Carrie Duffy - Diva

It was an exclusive salon, catering for well-heeled Parisians and known for its elegant styling.

‘Absolutely not,’ the woman replied in horror.

CeCe walked out, heading towards Les Halles, where she found a far less discerning establishment. She intended the haircut to be a gesture of liberation – her mother had always told her that her long, brunette hair was her best feature, and the childish locks reminded CeCe of the old life she was leaving behind. But halfway through, she told the hairdresser to stop. She liked it like that. She was half rebel, half princess. It suited her perfectly.

‘One double espresso for Madame le Designer.’ Dionne came back in, the pungent scent of freshly ground coffee filling the air.

‘Thanks, Dionne.’ CeCe took it gratefully, knocking it back in one. She felt the caffeine kick start her body, the jolt of energy hitting her instantly. She needed it after her late night.

‘Hey, I totally forgot to tell you,’ Dionne said, as she began refolding a pile of sweaters. ‘Elise is moving out.’

Elise was their flatmate.

‘Shit, really?’

‘Uh huh.’ Dionne pulled a face. ‘She told me last night. She’s moving in with her boyfriend.’

‘Fuck. I hope we find someone.’ CeCe sounded worried.

‘I’ll ask around, see if anyone we know wants to take the room,’ Dionne suggested. ‘And I can put a couple of ads up. We’ll get someone. After all, who wouldn’t want to live with the two most gorgeous, most popular girls in Paris?’ she exclaimed dramatically, as CeCe raised a sceptical eyebrow.

‘I hope you’re right. I can’t afford to make the rent between just the two of us.’

A flicker of an idea crossed Dionne’s eyes, and she smiled wickedly. ‘Well, if you need the extra money, you can always cover my shift this afternoon …’

CeCe groaned. ‘Dionne, I’m totally exhausted,’ she protested. ‘I barely slept last night.’

‘Please,’ Dionne begged, pouting like a child.

‘What is it for?’ CeCe asked resignedly. It was all a charade; they both knew that CeCe would agree.

‘Just a few go-sees, doing the rounds, but I’m booked all afternoon.’

‘Well, I suppose I—’

‘Thank you, honey, you’re a star!’ Dionne exclaimed, throwing her arms around CeCe. Then she caught sight of her reflection and was instantly distracted. ‘Do you think I’ve put on weight?’ Dionne frowned, turning from side to side as she scrutinized her incredible body. She was twenty pounds lighter than she had been in Detroit, and staying that way was a constant battle. ‘My agent told me I need to lose a little, and the last casting I went on I could barely fit into the samples.’

‘Dionne, you are gorgeous – vraiment parfaite ,’ CeCe assured her. And she meant it.

When CeCe first met Dionne, she had hated her on sight. It had been in VIP Room, a cool nightspot catering to les branchés , the hip, well-connected crowd. Dionne had been loud and brash, impossible to ignore.

Typical American , CeCe thought, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Dionne was desperate to be the centre of attention, that curvaceous body poured into some little black dress that was so tight CeCe wondered how she could even breathe. Her hair ran wild in a tightly curled afro, and she held an ever-present glass of champagne in one hand while gesticulating wildly with the other. She didn’t stop talking, dancing, flirting the whole night.

By the time they left the club at six a.m., CeCe was converted, totally under Dionne’s spell. Within a month, the two girls had moved in together and were inseparable. They rented a beautiful apartment in the upmarket, 8th arrondissement, with high ceilings, polished wooden floors and even a baby grand piano in the living room.

‘It’s a lifestyle choice,’ Dionne had explained, and CeCe agreed.

The rent was killing them, so they let out the third room. CeCe had planned to use it as a small studio, but there was no way she could afford to. Her designs quickly took over the rest of the flat and there were always offcuts of calico draped over the sofa, the sewing machine permanently left out on the dining table, even rolls of fabric stashed upright in the bathroom.

The pair of them would get gloriously drunk on champagne as CeCe draped and tacked, while Dionne tottered up and down the makeshift runway between the living room and the kitchen, resplendent in a pair of fuck-me stilettos and whatever creation CeCe had pinned to her body.

Dionne was the perfect choice for CeCe’s flamboyant designs. Unlike many of the gay, male designers, CeCe appreciated a woman’s body and designed accordingly. She cited beautiful, strong, independent women as her inspiration and declared that Dionne was her muse – a title that fuelled Dionne’s already unfettered ego.

CeCe favoured bright, bold colours in shimmering, body-hugging fabrics. An aquamarine sheath, slit dazzlingly high at the thigh and decorated with oversize silver and gauze butterflies. An outrageous scarlet ballgown, with petalled layers of chiffon skirt and a beautifully boned corset that gave the wearer a figure to die for. The audacious colours looked stunning against Dionne’s dark skin, and she certainly had the confidence to carry off even the most outrageous designs.

One drunken night, CeCe and Dionne had made a pact. They vowed that whoever hit the big time first would do everything they could to help the other. So Dionne swore that when she became a top model, she would wear CeCe’s creations to every event she could to help raise her profile. And CeCe assured Dionne that even when the most beautiful women in the world were clamouring to wear her designs, it would be Dionne debuting them on the runway and heading up the ad campaigns.

‘Man, I can’t wait to get the hell out of here,’ Dionne sighed, glancing round the shop to where an obese woman was wrestling with a skintight lime-coloured T-shirt. ‘All I need is a chance. I mean, you know I’m a good model, right? I’ve got energy, personality …’ She struck a bold pose against a set of shelves, her hip jutting out, her neck elongated to emphasize her superb bone structure.

CeCe couldn’t help but smile. ‘You and I are destined for the top, chérie . This ,’ CeCe waved her hand disparagingly to indicate their uninspiring surroundings, ‘is only temporary. One day you will be the famous supermodel, and I will be the most celebrated designer, and the whole world will know our names. We are a partnership, no?’

‘Right,’ Dionne agreed, finally cracking a smile. ‘You and me, boo.’

‘You and me,’ CeCe repeated.

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