Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Author:Jacqueline Susann [Susann, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780802135193
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: 1972-01-01T13:00:00+00:00

Anne

January, 1948

There was a three-hour luncheon at “21” on the day of Claude’s departure. When Anne arrived the party was well on its way. There was a large tin of Iranian caviar and the inevitable iced bucket of champagne. Jennifer, looking radiant, played hostess to Claude, his friend François and another man Anne had never met.

“I’m Kevin Gillmore,” the stranger said.

Jennifer grinned. “Now, Anne, you must have heard of Kevin Gillmore. He owns Gillian Cosmetics.”

“Of course. Your products are excellent.” She helped herself to some caviar.

“Are you going to Paris too?” he asked.

“No, it’s Jennifer who’s going to be the new French sensation.”

“She will take the town by storm,” Claude said in his thick accent. “But please, Anne . . . I depend on you to see she get on the boat. She must be there by the end of the month.”

Jennifer laughed merrily and snuggled close to Claude. “I’ll be there, as soon as I get my passport and tidy up a few things.”

“Isn’t it exciting?” Anne said to Kevin, trying to hide her lack of enthusiasm.

“I suppose so. Are those your teeth?”

“What?”

“Yours? Or caps?”

Anne smiled. His directness was disarming. “They’re my own. Why?”

“And your hair?”

She felt the color come to her face. “It’s natural,” she said quietly.

“I know that. I know enough about coloring to realize that. But is it all yours?” He tugged gently at her long hair. “I mean, are you wearing a fall?”

“A what?”

“A fall. A false piece under to give it that thickness.”

“Why should I?”

He smiled suddenly. It was a smile completely out of context with his bold questions. A humble smile. “Because most girls need one to get that kind of look.” He shook his head sadly. “That’s the big trouble in finding the right girl—either they have good hair and lousy teeth or good hair and teeth and a bad nose. I suppose you’re pretty well booked. I mean, you wouldn’t consider working for us on an exclusive basis?”

“As what?” Anne looked toward Jennifer for assistance, but she was busy whispering some French endearment to Claude.

“Well, you see, with television coming in, I figure radio will be finished in another year—as far as the big shows are concerned. I want a ‘Gillian Girl.’ I want to feature that girl in all my ads—hair, nail polish, lipstick, the works. I’ve seen several girls I like—” He reeled off the names of five of the top models. “But they make too much money to work for me exclusively. I don’t want the Gillian Girl posing for Ted Casablanca’s clothes in Vogue or for Chanel’s perfume in Harper’s. I want her to be identified with Gillian products only. And all I can pay to start with is three hundred a week.”

Anne sipped at her champagne. She didn’t know what to say.

He took her silence for refusal. “I’d give you a year’s contract, with an option for five hundred the second six months. And extra money if we use you when we go on television.”

Jennifer suddenly came to life.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.