3 Days

by Guest Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:57 am

The day’s death sleep was haunted once more. Antoinette was disturbed from her slumber in fits of semi-consciousness to the sound of slamming somewhere. And a dog barking. She tried hard to wake herself but could not. She slipped back time and again to dream of lines and angles.

When she rose, it was much too early. But she was driven to start her work anew, especially with so little time left. Undoing the locks on her bedroom door, Antoinette was taken aback by the harsh twilight, immediately feeling it burning her skin. She winced, squinted her eyes, gritted her teeth and rushed to close the blackout curtains, wondering if she’d get something like a sunburn.

She then called the agency and asked them to rehire the first 15 girls Quinton had originally booked. Yes, she confirmed, 30 models all together.

Then she began to draw. The pieces came to her from another place. Inspired from somewhere she didn’t know, but knew intimately. It was maddening how she wanted to be there, to exist there, but had no idea where “there” was. The clothes were monotone, the lines were ultra clean, looking nothing like the men’s line she’d just spent the first part of the week on. And, they looked nothing like Lash. None of it did. Where was she going with all this? It was such a mess. Nothing fit together. Nothing was cohesive. She was truly losing her mind, and it wasn’t funny anymore.

Then, the slamming began again. It jarred her… someone at the door. Well, Tilden of course. Had he been knocking all day? Had that been what she had heard? She answered the door.

“Toni! There you are! I’ve been worried sick.” He scooped her up and hugged her tight.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Antoinette, I’ve been knocking on this door all damn day long! I’ve called and txted you like 50 times. I know you got home this morning haven’t been out all day. I thought you had passed out in here or something. I was seriously considering calling 911.”

Antoinette started to feel sick with dread. “Oh Til, you’re so dramatic. I was asleep.”

“All day? And you didn’t hear the phone? Or us pounding on the door all day?”

She hadn’t seen Markus and Sean in the hallway behind him. “I got in super early this morning. So sue me.” He was starting to irritate her.

“Tone. We need to talk. And I need the honest truth here. Are you shooting again?” Tilden came in, along with the other two men and sat down in her living room, suddenly making her feel very uncomfortable.

“Tilden. I never shot anything.”

“Using then. Don’t argue semantics with me Antoinette. You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. You’re acting erratic. Edgy all the time. And you’re totally in that guy’s back pocket. Why? Is he your dealer? We’re thinking you might need an intervention here.”

Holy Fucking Hell. Irritation gave way to terror. She looked into the eyes of the three men sitting in her living room. Could she take them all on? If they all came at her at once? What if they dragged her out into the sunlight? Jesus Christ. Suddenly the warnings Quinton had given her about people knowing about her haven didn’t seem quite so ridiculous. In fact, he seemed about the smartest man in the entire world right about now. Antoinette needed to stop trying to figure out how to outsmart him all the time and just listen and learn from him…

Be calm, Antoinette. Keep it light… “That’s about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.” She pulled up her sleeves. “See? And you don’t smell it on me. And you’d certainly have noticed me getting high over the past week; we’ve been working close enough. You can search this entire flat, because there is absolutely nothing here.” She looked into each one of their eyes and minds and said very slowly and very clearly, “I am clean. I am the same Toni you have always known and loved. And it’s time to go back to your hotel rooms. I am going to finish up the rest of the pieces myself tonight.”

Thank God in Heaven, it worked. They all nodded, hugging her and agreeing they’d all get together tomorrow night. She locked the door after them and sunk to the floor, hugging her knees tight. Zero gave her a lick then sat close as if to protect her.