Ben grinned.“Sweet.”
****
Within the hour, they’dclosed shop, stopped by the grocery store, and bought everything Sarah wanted for dinner and breakfast the next day.She pounded boneless chicken, rolled them with provolone cheese, prosciutto, and a mix of tomatoes and herbs.They baked in the oven while rice boiled on the stove, and she whipped up one of her fresh garden salads.
Ben ate with all the enthusiasm of a hardworking man, and he repeatedly praised her skills in the kitchen.“This is a great meal,” he said, forking up his last bite.“Yum.”
“Thank you.”She was glad he enjoyed it.“I love cooking.”
“You haven’t eaten much.”He indicated the food remaining on her plate.
She’d already set her fork aside, pushing the cheese and ham aside to pick at only the chicken.Damn him for noticing she’d already cut her portion sizes.If she was going to model again, her caloric intake needed a drastic scaling back.
“Turns out I’m not that hungry tonight.”She held up her empty wine glass.“Another glass of that cabernet sauvignon, please?”It was time to talk about that fateful day in her past.She could use the fortification.These days two glasses were her absolute limit.No longer did she overdo alcohol.In fact, after tonight, she was done with drinking.For a long time.She could no longer afford the empty calories.
Ben cleared the plates, rinsed them, and Sarah set the pots aside to soak.
“Let’s sit on the couch.”Ben refilled her glass and got himself a new beer.
Settling down, Sarah braced herself for what was to come.She hoped she could get through it without breaking up.
Ben sat beside her and waited.
She began with a description.“Mira Korhonen was from Finland, a very beautiful fashion model, tall and fair, with interesting pale blue eyes.She was my closest girlfriend.”
“I remember seeing her face in clothing ads,” Ben said.“Didn’t she have a fairly heavy accent?”
“She did, and it was cute, but it made her seem goofy. People think models are shallow and stupid, yet she was smart and funny.She enjoyed teaching me to say outrageous things in Finnish like,My butt hurts, or,How do you like these boobs?”
Ben laughed.
Sarah forced herself to continue.She took a bracing sip of cabernet and said, “Living the life of a model is incredibly busy.It’s a grueling, whirlwind existence.The travel alone is exhausting, with jaunts all over the world to places like Bali for a bikini shoot, or to Munich to pose in a Burberry winter coat in front of the Nymphenburg Palace.For major shows like London Fashion Week, we’d be prepped in hair and makeup for hours, followed by twelve hours of press rotation.To maintain a public presence, we had to constantly update Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram accounts—all the social media platforms.Even TikTok had two assistants, and we barely kept up.”
“Sounds crazy busy.”
“That meant that Mira and I weren’t always in the same city, but when we were, it was like we were sisters, confidantes.I could tell her anything.”
“Nice having a good friend like that.”
“It was.”She was pleased he understood.“Mira grew up in Finland on a dairy cattle farm.I grew up on a beef cattle ranch, so our childhoods were similar.We’d reminisce about the fun we’d had.We made a pact.When it was time to quit modeling, we would both return to the homes we loved.To the farm.To the ranch.I was going to show her Montana.She wanted to share Finland with me.”
“Is that why you came home, Sarah?”He sought her gaze, his hazel eyes clear.
“I suppose it is.”She shrugged.“I admired so much about her.She was kind, truly kind.Her twin brother, Colin, wasn’t quite normal.Odd behavior and a lot of problems.He needed doctors and expensive medications.When Mira’s fortunes rose and with her parent’s blessing, she brought him to the U.S.to live with her and get him superior medical care.”
Ben said, “That is over and above.A lot of people wouldn’t do that.”
“I’ll never forget Colin’s grief at her death.He was inconsolable, threw himself on her casket.”She blinked away new tears.“I spoke with his and Mira’s parents.They told me they were taking him back to their home in Finland.They wanted to see to his continuing care.Poor Colin.”Sarah hesitated, her throat sore.“When I think of his loss, my heart aches.”
“Tell me what happened.That night she passed.”
She shook herself and sat up straighter.Now that she’d started her tale, she was compelled to finish.“We mixed with famous actors, recording artists, political bigwigs, you name it.And always we flew on private jets and partied in impressive mansions.In those mansions, there were endless supplies of booze.And...”She trailed off.
“And drugs,” he filled in.
“And drugs.”She lifted her gaze to his, her agony returning.“I’m ashamed now that at the time I thought little of it.Everyone did drugs and alcohol.Everyone.It just wasn’t a big deal.Mira did more than most, though.Lots of times she went overboard, especially with the drugs.Some days she woke up with harsh hangovers.”She raised her hands.“She always got over it.”
“However, there was one time she didn’t get over it,” Ben concluded shrewdly.“I think I’m putting two and two together.”
