A FASHION FAIRYTALE: AND THEN THEY SAID

Chapter 14: Phone Calls, Various

Queenie, Editorial Assistant, Flair, in a the fashion closet, sorting out shoes:

“And then Ms Dana didn’t say a word, turned, and all but ran out of the ballroom as if chased by a bear. Both Eli Kee and Adam Tan started to go after her. But it was sooo crowded you know, and I heard Bella the Bitch saying “come back here, Eli Kee!” 

And I said, “Take Ms Dana home, Mr Tan, please.” And he actually did what I said – I think I’m in love with Adam Tan now. I wanted to talk to Eli, I wanted to ask him, I had to see what’s happening - something dreadful between them. But Bella the Bitch stopped me, and pulled Eli away and do you know I nearly fainted? Not from the heat, but from the shock of seeing Eli drive Belle away from The Ice Ball in a 1950s Daimler Phaeton in Edinburgh Green. Imagine that! Ms Dana’s favourite green!”

Mrs Tina Lee, Ex Beauty Queen, from her sofa:

“She came back in one of her moods, you know, looking dreadfully white, and unable to stand, sunk into her bed without taking that mint green gown off; I was expecting every moment to see her faint, and asked her “why that face young lady? Is the gown too tight?” at which my dear girl burst into tears, and did you know while reviving her with some organic lavender water, I had to tell her to stop her hystrionics or I would get nightmares? Yes, Dr Chiong had prescribed me utter peace and tranquility after 8pm. I was not to ever even watch the news. “No, my dearest Dana darling,” said I, “your tears and explanations must wait only till tomorrow. Would you like some hot milk?"

Ritchie, Top Hairstylist, from a café table, dark glasses on:

“Oh y-y-yes I heard about the debacle, and I called Bella Teo the B-B-Bitch and said “w-w-what is the meaning of this?” And she laughed with d-d-delight and said that Eli Kee looked splendid in a t-t-tuxdo and was such a hit with the g-g-girls and I said “did you rent the c-c-car too?” and b-b-bitch said the car belonged to Eli Kee’s family, and rang off! Yes, Dana always said that Eli was a starving artist, and what s-s-starving artist drives a vintage Daimler Phaeton unless he’s the c-c-chauffeur? Impossible! So I made a f-f-few calls and it turns out that our Eli Kee is hardly starving; He’s the youngest s-s-son of the Kee Sugar Cane family! I swear to g-g-god I’m not making this up! Sugar. Cane. Plantation. Candy. Syrup. Tinned p-p-pineapple. Tinned bloody r-r-rambutan. No wonder Eli could afford to p-p-play the starving artist! He’s from the very o-o-oldest old rich with m-m-money coming out of their ears like sugar from the s-s-shaker, my dear.”

Snowdrops, President of the Eliments Fan Club, from her room, with the computer on.

“Our idol really, truly is from the Kee Sugar Family, and filthy rich. Got another older brother but divided by two the money still a lot. No, the brother not a singer, he eldest so have to run the business. I found out from my friend who knows a friend whose mother actually works in the family home – yes, imagine the sort of info that auntie can get for the website, can also take picture of his toilet – that the girl that he’s dating – yes, he’s seeing some girl – but my source, the auntie, says that it’s truly not confirmed if they really, really dating. Because they have known each other since they were in pampers and this girl Bella Teo, not the older girl I saw Eli with in The French Place, no it’s this Bella girl, who is actually the daughter of another family servant. She’s the daughter of Eli’s nanny, who passed away when she was only six and so the Kee family sort of adopted her and brought her up, and she lives with the family still, so they may get married because the Kee family already treat her sort of like family what.”