The lost son ~John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer

90. Some of the chances we take to make the money we make

It was 5 AM when Maggie's alarm went off. Today was the first day of the London Fashion Week. Maggie booked 10 shows so the next couple of days were gonna be busy for her.
And, of course, I promised Mag to be there with her. I used my contacts to get a backstage pass for myself. Anthony briefly dated one of the designers in the 80s and they remained friends so I was able to get the pass from her.

I got up and made us coffee while Mag took a quick shower. We had to take the London Underground for the first time to get to the city center where the Fashion Week was gonna take place. I could tell Maggie was really stressed.

"You're gonna do amazing, babe. But we've gotta get going if you wanna be there on time." I told her and kissed her cheek.

"I know, I'm almost ready. I just gotta put on my shoes and we're going." She said and smiled.

I was surprised that the underground was so packed at 6 AM. Well, this just shows that I never had a real job and didn't know what life was like for the majority of people.
We entered the building and were immediately surrounded by hundreds of models.

"Hello, what's your name, dear?" A lady asked Maggie.

"Magdalene Hill. I'm here for the Prada and Gucci shows." Mag replied.

"And you? Are you one of the models too?" The lady asked me.

"No, I'm just a guest. I've got a backstage pass." I said and showed her the pass.

The lady quickly found Maggie on a huge list of models and led us to where they were gonna do Maggie's hair and makeup.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out there were lots of free food and drinks.
Me and Mag hung out at the backstage for hours before she finally had to do fitting.
As the first show she walked in was about to start, I sat in an empty chair in the last row and patiently waited for Maggie to show up on the runway.
Of course, she was the most beautiful model out there. Her hair was slicked back and tied in a tight high ponytail. When it came to her makeup, they put dark eyeshadow on her big eyes and nude lipstick on her pouty lips. My beautiful Maggie. I was so proud of her. She was living the life she always wanted and I was more than happy to help her fulfill her dreams, even if it meant giving up on mine.

I had to sit and wait for 2 hours until Maggie would show up on the runway again. I wasn't interested in the other fashion show that took place during that time so I decided to go grab something to eat.
I munched on a ridiculously small sandwich when a random girl spilt her drink on me. She was trying to reach for a sandwich and tripped.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry for ruining your shirt!" The girl said apologetically as she quickly stood up from the ground and dusted herself off.

"It's fine, it's only champagne. Are you alright?" I asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine, my body has become immune to all those injuries I suffer every day. I'm the clumsiest person ever." She said and laughed.

"So am I." I said and smiled.

"No, but seriously, I sewed through my finger twice just yesterday." She said.

"Ouch. Are you a designer?" I asked her.

"No, but I want to be! I attend the London College of Fashion." She replied.

"Wow, that's amazing. Maybe one day all the people here are gonna admire your clothes." I told her.

"Ha, that would be great. And why are you here? Are you a model?" She asked me.

"No, but my girlfriend is. She's about to walk in her second show today." I explained.

"You have to show me which one is her!" The girl told me.

"She's easy to spot, just look for the most beautiful model." I said and smiled.