Tiffany’s life was becoming exciting even beyond Melissa’s wildest dreams. Tiffany was followed by fans wherever she went and as she became accustomed to the notoriety, she also was becoming more at ease with being Tiffany.

Runway
Chapter 19: -
by Arecee

Tiffany’s life was becoming exciting even beyond Melissa’s wildest dreams. Tiffany was followed by fans wherever she went and as she became accustomed to the notoriety, she also was becoming more at ease with being Tiffany.

Who is Tiffany Rollins? Asked the news rags. Where is she from; how much does she weigh; is her hair naturally blonde? What kind of makeup does she use? and on and on. As unnerving as all this attention was, Tiffany was beginning to like it. What next? she wondered.

“Hi Tiffany,” Brenda said cheerfully as Tiffany walked into the office.

“Hi Brenda, what’s up?”

“Larsen’s not our man,” she stated, “We have to go after Ron.”

“What about Susan Marques?”

“Actually both of them, since they both have Ron’s brother in common. We have to do something to help the investigation, so remember that date thing you mentioned?” Brenda asked.

“Yes.”

“We have to do it.”

“You can’t be serious?” Tiffany said.

“It’s the only way for us to find out more about Ron,” Brenda said.

“I’m not going out with Ron.”

“I’ll go out with him, but you have to bring someone with you. I don’t want to be alone with the pervert” Brenda giggled.

“I’ll ask Thomas, the guy I told you about, he’s actually kind of fun.”

“Good, now I have to figure a way to let Mario know I have to go out with Ron, that’s going to be hard.”

“Don’t tell him anything. Just say you’re meeting me, that’s all.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“We need to talk about all of this. I’m concerned about all the publicity I’ve been getting, it might blow our cover.”

“But it might help it too, we’ll talk later.”

Ron made his customary visit for the day and Brenda approached him with an offer.

“Hi Ron, how’s your day going?” she asked.

“Pretty good, I have to check the air balance in the lunch room,” he replied.

“Before you go in. Tiffany wanted to know if you wanted to get together with us next week for a quick bite to eat.”

“With Tiffany?”

“And me.”

“Are you serious? Tiffany wants to have dinner with me?”

“And me.”

“She really said that? She wants to go out with me?”

“And me.”

Ron was clearly flustered. He didn’t go out with girls very often and when he did; his insecurities usually ruined the date and now his dream woman had asked to have dinner with him, he couldn’t believe his luck.

“Where should I take her? It has to be a nice place, really high end. Do you have any suggestions Brenda?”

“Ron, you’re not listening, Tiffany and I are asking you out. You know, little ole me, wanted to know if you wanted to join us for a bite to eat? We’ll go somewhere casual, probably around Times Square. Tiffany is asking a friend of hers to join us too, so it will be a foursome.”

“Are you saying I’ll be with you?” The disappointment showed in his voice.

“You know how it is sometimes Ron; you get stuck with the dog meat.”

“I, I, didn’t mean that, I think you’re pretty too, it’s just every man’s dream to have a date with Tiffany Rollins. I didn’t mean anything towards you.”

“I’m just kidding you Ron, and if I was a guy I’d want to have a date with her too, so are you on?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, wow; I have a dinner date with Tiffany Rollins.”

Ron walked off with stars in his eyes; he even forgot to check the air balance in the lunch room. He wanted to get ready for next week. Ron had no life.

Brenda went into the lunchroom and told Tiffany that the date was on for next week. She added that she had better get her friend to come with them or Ron wouldn’t leave her alone.

“I’ll call Thomas, he’ll go.”

Brenda got home, and Annie opened her door when she heard Brenda close the front door.

“Brenda, hi sweetheart,” she said.

“Oh, hi Annie, I’ve missed you, how have you been?”

“Not well, do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you.”

“I always have time for you Annie, I’ll change later.”

Brenda went into Annie’s apartment and noticed that it looked as though no one had been there for weeks. Brenda knew Annie had come home from Boston the previous week; and wondered what was going on with her friend.

“Brenda honey, I’m sorry I haven’t taken time to talk to you but I needed time alone.”

“Annie, what happened? This isn’t like you.”

“Please sit down dear, would you like some tea? I was just warming some water.”

Brenda heard the whistle on the kettle screech as the water reached the boiling point.

“I’d love a cup Annie.”

Annie found two cups and saucers, filled them with water and added a tea bag to each.

“Here you are dear,” she said as she placed the cup and saucer in front of Brenda.

Brenda could see from the way Annie was acting that something serious must have happened.

“Thank you Annie, now tell me what’s wrong, this isn’t like you not to at least say hi,” Brenda said.

“Brenda, I just had three weeks from hell. My son and his wife lost their baby. She was pregnant and delivered two months early. The baby had died in her womb and she went into labor. The poor baby couldn’t be saved. My daughter-in-law was devastated. She went into a depression and almost committed suicide, the whole thing was just horrible.”

Annie’s eyes started watering, Brenda could tell Annie had been crying before she opened her door and now she was starting again. Sometimes talking about a thing so sad can make a person do that, and Brenda was feeling what her friend felt. She went to Annie and took her in her arms and held her tight.

Annie was sobbing so hard her body was shaking.

“Let it out Annie, I’m here for you, I’m so sorry,” Brenda said, and couldn’t help herself as she felt the tears running down her cheeks.

The two women held each other for a long time, not a word was said as Annie let her grief flow through her tears.

Annie finally gained control of her emotions and the two parted. The tea had grown cold so Annie threw it out and served another cup.

”Annie tell me more of what happened.” asked Brenda.

“Shamus called me and said that Meg had gone into labor and she was two months early. She didn’t have any trouble with her first two children and when this happened she knew there was something wrong. They rushed her to the hospital and she delivered before I could get there. She had been sedated when I arrived and she was sleeping. Shamus was heart broken because they really wanted this baby. It would have been a boy.”

“Why did Meg want to commit suicide?”

“It was the depression a woman has after delivering a baby and then to have it be born dead was too much for her. We brought her home and she wouldn’t speak to anyone, even her kids. I stayed with them to watch the children and help Meg get over her grief. The third day home she overdosed on sleeping pills and had to be rushed to the hospital. It was a good thing I was there or she might have died. She recovered and came home. She realized what a mistake she had made when she saw her two babies. She dissolved into tears and hugged them both. After that she seemed to be alright and she poured her love into her children, she was obsessed with them. I stayed several more days and watched her, she didn’t seem right and the third day after her suicide attempt she struck her son for no reason, and fell back into her depression.”

“What happened after that?”

“She was prescribed some medication and it seemed to help her, but we knew she would have to seek therapy or this behavior will continue. We found a therapist and brought her to see her. It seems to have helped and that’s why I came home.”

“Brenda, there was no one for me to talk too. I didn’t want to burden Shamus with my thoughts, I felt so alone. I had to explain to the children that their mother was having a hard time right now and she might do things to them she didn’t mean to do, it was horrible. The poor babies couldn’t understand why their mother was behaving the way she was.”

“Are they alright now?”

“I think so. Shamus is watching Meg and hopefully everything will be fine.”

“I hope everything works out.”

“How have you been Brenda? Has anything exciting happened with you?”

“No, just the same old thing, work and come home.”

“No dates? A pretty young thing like you should be seeing a boy or two.”

Brenda blushed; one thing was for sure, Annie was straight forward about her thoughts.

“I’m still seeing Mario; I have dinner with his family every Sunday.”

“That sounds serious, are you two getting married?”

“God no Annie, we’re just dating.”

“Dating and dinner with the family are two different things, and the latter is much more serious than the first.”

“I know Annie. I like seeing Mario and his mother thinks the world of me. If I were to stop going she might change her opinion of me.”

“Is her opinion important to you?”

“Yes.”

“You love him don’t you?”

Brenda turned scarlet as her true feelings rose to the surface.

“Yes.” she answered.

“Brenda, take it from an old broad and don’t get too serious too soon, it can only lead to heartbreak.”

“I can’t help myself, he’s so nice.”

“I know, and it’s none of my business, but have you slept with him?”

“God no. why would you ask that?”

“Because if you love him now and you were to sleep with him; that would seal the deal and he would either dump you or marry you, there would be no in-between.”

“If I gave myself to him; why would he dump me?”

“Because that’s what guys do; even my ex did that to me and that was after having his children. Men are letches believe me.”

“Not all Annie, Mario’s not like that.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I already told him that I wouldn’t sleep with him unless we were married.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Annie, I have to run, I have a busy day tomorrow, thanks for the tea.”

Brenda went to her apartment and changed into something more comfortable than her work clothes, it felt good to get out of her heels. Brenda picked up her phone and called Tiffany at home.

“Hello.” Tiffany said into the phone.

“Tiff, its Brenda.”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“I wanted to talk about you becoming famous. You were worried about that earlier today.”

“I’m worried that all of this fame might blow my cover.”

“How so?”

“I have these people watching me all the time. All I hear are fans fawning over me, you know, ooh that’s Tiffany Rollins, that sort of thing. I can’t let my guard down for a minute.”

“That might be good in a way; it will keep you in your Tiffany mode all the time. I worry when you get angry with your disguise and want to end this thing because it puts me in danger too.”

“I don’t want to do anything that might harm you, but you know how I feel about all this and it feels good to get home and try to be Dirk for a little while, but if I’m being watched by fans. I can’t take a chance of being seen out of character.”

“I think it would be fun being Tiffany Rollins, you’re very pretty you know?”

“I know that Brenda, but I don’t want to be pretty, I want to be me, Dirk, the skinny kid from Minnesota. I worry because I’ve seen how those paparazzi hound celebrities and if they see anything amiss it ends up in the paper. Can you imagine the field day they would have if they found out my secret?”

“Then don’t let them find out. Let them see a vibrant young woman named Tiffany Rollins and not a boy named Dirk masquerading as Tiffany Rollins. You have to try Tiffany, you really do. We are looking deeper now into Melissa’s life and if she suspects anything other than the fact that we are girls, she will have us killed.”

“I do try Brenda, but you know how I am.”

“Yes, I do know how you are and I know you are a strong person, one that can put aside your prejudice and do your job, please Tiffany. Just have some fun with it; the men aren’t going to bite you. Just think, someday you will be able to show your children that you were once a famous model.”

“Gag, Brenda you’re nuts, can you imagine me sitting in the dugout of a little league baseball game coaching my son, showing the team pictures of Tiffany Rollins and encouraging them with, ‘get a hit and Tiffany will be waiting for you’, I don’t think so,” Tiffany said with a giggle

“It was worth a try.”

Brenda liked that her friend was lightening up a little. Maybe there was hope for her yet?

“I promise to be better about this. I called Thomas and he can’t wait for next week, I made his day when I asked him out.”

“I bet you did.”

“I had to promise to see him Friday night as an incentive to go out with me.”

“You have a date with him?”

“Yes, I put my pride aside.”

“Good girl.”

“By the way, what happened with Larsen, I thought he was a slam dunk?” Tiffany asked

“When I found out what he was doing, I almost peed my panties.”

“What, tell me?” Tiffany asked excitedly in a very girlish way.

“He’s been giving Melissa injections of stem cells to keep her from aging, and those packages have pills to keep her from rejecting the stem cells.”

“Oh my God, does it work?”

“It must, Melissa’s really eighty-five years old,” Brenda giggled.

“She’s not.” Tiffany responded.

“Of course she’s not, I’m just kidding, Tiffany. Have you seen anything strange with Susan Marques, you see her more than I do?”

“Not really, she comes by and drops off cosmetics and talks to the girls a little but nothing I can put my finger on.”

“How’s Connie doing?”

“I think she’s pretty well gone with the drugs. They had to send her home one day because she was so wasted. I think Melissa has her dating guys almost every night now to pay off her habit. I don’t think she will be able to model much longer, I feel bad for her.”

“I do too, even though she’s a bitch, no one deserves what Melissa is doing to her.”

“Hopefully we’ll have this thing figured out soon, although it probably won’t be soon enough to save Connie.”

“I guess. I’ll see you tomorrow and remember to have fun being Tiffany.”

“I will, and thanks Brenda.”

Brenda found something to eat and wished that Tiffany had the same mind set she did. Tiffany would make a beautiful woman and it would be a waste to throw that away in the future. Maybe she won’t want to after all the notoriety she was getting from her modeling, Brenda thought. Life couldn’t be much better than to be Tiffany Rollins.

Her thoughts turned to Ron and Susan Marques. She knew something would be there now that Ralph Larsen was out of the picture. They were the only ones left. A tear filled her eye when she thought of Mario. It couldn’t be him, even though he hadn’t been cleared. She knew in her heart he couldn’t be involved. Why Brenda, why, why did you have to fall in love? She dissolved in tears as her thoughts turned to Mario.