Scarlett shrugged.
“Your phone was ringing while you were in the shower.”
Scarlett picked it up and read the display. One new call. She had removed Eric’s name from her contact list, but she still knew the number as soon as she saw it. One voice mail. She turned away from Lola as she listened.
“Hey…” Eric began. “It’s me. I was just wondering if we could talk, so if you get this, could you give me a call back?”
Scarlett almost laughed. So this was when he had chosen to call and tell her the news about Chelsea. The timing was impeccable. She shoved the phone under her covers and watched Lola get into her dress. For herself, Lola had chosen a cream-colored gown with a deep V-neck, with very fine light blue detailing. It draped her frame and brushed the floor in a kind of Greek-goddess way. It looked like a wedding dress. Now Scarlett had seen it. Now the truth was in front of her.
“Come on,” Lola said. “Let me help you.”
Scarlett allowed herself to be dressed, allowed Lola to fuss with her hair and makeup.
“Look,” Lola said, her eyes glistening. “Just look at yourself.”
She turned Scarlett to their slightly warped, silvering mirror. The blue had been so carefully picked for her—it made her hair look golden. And she had curves in this dress that she didn’t seem to have in her other clothes. The material hugged them. In this moment, with the dust-filled light coming in through the window, on what was otherwise the strangest and emptiest of afternoons, she felt good. She wished Eric could see her now. He would be sorry.
“We should get going,” Lola said.
Scarlett reached for the silver purse. She didn’t know what to put in it. She didn’t need money or keys. She shoved in a lipstick and reached for her phone, then stopped. She left it on her bed. Its services would not be required.
A stretch limo had been sent for the six Martins.
“Tacky,” Spencer said as it pulled up. The suit Lola had chosen for him was a perfect fit. Lola really did have the eye for these things.
“Says the TV star,” his dad replied.
“Hey, I like tacky,” he replied. “I’m just surprised they sent something like this. Guess this was the only thing big enough to fit Lola’s hillbilly family.”
“They could have sent a van,” Scarlett said. “Or a little bus.”
The ride was short, less than five minutes. The building was right over by Rockefeller Center, and almost as tall and equally as imposing. In the lobby, they were greeted by a line of extremely cranky-looking people in front of a roped-off section of elevators, shaking guests down for their coats and checking them off a list. Scarlett vaguely recognized a few of the people being checked in. They were all dressed a bit like Chip…well, except for the girls. But you could practically see the price tags.
Lola stepped ahead to lead the Martin party. With a word from her, the velvet rope was moved aside and they were allowed into the private elevator bank where Chip’s friends still stood waiting. The elevator attendant ushered Lola, Scarlett, and Spencer in, but there wasn’t quite enough room for anyone else.
“We’ll take the next one,” her dad said. “You go up first.”
The doors closed, and a soothing but overly loud recorded voice welcomed them to the elevator ride up to Point Manhattan. The main light in the elevator went dim, and greenish light came on overhead. Scarlett looked up to see that the ceiling of the elevator was entirely made of glass, so they could watch as they shot up the endless, dark channel into the air, cables and floors flying past. The voice continued to tell them about all of the wonderful things they would be able to see when they reached the top. Scarlett looked into the pinstripes of Spencer’s jacket and concentrated on not being sick. This was a little too much elevator for her, even though it was probably safer than the one they had at home.
“Hey, Lola…” someone said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “Nice dress.”
“Thanks, Boonz,” Lola replied coolly.
Boonz, Lola’s archenemy, was somewhere in this elevator with them. Scarlett wanted to look for her, but that would require turning away from her study of the jacket fabric.
“Can’t believe you guys actually got married,” Boonz went on.
“Well, believe it,” Lola replied.
One of the guys started to snicker. Why, Scarlett had no idea. She saw Spencer turn to look to see what was going on behind him. It messed up her calming view.
“Hey,” another girl said, her voice thick with sarcasm, “aren’t you the guy from…”
“Yes,” Spencer said flatly.
“Married,” Boonz said again. “I’m going to have to get you guys a really nice present.”
“Just having you here is enough,” Lola said sweetly.