Smitten

Chapter 30

After visiting with Anna and signing all of the paperwork, Eliza heads to the airport to head home. She texts Penelope as she waits. "Is now a good time to share some huge ass news...?!"

Penelope answers rapidly: "How I wish, my sweet. This one's a doozy. Talk soon xx"

"Message received. Talk soon xo"

Eliza eventually flies out and gets home. The next day, she heads back into the office and works with one of her piano students until lunch, when she receives a text back from Penelope.

"Now's a good time. OR, we could chat on a plane to Nashville...squad can't charter the G5 until tomorrow afternoon. What do you say? Road trip?! If we fly out at 2:30, we can get settled by 3:30 Nashville time."

"Oh, HELLLLLLL yes. Send me the flight #!!! Tell the girls, but don't tell the boys we're joining the fun. I wanna surprise Aaron. ;)"

Eliza quickly books her flight and wraps up lunch to head home to pack. She changes into a matching jogger set and sneakers for the plane ride and soon makes her exit. She and Penelope soon meet up and get settled in as they wait for their flight.

"So, my star...what's the big news?! Are you pregnant?"

"God, no," she laughs. "I got an interesting phone call yesterday afternoon in between meetings."

"Ahh, I see...and who was this mysterious caller?"

"Oh, just a little lady named Anna Wintour."

"STOPPPPP...what did she say? Are you doing Chanel again?!" Eliza stays quiet to confirm. "Oh my God!! How cool!!!"

"And there's something else, too..."

"Something else?! Are you gonna be in Vogue?!?"

"Ummm, kinda...P, she wants me to be the May cover. And do another 73 Questions. And—and I agreed."

"Shuttttttt itttt!!!!! Eliza, this is your DREAM. What would only make it better is if the goddess Leibovitz documents it all..." Eliza stays quiet again and looks at Penelope with a smile.

"AHHH!!!" they both say, cheering and hugging in the middle of the airport. "You are the baddest bitch! Who else knows?!" Penelope says.

"Just you and my lawyer," Eliza says.

"You mean you haven't told Aaron yet?" Penelope asks curiously.

"Well no one's really had the time...plus, I'm kinda nervous to tell him..."

"Oh my sweet, whatever for?!"

"Because eventually, people are gonna learn more about him...I mean, I want him to come to all of the events with me that he can, and Anna threw around having him in the 73 Questions. This isn't something he signed up for, and I don't know how appropriate it is with his job and whatever."

"Well he's already on your Instagram, you know. And wasn't there some little article about him after Vogue published your speech?"

"Yeah, but it flew under the radar fast. And the more press I get, the more people will look for on him."

"Any reaction he has won't change your mind on doing it, will you?"

"No, I don't think so...in fact..." Eliza starts to smile.

"What is it? That's your loveeee smile," Penelope chides.

Eliza is still smiling as she speaks. "It's—it's just some advice he gave me after my attack, at a time when I was super upset...he just reminded me something I said in my hooding ceremony speech about how difficult stuff can make way for new paths, and he said that he didn't know what my path moving forward would look like, but that he—he'd be there whatever it was."