All About Yves (17 page)
"Yves stopped by to see me this afternoon,” Jasper said. “When he read the column he was devastated. He had no idea Harris would write those things. He even cried. I felt so bad for the poor kid."
Molly rolled her eyes. Evidently, Yves had been clever enough to notice the soft spot in Jasper that Molly had always loved so much. When Molly and Jasper had first met, it had been Jasper's sense of decency and morality that had attracted her the most. Jasper had told her on their first date that he was bisexual and he'd always been attracted to both men and women. No one else knew this about Jasper; he'd kept it a secret all his life because he'd never felt the need to share it with everyone. But he'd wanted to be honest with Molly from the start. It was this absolute honesty and strong moral fiber she'd fallen in love with. She'd already been attracted to his dark good looks and his slim athletic body. But when he'd told her his deepest secret the first time they'd gone out, she couldn't resist falling in love with him.
"That's interesting,” Molly said. “I can't imagine why Yves would want to see you.” Now she sounded coy.
Jasper stood up and put his hands his pockets. “He wanted to apologize about the column,” he said. “He said he couldn't face Marco anymore."
"What a shame,” Molly said, smiling because she was curious about what else Yves had said.
"He cried so hard he trembled,” Jasper said. He walked to the window and looked out down.
Molly raised her right eyebrow. “I'll bet you had to hold him in your arms to calm him down."
Jasper ignored her and said, “You know, I've been thinking about the new home shopping project that's coming up. I think it might be a good idea to ask Yves to model the North collection on television."
"Oh, you do,” Molly said, gulping. She almost choked on her martini.
"When this reality show is over,” Jasper said, “Marco is going to be busy with the new spring show that's coming up and he's not thrilled with doing the home shopping thing anyway. This might be a good chance to help poor Yves get a break in the business."
"Have you mentioned this to Yves?” Molly asked.
"Actually, he mentioned it to me,” Jasper said. “But Yves would never ask to do this outright. He's much too shy about that sort of thing."
Molly rolled her eyes. Her tone became serious. “Yves Marisano isn't as shy as you think, Jasper.” She'd heard enough.
Jasper ignored her snide comment. “Just once I'd like to see the North collection be displayed by someone young and vibrant and exciting like Yves,” He said. “I own half the company and I should have some say in who is going to model the clothes."
"Hold on,” Molly said, rising from the table. “Marco Denny is one of the most famous faces in the world. He's worked hard all his life, compromising and sacrificing, so he could do justice to the Frazier North collection. I'm not going to stand around and watch anyone stab him in the back, especially not one of his best friends."
Molly's fists were clenched. She and Jasper rarely argued, but when they did it was always about something important.
"No,” Jasper said, moving toward her, “you hold on a minute. The poor boy apologized for everything."
"And I'll bet he did it on his
knees
,” Molly said. She felt like kicking the table.
"It's not fair to blame him because a vicious old queen like Harris Wolfe decided to go after Marco,” Jasper said. “Yves is just a young boy with limited experience."
"I'll bet he has plenty of experience,” Molly said.
"Now you sound like Harris Wolfe,” Jasper shouted, his face turning red.
Molly turned and pointed at him. But just as she was about to open her mouth, the telephone rang. They stopped arguing and Jasper reached for the phone. When he answered, he said hello to Marco. It wasn't a long conversation. Molly took a deep breath, trying to calm down, while Jasper spoke. Jasper nodded and smiled, then mentioned a time.
When he hung up, he said, “That was Marco. He wants to meet for dinner tonight at the Celebrity Room after his live show and I told him we'd be there."
"Interesting,” Molly said. She knew how Marco hated going to places where he'd be recognized, especially after such a scathing column had just been written about him. “The only thing that would surprise me more would be if Marco to meet us for dinner at a fast-food restaurant in New Jersey."
Jasper smiled and lowered his voice. “I'm glad everything is okay with Frazier and Marco again. I was worried about them."
"Marco couldn't survive without Frazier,” Molly said. Her tone grew placid and she smiled when she spoke about Marco and Frazier.
Jasper crossed to where she was standing on the other side of the room. “Molly,” he said. “I didn't promise Yves anything. I told him I'd think about it and I'd mention it to you first. But if you're so against Yves modeling on television I won't bring it up again."
Molly smiled and adjusted her husband's lapel. She gave him a peck on the lips and said, “Thank you.” She tapped his arm and kissed his cheek. “From now on, please refer all of Yves Marisano's requests directly to me. I'll take care of them personally."
While they were having dinner in the Celebrity Room that night, it seemed to Molly as if every pair of eyes in the room was staring at their table. And when Yves Marisano and Harris Wolfe walked into the room, Molly was certain everyone was staring at Marco. The Celebrity Room attracted the sort of clientele that followed the fashion industry and read magazines like
Menswear Monthly
. Molly suspected almost everyone around their table had read Harris's column about Marco and Yves and they were all waiting for a reaction from Marco.
But Marco didn't flinch. When he saw Yves and Harris enter, he turned his head and smiled at Molly. Marco seemed unusually calm and quiet, as if he'd found an inner piece that made him see the world in a different way. He only had one drink; he didn't raise his voice once. He completely ignored Yves and Harris and talked about how he was looking forward to the season finale of the reality show and how he wanted to spend more time at home working on his own projects. He even admitted he'd been working on a new project he was planning to announce very soon. Molly knew he was talking about his new book. She smiled and winked at him, keeping his secret safe. Frazier and Jasper knew nothing about the book. They begged Marco for more information but he refused to say a word.
After dinner, while they were sipping champagne, Molly watched Yves get up and leave the dining area. Marco saw him leave, too, and he nodded at Molly.
"I heard that my back-up model, Mr. Marisano, has given his two weeks’ notice,” Marco said. “I can't understand why he'd want to leave our company this way, and so fast."
"I'd like to make a toast,” Frazier said, gazing into Marco's eyes with an adoring expression. He tilted his head and nodded. “Even though we can't legally get married, Marco and I are planning to celebrate our love in a small ceremony next summer out in the Hamptons. I've asked Marco if he'll marry me and he's accepted.” Then he lifted his glass and clicked it against Marco's glass.
Marco smiled and looked into Frazier's eyes. “We're finally going to be a married couple,” he said. “And we're not going to wait until it's legal. We want to do this before we're old and gray, and we want our two best friends to be there with us."
Molly clapped and said, “This is so wonderful. I'm so happy for you both. And I don't give a damn about whether it's legal or not. The only thing that matters is you'll be celebrating your love together."
Jasper reached for his glass. “Hear, hear,” he said. “Of course we'll be there. Molly and I wouldn't miss it for the world.” The he lifted his glass and said, “To best friends, if we're lucky we only get maybe one or two best friends in a lifetime. Each of us has three right here at this table."
Molly raised her glass and smiled, proud of her husband's toast. “That was beautiful,” she said, gazing into his eyes.
After they toasted, one of the waiters brought a small piece of paper to their table on a silver tray. He handed it to Molly and left quickly. When she opened the piece of paper and read the contents, her eyebrows rose and her jaw dropped.
"Not very well done,” Jasper joked, referring to the note. “Your secret lover should be more discreet."
"Jasper,” Marco said, “don't be jealous. Love is everywhere tonight. No one is safe."
"I'll say,” Molly said. “No one is safe."
"What is it?” Marco asked.
"You'll never believe the balls this guy has,” Molly said. “This is the best I've seen yet, and I thought I'd seen and heard it all in this business.” Then she handed the paper to Marco.
Marco took a quick breath and read the note aloud. “
I'm so sorry for interrupting what looks like such a happy celebration. But I have to speak with you. It's very important. Please, please meet me out in the lounge. Yves."
Marco crushed the note in his palm and tossed it into the middle of the table. He lifted the bottle of champagne and looked in Harris Wolfe's direction. “I'd like to go over there and crack this right over his pointy little head."
"Maybe Yves just wants to apologize,” Jasper said. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I couldn't care less,” Molly said. “I'm not meeting him anywhere.” She still felt responsible for the little trick she'd played on Marco. She was still mad at herself for bringing Yves into their lives in the first place. If she hadn't brought him backstage that rainy night, none of this would have happened.
"I don't know what he could say anymore,” Frazier said.
"I'm kind of curious,” Jasper said. “You should go meet him just to see what he has to say."
Molly looked back and forth between Jasper and Frazier. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to say another word to Yves for as long as she lived.
Marco grabbed her arm and said, “We've known each other for years and years and I've never asked you to do anything furtive or out of character. But now I am. I have to know what that creepy, vile, backstabbing little cunt is thinking about now. I'll explode if I don't find out."
Molly took a deep breath and sighed. Then she reached for her handbag and stood up. On her way out to the lounge, when she passed Harris Wolfe's table, Harris stood up and nodded at her. Molly kept her head straight and her eyes focused on the exit. She walked past Harris and snubbed him as if he were the invisible man. Harris blinked but she kept walking. So Harris turned toward Marco's table, smiled, and raised his glass. When he smiled at Marco, instead of smiling back, Marco squared his shoulders, made a fist, and rubbed the tip of his nose with his middle finger.
Yves was standing in the lounge with his hands folded in front of his waist. When he saw Molly enter, he reached to shake her hand and said, “I didn't think you'd come."
Molly held her handbag with both hands, refusing to shake Yves's hand. “I almost didn't come."
Yves gestured to a sofa. “Can't we sit down and talk? I have so much to say and it's hard for me, so very hard.” He sounded timid, as if he had trouble speaking above a stage whisper.
Molly was surprised to hear his humble, shy voice again. She would have guessed he'd be more confident and brazen now that he'd managed to embarrass Marco so publicly. She didn't want to sit, but she figured it was the best way to get this over with once and for all.
When she was seated, Yves started talking. “I've always believed it was best not to say anything unless I knew what I was talking about. I listen and learn. I try to do and say the right things so no one will think I'm stupid. Good-looking men are often stereotyped. Everyone thinks we're dumb just because of the way we look. And I like to think I'm smart, with a good head on my shoulders."
"You're not stupid,” Molly said. “That's for sure."
"Then I met Harris Wolfe,” Yves said. “He's a brilliant man. He knows just what to say and when to say it. Before I knew what was happening, he talked me into doing things I never would have done. He's very clever, and I fell for it all."
"Do you expect me to believe this is all Harris's fault?” Molly said. “That you never said any of those things about Marco and you never wanted to hurt Marco?"
"I take full responsibility for letting Harris do what he did,” Yves said. “I should have seen it coming. I'd give anything to take it all back now."
"This isn't the Oscars,” Molly said. After what he'd done to Marco, it was hard to believe anything he said.
Yves lowered his eyes to the floor. He couldn't look Molly in the eye. “I don't blame you for having such a low opinion of me,” he said. “And you're not the only one. I've been blacklisted everywhere since the column appeared. All of Marco's friends, acquaintances, and everyone he's ever known have snubbed me. I'm nothing but dirt."
His voice trailed off. His eyes were glossy.
Molly sighed and said, “Yves, I'm sorry this has all happened to you. How did your lunch with the guy from Hollywood go?” She was starting to feel bad for him again. She knew how ruthless people could be.
"He said he'd call if something came up,” Yves said.
"But what about all the wonderful comments and raves you received the night you stood in for Marco on TV?” Molly asked.
"I'm just a back-up substitute,” Yves said. “I'm nothing."
"I'm sure Harris is interested in helping you."
"He's not my friend. He uses me as his stud. He's only interested in taking advantage of me the way so many others have."
Molly pressed her palm to her chest. She'd had a feeling Harris was sleeping with Yves and this comment just confirmed her suspicions. Molly hated men and women with power who did this sort of thing. She didn't care if they were gay or straight. No one should have to offer sexual favors to advance their career. Of course, Yves wasn't innocent by any means. He could have said no. But when a powerful man like Harris Wolfe dangles fame and success in front of a poor young guy with no real contacts, it's hard to resist the temptation.
"I want my real friends back,” Yves said. “You were my friend, and so was Marco. I wish Harris were dead. He's ruined my life."