Aeryn
A Real New York Story, Fictionalized
Aeryn had seen Sarah Jessica Parker’s nipples this evening. And oddly enough, that hadn’t been the most shocking part of her day. She sat straight up in bed, unable to fall asleep even though it was nearing 5 am. A butcher knife glistened on the bedside table, ready if she needed it. She thought back to this morning, which felt like a lifetime ago. She had been a different person then — a person who didn’t have access to the things and parties and people she had access to now. And that’s exactly why I left New Mexico for New York, Aeryn thought with a wry smile.
Earlier that day, Aeryn stood in front of her new closet. Well, it wasn’t a new closet. It was small and dingy and had a few concerning holes in the corners. But as of last week, the closet was new to her. She had just moved into a room in Bushwick off the Morgan Ave stop that cost $450 a month. She couldn’t believe her luck — her two roommates, Katie and Daniel, were nice, the house was clean, and they had approved her to move in immediately. Her room had enough space for a queen-sized bed and a desk, which was strewn with images Aeryn had printed from the website of Clairanne Howes, a brilliant fashion photographer and pioneer of behind-the-scenes photography.
Aeryn thumbed a particularly striking photo, one of Clairanne’s “Black on White” series. In it, a woman clutches at her neck, pulling at her beaded necklaces while screaming. Her blank white hair stands up on end as if she has just been electrocuted, and her mouth is pronounced by a severely black lipstick. The Black on White collection was Aeryn’s favorite this week because of the shocking contrast in the photos. She looked at the screaming woman for a moment longer, gathering courage before turning back toward her closet. She needed to look nice today — professional. It was her first day interning for Clairanne, and they would be backstage at some of the biggest shows of New York Fashion Week.
She threw on slacks, a white tee, and decided on a $40 navy H&M blazer to complete the look. She had never been one to worry about what clothes she wore, but Fashion Week was kind of a big deal. The blazer was the most expensive item she had in her closet right now; she just hoped it would be enough to fly under the radar at the shows.
The day was a whirlwind of celebrities, half-naked models, runway glamour, and backstage chaos. Aeryn dutifully carried Clairanne’s equipment through the shows of Anna Sui, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenburg, and The Blonds. She might have fumbled the equipment once or twice when the models had accidentally flung their outfits at her, but she hadn’t dropped anything yet. The stylists, models, and even fashion designers gave Clairanne space out of respect and treated her like one of them. Aeryn looked on in awe as Clairanne air-kissed Anna Sui and laughed with Philippe and David Blond.
Backstage at DVF, Clairanne turned to Aeryn. “Let’s give you a break. Want to shoot for a bit?”
Aeryn couldn’t believe her ears. Interns never shot at important events, let alone one of the most famous names at Fashion Week. Aeryn nodded, half in a daze as Clairanne placed the camera into her trembling hands. She put her eye to the viewfinder and clicked away. The models stopped for her occasionally, and one even blew her a kiss. Aeryn felt her cheeks go pink — thank goodness she was hidden behind the lens.
After returning the camera to Clairanne, Aeryn excused herself to the bathroom and pinched her arm. But no, she didn’t wake up. This was real. This was happening. Aeryn had been living in Albuquerque only a week ago, dreaming of a scenario just like this. That dream had compelled her to write Clairanne the cold email that changed her life.
“Do you need an intern?” Aeryn had asked after complimenting Clairanne’s style and work, knowing there was no way anything would come of it.
But Clairanne had said yes.
Aeryn stood in a daze at the Chanel after-party in the downtown SoHo store. She turned around, almost in slow motion, surveying the room. Carl Lagerfield stood in the corner surrounded by a group of models, his white hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Large circular sunglasses covered his eyes and made his expression unreadable. Aeryn had just taken a sip of her martini as Freja Beha Erichsen glided toward her. The vodka went down the wrong pipe and she choked. Aeryn couldn’t believe it. She had had the biggest crush on Freja for years, and now here she was in the flesh, wearing a fabulous silk top that flapped open as she walked, teasing Aeryn’s eyes. Aeryn knew she probably looked like a cartoon character with her eyes popping out of her head, but she couldn’t help it. Freja smiled at her as she passed and Aeryn caught a whiff of her perfume. She smelled like patchouli and cinnamon and heaven.
Aeryn wasn’t normally a martini drinker, let alone a big drinker at all, but she thought the occasion called for it. It felt very New York somehow, to have the martini glass in her hand. She popped an olive in her mouth and turned around to keep herself from staring at Freja. She was too afraid to talk to anyone, but the people watching suited her just fine. She spotted a bushy mane of blonde hair and recognized Sarah Jessica Parker in the adjacent group, laughing and talking to Gwyenth Paltrow. SJP wore a tight pink top and was very clearly braless. Aeryn did a double-take… was she… was she wearing the fake nipples like the ones from that Sex and the City episode? No way were her nipples that perky and perfect in real life. Or maybe they were. The line between reality and fantasy had long ago been crossed today.
“Scoot in here, Aeryn,” Clairanne instructed with a warm smile. Aeryn returned the smile, feeling light and giddy from the two martinis she had consumed at the Chanel store.
Aeryn shuffled into a booth at the restaurant chosen for the after-after party, her shoulder grazing another woman. Aeryn apologized right as she looked up into Naomi Campbell’s glittering eyes.
“I’m Naomi,” Naomi Campbell said as if Aeryn didn’t know, extending her hand.
She gulped and shook Naomi’s hand. “I’m Aeryn.” They smiled at each other and Naomi turned back to her conversation. Aeryn looked across the table at Clairanne, who was grinning at her. “You did great today.”
“Thank you,” Aeryn said. “You’re wonderful to work for.” Clairanne gave a soft laugh and squeezed her hand.
I can’t believe this is happening, Aeryn thought for the hundredth time that night. Well, I’ve got $800 in my bank account and I’m sitting next to Naomi Campbell. This is my life now.
Aeryn stumbled into her apartment around 4 am and found her roommate Katie sleeping on the couch. She tried to tiptoe into her room, but Katie’s eyes fluttered open. Katie put her hand over her mouth as a gesture to silence Aeryn and led her into the bathroom.
“I’ve been trying to get you alone all week,” Katie said.
“What? Why?”
“I just wanted to make sure you knew.”
Aeryn shook her head. “Knew about what?”
Katie’s eyes widened. “You know about Daniel, right?”
“No…”
“You don’t google your potential roommates?”
“No…”
Katie took a breath. “He killed someone.”
“What?! But he’s so nice!”
“Yeah, well, he used to be in a gang. Apparently in Brooklyn twenty years ago it was kill or be killed.”
Aeryn put her hand on her forehead, unable to fully compute that she now lived with someone who had taken another human’s life. The girls stared at one another, a mutual understanding passing between them.
Aeryn let her hand fall to her side. “So that’s why the rent is so low?”
Katie sighed. “Yeah. He’s a really clean roommate though.”
A door creaked open from down the hall and Aeryn went rigid. Oh god, had Daniel heard them?
“Hey,” Daniel said, shuffling up to the door and rubbing his eyes. “What’re you two doing in the bathroom at…” He glanced down at this watch. “4:30 AM?”
“Painting each other’s nails,” Aeryn blurted out. She had never even worn nail polish. What was wrong with her?
“Aeryn had a wild night,” Katie said with a nervous laugh, covering for them. “She’s still a little drunk.”
Daniel smiled, his eyes half-closed. “That’s right. Congrats on your first Fashion Week.”
“Thanks!” Aeryn squeaked.
They all stared at each other for a few moments. Daniel cleared his throat. “So, um, could I use the bathroom?”
“Oh, right! Sure. Sure, sure.” Aeryn and Katie tripped over themselves to get out of the doorway.
“Oh, and girls?” Daniel called out before closing the door.
“Yes?” Aeryn said, her heart pounding.
He looked at each of them in the eye. “I’m making pancakes for breakfast. In celebration of Aeryn moving in!” He smiled and shut the door.
Aeryn took a deep breath and forced herself out of her upright sitting position in bed. She lay down, averting her eyes from the door. She couldn’t just sit up all night waiting for Daniel to come barging in. Aeryn’s thoughts chased each other around her head as she attempted to come to terms with her killer roommate. Katie had lived here for half a year and hadn’t been murdered yet — she should be fine. Besides, she had come here to explore her life to the fullest extent, and isn’t that what she was doing? And the price of her rent was unheard of. She couldn’t beat it. She might even like Daniel a little more than she did Katie… he was awfully clean. Aeryn slipped the butcher’s knife into her bedside drawer and closed her eyes. She chose to divert her thoughts back to the smell of Freja’s cinnamon perfume and the curves peeking out from under her silk blouse, dreaming of the possibilities to come.
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Thank you to the Compound Writing community for editing help.
