Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed this story so far. You are all lovely. Welcome to Fashion Week London. I did a lot of research for the story, and London Fashion Week 2010 started almost directly after New York Fashion Week ended. Close enough that we can fudge it for the story. Paris Fashion Week appears to be the following week. At least, that's what we're going with for our story. Let's check up on a very Christina McKinney fashion show.

Chapter 84: The time difference will screw with us all.

Evening September 20, 2010

Amanda's cousin: So that you know, I just found out I need to be at Teterboro in 90 minutes to catch a flight to Barbados. With traffic, that gives me about 10 minutes to pack. Which will probably be when the car shows up. No wonder I'm like her sixth assistant in a month. I would quit if I weren't trying to find out if she murdered someone.

Tamika: Pack the basics, including any medications that you will need. Brianna has a boutique on the island, and we can arrange for a wardrobe to be sent to you. Why are you going to Barbados on such short notice?

Amanda's cousin: Lindsay is sending her there so Vivian doesn't crash London Fashion Week. They're currently doing the shoot for the Christmas issue there.

Tamika: I won't ask why they're shooting the Christmas issue cover in Barbados. It's best not to ask. At least you don't need a visa.

Amanda's cousin: Good to know.

Tamika: It's also best that Victoria is out of the New York metro so she can't terrorize anybody else.

Tamika: Also, they can check out the woods behind the Long Island house.

Amanda's cousin: I don't think she would be stupid enough to dump a body on her property. But who knows? What did she do on my day off?

Tamika: I just texted Brianna about your wardrobe situation, and she told me that her brother just told her that Vicky crashed the new girlfriend's work and tried to pay her off to leave Cal alone. Not well, but she did try to break them up.

Amanda's cousin: She's fucking nuts.

Tamika: Most of us have just been going with evil.

Amanda's cousin: I would've warned you if I had been there.

Amanda's cousin: I have grabbed just enough for two days. I don't know how long we'll be there, so I may not need the emergency fashion kit.

Tamika: Send me the hotel information, and I will send it there anyway. Breanna and Monique believe you need more clothes for this mission.

Amanda's cousin: I don't even have the info. Zora's assistant took care of everything. She's even sending a car.

Tamika: Who is Zora?

Amanda's cousin: Zora Madea, the new Creative Director, a.k.a. the poor soul they got to fill the job since Marc had too much self-respect to take it. There's already a betting pool regarding when she will be fired. I have September 30.

Tamika: lol. The name is familiar. I have to ask the others later for more info. Is there anybody else helping Victoria?

Amanda's cousin: Because she doesn't seem like the type of person to hide her own body?

Tamika: Or order her own death threat roses. The PIs have yet to be able to trace those purchases to her directly.

Amanda's cousin: Maybe some of her personal staff? The previous assistant worked for the foundation. I work for Isabella. I received a call yesterday from Lindsey's assistant asking me to tell him if Victoria behaves inappropriately in Barbados.

Tamika: He wants you monitoring her?

Amanda's cousin: Yes. Before he left Friday, there was a big fight about her coming to London this week. Lindsay doesn't want her there. Probably because she made a fool of herself at NYC Fashion Week. Lindsay was also very disappointed with her behavior at the Black-and-White ball. The fight with Cal was everywhere.

Tamika: Thankfully, nobody heard what was being said. Good luck, Zora, on actually doing Victoria's job. This is so messy.

Amanda's cousin: I think she is just a placeholder. Zora calls herself the new Creative Director, but I just checked, and officially, she is just the Acting Creative Director. I should've chosen an earlier day in the pool.

Tamika: Maybe Victoria is still trying to get Marc to come to Isabella?

Amanda's cousin: I think, at this point, Victoria wants to make him miserable. The woman is not used to the word no.

Tamika: She does like to make everybody miserable.

Amanda's cousin: [Picture attached]

Amanda's cousin: OK, that's the info for the hotel. The car is here. I got to go. I will leave this phone at home and grab another one in Barbados. I don't want to go through TSA with three cell phones in case Vicki sees it.

Tamika: Smart. You don't want to make her suspicious that you're in contact with us. I'll have a new phone waiting for you in the care package. The phone numbers will be programmed in there. But just in case, put this one in your personal address book. It's a phone register to the West Hartley fashion house.

Amanda's cousin: Done. I'll text you when I get it.

Xxx

Morning September 21, 2010, London

"You made breakfast?" Daniel asked his fiancée as he walked into the kitchen to see breakfast on the table. DJ and Amanda were already eating. Amanda was dressed in the maternity sundress Breanna sent her for this week. On the other hand, DJ wore a T-shirt that probably should've been thrown away at least three weeks ago. He has seen pieces of Swiss with fewer holes. However, that's probably best because he's feeding baby William. Daniel knows better than to ask him to change. His nephew has too many complicated emotions related to fashion, so he will let him wear whatever he wants.

"I pre-ordered quick prep breakfast and dinner meals for the next week. I feel like we'll be too busy even to do takeout." Betty brought him a plate of quiche and fruit.

"That's probably for the best. You're going to be busy too?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Lindsay is taking me with him to more than one show. Somehow, Breanna knew this before me and sent me outfits." Betty explained. His fiancé looked very good in her pink business suit. He can't wait to get her out of it tonight.

"I think Breanna just wants to dress you. It's my favorite activity just after undressing you." Daniel smirked. "You should wear a few pieces from Christina as well. That way, you'll look good when Lindsay tries to show everybody that my fiancé is on his side." He gently kissed Betty as she took her own seat beside him.

"You think that's what he's doing?" Betty asked as she pulled out of his kiss.

"Your boss plays nothing but head games. Yes." Daniel answered.

"I agree with Daniel. It will probably look worse today since I will sit with your boyfriend at the show." Amanda added.

"Amanda is going to be with me at every show he will be at. So that might be why he's dragging you along." Daniel suggested.

"Just today. I am too pregnant to do the whole week. But I want to support Christina. She made me a custom bathrobe that can go around an IV." That's when he saw Amanda rubbing her back again.

"Are you OK? Are you feeling contractions?" Daniel asked.

"Not real ones, but the Braxton Hicks type. They don't feel like real contractions because they're inconsistent. My real due date isn't until October. The books all say that my body is just getting itself prepared." Amanda explained, and Daniel became concerned.

"You're barely four weeks from your due date. Twins tend to come early. Delivering at Thirty-six weeks is normal. It's why our go bags are already packed." Daniel replied.

"The twins will just have to stay inside of me until Marc arrives. I really should've realized something was up with the fact that Marc wasn't scheduled to visit until after my not-real due date. I realize you're concerned, so I will compromise and stay over. I brought my overnight bag just in case." Before Daniel could reply, he noticed the startled expression on DJ's face.

"You know that the babies are not Uncle Daniel's?" DJ asked.

"The twins are Daniel's kids, like you're Daniel's kid. Love is more important in DNA." Amanda answered. "However, I figured out I am having Matt's biological kids last week when Marc told me that his lawyers were concerned that Jody faked the paternity test and made him do a separate DNA test," Amanda told the group.

"That was my suggestion," Daniel explained. "It wasn't necessarily that they thought she was faking but that it's always best to get a second test in these cases."

"She had to blackmail a gay student into having sex with her. I doubt there were that many possibilities for the father," Amanda remarked.

"Unless she did that to other students in our mentorship program. She displayed very predatory behavior," Betty shivered. "I can't believe I ever saw her as a mentor."

"If someone ever pressures you into doing something you don't want to do, tell us, especially when it involves sex," Daniel tells DJ.

"I know. I had this conversation with both of my mothers." DJ replied.

"I'm not surprised. A lot of bad things happen in modeling." Wilhelmina put safeguards in place at Mode to prevent some of the worst things, but it still happened.

"Especially to young models. It's another reason I don't want to return to that." Why did Daniel think something awful happened that DJ wasn't ready to tell him?

"You won't," Betty reassured DJ before Daniel could.

"Are you sure you want to come to fashion week with us? I am sure Charlotte would love your help with some of the other projects." Daniel wants to give DJ the opportunity not to be there.

"I am already helping her with her article on Christina's show and collection. I want to be there for the show." DJ explained.

"He took pictures of Christina as she left and did a mini-interview. It was very adorable." Betty told him.

"I am also going to stay backstage with William," DJ explained as he passed another piece of banana to baby William.

"Since you're feeding him smashed bananas, I assume my almost baby brother is riding with us?" Daniel asked.

"Yes," DJ answered.

"Is that OK?" Betty asked. "Christina left his car seat. Otherwise, he can come with me."

"It's fine. Christina is my first show of the day. My co-EIC agreed to do the early morning shows since I did the cocktail party last night." Daniel explained.

"I think it went well. The rep from the Crimson Diamond Group loves you. Also, I enjoyed being arm candy," Betty remarked, placing another kiss on Daniel's lips. He does enjoy kissing his fiancée at the breakfast table.

"And I enjoyed watching movies with Candy," DJ added, which caused Amanda to snicker.

"Good to know," Betty commented.

"You don't have to go to every show. You don't even have to go to any show," Daniel offered. "Just do what you're comfortable with."

"I am going to go to a few. I did promise Justin pictures. Also, I feel comfortable writing about fashion as long as I don't have to be up there on display." DJ explained.

"I promise you will never have to do a runway show again, especially after the forensic accountants evaluate your trust fund and your grandparents' finances." He's positive that the grandparents are dirty and plans to find evidence to prove that. "As soon as I find a forensic accountant." Unfortunately, he's been way too busy with everything else to do that.

"I'll ask Daddy Tannen for recommendations." Amanda offered. That's when Daniel remembered that her father was an accountant. "That's not his field of accounting, but he knows people. They're going to visit in November."

"Not closer to when you might have the twins?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Mommy Tannen unfortunately has work commitments she can't get out of. Also, Spencer will be here, and Mom wants to give me more time to bond with him. Daddy Tannen is going along with what she wants. Plus, Marc will also be here with all of the kids. Matt is going to be coming here, right?" Amanda asked.

"That was the plan, but do you want him here?" He asked her.

"I don't know," Amanda answered honestly. "I don't want him to miss the birth of the twins, but with everything going on with Victoria, is it safe for him to even be here?"

"Also, would he want to leave Austin right now?" DJ added.

"I don't know the answer to either of those questions. That's a conversation for us to have on Wednesday." Daniel tells the group.

"OK, I have to go meet Lindsey at the office," Betty said as she got up from the table, but not before kissing Daniel again. "I've already gotten three angry text messages from my boss. Although, I think he's upset at other people. He's already regretting being business partners with Victoria."

"That is not surprising at all," Daniel replied, but not before giving Betty one more kiss.

Xxx

A few hours later

DJ: [seven pictures attached] Pictures from backstage at Christina's show.

Justin: Am I allowed to see pictures of the outfits this time?

DJ: [10 pictures attached]

DJ: Yes. She said I could send you some now. It's almost time for the show.

DJ: Charlotte has me helping with an article about Christina. A former Mode employee breaking into the fashion world is a good story.

Justin: It is. Everything looks fabulous. I am happy I woke up at 5 AM for this.

Austin: I am less happy about being up this early, but mostly because I only got about three non-consecutive hours of sleep.

DJ: More nightmares?

Justin: Yes, which is why I ended up sleeping in his bed again. Tonight, I won't even try to sleep in my room.

Austin: This will hopefully mean I'll get more sleep, especially if he keeps waking up at five all week for fashion text messages.

Justin: This is a work thing. I am helping Charlotte. I'm going to help refine some of the articles remotely. I'm working with DJ. Do you have the answers to the questions I gave you to ask Christina?

DJ: Yes. I already sent it. However, I can't send you the rest of the photos until after the runway presentation. I need all the help I can get. You are much, much better at writing about dresses than I am.

Justin: It's a gift.

Austin: I think it's your fashion-related trauma that makes this problematic for you.

DJ: Possibly. But it's nicer back here than any show I participated in. It helps that Christina isn't yelling at people. She even lets the models eat.

DJ: [three pictures attached]

Justin: Baby William is so cute in his little baby carrier as Christina tries to fix hemlines. He's such a good baby.

Austin: Is William wearing a matching outfit? Those shoes are adorable.

DJ: Yes. Although it's off the rack. Amanda showed us some pictures of the New York babies, and Christina was inspired. We spent half of yesterday going to baby boutiques to find something that would work for the shots with minimal alterations from her.

Antonella: Hey, I'm here. Sorry, I'm late. I hit the snooze button too much because Jamie was loud last night. What did I miss?

Austin: Lots of pictures of William being cute with the models as Christina fixes dresses.

DJ: [6 pictures attached]

Antonella: He is adorable. And to think he almost ended up your uncle.

DJ: I am very grateful that my grandfather did not have children after his death. It would've been creepy being older than my uncle.

DJ: Tyler is enough.

Antonella: That is very true. Everything looks great. I want the purple dress. I think it would be appropriate for the Hartley Foundation winter ball. We're all going this year.

Justin: Which means I need to start putting our outfits together now.

Austin: Can we not talk about another charity ball just yet? I am still recovering from the last one.

Antonella: Grandma will likely attend at least one ball weekly for most of November and December. There's no time for rest.

Justin: I'm going to be so busy the next few weeks. I am happy the wedding isn't happening until next year.

DJ: Agreed.

DJ: I need to help Christina by taking care of William. The show starts in 15 minutes. It requires her full attention.

Justin: It's OK. We probably need to get dressed for work anyway.

Antonella: Yeah, because we're bringing breakfast as a thank you to everybody for surviving fashion week

DJ: You survived. I am just getting started. I will check in later.

Xxxx

Sexy fiancé: We're about 5 minutes from the venue. Are you already seated?

Daniel: We are still backstage. We've taken several pictures for the article. I'm sad you can't be back here. It would be wonderful if you were here with Christina. You were always her biggest champion.

Sexy fiancé: Lindsay would throw a fit if I ended up featured in your magazine.

Daniel: So that's a no to my idea to turn our wedding pictures into a cover?

Sexy fiancé: I hope I don't work for the guy by then. He spent the entire car ride ranting about the American business partner to his assistant. She was a no-show in Barbados, and he was forced to instruct the Isabella team. He's upset he's now running two magazines.

Daniel: Considering how much he micromanages you, that would happen anyway.

Sexy fiancé: Probably. Although I'm hoping he will let me do what I want for London Hub now that he is so busy with Isabella. This morning, he gave me no notes during my pitch for the January issue. That's the first time that happened.

Daniel: Maybe him forcing you to go to shows this week is enough.

Daniel: Obviously, the American business partner is Victoria. I would wish that a playing crash caused the delay, but I'm sure Amanda's cousin is on that plane, so I won't wish that.

Sexy fiancé: That would be unfortunate for the crew as well. They don't deserve to go down with Victoria.

Daniel: Even if it would eliminate many of our problems.

Sexy fiancé: We still don't know where Tiffany is. We want to keep Victoria alive long enough to get some answers.

Daniel: We're just as likely to get that answer from a living Victoria as a dead Victoria.

Sexy fiancé: You need to keep Amanda backstage. Also, one of the guards should always be with her.

Daniel: Why?"

Daniel: Betty?

Daniel: What's going on? Candy is currently arguing with our security team right now.

XXXX

Slightly earlier in Manhattan

Tamika woke up 46 minutes before her alarm for no good reason other than an evil bladder. Since it was so close to her usual wake-up time, she knew there was no chance she would fall back asleep once the bladder was dealt with. She decided to snuggle back under the covers and check her phone. Thanks to the current situation, she and Candy have been in constant contact. Tamika was expecting at least a few messages from the UK. She also hoped that Ana Sanchez told her she was safely in Barbados.

More importantly, Victoria Hartley was safely in Barbados. The private investigators could discreetly visit her house with her out of the country. There's unlikely a dead body on the property, but maybe the staff picked up on something. Per Matt, his mother had the same cook and housekeeper for the last 20 years.

Tamika had a text message from Ms. Sanchez, but it was from her personal iPhone. That wasn't good.

xxxx

Cousin's new assistant: Hi, I just wanted to let you know that there was a last-minute change of plans, and we are in London, not Barbados. I should've realized something was happening when the flight lasted two hours longer than it should have. This is what I get for falling asleep on the plane.

Cousin's new assistant: I don't know what hotel we're staying at yet. The boss is not forthcoming. Although I probably am going to need wardrobe help since I am going to be attending fashion week. The outfit I have is barely usable for today.

Cousin's new assistant: I packed for two days of outdoor shooting in Barbados, not spending time with London fashion high society. Are you able to provide wardrobe help?

xxx

The messages were from an hour and a half ago. Oh, that's not good. The first thing she did was call Candy. That's when she discovered Amanda was with Daniel and DJ at Christina's show. Betty was also there attending with her boss. Candy will take care of security if Victoria decides to attend that show.

That left Tamika to follow up with Amanda's cousin before sounding the alarm with everyone else in the Keep Our People Safe from Victoria conspiracy group.

Xxx

Breanna assistant #2: We at the house of West Hartley are always happy to help the assistant of Brianna's sister-in-law. We will have a complete wardrobe waiting for you when you finish today's shows. Do you know what hotel you're staying at yet?

Ana: She is staying at her apartment near the venue. I have to find my own accommodations, and because Victoria is super cheap, a youth hostel is the only thing covered by my per diem. Everything is extra expensive because of London Fashion Week.

Breanna assistant #2: I assume staying at your cousin's house is not an option? I heard from my boss that you have family there.

Ana: I don't want to impose. Although I wouldn't mind visiting her, it's probably safer not to. I don't think we've ever met in person. I only called her a couple of times after I took the original job at Mode.

Breanna assistant #2: That will probably have to wait, mainly because we want to keep your cousin away from your boss.

Ana: This is true.

Breanna assistant #2: After consulting my boss, I know which apartment Victoria is using. There is a Wyndham West hotel a block over. I am making reservations for you now. Vivian is holding a couple of rooms in case of a family emergency. Do you need the room for the entire week?

Ana: At least.

Breanna assistant #2: Done. I'll let your cousin know that you're in town.

Ana: Maybe just her baby's daddy. Let's not stress her out.

Breanna assistant #2: True.

Ana: I will tell Lindsey's assistant we're here. We went straight from the airport to the McKinney show. I don't know why she wants to be at this show so badly that she's not even stopping at her apartment to change.

Breanna assistant #2: Do you have Betty Suarez's cell phone number? She is accompanying Lindsay to the Christina McKinney show. That explains why your boss wants to be at that show so badly.

Ana: I have it. I'll text her.

Ana: Too late. Victoria just ran into the two on the carpet.

Breanna assistant #2: This is going to be a disaster. I'll rally the troops.

Breanna assistant #2: And security, we will definitely need security.

To be continued…