The Cages You Build

Chapter twenty~Finally

If not for the bright flashes of the camera every few moments, Mia would have thought herself in a dream. Flat on her stomach on a white divan, she looked in the direction of the camera with a blank yet alluring expression. To assure herself this was real, she looked at the five letters printed on the shirts of the camera crew. Yep, they were still there.

Vogue.

Up until now, she'd pushed Mary's assurance that they wanted to feature her to the back of her mind, not wanting to get her hopes up and have them dashed. But barely two days ago, Mary had called and told her the interview would take place at the start of Fashion Week.

Outside this studio, the city was abuzz. The airports were in a constant fever as people from all over the world came to attend the most anticipated fashion event of the year. Over the weekend, all the Rauthbourne models had been moved into a hotel not far from the venue for ease of movement. Mary had visited her room yesterday to prep her for the interview.

"Keep your answers short and simple," she'd said. "Digress. Lead them off the trail if they start to get too personal."

"Do I have to answer all their questions?" Mia had asked, a tad bit frightened. What if they asked something embarrassing or overly personal?

"Not answering would make it seem like you have something to hide. Sierra will accompany you. She'll position herself where you can see her. She'll signal you if she feels you don't have to answer a question directly."

Mia was beginning to feel like a party to some covert operation, rather than a simple interview. "Is there any need for all this subterfuge? It's not like I have anything to hide." She hesitated. "Or do I?"

Mary sighed, the way she did whenever she had to explain something she felt should be obvious. "Lucky for you, you don't have a lot of skeletons in your closet. But anything you say can be misunderstood by the public, given a meaning you never intended it to have. Just be careful," Mary warned, then seemed to loosen up. "You have no need to fear though. Vogue isn't some sleazy tabloid looking for cheap popularity. They'll present your words exactly as they come. So choose them wisely."

As Mary stepped to the door, Mia called out to her. "Mary?" She turned back. "I won't lie."

"I never asked you to. Say the truth but be selective about it." She opened the door. "That shouldn't be too hard now, should it?"

Mia still hadn't spoken to Mary about the dresses she'd made. She'd designed and made a total of eight gowns and she'd never felt more proud. Whether anyone approved of them or not, whether they were accepted for Fashion Week or not, Mia felt accomplished in achieving a goal she'd set for herself.

She was still waiting for a good opportunity to broach the idea to Mary, knowing good timing was everything. If she went to Mary when she was stressed out, she'd better not expect a favourable response. While she prepared for the worst, she hoped for the best. Even if she was refused, she wouldn't give up on her dream. Someday.

When the photo session was over, Mia sat down to the interview. The first few questions were basic, asking about her childhood and where she grew up. Mia had no trouble remembering but it was a labor to extract only the pleasant memories, few as they were. Her interviewer seemed satisfied though.

"Now, you participated in pageants when you were a child, is that correct?"

That gave her pause. She'd never mentioned doing pageants, so where on earth did that come from? It appeared they'd performed a background check on her. So why then did they invite her here under the pretense of an interview if they already knew so much about her life? Mia tried not to show her annoyance, giving instead a small nod and a terse "yes".