The last week of February Claire and Tony began to prepare for an interview with Vanity Fair Magazine. Shelly, Tony’s publicist, made a point to come to their house and explain to Claire that this interview was important to Mr. Rawlings’s public relations. There were many speculations in the media about the two of them, their fast wedding, and lack of prenuptial agreement. This would be their way to shape and control the information. Claire thought it was a nice gesture. Truthfully, if Tony told her to do the interview she would do it. What surprised Claire was the extent of planning and preparation that went into it.
Shelly agreed to Vanity Fair because of their willingness to work openly. They gave her a list of questions. She deleted, added, and tweaked them until both parties were satisfied. Then Tony and Claire were given the questions and time to work on their spontaneous answers. Next, with Shelly’s assistance they practiced and modified their answers. She arranged for cosmetologists, beauticians, and clothing designers to assist them before the photo shoot. Shelly promised to be present throughout the entire interview and photo session. She would step in and stop any unapproved questions. This was better than Mr. or Mrs. Rawlings refusing to answer a question or appearing unaccommodating. The article would then be reviewed and approved prior to publication.
Claire thought the whole thing was hilarious. Did all people go through this before an interview? There was a time in her life when she read a celebrity interview and assumed that it was as it appeared. Being Mrs. Rawlings continued to teach her so much.
The day of the interview finally arrived. The people who were there to make Claire and Tony beautiful arrived early, before seven thirty. By the time Shelly arrived they both looked like models. Just another day sitting around the house! Claire thought as she looked in the mirror at her professional makeup and styled hair.
Catherine assumed the challenge of the house. It sparkled. Even the weather received the perfection memo. Not realizing it was late February, the sun shone through a sapphire blue sky, and a fresh layer of snow blanketed the gray dingy ground, adding luster to the outdoors.
Anne Robinson, the reporter from Vanity Fair, arrived promptly at nine. She was accompanied by a photography crew. The Rawlingses were only introduced to the lead photographer, Shaun Stivert. The plan commenced with photos first, while Claire and Tony looked fresh and beautiful. Then they progressed to the interview. The whole process was more work than Claire imagined.
Shelly was true to her word and omnipresent. She didn’t hesitate to say, “No, I think this would be better,” or, “We went over this. You know that will not be discussed today.” Claire studied her lines well, knowing what to say and how to say it. Tony practiced too. Claire thought they both sounded sincere and spontaneous. The Vanity Fair crew finally left after one in the afternoon with Shelly not far behind. “I think that went very well. I will let you know as soon as I have an approved copy.” Once she left, Claire relished the quiet house again, her head pounded behind her eyes. The headaches weren’t as frequent as they were right after her accident. However, when they struck they could be debilitating. Sleeping in a very dark room was the best remedy.
Claire accompanied her husband to his office following the interview. Driving into Iowa City would be counterproductive this late in the day, he hoped to accomplish as much as possible from home. Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings sat silently as Cindy brought them their lunch. Claire closed her eyes and enjoyed the peacefulness as Cindy placed their food on the long shiny table. After pouring their coffee she asked Mr. Rawlings if they needed anything else.
“No, you may go.” And then he spoke to Claire, “How do you think it went?”
She opened her eyes to focus. “I really think it went well. It was a lot more draining than I’d expected. I can’t wait to see the final article.”
“Shelly said we should have a draft by next week. It’s supposed to be the cover story for the April publication, so it won’t hit the newsstands for a while.” Claire shook her head. She couldn’t believe that her marriage would warrant a cover story for anything, much less Vanity Fair. The food and coffee helped her head, but she suspected it’d gone too far. A nap was the real remedy. Once they finished eating Tony walked over toward his desk.
“Do you need me? I would like to go upstairs. The morning has worn me out,” Claire asked as she stood to leave.
He picked up a manila folder, handed it to her. “I would like you to stay here while you look at these.” She took the folder to the sofa and sat down. The content of the folder was a mystery. She suddenly had visions of Tony with the Meredith Banks interview. Sometimes compartmentalized memories would leak out.
She opened the folder to find over an inch thick stack of papers. They were printed e-mails. Her mind moved slowly, exhausted from the interview process and dulled from her headache. Confused, she asked, “What are these?”
“Your invitations.” Granting her another freedom, he watched as she read. She looked at the top e-mail:
To: Anthony Rawlings, [email protected]
Date: February 25, 2011
From: Courtney Simmons, [email protected]
Subject: For Claire, attachment