The Power Trip

all the way back to Queens, and they’d broken up a few weeks later.

The day she did her first test shots, she’d taken her mom with her. Her mom was an attractive if slightly work-worn Cuban woman, who’d always kept secret her own ambition to be a model.

Bianca was a natural in front of the camera. Instinctively she had it down, posing this way and that, making love to the camera.

And so began her brilliant career. A career that hadn’t been without its ups and downs.

When Bianca started modelling she was young and striking, with a strong personality. It didn’t take long before she became the favourite of several top designers. This infuriated some of the older models who felt she was a pushy girl with way too much attitude for such a newcomer.

Her rise especially angered the small but tight Ethnic group of models. One in particular, Willow, did everything she could to sabotage Bianca’s photo shoots and modelling gigs. Willow was a great beauty herself, also of mixed race, and she didn’t feel there was room for the two of them. However, the more Willow tried to sabotage her, the more Bianca fought back. Eventually, when Willow realized Bianca was not going away anytime soon, they reached a truce, and after a while they became friends, even doing a cover shoot for Vogue together, posing side by side.

Along with Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks and Beverly Johnson, they were the most famous women of colour in the modelling world.

Bianca embraced her new life. She soon got into drugs and men and parties, sleeping with whomever she felt like, doing whatever she pleased. They were fun times which included snorting cocaine for breakfast and clubbing the night away.

It didn’t affect her work. She was a star in her own world, and she enjoyed every minute of the decadent life-style she’d so readily embraced.

Her various affairs with rich, powerful, famous and sometimes titled men were the stuff the tabloids loved. She used men for her own pleasure, and when she was bored with them, she moved on.

In her late twenties she’d gotten hooked on heroin thanks to a world-famous rock-star boyfriend, who didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything. Her family and friends — including Willow — conducted an intervention, and she’d ended up in rehab for a torturous six months.

It was while she was in rehab that she’d taken a long hard look at her life and decided it was time to think about what would really make her happy. It wasn’t fame — she had that in spades. It wasn’t all about money — she was quite comfortable in that respect. It was something more. She finally desired a real relationship that didn’t take place on the front pages of the tabloids.

Yes. She needed someone who cared about Bianca the person, not the fantasy image.

Then along came Aleksandr, and it was as if she was reborn.

Ah… Aleksandr. She smiled every time she thought of him.

Aleksandr had never touched drugs and he couldn’t care less about seeing his photo in a magazine — in fact, he hated it. He preferred to stay out of the limelight, although he’d had to get used to the fact that being with Bianca meant constant attention.

Aleksandr was a real man in every way. He cared about her for her own self — not the icon she’d created.

Now he’d invited a select group of people to join him on his new luxurious state-of-the-art yacht for a trip to celebrate her upcoming birthday, and she was excited.

Of course they’d argued about who to invite, until eventually she’d given way to Aleksandr’s suggestions. He didn’t want any of what he referred to as ‘trashy people’. He insisted that they invite only the creme de la creme.

So be it. Whatever Aleksandr wanted, he got. Although she had insisted on inviting her best gay friend from way back, Latin singing sensation Luca Perez. And she’d also invited Ashley Sherwin, who’d helped decorate her London apartment.

Aleksandr hadn’t argued about Ashley, for he was a longtime admirer of her footballer husband, the very handsome Taye Sherwin.

With a slight flash of guilt Bianca remembered hooking up with Taye some time ago, long before he’d met and married Ashley. It was a one-nighter at an out-of-control party in London. She doubted if Taye would even remember, and she’d certainly never mentioned it to Ashley or Aleksandr. God forbid!

Aleksandr’s choice of guests was more sedate. They included the movie star, Cliff Baxter, and his current girlfriend. Renowned Senator Hammond Patterson and his wife, Sierra. And Flynn Hudson, a writer whom Bianca had never met, although Aleksandr spoke highly of him.

It promised to be quite a stellar group. Bianca was all set to make this one special trip to remember.

Chapter Fourteen

Ashley could not stop gazing at the invitation. It was so elegant and simple, yet at the same time it reeked of money and class. She couldn’t wait to tell Jeromy that they too were on the guest-list. Mr and Mrs Taye Sherwin. Jeromy had tried to one-up them as was his way, only now they had a legitimate invitation of their own.

She wished Taye had given her the invitation last night before they’d had dinner with Jeromy. For some unknown reason he’d held back, not showing it to her until they got home. Then he’d had the nerve to expect sex.

Too bad. She wasn’t in the mood.

Sometimes Taye could be too demanding when it came to sex. She’d discussed it with some of her girlfriends and to her surprise they’d all said the same thing. ‘You’re lucky he gets it up at all.’ It seemed that most men who’d been married for over five years allowed their sex-life to slip. Or at least their sex-life with their wives.

Ashley did not consider herself lucky at all. Taye’s never-ending pawing at her in bed was an irritant, one she could well do without.

Actually, Ashley did not find sex that appealing these days. It was messy and dirty, a chore she forced herself to do every so often simply to satisfy her husband. As far as she was concerned, Taye was insatiable. However, he was also a famous footballer, so she knew that if she didn’t oblige, there were plenty of women who would.

Football groupies. They were everywhere, with their shorter-than-short skirts skimming their tight little bottoms, skimpy tops, ridiculously high heels, over-the-top makeup, and a burning desire to hop into bed with one of ‘the boys’ as they referred to their prey.

Yes, Taye was one of the boys all right. He was Top Boy. The big prize.

Ashley sincerely doubted he’d cheat on her again, not after the last time. The incident with the page three girl had almost cost him his marriage, and one thing she was sure of — he adored her and the twins, and he wouldn’t risk it, for she’d warned him countless times that if he ever cheated again, they were over. Finito. Goodbye. She’d take the twins and half his money too. She meant it, oh yes, she certainly meant it.

After turning the invitation over in her hands, she decided that it must’ve cost a pretty penny to print. She wondered how many people were invited, and who they were other than Luca Perez and Jeromy.

Maybe royalty might be on the list. Kate and William. What a coup that would be, sailing the high seas with bloody royalty!

Perhaps she’d text Bianca and enquire who else was going. Or was that bad manners?

Probably.

There was a reply card enclosed, stamped and ready to go. No cheesy Evite for this couple.

Bianca had landed herself a winner, and Ashley was pleased for her. They’d become vaguely friendly when she’d been involved in helping to decorate Bianca’s London penthouse a couple of years ago. They’d found that they had something in common. Bianca was famous, while Ashley was married to fame.