"I didn't say hello, Victor, because you were not there," Jamie says. "I would've remembered if you had been there, Victor."
"Well, Joaquin says he saw me there-so hey." I lift my arms up, shrugging, hoping this gesture will do for an answer. "Maybe you didn't see me."
Bentley's pulling white roses out of chrome vases, smelling them, fastening one to his lapel, squinting out at the rest of the room, at the extras sweeping past. Jamie keeps staring at me. I'm nodding my head to the music, trying to get a grip.
"What are you doing in London, Victor?" Jamie asks.
"Having a fly time, bay-bee," I say, leaning up into her face, kissing her again on the lips, this time harder, a tongue slipping through. Jamie kisses back but suddenly it's broken because of shadows standing over us and someone saying, "Kula Shaker's performing on the sixth floor."
Above us is this impossibly gorgeous couple, smiling wryly at Jamie as if she'd just done something wrong, and the girl is wearing a white Yohji Yamamoto sheer slip dress and I vaguely recognize her as Tammy, this model from Kentucky, and she's holding hands with Bruce Rhinebeck, also model handsome and wearing a shiny Gucci fitted suit with a Dolce Gabbana leather jacket over it and he automatically hands Jamie the joint they're sharing.
"And word is flashing about that the DJ on the roof is Laurent Garnier," Bruce says. "Sounds crunchy, huh?"
"Hey guys," Jamie says, and then, an afterthought, "Oh, this is Victor Ward."
"Ah, terrific," Bruce says, not ungentlemanly. "Another expatriate."
"Nice eyebrows, bud," I tell Bruce.
"Thanks," he says. "They're mine."
"We're bored and need to split," Tammy says.
"Can we go to Speed tonight?" Bentley asks. "LTJ Bukem is spinning. Or we can stay here because I think I'm having the time of my life."
"I've had the most terrible day," Tammy says. "I just want to go home and collapse."
"What are you drinking?" Jamie asks, taking the glass out of Tammy's hand. "Can I have a sip?"
"It's rum, tonic and lime juice," Tammy says. "We overheard somewhere that it's the new drink of the decade."
"Drink of the decade?" Bentley groans. "Oh, how horribly disgusting. What horribly disgusting person so named that measly little cocktail?"
"Actually it was Stella McCartney," Tammy says.
"Oh, she's wonderful," Bentley says, sitting up. "I love Stella - ooh, let me have a sip." He smacks his lips after tasting the drink. "Oh my god-I think Stella's right. This little baby is the new drink of the decade. Jamie-alert the media. Somebody-nab a publicist."
"I spent most of the day at the Elite Premier offices." Tammy yawns, leaning into Bruce. "Then lunch in Chelsea."
"Oh, where?" Bentley asks, studying a white rose.
"Aubergine," Tammy sighs. "I spent what could have been two hours in Vent and then I had drinks at the Sugar Club before coming here. Oh Jesus, what a day."
"I had that Craig McDean photo shoot," Bruce says, taking the joint back from Jamie. "Then I watched representation for the Spice Girls sign a gargantuan record deal and had an early dinner at Oxo Tower with Nick Knight, Rachel Whitehead and Danny Boyle."
"You're a man of substance." Jamie smiles.
"I'm a preeminent tastemaker." Bruce smiles back.
"You're sheer genius, baby," Tammy tells Jamie.
"And you're the fall's most revealing fashion trend," Bentley tells Tammy.
"A-list all the way," Bruce says, squeezing Tammy's hand.
"What is this?" I'm asking. "Night of the Perpetually Chic?"
"It looks like everybody's going somewhere, but they're not, really," Tammy says, looking around.
"Let's face it, the impression I get is: boom-this is over," Bruce says, finishing the roach.
Since the tape of "Friends" is being rerun, the Japanese guy has engaged two of his buddies to start looking at me and he's gesturing wildly and I'm trying to recall the ads I did that appeared in Japan but can't come up with any and Bruce is noticing my discomfort so he glances back at the Japanese guys and then Tammy and Jamie follow suit and I notice an almost imperceptible nod on Tammy's part that makes Bruce suggest, "Maybe, guys, it's time we escape."
Jamie leans into me and whispers, "Why don't you come with us?"
