question his motives and his sincerity. She'd run across both men and women with low self-esteem and poor self-images. Most of the time, they had good reason to have poor self-images. They weren't attractive, they had no talent, and they had to learn to make due with the cards they had been dealt in life. But there was one thing she'd never run across. In all her years working in and around the fashion industry, Jane Francis had never met a young man as good looking and smooth talking as Yves Marisano without his own personal agenda. And those agendas had nothing to do with simple, innocent dreams.
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Chapter Six
On the night of Marco's and Frazier's fifteenth anniversary, Marco went to bed alone as if it were any other night. Frazier was down in Atlanta again, but he was flying home the next day and they were throwing a big anniversary party in the penthouse. They'd never been able to legally marry, so the anniversary they celebrated each year to recognize their relationship was in honor of the first day they'd met. They'd discussed doing a commitment ceremony several times over the years, even though it wouldn't be legally recognized, where they'd take vows and exchange rings. But after the first ten years it seemed kind of amateur to them. Their relationship was strong; the love they shared was what kept them together, not a ring or a piece of paper. So they decided to wait until gay marriage was recognized as a legal union. If and when that ever happened, they'd be the first ones in line to get married.
And they rarely made big productions of their birthdays and other personal dates. Typically, these dates were their quiet times together. They spent so much time in the public spotlight they didn't want to share a hint of their personal lives with anyone. The only reason they were having a big anniversary party that year was because Frazier had suggested doing it. He was proud of the fact they'd been together for fifteen years and he wanted to celebrate it openly for a change.
When Marco rested his head on the pillow that night, he was exhausted. He'd been working all night in his office on a book he'd been writing. The book had nothing to do with modeling or fashion. This was a book about home organization, with unusual little hints and helpful solutions to problems that came up around the house every day. Marco had been working on the book for five years. It was a hobby that took him away from all the pressures of the fashion industry, where he could get lost for hours and release unwanted stress. That night he'd been writing about how to remove wine stains from clothing, upholstery, and carpets. He'd come up with a technique involving ice water, kosher salt, and white vinegar. White vinegar played a huge part in his book. He'd devoted a whole chapter just to white vinegar. People didn't realize how handy it was to have around the house.
Marco hoped to finish the book one day, then try to get it published. He loved writing it and he loved offering people solutions to problems. Though he didn't have formal training in interior design, he'd studied the best designers in America, from Sister Parish to Billy Baldwin. When he combined their knowledge to his own design experience and added helpful household hints, it was an interesting combination that kept him busy for hours at a time. He thought this quirky household hint book that was filled with tips and solutions might be his next career. He still had a few more years left to model. It wasn't as bad now as it had been back in the days of old Hollywood when a career was basically over after age thirty-six. But he liked knowing there was something else for when he decided to stop modeling.
He loved working on this book so much he rarely talked about it. He didn't discuss it with his friends or with Frazier. He didn't even mention it to Yves. When Yves had asked what he was doing that night, Marco lied and said he was going to read in his
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Six
On the night of Marco's and Frazier's fifteenth anniversary, Marco went to bed alone as if it were any other night. Frazier was down in Atlanta again, but he was flying home the next day and they were throwing a big anniversary party in the penthouse. They'd never been able to legally marry, so the anniversary they celebrated each year to recognize their relationship was in honor of the first day they'd met. They'd discussed doing a commitment ceremony several times over the years, even though it wouldn't be legally recognized, where they'd take vows and exchange rings. But after the first ten years it seemed kind of amateur to them. Their relationship was strong; the love they shared was what kept them together, not a ring or a piece of paper. So they decided to wait until gay marriage was recognized as a legal union. If and when that ever happened, they'd be the first ones in line to get married.
And they rarely made big productions of their birthdays and other personal dates. Typically, these dates were their quiet times together. They spent so much time in the public spotlight they didn't want to share a hint of their personal lives with anyone. The only reason they were having a big anniversary party that year was because Frazier had suggested doing it. He was proud of the fact they'd been together for fifteen years and he wanted to celebrate it openly for a change.
When Marco rested his head on the pillow that night, he was exhausted. He'd been working all night in his office on a book he'd been writing. The book had nothing to do with modeling or fashion. This was a book about home organization, with unusual little hints and helpful solutions to problems that came up around the house every day. Marco had been working on the book for five years. It was a hobby that took him away from all the pressures of the fashion industry, where he could get lost for hours and release unwanted stress. That night he'd been writing about how to remove wine stains from clothing, upholstery, and carpets. He'd come up with a technique involving ice water, kosher salt, and white vinegar. White vinegar played a huge part in his book. He'd devoted a whole chapter just to white vinegar. People didn't realize how handy it was to have around the house.
Marco hoped to finish the book one day, then try to get it published. He loved writing it and he loved offering people solutions to problems. Though he didn't have formal training in interior design, he'd studied the best designers in America, from Sister Parish to Billy Baldwin. When he combined their knowledge to his own design experience and added helpful household hints, it was an interesting combination that kept him busy for hours at a time. He thought this quirky household hint book that was filled with tips and solutions might be his next career. He still had a few more years left to model. It wasn't as bad now as it had been back in the days of old Hollywood when a career was basically over after age thirty-six. But he liked knowing there was something else for when he decided to stop modeling.
He loved working on this book so much he rarely talked about it. He didn't discuss it with his friends or with Frazier. He didn't even mention it to Yves. When Yves had asked what he was doing that night, Marco lied and said he was going to read in his
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