Chapter 13 – SPOV
Today was the day I went with Rosalie to her company. I must say I was excited, though a little apprehensive: I hadn't been left alone with her at all, Em or Alice had always been present. But, they were going to the zoo with Jessica, so it would just be me and her. Talk about awkward situations, I could just imagine the number of awkward turtles Bella would be throwing in the conversation were she here. God I miss her. I speak to her every night, and Rosalie invited her round next week. But if she thinks she can 'buy' our relationship as a proper mother and daughter, she's utterly wrong
I walked down the stairs, dressed to impress in a Jack Wills dress over tights, with Jimmy Choo pumps that I had selected out of the large wardrobe I had obtained, courtesy of Rosalie and in some parts Alice.
"Wow, you look fabulous darling," Emmett said wolf-whistling as I walked down the stairs.
I blushed and Jessica pushed past me, flying straight into her father's arms.
"Jess, you don't push past people like that. Apologise to Karlie," Emmett reprimanded her.
"But Daddy, she was in the way," Jessica whined.
"Yes, but at the very least you say excuse me don't you," Emmet said.
"Sorry Daddy," she said smiling sickeningly at him.
"And..."
"And Savannah," she sneered before sliding down from his arms into the kitchen.
"Jessica, honey what are you wearing?" I heard Rosalie exclaim from the kitchen where she was getting breakfast out.
"I got myself dressed to please you," Jessica replied, sounding slightly ostracised.
"But sweetie, you know that orange, green and pink don't go together," Rosalie told her, accessing the critically fashionable part of her brain.
"Come on, let's get you changed."
As Jessica and Rosalie walked past she smiled lovingly at me.
"Savannah, you look gorgeous!" she said, as Jessica pulled her up the stairs.
"Mummy what about me?" Alice asked from the top of the stairs.
"I know you always look beautiful honey," she told her other daughter.
"Alice don't!" Emmett said sternly as Alice prepared to slide down the banister.
Half an hour later we were all suitably dressed and fed, so after Emmett locked the front door everyone prepared to climb in to their respective cars.
"Right girls, be good for Daddy," Rose warned kissing them both, "And Em darling, remember not to take Jess too close to the lions."
"Yes beautiful," Emmett said kissing her lovingly before turning to me, "Karlie you behave too, or Rosie won't allow you back!"
I nodded and Rose and I got into her shiny black car, as Emmett buckled the girls in the back of his.
"Right, so are we ready?" Rosalie asked me, putting the keys in the ignition.
"Yeah, but I'm really nervous," I said honestly.
"Why?"
"Well, I've never been here before and I don't know whether anyone will like me and believe it or not I want to make a good impression, more for my sake than yours," I replied.
She laughed, and put her sunglasses on as we pulled out of the ornate driveway.
"They'll love you, trust me. The girls are lovely, and you'll love Alec who works in the wardrobe: he's so funny, and has that certain air about him," she reassured me.
"May I ask why Jessica's not allowed too near the lions?" I asked.
"Yes, about that. Well, last time we went to the zoo she ran straight up to the lion pen and this huge lion came up and roared at her really loudly; scaring her for life," she replied.
We drove on a bit further in silence, before she reached over and turned the radio on. The sound of music filled the car, occupying the space that was just filled with quiet. Rosalie's phone then went off in her handbag on the back seat.
"Savannah, could you be a darling and grab that please?"
I did and gave her her Blackberry which was playing Beyonce's Single Ladies. She put it on her hands free, sticking the headphone in her ear as she pressed the answer button.
"Kate, hi we're on our way."
"Yes, yes that order was meant to be in today. Oh, it's not in, ok then well I'll ring Marc in a minute. Thank-you, and yes I'll see you in a minute. Thanks for telling me. I'll ring him now. Bye darling."
"Ahh, the joys of the business world. Sorry about this sweetie; I have to make this call quickly," she said apologetically to me.
"That's ok," I replied as I did enjoy listening to her conversation about fashion.
"Could I ask you a favour? Could you find in my contacts 'Marc Jacobs' and press ring please," she asked.
I looked at her; genuinely impressed and did as she said.
"Thank-you," she mouthed and blew me a kiss as the phone began to dial.
"Hello darling, how are you? I'm good thank-you, but I have to ask you a quick question. Yeah, the delivery's not in and we really need to do the shoot today in preparation for next month's spread. Thank-you, you're an angel. Well I'll be there in about half an hour, but Kate's there now. Thank-you and I may see you soon. Bye."
"He's bringing them in, so you may get to meet Marc Jacobs today."
"Wow, that would be amazing," I told her.
We spent the rest of the journey listening to the radio, until she spoke once again.
"And here we have the company headquarters," Rosalie said pointing to a big building in front of us.
"It looks... well normal," I admitted.
"Wait till you get inside," she told me, as she pulled into a parking space.
We got out of the car and together went towards the front door where two guards greeted Rosalie. As soon as we entered the building, noise and colours overwhelmed me. It was like something that you dream about. There were hundreds of people walking around, with clothes, shoes, bags, magazines, on the phone and with clipboards. All of them said hello to Rosalie as they hurried past.
"Rose!" Someone called and ran towards me.
"Kate," Rosalie said air kissing her.
"Thank god you're here, Marc has said he'll be here in five and Alec cannot find the shoes for the shoot with Heidi tomorrow," she gushed.
"Whoa, take a deep breath. I'm here now, and we'll sort it all out I promise," Rosalie said reassuringly before introducing us, "Savannah this is Kate my guardian angel, and Kate this is my eldest daughter Savannah Karlie."
That stopped Kate. She looked at me, then Rosalie once again.
"Oh my god! That's her. She looks so much like you," she said before leading us up the stairs.
"Um, Rosalie, is 'Heidi' Heidi Klum?" I asked her.
"Yes, that's right. We're interviewing her tomorrow and Alec has had her outfits sorted for weeks, so they will be around," she told me as I was led past many offices filled with clothes, pictures and people on phones.
We reached the largest wardrobe I've ever seen and entered it where we were literally pounced upon by a man carrying an armful of scarves.
"Rose, my saviour. I cannot find the shoes anywhere, they were gorgeous and so is that girl with you. I knew you'd find us more models for the new teenage line we're bringing out," he gushed as many of the fashion world seemed to do.
"Let me have a look, and this is my daughter Alec; she's come to see the company," Rosalie told him laughing as she disappeared into the rows of clothes and shoes.
"Beautiful," he said kissing my hand.
"Hello, everyone; is Rose here yet as I have her delivery," a voice said behind me and I turned around.
"Ahh, there you are. Let me get the bags and scarves for you," the man who I knew was Marc Jacobs said.
"Uh, I'm not Rosalie I'm her...I'm her daughter Savannah Karlie. She's just gone to find some shoes but will be back in a minute," I said whilst wringing my hands behind my back.
"Oh, do excuse me dear. You look very similar: both beautiful, but I will get the stuff anyway instead of hanging around," he said leaving again.
"Savannah is that Marc?" Rosalie called.
"Yes," I shouted back, "He's gone to get the stuff for you."
She appeared seconds later with a pair of shoes that looked like a death-trap.
"Alec, I've got them here," she said and Alec appeared with an armful of outfits.
"Oh have I said before how much I love you?" he said kissing her and taking the shoes off her.
"Rose, my darling here is everything you need," Marc said returning once again but this time laden with Louis Vuitton bags and scarves.
"Thank-you ever so much," she replied as various assistants took them off him.
"Anything for you my darling," he said, "But I have to leave now; lovely seeing you and your divine daughter. Bye."
"Bye!"
"Rose, I've just got a call. Freya's ill, she can't come in today so we need to find another model for the shoot," Kate said running in again.
"I think we have one here," Alec said winking at me.
"Where?" Rosalie said looking around.
"Your daughter my darling. She'll be perfect and is right here," he told her.
"Savannah, are you alright with this. Don't feel pressured into it: we can always find someone else if you don't want to," she said seriously.
"Actually, I'd love too," I said feeling more and more excited.
Someone came up and took my hand, leading me away with various women in tow.
I was given a dress to get into before I was led off once again to the hair stylist and makeup artist.
Forty five minutes later, and I was being led into a studio where I was seated on a chaise longer amongst a set which looked like a bedroom that had been removed from a house and left here. Assistants then began placing bags and scarves around and on me as the photographer set up his camera.
"Ok, so put your chin down a bit but then lift your eyes up so you are actually looking at the camera. And then smile like you have a secret to hide, and place your hand on the clutch. Perfect, now stay there," he said before snapping several pictures and then moving me and the accessories around.
We stayed at Rose's company until six when it ended for the day. Well all but Geneva and Harriet who were staying to work late in preparation for the Heidi Klum shoot the next day.
Once in the car, Rosalie turned to me and smiled.
"So, did you enjoy that? It wasn't too frantic and you were the most beautiful model I've ever seen," she told me sincerely.
"It was the best day of my life! I loved it, and thank-you so much for taking me to work with you, I had so much fun," I replied honestly.
"I'm glad, it is crazy but I can't imagine a life without it," she said fondly.
There was a traffic jam on the road we were going down so Rosalie turned left onto a street filled with huge houses that rivalled hers. As we passed one she shivered and became pale.
"I hate that house. That was my mother's house, and she was the reason for most of the bad things that happened to me," she said, visibly shaking.
I looked at her confused, and she smiled shakily.
"She had a dream that I would be the most beautiful, perfect daughter ever. So whilst my brothers were out in the garden or at school she had me inside practising my diction or posture. I was home-schooled by her and was never allowed friends my own age. The only people I could socialise with were her select circle of friends and their stuck up children. My childhood was awful, but I was always told I was privileged and that this was what every little girl wished for, and because that was all I ever knew I believed her. My father passed when I was eleven, and he had been my only friend as even my brothers thought I was too prim and proper. She could then do whatever she wanted to me with no resistance from him. But, I went to a party held at one of her friend's house one night when I was fifteen and Emmett was there. It was love at first sight, and even though she disagreed with me, even she grew to love Emmett. His father was a renowned doctor and his mother an interior designer, so they had money and class so she accepted him. But, when I was seventeen I became pregnant and telling her was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
She was crying by now and inhaled deeply before continuing:
"She threatened to disown me and take away my university allowance set aside by my father, as well as all the money he'd left me. I wished he were there as he would have scooped me into his arms, called me his beautiful Princess and that it would all be alright. He would have let me keep you; he had a weakness for babies as well as a weakness for me. He would do anything for me, you would have loved him. Everyone did, and you're like him in a way. But back to the story. My brothers thought it was wonderful however; the fact that I'd disobeyed mother was a source of excitement for them. They even started respecting me. Because my mother hated abortions she told me I could have the baby but had to get rid of it when it was born. Well Emmett and I were determined that we would keep you somehow. When you came along, we loved you. You were most perfect baby ever and it was love at first sight. But, she refused to let us keep you and then ended up arranging for you to be taken away. When he social worker came along we were devastated and my mother removed me from the room so I couldn't protest. I went into a depression and she always reminded me of it at any chance she could get, as she knew it hurt me, but it was never brought up in front of the ladies. It was like a weight had been taken from my shoulders when she died. Sorry you didn't need to know any of that, you're young and perfect; and I'm so sorry your life turned out like this, I wish I could change it," she sobbed.
I had turned my face away from her, glad for the dark of the night as tears spilled down my cheeks. She did love me, and I now knew why she had to give me away. Her life had been ruled by a malicious woman and she had suffered more than I ever would. I felt like throwing myself into her arms and saying I'm sorry, but I couldn't. Not yet. She reached out her hand and took mine in it, and I didn't pull away, wanting so badly to have her hug me and whisper that it would be all right into my ear like I was four again. I realised one definite that night: I did need a mother in my life.
There are a few more chapters after this, but I think you can guess what will happen. Next chapter, Bella comes round. Thank-you for reading, and please review! XxX