按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
“Oh； I’m sorry； I； uh； only have American dollars。 Is that
OK？”
His face flushed crimson and he began apologizing profusely。
“Oh； no； miss； please do not worry about such things。 Ms。
Priestly takes care of these details when she departs。
However； since you will be needing local currency when you
leave the hotel； allow me to show you this。” He walked over to
the behemoth of a desk； slid open the top drawer； and handed
me an envelope with FrenchRunway ’s logo on it。 Inside was a
pile of euro bills； about 4；000 American dollars’ worth in
all。 The note； scribbled by Briget Jardin； the editor in chief
who’d borne the brunt of planning and scheduling for both this
trip and Miranda’s uping party； read：
Andrea； darling； delighted to have you join us！ Please find
enclosed euros for your use while in Paris。 I’ve spoken with
Monsieur Renaud and he will be on call for Miranda twenty…four
hours a day。 See below for a listing of his work and personal
numbers； as well as the numbers for the hotel’s chef； physical
fitness trainer； director of transportation； and； of course；
the general manager。 They are all familiar with Miranda’s
stays during the shows and so there should be no problems。 Of
course； I may always be reached at work or； if necessary； by
cell； Home phone； fax； or pager if either of you requires
anything at all。 If I don’t see you before Saturday’s big
soiree； I’ll look forward to meeting you there。 Lots of Love；
Briget
Folded on a sheet ofRunway stationery and tucked underneath
the cash was a list of nearly a hundred phone numbers；
enpassing everything one could need in Paris； from a chic
florist to an emergency surgeon。 These same numbers were
repeated on the last page of the detailed itinerary I’d
created for Miranda using information Briget had updated daily
and faxed over； so as of this moment there didn’t appear to be
a single contingency—short of an all…out world war—that would
prevent Miranda Priestly from viewing the spring line with the
least possible amount of stress； anxiety； and concern。
“Thank you so much； Stephan。 This is most helpful。” I peeled
off a few bills for him anyway； but he courteously pretended
not to see it and ducked back into the hallway。 I was pleased
to see that he appeared significantly less terrorized than he
had just a few moments earlier。
I somehow managed to find the people she had asked for and
figured I had a few minutes to rest my head on the
four…hundred…thread…count pillowcase； but the phone rang the
moment I closed my eyes。
“Ahn…dre…ah； e to my room immediately；” she barked before
slamming down the phone。
“Yes； of course； Miranda； thank you for asking so nicely。 It’d
be my pleasure；” I said to absolutely nobody。 I heaved my
jet…lagged body off the bed and concentrated on not getting a
heel stuck in the carpeted hallway that connected my room to
hers。 Once again； a maid answered the door when I knocked。
“Ahn…dre…ah！ One of Briget’s assistants just rang me to see
how long my speech is for today’s brunch；” she announced。 She
was paging through a copy ofWomen’s Wear Daily that someone
from the office—probably Allison； who knew the drill from her
tenure in Miranda’s office—had faxed earlier； and two
beautiful men were working on her hair and makeup。 A cheese
plate sat on the antique table beside her。
Speech？ What speech？ The only thing besides shows that was on
the itinerary today was some sort of awards luncheon that
Miranda planned to spend her usual fifteen minutes at before
bolting out of sheer boredom。
“I’m sorry。 Did you say a speech？”
“I did。” She carefully closed the paper； calmly folded it in
half； and then tossed it angrily to the floor； narrowly
missing one of the men who knelt in front of her。 “Why the
hell was I not informed that I’d be receiving some nonsense
award at today’s luncheon？” she hissed； her face contorting
with a hatred I’d never seen before。 Displeasure？ Sure。
Dissatisfaction？ All the time。 Annoyance； frustration；
generalized unHappiness？ Of course； every minute of every day。
But I’d never seen her look so downrightpissed off 。
“Um； Miranda； I’m so sorry； but it was actually Briget’s
office that RSVP’d you to the event today； and they never—”
“Stop speaking。 Stop speaking this instant！ All you ever offer
me are excuses。You are my assistant；you are the person I
designated to work things out in Paris；you are the one who
should be keeping me abreast of these things。” She was nearly
shouting now。 One of the makeup guys asked softly in English
if we would like a moment alone； but Miranda ignored him
entirely。 “It’s noon right now and I’ll be needing to leave
here in forty…five minutes。 I expect a short； succinct； and
articulate speech legibly typed and waiting in my room。 If you
cannot acplish this； see yourself Home。Permanently 。 That’s
all。”
I fled down the hallway faster than I’d ever run in heels and
whipped open my international Cell Phone before I’d made it
into my room。 It was nearly impossible to dial Briget’s work
number since my hands were shaking so badly； but somehow the
call went through。 One of her assistants answered。
“I need Briget！” I shrieked； my voice breaking when I
pronounced her name。 “Where is she？Where is she？ I need to
talk to her。Now！ ”
The girl was momentarily shocked into silence。 “Andrea？ Is
that you？”
“Yes； it’s me and I need Briget。 It’s an emergency—where the
hell is she？”
“She’s at a show； but don’t worry； she always has her Cell
Phone on。 Are you at the hotel？ I’ll have her call you right
back。”
The phone on the desk rang a mere few seconds later； but it
felt like a week。 “Andrea；” she lilted in her lovely French
accent。 “What is it； dear？ Monique said you were hysterical。”
“Hysterical？ Damn right I’m hysterical！ Briget； how could you
do this to me？ Your office made the arrangements for this
fucking luncheon and no one bothered to tell me that she is
not only receiving an award but also expected to give a
speech？”
“Andrea； calm down。 I’m sure we told—”
“And I have to write it！ Are you listening to me？ I have
forty…five fucking minutes to write an acceptance speech for
an award I know nothing about in a language I don’t speak。 Or
I’m finished。 What am I going to do？”
“All right； relax； I’m going to walk you through this。 First
of all； the ceremony is right there； at the Ritz； in one of
the salons。”
“The what？ Which salon？” I hadn’t had a chance to look around
the hotel yet； but I was reasonably sure there weren’t any
pubs in the place。
“It is French for； oh； what do you call them？ Meeting rooms。
So； she will only need to go downstairs。 It is for the French
Council on Fashion； an organization here in Paris that always
has its awards during the shows because everyone is in
town。Runway will be receiving an award for fashion coverage。
It is not such a； how do you say； big deal； almost like a
formality。”
“Great； well at least I know what it’s for。 What exactly am I
supposed to write？ Why don’t you just dictate in English and I
can get Monsieur Renaud to translate it； OK？ You start。 I’m
ready。” My voice had regained some confidence； but I could
still barely grip the pen。 The bination of exhaustion；
stress； and hunger was making it hard to focus my eyes on the
Ritz stationery that was laid out on my desk。
“Andrea； you are in luck again。”
“Oh； really？ Because I’m not feeling so lucky right now；
Briget。”
“These things are always conducted in English。 There is no
need for translation。 So you can write it； yes？”
“Yes； yes I’ll write it；” I mumbled and dropped the phone。
There wasn’t even time to consider that this was my very first
chance to show Miranda that I was capable of doing something
more sophisticated than fetching lattes。
After I hung up and began typing away at sixty words a minute—
typing was the only useful class I’d taken in all of high
school—I realized the whole thing would only take two； maybe
three minutes for Miranda to read。 There was just enough time
to gulp some of the Pellegrino and devour a few of the
strawberries someone had thoughtfully left on my small bar。If
only they could’ve left a cheeseburger； I thought。 I
remembered that I had tucked a Twix bar in my luggage that had
been neatly piled in the corner； but there wasn’t time to look
for it。 Exactly forty minutes had passed since I’d r