Mistakes of the Young

by Guest Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:30 am

The Glam journalist and camera crew are out from NY to interview and shoot me for Lash. Just a short PR splash for the spring line. Obviously I didn’t get my Spring line in Fashion Week last fall, so I’m doing what I can to catch up.

I have them meet me at the Estate. Not the Penthouse. Baron Quinton warned me: nobody meets me there; the place I sleep must remain a secret for my own safety. Makes sense to me.

They bring a crew to take shots of me in the line, so I pick a few of my favorite pieces and they take some artsy pictures in the wine cellar, one of the creepier parts of the house. Nice backdrop – I’m pleased with the concept. Then the journalist, Jessica Ward, introduces herself and wants to know if she can ask me a few questions.

“So, how long have you been working on Lash?”

“Not long,” I reply, “but I’ve been designing clothes for myself ever since I learned how to push fabric through the sewing machine. I even designed outfits for all my dolls. That was before I ripped their heads off.” I offer with a crooked grin.

Jessica smiles patronizingly back. “How would you describe Lash?”

“Well, it’s an extension of me, really.” This was always a tricky question. How not to pigeon hole myself into a category. How not to get alienated by giving myself a label. “Some might call it dark or goth. I just say it’s what it is. If you like it, you like it. If it speaks to you, then there is probably something in the line that will speak to every mood you have, whether you are going out at night, heading to a job, or going…”

Jessica abruptly cut Antoinette off. “So, let’s talk about the man in your life.”

“What man?”

“You’ve been seen at night in Sacramento with a tall, well-dressed man, sometimes down at the Asylum club. What’s his name?”

What was she talking about? Baron Quinton? “I’m not sure what you’re…”

“How long have you been dating?”

“I’m not dating anyone right now, I’m…”

“So, are you married to him?”

“Hold on.” She needed to get this back under control. “This was supposed to be about Lash.”

“You know, it’s curious, every time you and your gentleman companion are seen, people have attempted to get pictures and no one has seemed to be able to.”

“Look, if we’re not going to talk about Lash, this interview is over!”

Antoinette could feel the precious control she had over herself was beginning to wane. Just like when she went to hunt when she was really hungry; it was always a crapshoot as to how well she’d be able to control herself. If this woman didn’t leave her presence instantly, Antoinette would be learning how to dispose of a body in her backyard. She wasn’t sure how the servants were going to feel about that. Or, more importantly, how Baron Quinton would feel about it.

“Hey Jess!” It was one of the guys from the camera crew standing over the laptop, looking at the proofs from the shoot. “Check this out, all these shots came out… blurry!”

The photographer looked puzzled and Jessica rushed over to inspect the evidence. Antoinette’s insides did summersaults. What the hell? All of them? Maybe their equipment was messed up.

“Maybe the equipment is messed up.” The assistant began wiggling wires and connections. Jessica looked accusingly over at Antoinette. “What’s going on here?”

Think fast, be smart. Even if you have no clue. She looked carefully into Jessica’s eyes. “You know, I think there are some high powered electrical lines down in the wine cellar. They must have effected your equipment.” She pushed the suggestion into Jessica’s mind, then looked at each of the crew in turn and made the same suggestion. “And I am suddenly not feeling very well. Can we continue this on another day?”

As if they’d suddenly caught a creepy factor being around her, they were all too happy to split. Relief washed over her as she collapsed back into the couch. Zero came to the rescue, jumped into her lap and licked her face affectionately.

“Now for the hard part. Where’s my phone.”