Tuesday, July 23rd, 2005
Justin was in severe Aubrey withdrawal. All week, she’d been busy co-chairing a benefit gala
that he had probably only seen her two or three times in the past eight days.
But that was okay; tomorrow they would be jetting up to Kennebunkport for a whole
six days with her. He was so excited – six whole days of nothing but unadulterated Aubrey-ness.
It was noon when his cell phone vibrated loudly against his stainless steel nighttable.
He reached out for it blindly, picked it up then flipped it open.
“Yes?” He answered groggily. He rubbed his eyes and wondered who would
call at such an hour. He’d gone out with Trace and JC and Emma until four AM last night.
“It’s Melissa.”
He yawned, “Oh, hi.”
“You sound sleepy, did I wake you?”
“Uh…yeah…”
Melissa had been his assistant ever since the beginning of time. “Bad news.”
“What kind of bad news?”
“You need to come out to Hollywood to do some looping for Edison.”
“Are you fucking me?”
The other line was filled with nervous energy, “…No..?”
He sighed, “You didn’t get the memo? I’m going to Maine tomorrow.”
“Maine? Tomorrow? With who?”
“Aubrey.”
“Oh, that cute little brunette I saw you with in the New York Times the
other day?”
“We had a picture in The Times?”
“Yeah, dining at Koi,” Melissa said simply, “Anyway, Marshall
needs you to come out and do looping.”
“I can’t.” He whined, “Please get me out of it. I need
this vacation. It is absolutely crucial to the continuation of my relationship with this woman. Please.”
“I can’t get you out of it, Justin.” Melissa said, “I
know you hate looping. I tried, I did. But there just isn't any way I can get you out of this.”
“Try harder, then.” He whined, “Please, Mel. Please. I have
to go to Maine. This will be like the highlight of my week. Please, Mel-Mel.”
“Let me call Marshall, I’ll call you back.”
“Thank you.” He said groggily, snapping the phone shut then falling
back asleep.
Meanwhile, across town, Aubrey was showing Emma what she’d bought for her
trip. “Oh, very sexy.”
“I know.” Aubrey smiled, “It’s amazing.”
“It honestly is. Where did you pick this little number up, hot stuff?”
Emma giggled, looking at the tag on the lace nightie, “Jesus Christ, Aubrey! This one stupid little shearing of fabric
cost two thousand dollars! Jesus! How long are you going to wear this for anyway, like, two minutes?”
“No…”
Emma giggled, “You are psychotic. Two grand! You're going to give me a financial
heart attack, Brie!”
“But look how’s it’s made – completely beautiful.”
“Sure, yeah, great craftsmanship…” Emma muttered, “You're
so lucky you have a boyfriend who pays great attention to detail, because any other loser of a guy wouldn’t pay three
second of time to this little thing.”
“Yes, but Justin would.”
“Wait, okay, so how far…exactly…have you gone with him?”
“I don't know, we’ve just kind of messed around. I haven't seen him
at all this week, though. I miss him.”
“Yeah, okay, except that he totally came over the other night after he had
drinks with Josh.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because when JC came rolling home to me I asked him where Justin went,
because he was home unusually early, and Joshy told me that dear Justin headed over towards your neck of the woods for a little
midnight booty call.”
“Midnight booty call?” She said, “Barely.”
“Okay, but there was booty involved, right?”
“Maybe.”
“Listen, you’ve been going out with this loser for a week and a half,
almost.” Emma said, “It’s time to seal the deal, test new waters, do the dirty.”
“Loser? You knew him before me!”
She laughed, “Yeah, so?”
“You don't just have sex for the sake of saying you did it.”
“Aubrey, that is so typical of you to say.” Emma said, “No one
goes out and buys a two thousand dollar lace fucking nighty if they aren't planning on a little s-e-x, honey.”
“Okay, well, it is to that point in the relationship.”
“Exactly.” Emma said, “Ew, gross, you are so in love with this
idiot.”
She rolled her eyes, “I wouldn’t say that quite yet.”
“Well you obviously have the intention of sleeping with this tool.”
Emma said, “So obviously you have to love something about him.”
“He is not a tool,” she defended, “he’s my boyfriend.
And he understands me – Chad didn’t even know me. He does.”
“Wow, uh, okay.” Emma giggled, “If I’m coming off as a
totally insensitive bitch, I’m sorry. I didn’t get home until four this morning.”
“I would have gone, but some of us have events to co chair.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Emma sneered, “And don't worry, I kept a close
eye on your prospective lover, he was on excellent behavior all night long.”
“I didn’t expect any less.”
Emma giggled, “Of course not. Because you live in a bubble. I love you.”
Aubrey smiled, “Okay, so now that I have, like, half of my underthings drawer
packed, what else should I bring?”
“A bikini, of course. Bring three, just in case you decide to switch up
your tan lines.”
“Good idea.”
“Lightweight cashmere pants, for lounging.”
“Absolutely.”
“And more underthings, obviously. You’ll need them if it rains.”
“Is that in the forecast?” Aubrey asked cautiously.
“Beats the hell out of me. Who do I look like to you, Al freaking Roker?”
Aubrey rolled her eyes, “No, he’s thinner.”
Emma laughed out loud, “If I actually was slightly chunky, I would tackle
you to the ground and rip every piece of gorgeous brown hair out of your snotty little head, because I am and always will
be a perfect size two. That was pretty low, Aubrey. Some one is a little stressed?”
“This benefit has given me hell this week.”
“Hell? Did I just hear Aubrey Mischa Roehm say…hell? The H word?”
Aubrey rolled her eyes, “I curse.”
“No, honey, you don’t.”
She sighed and folded a pair of white linen shorts into her suitcase, along with
a Tory by TRB tunic.
Emma sighed, “You're on the pill, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just wondering.” Emma giggled, “Just wondering.”
“Are you still plastered from last night?”
“Probably. You know, I didn’t even go to bed last night.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. Me and JC put together…we’re like nymphs.”
“That is so much more than I wanted or needed to know,” Aubrey said,
“Please. Spare me.”
“Okay, but only if I get full disclosure on Kennebunkport activity.”
“Whatever.” Aubrey said, “Do you think I need to pack a couple
dresses?”
“Sure…a pretty frock never hurts any one.”
“Good thinking.”
“As always,” Emma said, “So hey, next week I think we’re
doing a girl’s weekend in the Hamptons, okay, so you need to come.”
“Who? You, maybe me, Ginny and Caylee?”
“Of course. You know, the usual crew.”
“I’ll have to see what I’m doing with Justin.”
“Oh, here we go.” Emma sighed, “This is NOT starting again.”
“What?”
“This whole…you planning your life around the boyfriend. I can't take
it. I wont be able to, Aubrey.”
“I am not planning my life around my boyfriend.”
“Uh huh. Next thing you know, the pronoun I will be completely replaced
with We. We this, we that. Soon you wont even exist.”
“Oh please. Spare me this drama, Emma. I have packing to do, then I have
to swing by the hotel to check on the benefit, then I have to rush back here for hair and make up—“
“By the way, who did you get to wear tonight?”
“Proenza Schouler.”
“Naturally; you're their darling.”
“So I've been told.” She said, “I’m going to have to finish
packing later. There isn't enough time in the day.”
“Wait, when do you fly out tomorrow?”
“Ten AM.”
“Ooh, early. Brutal.”
“Anything before one is early and brutal for you.”
“Uh, of course.” She said simply, rolling off the bed. “This
bed is ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously comfortable,” Aubrey clarified. Before she could utter
one more word, her cell phone rang. She snatched it off the dresser and flipped it open, “Hi. I was just thinking about
you.”
“Oh, shit. I should make a break for it before things get too mushy.”
Emma said aloud.
Aubrey shook her hand at her friend as she listened to Justin. Emma’s eyes
narrowed as the grin on Aubrey’s face rapidly disappeared.
“Oh. Okay.” Aubrey said callously, “I understand….it’s
fine. Really. It is. I understand…of course…well, okay…call me when you get back then, I guess.”
“Oh, no.” Emma said, crestfallen.
“Okay…bye.”
“Fuck no he didn’t!”
“Now is not the time.” Aubrey said softly, her eyes drawn down to
the perfectly polished wood floor beneath her bare, pedicured feet.
“He canceled?”
Aubrey nodded slowly.
“That is awful. Why?”
“He said he had to do looping for a movie in LA.”
“Well at least that’s a believable excuse,” Emma rationalized
softly, “At least he didn’t come out with something like, my house burn down or my cat died. He doesn’t
have a cat. At least he is probably being honest.”
“Probably being honest…? Probably?”
“He wouldn’t just cancel on you for no good reason, Aub.” Emma
reasoned, “I've known the guy for like four or five months…he doesn’t cancel without reason.”
“You don't think he’s cheating on me, do you?”
“Oh, do not go all insecure on me.” Emma pleaded, “Please. Last
night, he didn’t even so much as blink at another woman. So do not go all insecure on me, okay? Last night, it was all
Aubrey this, Aubrey that from him. He wouldn’t even look at me, for God’s sake.”
She sighed, “I am just so disappointed.”
Emma frowned for her friend. She didn’t like to see her best friend so upset,
“When is he leaving?”
“Tomorrow night.” She replied sadly, “He said I could still
go to up Maine and bring you or Gin.”
“I’m sure the bed and breakfast is way too romantic to bring a girlfriend
with you.” she said, “Don’t go; stick the asshole with the tab for a six day stay. Hah, punishment for canceling.”
“That is not nice.”
“No it isn't, but it is quite satisfactory when your boy cancels on you
to do looping for some movie.”
Aubrey sighed, “True.”
“Alright, so…Hamptons, then. We’ll drive out tomorrow morning,
first thing. By the time we get back, the only words you’ll be saying are Justin, who?”
Aubrey rolled her eyes.
“I hate to leave in a time of desperation,” Emma said, “but
my three o’clock mani-pedi awaits. I will see you tonight at the benefit, okay?”
She nodded.
“Aub, cheer up.” Emma said, “I know you're sad about letting
your two thousand dollar nightie go to waste, but trust me, there are worse things to worry about. For god’s sake, poverty
in Africa!”
Aubrey faked a smile and hugged her friend good bye.
“Cheer up, okay? Nobody likes to see a gala co chair in tears.”
“I know.” She said sullenly.
“And don't you sit in your bathroom and cry as soon as I walk out this door,
do you understand me, Aubrey Mischa?”
“Yes…”
“I have to be on my way.” She said, “Ciao, bella.”
“Bye.”
As soon as Emma shut the front door behind her, Aubrey moped to her bathroom,
sat against the wall on the cold marble floor and let hot tears roll down her cheeks.
Getting To The Bottom Of It
