On and Off the Track

F I F T Y T H R E E.

27th of july.
Mila and I strolled down the sunlit streets of Monaco, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon. The glimmering harbour stretched out beside us, and the sound of the waves mingled with the hum of cars and footsteps. Mila, being more talkative than I, constantly asked questions about my day, her clothes line but mostly of Pierre. I smiled as Mila rambled on about something Pierre said to her the other day and I felt a sense of calm wash over me. But just as we rounded a corner near a row of high end boutiques, a familiar figure caught my eye. Elvire. My heart immediately tensed as Elvire's gaze locked with mine. There was a moment of recognition, both of us freezing for a second, before Elvire plastered on a smile and approached us.
"Bronte! What a surprise,' her voice was all too sweet, an edge hidden beneath the surface. I stiffened, my mind immediately racing back to the fact she leaked something that hurt many people in my life. She had been behind all of it, and I hadn't forgotten.
'Elvire,' I said, keeping my tone neutral, but my eyes held a flicker of warning. Mila's back straightened as she moved closer beside me. As Mila and I walked away, I could feel the lingering discomfort in my chest. Just when I thought I was in the clear, I heard hurried footsteps behind us.
'Bronte.' Elvire's voice cut through the chatter of the street. I stiffened, my stomach sinking. I exchanged a quick glance with mila, who looked just as surprised, through her expression quickly hardened to suspicion. Elvire slowed as she reached us, clearly uncertain of how to proceed. She offered a strained smile, her hands awkwardly fumbling with the strap on her bag. 'Hey... it's been a while' I forced myself to turn around, my face neutral though my heart raced.
'Yeah, it has.' I finally said. The tension was thick between us, a silent understanding neither of us wanted to address head on. Elvire shifted on her feet, her usual confident demeanour gone, replaced by nervous energy. Her eyes flickered between me and mila, as if gauging the mood.
'I've been meaning to... uh, reach out,' She said, her voice flattering slightly. 'I saw what happened in the press, and-' My jaw clenched. The audacity. I stared at Elvire, trying to decide whether I should confront her here and now or let the charade play out. Mila, sensing my internal struggle, crossed her armed and fixed Elvire with a pointed look.
'Oh, have you?' Mila said, her voice colder that she intended. I saw Elvire's eyes widen just a fraction, but the woman quickly recovered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
'I just wanted to check in. you know, to make sure you were okay after... everything,' she added awkwardly, clearly feeling the tension but too wrapped up in maintaining appearances to acknowledge it properly. I forced a tight smile, the effort of staying composed drained me.
'I'm fine.' there was a pause, and Elvire shifted uncomfortably, clearly unsure of what else to say.
'Right... Well, I'll see you around, I guess.' she turned to leave, but my voice stopped her.
'Elvire.' she turned back, eyes wide with mild surprise. I could feel mila's gaze on me, silently urging me to say more, to do something.
'I know,' I said quietly, my words hanging in the air like a loaded gun. Elvire blinked, confusion flickering across her face.
'Know what?'
'I know it was you,' I continued, my voice steady but soft. 'The leak.' the colour drained from Elvire's face, and she took a small step back.
'I- I don't know what you're talking about,' she stammered, though the guilt was plain on her face. I didn't press any further. Not here, not now. I simply stared at her, letting the weight of the moment sink in. Elvire, clearly unnerved, muttered something unintelligible before turning and walking away, her posture stiff, the awkwardness palpable. Mila was silent for a moment, watching as she retreated. Then she turned to me, raising an eyebrow.
'Well that was... something.' I exhaled sharply, feeling the emotional strain of the encounter.
'Yeah...'

Back at my apartment, the sun began to set over the harbour, casting a warm golden glow through the windows. Mila bounced around the kitchen, insisting she help with dinner, while I started chopping vegetables, the rhythmic sound soothing me after the tense encounter with Elvire. Just as we were finishing up, my phone buzzed on the counter. I glanced at the screen and saw Maria's name. Picking it up, I put the phone to my ear, a little curious but not expecting much.
'Maria?' I answered, my voice light.
'Bronte!' Maria's voice was buzzing with excitement. 'You got it!' I paused, the knife frozen in midair.
'Got what?'
'The cover of Vogue france!' Maria practically shouted through the phone. 'You're going to be on the cover, Bronte. Can you believe it?' I felt the breath leave my body as the words sank in. vogue france. This was everything I had worked for, the pinnacle of my career so far.
'Wait... are you serious?'
'Serious as ever! They loved your portfolio, Bronte. This is huge. We're talking full feature spread, interviews, everything.' my eyes widened, and I put the knife down, my hands trembling with excitement. Mila tugged at my arm, noticing the change in my expression.
'What happened?' she asked wide eyed. I smiled, covering the phone for a second.
'I got the Vogue cover. I'm going to be on the cover of Vogue france.' Mila's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
'What?! Really?!'
'Yeah, I just found out.' my joy spilled over as I turned back to the phone. 'Maria, this is amazing. I-I don't even know what to say.'
'I'll send over all the details tomorrow, but I wanted to call you right away,' Maria continued, her voice bubbling with pride, 'you've earned this, bronte. This is only the beginning.' my heart swelled, my mind already racing with the possibilities. I glanced at Mila, who was spinning around in a happy dance, and I couldn't help but laugh.
'Thank you, maria. I can't wait.' as I hung up, I stood there for a moment, the reality of the moment hitting me. I was going to be on the cover. A dream come true. The apartment suddenly filled with a giddy energy as we danced around the kitchen, celebrating the news, dinner momentarily forgotten. Mila grinned wide and clapped her hands.
'This is massive! You're gonna be on the cover like a movie star!' I hugged her, still buzzing with disbelief..
'I know! It's surreal. We need to celebrate, don't you think?" Mila nodded with a playful gleam in her eyes.
'Obviously. What are we thinking? Champagne at home or going all out?" I glanced at the half prepared dinner on the counter.
'Forget dinner here. Let's go out. It's a special night, right? Let's dress up and find somewhere stunning. Just us.' Mila's eyes lit up.
'I'm game. Let's go out.' With that, the two of us hurried to get ready, excitement charging the air. I slipped into a sleek black dress, elegant and timeless, while Mila opted for something more daring, an emerald green satin dress. We met at the mirror, laughing as we admired ourselves, both of us looking incredible.
'Ready?' I asked, grabbing my bag.
'Of course,' Mila replied with a smile.