Dennis had arranged for Hauteshot's on-call pilot to pick me up in a Jet Ranger the company had on retainer and whisk me to L.A. for Katherine's series of meetings.

When I expressed surprise that he wasn't coming along, he simply took my hands in his and said in a mock-parental tone “You're a big girl now. You can do this on your own. Anyway, your cousin Michael just bit torrented the Korean knock-off of 'Glee' so we are way too busy to follow you around holding up your sorry little train.” He grinned wide, then got serious. “Look. Katherine always does these things alone. But she's never alone. People know she needs to be ….handled... so there will always be someone there to show you what to do or tell you where to go.”

“Because Katherine always has people telling her where to go.” I grinned.

Dennis actually barked a laugh that could probably be heard in the next county, slapped his hand to his chest and exclaimed “You got that right girl!”

I smiled bravely, slung my overnite bag over my shoulder and trudged, alone, to the waiting helicopter.

Dennis was right. Katherine was never really unchaperoned. I was met at the airport by Celine from Lorne the agent's office, whisked to my 'usual' suite at the Plaza Beverly Hills and told that a car would be waiting to bring me to the rehearsal studio in an hour.

I had no idea what the protocol for the rehearsal studio was, but I suspected neither would Katherine. So I unpacked my tiny bag, kicked off my shoes, ordered a cobb salad from room service and channel surfed until it was time to meet the car.

Jeans, low heeled boots and a distressed white cotton shirt over a burgundy cami with my bomber jacket seemed conspicuously casual for a 'rehearsal meeting', and judging by the reaction – or lack... I think I played it right. Kirk met us in the lobby of the rehearsal studio and quickly we were joined by Cyril Whitestone who was doing a cameo on one of the CSIs or Law and Orders... I always get them confused.

Colleen McLagan, was in New York in a revival of a Sondheim show on Broadway.
Since she was performing nightly, a day trip to the coast was out, so she skyped in.

Eoin was in Toronto doing Sweeny Todd, so he too was on Skype. When I saw his face I grinned reflexively and touched the screen. He immediately melted at that, and we had a moment... both undoubtedly looking forward to the mayhem we could soon unleash on an unsuspecting hemisphere.

Kirk started things off very graciously, thanking us for our time and complementing us for all the things we had done since 'Birds wrapped. Then he quickly got down to business and started working us... HARD. I think he had forgotten the 'dinner theater bit' that evening at the party the night of the premiere. Or when Eoin and I had asked him to help in our 'amateur drag' stunt in Atlanta. Because he seemed really kind of stunned when I sang. Quickly, Colleen, Cyril, Eoin and I started regaling him with stories of that night in Vienna, and as much as he wanted to hear it, he reminded us that we were booking this space to rehearse and workshop what we were going to do on the original cast soundtrack the studio wanted.

The Vienna gig really proved advantageous, because we were all much more comfortable as a troupe - pushing each other and suggesting things that would NOT have seemed possible to someone who had only seen the film. Quickly, the soundtrack album was shaping up to be a much more ambitious performance than the film. After watching us brainstorm and riff off each other – thank you Vienna! - Kirk dragged out some material that had either been killed because it was deemed 'too ambitious', never shot, or ended up on the cutting room floor. We were all much more comfortable with each other after Vienna and MUCH more daring. It was a joy to watch Kirk as he discovered that he had FAR more to work with than he originally thought. This soundtrack album was shaping up to be a lot more than anyone who greenlit the project had ever dared imagine. And it promised to be a lot more fun than any of us had dared hope.

I got so caught up in the project that when Kirk pulled the plug on our rehearsal because Colleen and Eoin had performances, Cyril had a 'hot date' and I had to get ready for my 'fashion thing' it was a jarring shock.

I got back to my hotel with a couple hours before my 'fashion thing'. So, of course I immediately got on the phone to Dennis.

“What do I WEAR? ...I am so completely out of my element here... I'm having a panic attack! What the hell was I thinking that night? I'm not Katherine Keller! No one will ever believe I'm Katherine Keller! I've been insanely lucky so far that no one has noticed what's blatantly obvious. I'm an imposter. A fake. A counterfeit! I'm no movie star. I'm no supermodel. I'm just a kid from Newstead who stumbled into this elaborate hoax. Oh, God. I'm SO in over my head! I'm going to be surrounded by real supermodels and totally humiliate Katherine. ...my family will disown me and the whole world will hate me for the deceit!”

“Honey?.......” Dennis' voice was calm.

“Huh?” I quivered.

“Calm... The FUCK. ….down”

He was SO low key, I couldn't help but laugh.

“OK. ...Breathe......” he commanded.

I inhaled theatrically for the phone.

“Now... OUT...”

I wooshed my breath, which distorted in the phone handset.

“Now keep doing that until you feel like you can't think straight and you're about to pass out. Then remember... that's how most of those girls at the event you're going to always feel.”

I laughed.

“Good girl” he soothed. “...you're gonna be fine... just take a nap... happy dreams... maybe take a hot soak... and go down and meet the car...”

I was about to say something but he must have read my mind.

“Don't worry about what to wear. They'll change you when you get there. Sweats and a tee are fine.... hell, just show up in a damn robe.,, They won't blink. YOU are merely the clay. THEY are the sculptors. Just surrender yourself to it. ….it's kind of liberating in a way... not your problem.”

I began to feel my panic subside. “Thanks. I never thought of it that way.” I think Dennis heard the relief in my voice.

“Yeah. Easy peasy, girl. Let them do what they do, Just relax and be you.”

“Yeah. I can do that.” my confidence was returning. “I can relax and just be Katherine.”

Dennis cleared his throat. I could hear the discomfort in his voice. “NO. …..you ….be YOU”

I was a bit confused. Dennis seemed to pick up on it.

“Don't be Katherine. Be yourself. Be the girl who charmed the suits... who cowed the press... who almost singlehandedly made Thornbirds the next great cult hit. ...Be yourself girl!”

“But …. you know I'm not even a..........”

“Shutup,shutup,shutup,shutUP!” He exclaimed with a passion that surprised me. “Even YOU know... somewhere deep down... that's no longer true. And the sooner you face it, the better... girl”

It was half accusation, half tease and challenge. I was really not ready to have this conversation. Especially not before speaking with Doctor Dale. I had to sort things out. But that was long term. Short term, I had to be ready to go to that 'fashion thing' ...otherwise known as 'The Fashion Industry Salutes Armando Ciregna – 7 decades of the world's most iconic women'

I felt like I wanted to throw up.

Which made me think of the who's who of supermodels from the 1960s til today who would be attending this event. And I wondered how many were giving into their own gastric urge.

So, as I had so often in these few surreal months... I shelved my anxieties, girded my loins – literally - and strutted into the lion's den.