different interests. It’s hard to stay still and stick with one. What about you? Did you always want to be an actress?”
“Always, always.” Sarah laughed. “I was one of those little girls who would pretend to give Oscar acceptance speeches into my hairbrush.”
Clémence thought about Nicole, about how close she’d been to winning an Oscar. Sarah had never even been nominated. How jealous had Sarah been?
“I’m sure you’ll get there,” Clémence said.
“There’s no rush. Meryl Streep was twenty-eight when she appeared in her first film, and look at her now. She’s my role model. I see acting as a lifelong craft to be mastered.”
Clémence saw that Sophie had come back from the restroom. Sophie saw them still deep in conversation and started chatting with the makeup girl to give them space.
Clémence pretended to get a text. “It’s from my boyfriend,” she said. “Aw, he’s so sweet. He’s just texting to tell me he misses me.”
Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Who’s your boyfriend?”
“His name is Arthur. Here—” She showed her some photos of him on her phone.
“Ohh, he’s cute,” Sarah said.
Arthur was handsome. With his warm brown eyes, strong cheekbones, and kissable lips, he was quite the catch.
By bonding with Sarah over girly matters, Clémence created the perfect opening to ask about her relationship with Elon.
“What about you? Are you dating anyone?”
Sarah giggled demurely. “Well, there is this guy. He’s not in the industry, thank goodness.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s a businessman. He’s a bit older than I am, but he’s cute.”
“Do you have any pictures?”
Sarah looked hesitant. “We’re not public or anything.”
“Oh, I won’t go to the press. I promise.”
“Oh, what the heck. You look like someone I would trust. Here.”
She took out her own phone and showed Clémence photos of her and Elon. Elon was a distinguished man in his forties. He had a serious face that looked on the verge of a scowl, but here, with Sarah, he looked at ease. They posed in front of the Louvre, underneath the Eiffel Tower, and at the Pont des Art, putting a love lock on the bridge. Clémence forgot that Sarah was a tourist in Paris and would be as excited as any American to visit the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
“Hey,” Clémence said slowly. “I know him. Is that Elon Marchese?”
“You know him?” Sarah turned, eyes wide with excitement.
“Well, not personally, but I’ve seen him at parties.”
“Oh, of course. You’re friends with Sophie, so you must be part of the fashion set. Of course you would be in the same crowd.”
“I’m not that fashionable,” Clémence said modestly. “How long have you been dating?”
“About a year.” Sarah sighed dreamily. A year into the relationship and she was still in the honeymoon stage; Sarah must really love Elon.
“It’s funny. I’ve read about him in Hello magazine once. I thought he was dating Nicole Blake.”
Sarah’s face darkened a bit. “Oh. Well, it’s a long story. They used to date.”
“Really?”
She sighed. “I suppose now that Nicole has passed away, I can say it.”
“It’s a tragedy, isn’t it?” Clémence looked at Sarah’s face carefully to observe her reaction.
Sarah did look sad. “It is. It’s unfortunate that we never got along, although I tried.”
“Why didn’t you get along?”
“It was the whole thing with Elon. They went out for about eight months before Elon and I started going out. It was all hush-hush. Sarah was so secretive that no one even knew she and Elon were an item. There were speculations, sure, but no real proof. Then he dumped her and started going out with me. We’d met at the MET Gala. The thing was, Elon never cheated on her, but I do admit that maybe we jumped into the relationship too soon after their breakup.
“I personally didn’t know they had gone out until I realized how Nicole was being towards me whenever I ran
“Always, always.” Sarah laughed. “I was one of those little girls who would pretend to give Oscar acceptance speeches into my hairbrush.”
Clémence thought about Nicole, about how close she’d been to winning an Oscar. Sarah had never even been nominated. How jealous had Sarah been?
“I’m sure you’ll get there,” Clémence said.
“There’s no rush. Meryl Streep was twenty-eight when she appeared in her first film, and look at her now. She’s my role model. I see acting as a lifelong craft to be mastered.”
Clémence saw that Sophie had come back from the restroom. Sophie saw them still deep in conversation and started chatting with the makeup girl to give them space.
Clémence pretended to get a text. “It’s from my boyfriend,” she said. “Aw, he’s so sweet. He’s just texting to tell me he misses me.”
Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Who’s your boyfriend?”
“His name is Arthur. Here—” She showed her some photos of him on her phone.
“Ohh, he’s cute,” Sarah said.
Arthur was handsome. With his warm brown eyes, strong cheekbones, and kissable lips, he was quite the catch.
By bonding with Sarah over girly matters, Clémence created the perfect opening to ask about her relationship with Elon.
“What about you? Are you dating anyone?”
Sarah giggled demurely. “Well, there is this guy. He’s not in the industry, thank goodness.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s a businessman. He’s a bit older than I am, but he’s cute.”
“Do you have any pictures?”
Sarah looked hesitant. “We’re not public or anything.”
“Oh, I won’t go to the press. I promise.”
“Oh, what the heck. You look like someone I would trust. Here.”
She took out her own phone and showed Clémence photos of her and Elon. Elon was a distinguished man in his forties. He had a serious face that looked on the verge of a scowl, but here, with Sarah, he looked at ease. They posed in front of the Louvre, underneath the Eiffel Tower, and at the Pont des Art, putting a love lock on the bridge. Clémence forgot that Sarah was a tourist in Paris and would be as excited as any American to visit the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
“Hey,” Clémence said slowly. “I know him. Is that Elon Marchese?”
“You know him?” Sarah turned, eyes wide with excitement.
“Well, not personally, but I’ve seen him at parties.”
“Oh, of course. You’re friends with Sophie, so you must be part of the fashion set. Of course you would be in the same crowd.”
“I’m not that fashionable,” Clémence said modestly. “How long have you been dating?”
“About a year.” Sarah sighed dreamily. A year into the relationship and she was still in the honeymoon stage; Sarah must really love Elon.
“It’s funny. I’ve read about him in Hello magazine once. I thought he was dating Nicole Blake.”
Sarah’s face darkened a bit. “Oh. Well, it’s a long story. They used to date.”
“Really?”
She sighed. “I suppose now that Nicole has passed away, I can say it.”
“It’s a tragedy, isn’t it?” Clémence looked at Sarah’s face carefully to observe her reaction.
Sarah did look sad. “It is. It’s unfortunate that we never got along, although I tried.”
“Why didn’t you get along?”
“It was the whole thing with Elon. They went out for about eight months before Elon and I started going out. It was all hush-hush. Sarah was so secretive that no one even knew she and Elon were an item. There were speculations, sure, but no real proof. Then he dumped her and started going out with me. We’d met at the MET Gala. The thing was, Elon never cheated on her, but I do admit that maybe we jumped into the relationship too soon after their breakup.
“I personally didn’t know they had gone out until I realized how Nicole was being towards me whenever I ran
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