Page 4 of The Weekend Crashers
Piper stands up and starts looking around for the hospital-issued plastic bag holding her clothes—the Betsy Toledo trench, now all balled up. The doctor issues the discharge paperwork, and Ethan helps Piper with the bundle of clothes. Maggie starts to say something about the logistics of finding a cab, but Piper’s not listening. Ethan’s hugging her and they kiss and now Maggie feels like an interloper.
“Let’s get you home,” he says, then turns to Maggie. “I’ve got it from here.”
Piper leans against Ethan in the back seat of the cab, where she is sandwiched between him and her mother. Despite the professional humiliation of the evening, Piper feels physically fine—a few bumps and bruises, but no real damage. Except to her pride.
Still, Maggie insisted on seeing her back to Ethan’s apartment, and Piper figures if it makes her mother feel better, why not just indulge her? After all, she can imagine how much she’s disappointed her tonight. But Maggie is doing a good job of pretending everything’s fine.
“It’s actually very fitting that you fainted at a collection dedicated to Vivienne Westwood,” Maggie says with forced cheer. She reminds Piper that one of the most famous runway falls of all time was when Naomi Campbell stumbled and fell at the Vivienne Westwood show in 1993. Her mother is awalking encyclopedia of fashion history. But this little bit of trivia doesn’t make her feel any better.
What on earth happened back there? She doesn’t remember stumbling or falling. She felt hot and dizzy and the next thing she knew she was looking up at the ceiling with people hovered around her. Now all she can imagine is her mother watching her live from the audience. It must have been horrifying.
Her phone buzzes with a call from her manager, and she lets it go to voicemail.
“Is that Gretchen?” her mother says.
Piper nods. “I’m too tired. I’ll call her in the morning.”
She’s not looking forward to the conversation. This is bad. Her career was at a crossroadsbeforetonight’s epic fail. She can’t admit this to her mother, but in Milan, at every go-see, she was surrounded by models who were taller, prettier, with bigger Instagram followings. It’s ironic that she’s never felt more unattractive than since she’s become a professional model. And she’s had the limited bookings to show for it. But then, the Betsy Toledo show—it was supposed to change everything.
Beside her, she can feel her mother watching her, looking for signs that she’s upset or not feeling well. Piper regrets letting her join them in the cab. She needs some space.
It’s a relief when they finally reach Ethan’s building. Piper shares his third-floor apartment in a brownstone between Amsterdam and Columbus on 82nd Street. On their first date, they discovered they’d grown up directly across Central Park from each other. The realization seemed like something out of a romantic comedy. It felt like a sign.
They’ve been living together for a year, but she still can’t get used to using her own key. The apartment still seems like his place, and she wonders if that will change once they’re engaged.Ifthey’re ever engaged.
For months now, she’s felt certain Ethan was on the verge of proposing. It’s embarrassing how much she thinks about this, how weighted every little suggestion to go to dinner or away for the weekend has become. But in her defense, he brought it up first by asking what type of rings she liked. And ever since that conversation, she can’t put it out of her mind. (And even if she could forget about it, her phone keeps bombarding her with ads for engagement rings.)
And then, over Labor Day Weekend, she accidentally found It: An antique diamond in a white gold filigree setting. It was in a small box underneath the bedroom dresser, where a ball of yarn had rolled after falling from her lap.
She did what any sensible person would do under the circumstances: She shoved it right back under the piece of furniture. And she didn’t tell anyone—not her closest friends, not even her mother. Now, she’s thankful she kept it quiet.
So much time has passed, she’s starting to think he’s changed his mind.
Chapter Four
Thursday
Maggie pushes open the door to the shop, relieved to see Elaine already behind the front counter. She’s eager for the company. It’s hard to be patient waiting for Piper to wake up and let her know how she’s doing.
“You look terrible,” Elaine says, adjusting her glasses as if her eyes might be failing her.
“Sugarcoat it, why don’t you,” Maggie says, walking around to the back of the counter to make sure that’s where she left her knitting bag. “I didn’t get much sleep.”
“I understand that. I just thought you’d dress up a little for tonight.”
Tonight? What’s tonight? Oh no. She forgot: Elaine set her up on a date. This had been in the works for a few weeks, before Maggie knew Piper would be returning home. She didn’t have any interest in going in the first place, but Elaine wouldn’t take no for an answer. The way she saw it, Maggie was single, an empty-nester, and still arguably young. Too young to give up on men.
“I can’t go,” Maggie says. “Youknowwhat happened last night.” Elaine, watching the show’s livestream as promised, texted her when Piper fell.
“You told me she’s fine,” Elaine counters.
“Physically, yes. But I’m sure she’s upset and needs moral support.” Seeing Elaine’s skeptical expression, she adds, “Come on. My daughter’s very public humiliation merits a rain check.”
“Canceling a date won’t cheer her up.”
“Well, it will cheer me up,” she grumbles.
“Did you ever register for that knitting retreat?”
