah-ha! You are so fun-nee, Grace."
"Us British are never funny, Jacqueline. Ha-ha. You see that empty office? We've had Andre up and go."
"Real-lee?"
"He's pursuing other projects. It's about time for me to look elsewhere, too. The print and magazine world is changing. Fashion and the internet. You know how it is."
"... hmm? Oh! Of course, la! Ha-ha. So th-ees ees Vogue ?"
"Not much different than what you're used to, I'm sure. Every season, the coordinators of the fashion shows have to practically divide down the middle, and come to a tighter vote than the Conclave to decide who sits in the better spot for which shows. We're not much different from any other publication, really."
"Oh, ha-ha! Grace, that ees just what you want ev-e-ree-one else to theenk, ees-n't it!"
"... she's just through here. Now, don't say you've come from me. Well, I suppose I'll just announce myself."
"But Grace, you 'av known 'er for a decade, at least?"
"That's not to say she's not still my boss. Now ask her assistant. If she shakes her head, run. Trust me. Ha-ha. That is my l-eetle joke."
"Oh, Grace. You know me, la! I am just 'ere for a s-eem-ple chat. And I 'ave seen worse."
"Have you met Anna? I'd better run."
"... no, not prop-er-lee. Ah! Bonjour, je m'appelle Jacqueline Follet, présidente de James 'Olt International. Puis-je parler à Anna, s'il vous plaît? "
"Um, sorry. I didn't catch that."
"Ah! Allô, my name ees Jacqueline Follet, pres-ee-dent of James 'Olt International. May I speak to Anna, please?"
"Um, she's in a meeting."
"La! She ees s-eet-eeng at 'er desk and she has j-ust put the phone down. La! Bonjour , cherie! "
"Do we have an appointment?"
"Oh, la. Appointments are very Americain , ah-ha. I was hop-eeng - "
"If you want to discuss something particular, make an appointment."
"Ah! Very fun-nee! A joke! Very Americain, ah-ha!"
"I was born in London - someone see her out!"
"Ah! Oui! There ees no need to shout - very Americain - I w-eel see myself out! Oh, ow, these 'angers are s-eemply een the way! Ah! Grace!"
"Oh, Jacqueline, ha-ha. I can see the sweat on your brow from afar."
" French wo-men do not sweat , Grace. We glow ."
"Mmm. I'll tell you what, if you go through the proper channels, you might get a no from her assistant. That's all I can promise."
"Oh, la! You forget, Grace. I am more than just one wo-men. I am am-bee-tious, Grace, and I w-eel dee-lee-ver for James. Pardon , where ees the el-e-va-tor? Ah! Yes. Goodbye! Au revoir !
"... oh, but 'ow 'umiliat-eeng. Sure-lee, Anna would meet w-eeth me. 'Ow rude! 'Ow snobb-eesh! Eef someone came to my off-eece at Runway een Paris, I would see them! Ah, thank you… excuse me… oh, dri-ver! S'il vous plaît, emmenez-moi à la maison. "
"Lady, this is a taxi. Whaddaya want?"
"... ees the address. 'Ome, please! I cannot bear more of today. Eet ees just too much. I feel like I am a one-woman operation. Eet ees me, and James, who cannot survive w-eeth h-ees attitude, and I am pres-ee-dent. It baffles me!"
"Lady, I'm turnin' on the radio - "
" Oh, ces Américains grossiers. Ils ne sauront jamais. Ils ne savent jamais à quel point je travaille dur. J'ai mis les heures pour Runway puis M-eeranda convainc Irv de ne pas la remplacer. J'ai accepté ce travail uniquement parce qu'il ne voulait pas la remplacer. Bien sûr, je ne voulais pas ce travail ! Je voulais US Runway ! Si M-eeranda n'avait pas fait chanter Irv, c'est moi qui déciderais. Et oh, mais je le ferai. Le problème ici réside avec James.
"Il aime Runway, même si M-eeranda le tient à distance. Mais pour aller à Vogue et échouer, je dois expier. Mais bien sûr, c'est l'Amérique. Et je ne peux réussir à faire des affaires à Paris - où James Holt devrait être basé depuis toujours... si seulement je pouvais le convaincre. Ah ! Voici mon arrêt. Laissez-moi sortir tout de suite. Voici votre tarif. Gardez la monnaie. Je suis maintenant un peu américaine donc je peux dire que je suis une femme riche sans offenser mon entourage. Au revoir, la!"
("Oh, these rude Americans. They w-eel never know. They never know 'ow hard I work. I put een the hours for Runway and then Mee-randa conv-een-ces Irv not to replace her. I on-lee took th-ees job because he would not replace her. Of course I d-eed not want th-ees job! I wanted US Runway! Eef Mee-randa hadn't blackmailed Irv, I would be calling the shots. And oh, but I w-eel. The problem 'ere lies w-eeth James.
"He loves Runway, even eef Mee-randa keeps him at bay. But to go to Vogue and fa-eel, I must atone. But of course, th-ees ees America. And I can on-lee successful-lee do business een Paris - wh-eech ees where James Holt should be based all along... eef on-lee I could conv-een-ce him. Ah! 'ere ees my stop. Let me out at once. 'ere ees your fair. Keep the change. I am now a l-eetle American so I can say I am a r-eech woman w-eeth-out offending my circle. Goodbye, la!")
" Oh , home at last! Eet ees a bet-tair place than 'ers and, ah! Bonjour , a-ha… what no-see neighbors. 'Ere, at 'ome, I can bee myself. Eet can on-lee go up for me. Every-theeng but thees meet-eeng ees go-eeng well. On-lee trois th-eengs stand in my way. Un , James must see that he must now pro-duce for the widest audi-ence. He must find h-ees spark or he w-eel fa-eel. Deux , he must be pub-leesh-ed dans une revue - een a mag-a-zeen. That aw-ful Anna and 'er off-eece nevair returned my calls - of course I showed up! Grace knew that, I am sure. Trois - and thees ees now made imposs-ee-ble now that she ees made ed-ee-tor-ee-al director - Mee-randa cannot do eet. Oui . Irv does not want 'er . I could not do eet! No one could do eet! And she asks for more! A, 'ow you say, écran de fumée! A smoke-screen! She must burn out, and when she does, Irv w-eel call. I w-eel lower costs. I w-eel be th-air for the prof-eets from 'er, as I d-eed when I reached the top of French Runway . Oh, oui . Eet es destin . Eet ees not the mon-ee - de l'argent - I al-read-ee 'ave that. But my mère laughed when I told 'er I wanted to be editor-in-chief of French Runway , and I conv-een-ced Briget not to take eet. And she laugh when I told 'er I was pres-ee-dent of th-ees com-pa-nee, and she told me that I was not am-bee-tious. I w-eel nevair know eef she meant I am not am-bee-tious, or I am not am-bee-tious enough . She ees een 'er hos-pee-tal bed, and she w-eel not see me. La vie est un casse-tête continuel: le plaisir passe, le casse-tête reste. ( Life ees a continual headache: the pleasure passes, the headache remains).