"No,” Marco shouted. “You go fuck yourself, Jasper."
When Jasper walked out and slammed the door, Edgar Dupree stood up from his chair and said, “You'd better show up for the taping or I'm calling my lawyers. You are under contract.” His French accent became thicker. Edgar was one of the producers of the reality show and he didn't want to lose money on his investment.
Marco stared him down. He was standing above him on the runway and he towered over him. “Are you threatening me with your lawyers?” The only thing Marco enjoyed more than a good fight was an ultimatum.
"I'm telling you that you are under contract,” Edgar said. “I'm not playing games."
Marco extended his right arm, made a fist, and gave Edgar his middle finger. “I'm not playing games either,” he said. “So don't fuck with me, you bald-headed bastard.” His voice bellowed and echoed through the empty room.
"I'm not a well man,” Edgar said. “I have the acid reflux."
Marco's eye bulged and he put his hands on his hips. “Then stop eating like a fucking pig."
Edgar didn't reply. He grabbed his coat and waddled out of the room. When he was gone, Marco took a deep breath and sat down on the arm of the zebra-print sofa. Frazier was still there, staring at the ceiling.
"Where has our little prince gone?” Marco asked.
"Who?” Frazier looked up and down, then back and forth.
"Our boy,” Marco said. “Our innocent little back-up model, Yves."
"I guess he left."
Marco smiled. “I probably scared him away, the poor shy little thing."
"Sometimes you scare me,” Frazier said. “I'm not surprised he's gone."
"How dare you treat me this way?” Marco said. “I know I'm nothing more than a body without a brain, strutting clothes down a runway. But I deserved better than this."
Frazier stood up fast. He pressed his lips together and grabbed Marco by the shoulders. He shook Marco a few times and threw him down on the sofa, pinning him to the goose down cushion with all his weight.
"I've had it with your selfish temper tantrums,” he said. His face was close to Marco's, and Marco could feel his warm breath. “I had no idea Yves was auditioning for this and I didn't know he was going to be your new back-up until after he'd auditioned.” Then he pressed his lips against Marco's lips and kissed Marco on the mouth. He stuck his tongue inside Marco's mouth with such force Marco almost lost his breath.
Marco's body loosened and he wrapped his arms around Frazier's shoulders. Though he was still angry, he loved it when Frazier threw him down on a bed. He closed his eyes and submitted, feeling safe and warm again, even if it was only for a minute.
When Frazier lifted his head again, he looked into Marco's eyes and said, “I love you. I love you more than anyone or anything. And not because you're a great model and a huge celebrity. I love you because you're you. Period."
"I'm nothing but a high-priced piece of ass,” Marco said. “And my ass is starting to droop."
"You have talent most people can only wish for,” Frazier said. “You have everything, from money to career. The entire world loves you, and all you care about is ranting about a harmless young guy who can't do enough to please you. I've had it. I love you more than anything in the world. But I can't take anymore. You have to grow up."
When Frazier rose from the sofa, Marco sat up. They stopped shouting and Frazier talked about Marco's obsession with his age and his paranoid concerns about Yves. Marco just sat and listened quietly. He could see Frazier didn't understand. Frazier, he knew, had always been more pragmatic and sensible. Emotional issues like aging and insecure feelings tended to pass him by. Marco couldn't blame him; he was the way he was, and it had always been something Marco had found attractive about Frazier. But Frazier was wrong this time. Marco may have been going through a crisis with his age, but he knew he wasn't paranoid about Yves. He'd get through the age crisis eventually. But Yves had been out to destroy him since the first night he'd walked into his dressing room with Molly.
"We've argued before and we've always made up,” Frazier said. “But this time it seems different. I don't know if I even understand it. I just want to be happy and enjoy the wonderful life we've built together. No one else would believe two people who have been as lucky as we've been would even be discussing this, let alone arguing about it. Marco, tell me what's wrong."
Marco shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know myself,” he said. He knew what was wrong. His entire life was being usurped by Yves, and no one would believe him, not even the man he'd been in love with most of his life.
Frazier ran his hand down the back of his head and sighed. “Or maybe you do know and you won't tell me, or you can't tell me,” he said. Then he turned his back on Marco and headed for the exit with his hands in his pockets.
When he reached the end of the runway, Marco turned and said, “Frazier."
Frazier stopped and turned. “What?"
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know,” he said.
Marco tilted his head and smiled. “To look for Yves?” He knew he shouldn't have asked this, especially with a sarcastic tone. He knew it would irritate Frazier and only send him away even more frustrated than he already was. But he couldn't help himself. He wasn't wrong about Yves and he was too stubborn to back down.
Frazier frowned. “After everything I just said, you'd still ask that question.” Then he turned and left Marco sitting alone on the sofa in the empty showroom.
Molly Page was a woman who was always working on a project. One entire room of her large apartment in The Dakota had been dedicated to arts and crafts. She'd painted in tempera, oil, acrylic, and watercolor. She'd sculpted wood, clay, and stone. For a long time, she'd folded sheets of colored paper with a piece of bone to learn the art of origami. One year she devoted all her spare time to spinning yarn, and another year she concentrated on felting wool. She bounced from one trendy, crafty medium to the next, snipping and gluing and glittering along the way, with the enthusiasm of a college freshman. And though her tastes changed and she never stuck with any specific craft or hobby for more than a year or so—always a change—she'd learned how to reduce almost all the stress in her life through crafting wonderful new creations.
When Jasper stomped into her craft studio after his argument with Marco in the showroom, Molly was making her own paper. She'd just learned how to recycle old newspapers into colored sheets of tasteful homemade paper, on which she could write personal letters and create her own greeting cards. She was dipping a large silk screen into a rectangular-shaped tub filled with water. Her hands were soaked with bits of soggy newspaper, her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was trying to ignore the itch on the end of her nose.
Jasper dropped his briefcase on the floor and said, “I've had it this time. Marco has gone too far.” His face was red and his eyes were bulging.
Molly dropped the silk screen into the water and wiped the end of her nose with the sleeve of her gray sweatshirt. She shook her head and smiled, because she had a feeling she knew why Jasper was angry with Marco. The night of Marco's party, Yves had come to Molly and asked her to help him get the job of Marco's back-up model. Yves had told Molly there wasn't enough for him to do as Marco's assistant and he really wanted to break into modeling. Molly was mad at Marco, and she didn't see any harm in helping Yves get the job. She thought he was a good kid. So she promised Yves she'd talk to Jasper and Edgar about it, and she'd set up an audition for him. When she mentioned making Yves Marco's back-up the next day, Jasper and Edgar thought Yves would be perfect for the job. They had no idea how Marco would react.
Molly had known Marco for a long time. She'd known Marco would rant and scream and rave about it. But she thought it was time for Marco to stop acting like a spoiled diva and start acting like a grown man. Marco was jealous of Yves for no reason. Yves was a sweet young guy with great potential, who was only interesting in helping Marco.
"What happened this time?” Molly asked. She wiped her sticky hands on a towel and sighed.
Jasper ran his hand through his hair and frowned. “Marco went insane when he found out Yves was going to be his back-up model. I've never seen him so mad. He even threatened to walk off the reality show. You should have seen him attack Edgar. It wasn't pretty."
Molly smiled again. Marco had been known to throw a tantrum or two. He'd once thrown a cell phone through a window because someone kept stepping into his shot. “I'm sure he'll get over it,” she said. “He always does.” Molly liked to think everyone in the world was basically decent. Though some people had a few more flaws than others, people were good at the core.
"But this time,” Jasper said, “he attacked me personally. He accused me of trying to ruin his career and ruin Frazier's clothing line by forcing him to do reality television. He thinks I'm lowering their standards."
"But that's insane,” Molly said. “The reality show is a huge hit. Marco has never been more famous. He's a household name, thanks to you. And Frazier's designs have never gotten this much attention."
"Well, tell this to Marco,” Jasper said. “I was pissed. I work hard and everything I do for Frazier North Designs is geared toward making it all better."
Molly hated to see Jasper so upset. His fists were still clenched and his left eye was twitching. She knew better than anyone else how hard he'd worked for Frazier and Marco. “How was Yves during the audition?"
For the first time since he entered the room, Jasper smiled. “He's perfect. He moves with grace, the clothes fit him to perfection, and when he smiles you can't take your eyes off him. He's so good and he's so genuine, it's too good to be true."
Molly laughed. “I'm happy for him. He's a good kid."
"He's everything a male model should be,” Jasper said. “He makes it all look so effortless and simple. And it really would be simple, if Marco Denny wasn't such an asshole.” He grabbed his briefcase and headed back to the door. “I'm going to work out for a while. I'll use the punching bag and picture Marco Denny's face while I'm doing it."
Molly followed him to the door. She was beginning to feel sorry for Marco. After all, he was her best friend. She didn't want to see lasting friction between Marco and Jasper. “Marco will be fine,” she said. “He's not that bad. And even though he despises that reality show, he's made it the number-one show on television without complaining."
"Marco is a great guy, and a great model,” Jasper said. “He's the most professional model I've ever known and his work ethic is outstanding. But sometimes he needs a good old-fashioned kick in the ass. And everyone's afraid to do it.” Then he kissed her goodbye.
As he opened the door, Molly said, “It's going to be an interesting weekend."
"Why?"
"We're driving to Vermont on Friday night with Marco and Frazier."
Jasper sighed. “Well,” he said, “we've been through weekends before with Marco throwing tantrums. I just hope there's plenty of vodka in Vermont, because I'm going to need it."
When he was gone, Molly went back to her craft table and thought about what Jasper had just said. Marco Denny did need a kick in the ass, and everyone was afraid to do it. Marco had treated them all poorly, most of all Yves. Poor Yves worshipped the ground on which Marco walked and all Marco did was insult him and make paranoid accusations. Since the night of the party, Marco had become the epitome of the ugly star, ranting and raving and throwing fits whenever he felt like it. And now that he'd insulted Jasper with such vitriol, Molly felt protective and wanted to get even. So she sat down at the craft table and thought about what she could do to give Marco the kick in the ass he so desperately needed. She didn't want to harm Marco or cause him any anguish. She just wanted to bring him back to earth by teaching him a harmless little lesson.
A moment later, she sat up and smiled. She knew the perfect way to give Marco the kick he needed. Then she frowned and decided it was too vicious. Arguing and having shouting matches was one thing, but scheming to get even with Marco was a different matter.
But on her way back to the silk screen, she thought about it again. Her plan wasn't all
that
mean. It was more like a practical joke. And Molly knew how much Marco loved a good practical joke. He was usually the first one to suggest playing a practical joke on someone else. Eventually, Molly would tell Marco what she'd done and they'd all have a good laugh.
She smiled and crossed to the telephone. She dialed Yves's cell phone and received his voice mail. “Hello, Yves,” she said. “This is Molly Page. I'm calling you about a little plan I just thought up that I think you're going to find very interesting. Please call me back as soon as you can. It's extremely important and there isn't a minute to waste."
It started snowing on Saturday morning and didn't stop until Sunday afternoon. It fell in small powdery flakes; the air was bitter cold. They were staying at a friend's house near one of the ski resorts but they didn't do any skiing that weekend. For the most part, Marco and Jasper avoided each other. Marco spent most of his time reading and Jasper sat by the fire, going over tax papers. Molly tried hard to make small talk and bring Jasper and Marco back together. It was just the three of them in a big old farmhouse. Frazier didn't show up at all. When they'd picked Marco up at his building on Friday night and Molly had asked where Frazier was, Marco just shrugged and said he didn't know and he didn't give a damn.
It was one of those long holiday weekends, and somehow they made it through until Monday afternoon. By that time, Marco had mellowed and he was speaking to Jasper again. They'd known each other for a long time and Marco didn't want to lose Jasper's friendship. Though he wasn't thrilled with doing a TV reality show and he was less than thrilled with doing a home shopping show, he knew Jasper had his best interests at heart.