CHAPTER 10
A Glamorous Festival Festival Cocktail Party, 6.30pm
In the third change of outfits for the day, the gruelling day in the fashion trenches just got a little
longer for the fashion practitioners with the official festival festival cocktail for VIPs. You need your clothes to look immaculate and fresh, because the faces got wan and weary as the day drags into night without a moment to call one's own. As a weary Dana Lee made her way
into the champagne salon, in the converted foyer of the museum (British Colonial style), she immediately caught sight of Bella Teo making her
way towards her with purpose, "like one of those stray wild boars at Bishan Park," thought Dana. Bella Teo was in all-black Prada ("boar-coloured" thought Dana) and as they air
kissed, which was the habit of the fashion flock, even after a parting of half
an hour, between friends or enemies. Cutting through the throng like a hot
knife through butter, Bella took Dana’s hand, saying into her ear, “I’ve just
been hearing the most ridiculous thing about you and Eli Kee! You, really, we, I mean, must do something to stop this. Dana, the whole
room is heaving with the rumour that you are seriously seeing Eli – of course
I’ve been defending you! I’ve been saying to everyone ‘of course not. Dana and Eli? Perish the thought. There must be at least a decade between them!’
Let’s go and talk in a quiet corner shall we?” said Bella.
She led Dana to the center of the salon where there was a
gazebo artfully trailing with ivy, and here, the two leading ladies of fashion
sipped champagne and talked in private, in full view of the party, which
circulated around them. This is what they said:
Bella: Dana, I want to tell you this because although you
are now my competitor at work, I still regard you very much as my mentor and
someone who has taught me lessons I will never forget. I’ve said this before
and I say this again – you are like a mother to me – a mother I never had; I
lost my mother when I was quite young, as you know…(Here, Bella paused and the
sly light once again flashed momentarily in eyes). Dana I’ve been wanting to
confide this to someone for so long and I’ve not dared to, but when I heard you
were quite close to Eli, as a friend you know, I immediately thought ‘but Dana Lee is the perfect person to confide in’; I’ve been wanting to say this the entire day sitting next to
you at the shows, but you never gave me the opening; And perhaps a fashion show
isn’t the best place for me to tell you what’s on my mind, and with the ghastly music, probably not the
best place to solicit sympathy after all. But I can’t bear it any longer and I
need to tell someone at once.”
Dana: (She had started off quite cool towards Bella, but
had to admit that her curiosity, if not exactly her sympathy, had been aroused) You are being too modest Bella Teo. As you know, you’re perfectly able to fend for
yourself in your career, and I’m certain, in every area of your life. I’ve
never claimed to have been a mentor, much less a mother to you, and all I can
say is you deserve exactly what you’ve worked so hard to get. As for this other
matter, which sounds personal, that you seem to want to tell me, perhaps you
may want to reconsider. I’m hardly in a position to advice you... on this or any other matter.”
Bella: Oh but Dana. I’m sure you’ll want to know what I
have to say. It concerns Eli.
Dana: Oh. Eli. I’ve said this to everyone and I repeat –
Eli and I are good friends. I happen to think he’s a very gifted musician, and
has the makings of a star. I’m supportive of all talent as you must know. It's merely a function of my job. Please not to make anything of it.
Bella: But it’s just because I know that you are so
supportive of Eli that I feel I can broach this topic with you. I know you are
just friends with Eli. I believe you, because Eli told me just the same, when I
asked him.
Dana: Eli what?
Bella: I asked Eli. And he said that you were just friends
– exactly what you said Dana, almost to the word. And as you probably know,
Eli is not given to lies – he wouldn’t lie to me especially. It’s just that you
are now such good friends with both of us that I feel that you are in the best
position to advice me.
Dana: You know Eli… well?
Bella: I don’t know how you mean by ‘well’… But we’ve been
on and off for years. Didn’t he mention me at all? ("Never," thought Dana.) We were already in a
relationship before you picked me to join Glossy. During those years I worked
so hard for you, and I probably neglected him a little, but things are good
between us again and with everything quite settled in my position, and with Eli
making something of a career of his passion for music, I’m thinking perhaps it
could be time to make the relationship something more permanent… more generally
acknowledged, instead of it being so hidden as it has been thus far.”
Dana: Your relationship with Eli? What are you talking
about? Do you mean a romantic relationship Bella Teo? I’m sorry this is a little
confusing and I’m sure I’m not getting something… I…
Bella: I’m sure I’m making myself quite plain; but perhaps
you don’t believe your ears. Here, Dana Lee, let the pictures speak a thousand
words.
And for the second time that week, and hopefully never again, Dana Lee found herself
staring at pictures of Eli Kee in a handphone not her own. Bella’s photo
archive was full of pictures of Eli, sheepish Eli, suave Eli, Eli with his
Labrador Chopin, Eli in his panel van, Eli with a familiar woman on a sofa, Eli
with the same woman at a meal. That woman wasn’t Dana. Mostly wearing black, that woman in the
pictures was Bella Teo.
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