Lauren Weisberger 3-Book Collection: Everyone Worth Knowing, Chasing Harry Winston, Last Night at Chateau Marmont. Lauren Weisberger

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СКАЧАТЬ or even alive until I got close enough to see her concave stomach rise and fall with the slightest motion.

      ‘Bette, honey, there you are!’ She mustered enough energy to make herself heard over the music even though she probably hadn’t consumed enough calories that day to remain in a standing position. I decided to address the BlackBerry debacle another time.

      ‘Hey,’ I mumbled, displaying my lack of enthusiasm.

      ‘Come here. I want you to meet the most talented skin-care therapist in Manhattan. Marco, this is Bette. Bette, Marco.’

      ‘Aesthetician,’ he immediately corrected.

      I’d been on my way to thank Sammy, but there was no avoiding putting in at least a few minutes at their table. I sat down and immediately poured myself a vodka tonic. ‘Hi, Marco, nice to meet you. How do you know Elisa?’

      ‘How do I know Elisa? Why, I like to think I can claim responsibility for that flawless, glowing skin!’ He held her head between his manicured fingers and thrust it toward me as though it were an inanimate object. ‘Here, look. Do you see this evenness? Do you see the complete and utter lack of blemishes or discoloration? This is achievement!’ He spoke with a slight Spanish accent and much flourish.

      ‘Mmm, she does look great. Maybe you could help me out sometime,’ I said, because I couldn’t think of anything else.

      ‘Mmm,’ he said back, examining my face. ‘I’m not so sure about that.’

      I took that as my cue to excuse myself, but Elisa hoisted herself into a sitting position and said, ‘Darlings, amuse yourselves for a few minutes while Davide and I say hello to a few friends.’

      I looked up to see Davide lean forward so the table would obscure his hands. He deftly opened Elisa’s white and gold Dior bag on the floor, removed a key from its ring, poured white powder from a tiny packet into the key’s longest groove, and held it quickly up to his nose. His hand covered the entire key, and if you weren’t watching very closely, it wouldn’t look like anything more than a casual nose itch, perhaps a little allergy sniffle. He refilled it within a second or two and passed it invisibly to Elisa, who also worked so quickly that I wasn’t even sure what had passed under her nose or when. Another few seconds and the key ring was back in her purse and the two were jumping out of their seats, ready to work the room.

      ‘They could at least have offered us some, don’t you think?’ Marco asked.

      ‘Yeah, I guess so,’ I said, not quite sure whether to announce that I’d never tried it, and while I was immensely curious, I was more scared.

      Marco sighed meaningfully and took a long pull from his drink.

      ‘Rough day?’ I asked, again unsure of both how to proceed or escape.

      ‘You can say that again. Elisa fucked up my schedule again. She knows how much I hate it when she passes out in my chair.’ Another sigh.

      ‘She passed out? Is she okay?’

      His huge eye roll was followed by a long, exhausted exhalation. ‘Look at her – does she look okay to you? Hey, I’m all about starving yourself – I’ve certainly had to do it myself a few times – but you’ve got to take responsibility for your actions! You know when you’re about to pass out! There are little flashes of light before your eyes and you get really dizzy. Your body does this to let you know that it’s time to take a bite of that PowerBar you should be toting around for occasions like this. You gotta heed the warnings, you know, and get the hell out of my chair, or else you’re going to screw up my entire schedule.’

      I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this, so I just sat and listened.

      ‘These girls think they can come in after a long week of nose drugs and no food and just conk out in my chair and I’ll take care of them. Well, that used to be okay, but I’ve got better things to do now. The way I see it, it’s the same as some heroin junkie: I couldn’t care less if you’re using, man, just don’t overdose in my home because then it becomes my problem. You know?’

      I nodded. The world is lucky to have a guy as sensitive as Marco, I thought.

      ‘People have it worse than I do, though,’ he continued earnestly. ‘Friend of mine’s a makeup artist. He brings one case of makeup with him, and another of PowerBars and fruit-juice boxes because the girls are always conking out on him. At least when mine faint in the chair, I don’t have to start all over. He also usually sees them right before big events, at their hungriest, since they’ve been on super-starvation to fit into their dresses. It’s tough, man. They leave us to pick up the pieces.’

      ‘Yeah, I hear that. Listen, it was really nice to meet you, but I’ve got to run and say hi to a friend. Will you be here for a few minutes?’ I asked, realizing that if I didn’t escape soon, it might never happen.

      ‘Sure, whatever, great to meet you. Catch you later.’ He nodded in my direction before leaning over to mix another drink.

      I wanted to find Sammy and thank him for what he’d done, maybe explain that I was not there as Philip’s date or his girlfriend or even by choice, but by the time I fought past the door crowd – which seemed to have expanded exponentially in the last hour – Sammy was nowhere in sight.

      ‘Hey, have you seen Sammy?’ I asked Anthony, trying to sound casual.

      He appeared to have calmed down since our last interaction and shook his head while glancing over his clipboard.

      ‘Nah, he headed out early to meet his girl. Left me here alone for one of the biggest parties of the year. Wouldn’t usually do that, so it musta been important. Why, you gotta problem? I’ll try and help you in a few when I get rid of some of these people.’

      ‘No, no problem. Just wanted to say hi.’

      ‘Yeah, well, he’ll be back tomorrow.’

      I bummed a cigarette from a guy in an emerald green prom dress and willed myself to go back inside. I didn’t have to, though. The party had come to me.

      ‘Bette! I was hoping I’d see you here!’ Abby screeched as her behemoth breasts threatened to overtake her entire face. ‘You should be inside keeping an eye on that boy of yours, don’t you think?’

      ‘Hey, Abby. I’d love to chat, but I was just leaving.’

      ‘It’s Abigail now, actually. Come inside and have one cigarette with me, okay? For old times’ sake.’

      I wanted to tell her that there had been no old times, but I was already feeling defeated by the mental image of Sammy curled up with Isabelle, the Botox beauty.

      ‘Sure,’ I said listlessly. ‘Whatever.’

      ‘So, tell me. How is everything with Philip? It’s just so amazing that you two ended up together!’ she said, leaning in conspiratorially.

      ‘Amazing? Not really.’ I tried to think of something, anything, to end the conversation.

      ‘Bette! Of course it is! Now, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you a personal question, but I’ve always been dying to know: How is he in bed? Because, as I’m sure you’re aware, there are rumors that—’

      ‘Abby, СКАЧАТЬ