Then it was my turn to get out. After that scene, I knew I would barely be noticed, and yet when I brought Faith out to join me, the journalists proved me wrong. The cameras were going, and trying to see through the lights was nearly impossible, but I heard the first question loud and clear.
"Violet Dawson, is that your daughter?"
I smiled down at Faith proudly. "Not exactly," I admitted. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is Faith Barrett, a new model for Risqué's tween lingerie line, and my boyfriend's daughter."
"Faith, what does your father think of you modeling?"
Luke turned back and grinned. "I actually have no problem with it, since I trust Ash to treat her appropriately."
"Which is why Risqué will not use lingerie models who've been starved in order to fit some supposed ideal of beauty," Ash immediately said. "We want to showcase natural beauty, not unrealistic expectations that can cause eating disorders or suicidal ideation in young women. Beautiful is beautiful, in all shapes and sizes."
I offered Faith my arm the way a man would, then whispered, "Now is when we shut up and walk to the next spot."
Like she was a professional, Faith took my arm, smiled beautifully, and ignored every question thrown at her. Ash led with both Luke and Cy on his arms. We ladies followed, making the most of it. Oh, sure, someone would say something about how women should go first, but I thought this was one more way for us to show that we were doing things differently.
But this was a fashion event, which meant that there were going to be about six different spots for us to stop and have our picture taken. Getting out of the car was merely the first. At the second, Ash posed with his two pieces of arm candy flanking him. Luke had on his cowboy hat and boots, while Cy was doing a great job of looking dark and brooding. In other words, they were perfect complements for Ash's flamboyance.
Then Ash gestured that he wanted to trade out. The guys made their way over to me, and Faith lifted up her dress so she could hurry over without tripping on it. That in itself had people taking pictures, but when Ash curled the girl to his side and protectively wrapped an arm around her shoulder, the cameras went crazy.
Then it was my turn. Once again, Cy and Luke did their best to look like the perfect accessories. First, I stood with Cy's hand on my waist and Luke hovering beside us. Then we switched, so that Luke was the one holding me and Cy was hovering protectively. Plenty of journalists called out, wanting to know which man I was with. Others asked if these men were merely here to make a statement. Just to keep them all guessing and make us the talk of the show, we said absolutely nothing.
At the station after that, we traded again. I took photos with Ash, Faith, Luke, and Cy - in all different combinations. The switching around slowed everything down, which meant Leslie and Noah had vanished into the building long before we got there. Since I got the impression that Noah wasn't a fan of being in the spotlight, I didn't blame the guy. This was the part that was overwhelming to most people, but to me it was what I was best at.
The moment we reached our table, Leslie turned and gave Ash a dirty look. "Are you trying to make a scene or something?"
"Uh, yeah," he said. "Isn't that the whole point?"
"Maybe, but I'd much rather you did it than me," Leslie admitted. "As far as I'm concerned, Noah has the right of it. The faster we can get past the cameras, the happier I am."
"Don't worry," I told her, "we'll get you addicted to the spotlight one day." Then I looked at Noah and tipped my head a bit. "And you too."
"Yeah, maybe if I looked like the four of you," he muttered.
Luke reached over and clasped the young man's shoulder. "Some of us aren't meant to be supermodels. Instead, we should be role models. Maybe people will say bad things, but fuck them. Let them talk trash while you think about the guy at home who's thrilled to see someone who looks like him standing up there. Maybe that kid is gay, or a cowboy, or anything else that the rest of the world is telling him makes him worse. Doesn't matter. If he sees one person doing it, then he'll think there's a chance that maybe he can too."
"You're right," Leslie said to Ash. "He is a very good dad."
"Well, I was also a teenager when I became a father, and I thought that I was going to be a loser for the rest of my life," Luke told them. "All everyone wanted to talk to me about was how I had destroyed my life. Instead, I got Faith. Wouldn't change anything for the world either."
"And this?" Noah asked, gesturing between the four of us. "I mean, I'm sure a lot of people say it can't be the right way to raise a family."
"They say that about gay men too," Faith told him. "See, people just say a lot of mean things because they think that if they make you feel worse, it somehow makes them feel better. Violet taught me that. So, the only way to do the right thing is to do the thing that is right for you. That's why I'm proud of my dad for this. It means he finally gets to be happy too."
Luke reached over to hug her just as the announcer walked on stage and the lights around the room began to dim. Apparently, they intended to run this Fashion Design Award ceremony similar to the Oscars. The first category up was couture. Since it didn't apply to us, our little group kept talking quietly, making sure our voices stayed low enough to not interrupt.
After that came formal wear, then casual wear, and on and on until they finally reached lingerie. Faith sucked in a breath and grabbed both my hand and Luke's in her excitement as she watched the announcer anxiously. All of the most popular companies were in the running, so when the envelope was opened and the card was pulled out, I held my breath like everyone else.
"Risqué. Ashton Walker," the man announced.
Ash stood, turning back to catch Faith's eye. "Last chance to back out," he told her.
"I think you should do it, but it's Dad's call, not mine."
"Do it," Luke told him. "I am not ashamed."
Ash smiled at him, offered Leslie his hand, and then the pair of them walked up to accept their award. It was merely a cut-glass statue to place on a shelf behind her desk, but the bragging rights were what was important. As Ash and Leslie ascended the stairs, cameras caught them and put them up on the large monitors stationed at either side of the room. The announcer passed over the statue, congratulated both Ash and Leslie, then left the microphone at the podium to them.
"Thank you," Ash said. "This isn't my first time to win one of these, but I think this time is the most important. First of all, I have to thank my protégé. Leslie Bancroft has taken my company and made miracles with it. Everyone tried to tell me that she's too young, but I believed in her, and she has proven me right. I also have to thank the reason for my recent burst of inspiration."
