Beneath the Glitter: A Novel (Sophia and Ava London) (27 page)

“Oh, it’s not. Sorry, but your first name is Dalton? Good.… Ava, is that her name?… Yeah this is her phone.… She needs someone to get her and bring her back to wherever she was.… I don’t know, I thought you would. She kept saying she escaped.… Yes, escaped.… No, she didn’t say from where, but it’s got to be some kind of hospital. She thinks there are people after her—”

“There are!” Ava insisted.

“—who are going to punish her.” Slade’s voice dropped lower. “There may have been an incident, she’s rambling on about sailors and needing someone to watch her popcorn.…” Slade nodded. “I agree. She also mentioned being ‘on the big bottle,’ which I assume means she was on some meds and is having withdrawals.… Yes, the big bottle. And she seems to have some amnesia too because she has no idea whose clothes she is wearing.” Slade listened for a moment then started shaking his head. “Look, Mr. Cute, you’ve got to come get her. She needs professional help and lots of it. I can’t watch her all the time and if she wanders off … You will? Excellent. Thank you.”

“See?” Slade said, setting her phone down next to her when she still refused to look up. “Now that was easy. He’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

“I’m not crazy,” Ava told him. “If you go to Third Street you’ll see a tent and a wind machine and a stage with bottles with—”

“Of course I will,” Slade answered in his “you are totally crazy” voice.

It was actually only seventeen minutes later when Dalton’s gold Bronco idled next to the curb in front of Santa Monica Place. Dalton put on the hazard lights and ran toward the spot where Ava was still sitting, still crying.

Slade came over, breathless. “Are you Dalton Cute?”

Dalton hesitated then nodded. “I’m Dalton.”

“Take care of her,” Slade said. “And watch her head. I think maybe she hit it.”

Dalton nodded and led Ava to his car. “
Did
you hit your head?” Ava shook her head and he said, “Yeah, I guess that would be pretty hard with that hairdo.”

Ava didn’t say anything and just sat crying quietly to herself.

“Do you—want anything?” Dalton asked, trying to distract her. “Ice cream? Candy?”

Ava shook her head again.

Dalton drove, glancing over at her from time to time as though he was afraid she was going to explode.

After fifteen minutes they pulled into a parking lot and stopped.

“Where are we?” Ava asked, speaking for the first time. She wiped her tears on the back of her arm.

Dalton reached behind his seat and handed her a beach towel. “We’re at the happiest place in LA,” he told her.

“Isn’t that Disneyland?”

“This is better. Come on.”

They crossed the parking lot and strolled up to a low wooden fence, behind which was the most beautifully manicured dog park Ava had ever seen. There were stadium-style benches around the edge and they went and sat on one, watching people and dogs playing.

“You were right,” she said. “This is the happiest place in
LA
.”

Dalton smiled. “Every now and then I get one right.” Her face changed, fell a little when he said that. “Do you want to talk about what happened? Or why you’re dressed like a pirate bride?”

“They’re related,” Ava said.

“That’s surprising. I assumed the costume and the call I got from an unknown street performer saying that I needed to come pick up an escapee lunatic were totally independent.”

“I don’t think I want to talk about it if that’s okay. I think I just want to watch the dogs.”

“Of course.”

But less than thirty seconds had passed when she blurted, “I’m sorry. I should tell you that I don’t think Sophia likes you.”

He nodded. “Speaks well of her taste. I’m not sure I see how that’s relevant though.”

Ava smiled at his brave effort. Then she sighed and started to cry again. “I’m the worst person ever.”

“Is that better or worse than being a Judgey McJudgeypants?”

“Worse. I said all these terrible things to Sophia and I didn’t mean them.”

Dalton leaned forward, arms on his thighs, hands dangling between them. “Why do you think you did it?”

Ava sighed. “Because I was lonely.”

“You?” Dalton sat back, chuckling. “You’ve got people swarming all around you all the time.”

“People are different from Sophia.” Ava shook her head. “You know what it’s like, you have a sister.”

“That I do,” Dalton said, something complicated in his tone.

“You understand how it is,” Ava went on. “No one can replace her. But at the same time no one can hurt you like she can.”

“Yes. And you’d do anything to protect her. If she’ll let you.”

Ava knew he was talking about his own sister, but his words made her think of Sophia. Of the way she always tried to protect her. Suddenly she saw it.

“She wasn’t mad, she was
frightened
.”

Dalton stared at her. “Are you talking to someone else?”

“Oh god. I owe her such a big apology. When we were in Italy, it wasn’t that she was trying to get rid of me. She had been scared.”

“I think we’re at the part now where you should talk to her and not me.”

“Yeah.”

As he drove her home Dalton asked, “Why did your friend Slade call me Mr. Cute?”

“I have no idea,” Ava told him, looking studiously at her fingernails.

*   *   *

Ava heard the sound of the
TV
through the front door and was both terrified of what she’d find inside and incredibly relieved that Sophia was there. She had taken off all her makeup and washed out her hair and was sitting in the living room watching a black-and-white movie on
TV
. The kitten was curled up in her lap and Sophia was stroking his soft little body. He was clearly enjoying himself, because Ava could hear him purring from halfway across the room.

Ava perched gingerly on the edge of the couch, trying to keep her dress contained. For a moment she thought about how all they used to fight over was who would get more couch square footage. Ava took a breath, trying to figure out where to begin.

“Don’t even think about trying for one of the pillows,” Sophia said without looking at her. “I am the mayor of this couch.”

“I’m so sorry, Sophia,” Ava blurted.

“You are?” Sophia asked.

“Yes—I was so focused on the fact that you disapproved of me and Liam that I didn’t stop to think about why you disapproved. And the reason is, you’ve
always
looked out for me because that’s who you are, and I love that about you. With Liam, you were just trying to protect me from the same pain you went through. I’m grateful for that, and I’m sorry I wouldn’t listen.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Sophia said, reaching out to squeeze Ava’s hand. “I promise I was never trying to ignore you or leave you out. I was just trying to give you some space. I didn’t realize that putting distance between us was the total wrong way to go—we’re way too close for that to ever be an option.”

And that was that. Now, suddenly, everything that had been so hard for weeks, the knot of tension, the pendulous weight of unspoken accusations and desires, just evaporated.

Ava looked at the screen and saw that the movie was
Roman Holiday
. “I was just thinking about Rome,” she said. “About the trip we took there when we were little. When I got separated from everyone, since I wasn’t even lost.”

Sophia gave her a little smile. “I was thinking about how you’ve always been like that. Somehow, you always know where to go and what to do and it always turns out right. You’re so brave, you just do things, leap before you look.”

“That’s because if I looked I might not leap,” Ava told her. “You look and you
still
leap. That’s true bravery.”

“I was so worried about you that day,” Sophia said, getting the distant look of memory in her eyes. “I was so scared something had happened. That I’d let go of your hand. When I saw your glove just lying in the street, I was sure you’d been run over by a car, or kidnapped, or both. Do you know how guilty I felt? What if something had happened? What if you’d been hurt or lost forever? How could I have explained that? Mom and Dad would have blamed me.”

“But nothing bad happened.”
To you,
a voice in Ava’s head said. And then she had an epiphany—it was not just about her and nothing bad happening to her. It was about the effect what happened had on everyone else. Just because
she
was okay didn’t mean everything was okay. “You finding that mitten was amazing. I wandered off, took a chance—and you were there, making sure it all turned out okay.”

“It wasn’t a mitten, it was a glove,” Sophia said.

Ava shook her head. “No, it was a mitten, not a glove. And you didn’t let go of my hand, I pulled away from you.”

“That’s not true, I completely let go. Besides, you were my responsibility.”

And in that moment it wasn’t clear if they were talking about all those years ago or now.

“We’re responsible for one another. We have to trust each other,” Ava said.

Sophia nodded. “I know that, now.”

They sat side by side watching the movie together in contented silence, the kitten still purring away on Sophia’s lap. As though she’d been working her way up to it, Ava blurted, “Why wouldn’t you let me see your photos? I mean, I know I’m not an expert so my opinion doesn’t count for anything but—”

Sophia looked at her in disbelief. “Did it occur to you I care what you think more than anyone else? That’s why I didn’t want to show you the pictures. I was afraid you wouldn’t like them.”

Ava’s eyes filled with tears. “Of course I would. They’re—Sophia, they’re going to be amazing. Like you.”

Sophia shook her head. “No they’re not. And probably no one will buy them.”

“We’d better hope someone buys them since neither of us seem to have a job anymore.”

They both laughed, first small laughs which became a full-fledged giggle fit. It felt good. No, it felt great.

“It’s glovely to have you back,” Sophia said.

Ava raised her eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Well, I’ve sure been mitten you!”

As their laughter faded Sophia said, “There was a message from Corrina on the voice mail.”

“Why did my heart sink a little bit when you said that?”

“I know—let the fallout begin. LuxeLife is having an executive meeting tomorrow to figure out if they’re going to pull the collection. They think it’s the most disastrous launch ever and Corrina says she’s not sure if London Calling can ever recover.”

Ava let Sophia’s words settle in. “That’s too bad.” She looked at her sister. “But we’re okay, aren’t we?”

Sophia nodded. “We are. London Calling may not be but—”

“If we are, it is. I think that’s what we lost sight of. London Calling is about us and what we care about.”

“When did you get so wise?”

“I learned a lot from my older sister. She may not be able to decide on a name for her kitten but—”

Sophia’s eyes lit up. “Phone,” she said, holding out her hand. “I have an idea.”

LonDOs

Street performers with initiative

Knights in shining(ish) Broncos

Dog parks

Roman Holiday
the movie

Roman holiday the family vacation

Getting my sister back

LuxeLife Message in a Bottle ultra-waterproof mascara in “Beach Bonfire Black”

Sophia’s gallery show in two days!

LonDON’Ts

Using adjectives with people’s names in your phone’s stored numbers

Kittens named Phone

Believing everything you remember

24

tongue in chic

“It really is pretty amazing,” Lily said, leaning across Sophia’s computer to get a better look. “I mean, you were completely sobbing, Little L, and your mascara and eyeliner stayed right where you put them.”

Ava sighed. “We took our waterproofing very seriously for Message in a Bottle.”

“Check this out,”
MM
said, spinning his computer around to face the rest of the table. It was open to eBay where Message in a Bottle products were already selling for four and five times their original price. “You managed to attain cult-brand status.”

“And without ever even having a brand,” Ava marveled.

“But this isn’t going to last,” Sophia reminded them, bringing them back to the reason they were all sitting at Toast that morning. “That’s why we have to take advantage of it now.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Liam announced, pulling Ava’s hand up so he could kiss it before going on. “Sponsoring a charity event will refocus the conversation and put you back on top. If the event is a success, no one will remember the launch.”

“That’s not quite why we’re doing it,” Ava told him. “The idea is more to use all the press we’re getting now to draw attention to the shelter and the fund-raiser for it.”

“Whatever works,” he said with a smile and the vague expression she used to think meant that he was enamored with what she’d just said but which she now thought meant he wasn’t paying any attention at all.

“Ava spoke to Estelle at the shelter this morning and they need twenty thousand dollars to keep operating this year, so that’s our bottom goal,” Sophia said.

Lily, who had shown up at the meeting wearing a pin-striped suit, a Bluetooth earpiece, pearls, and carrying an iPad in a matching pin-striped case—“What?” she’d demanded when they asked why she was wearing a suit to brunch. “Is this or is this not a benefit committee? This is what you wear to a benefit committee”—said gravely now, “We can do better than that. It’s for the animals.”

“Our ideal goal would be a hundred and twenty thousand dollars,” Sophia said. “That would keep them running and let them have a small endowment.”

MM looked up over his laptop screen. “And we have how long to do this?”

Sophia took a deep breath. “Five days.”

“I’ll have Tana take over the PR,” Liam volunteered. “She’ll be happy to do it.”

Ava picked Popcorn up from her lap and holding him in front of her face had him say, “Thank you, Uncle Liam.”