The Prada Paradox (34 page)

She pulled him close for a kiss. “I’ve got everything I need already.”

EPILOGUE

“So, come on, you two,” Letterman says. “Tell the truth. That stunt on the Hollywood sign. That was just a big PR campaign for the movie, right?”

I laugh. “Now, David. You know we can’t reveal trade secrets. Especially not on opening weekend.”

He looks at Blake. “Oh, come on now. Toss me a bone. Something.”

Blake just shakes his head. “Maybe it’s time to show the clip,” he suggests, and the studio audience applauds madly.

“Yeah,” David says with his trademark grin. “And we’ve got a little surprise for you.” The last, he says to me, and I frown as the video screen drops down. Because this isn’t supposed to be a surprise. My PR folks are very against surprises in the late-night arena.

But David’s right. Because this isn’t the clip from the movie we’d messengered over that morning. Instead, it’s Blake’s interview from earlier in the year.

Theinterview. The one that started all the trouble between us.

I’m not particularly happy with David for playing it, but I can hardly show it. Not in front of an audience the size of his.

So I laugh. “What?” I ask. “Trying to drum up ratings with reruns?”

“Not when I’ve got this,” he says, in that deadpan way he has.

And now he’s pointing at Blake, who even as I watch is going down on one knee. The audience is way more astute than I am, because they’re already on their feet, stomping and clapping.

“Devi,” Blake says. “Marriage may not have been on my radar earlier this year. But it is now.” He looks me in the eye, and the studio, the audience, and the noise melts away. “I love you,” he says. “Will you marry me?”

I nod, because suddenly my voice isn’t working. But I try again and manage a squeaky little“Yes!” before tossing myself in his arms.

And that, of course, is when the crowd goes wild.

Up Close and Personal

with the Author

Well, it’s time for me to sit down and interview myself again…a melancholy moment, asThe Prada Paradox is the last book in the “Play.Survive.Win” trilogy, and thus the last chance I’ll have to interrogate…er…interviewmyself in this way. So here we go:

ME: Can you tell us what inspired this book,The Prada Paradox ?

ME: Um,that’s your opening gambit for hard-hitting journalism? I’d think you’d pick a question where the answer isn’t so obvious.

ME: Obvious? What’s obvious about it?

ME: I mean, duh! It’s the third book in a trilogy. I was hardly going to write a ranching story, right?

ME: (deep, heavy, exasperated sigh.) Fair enough, Miss Sarcasm. But I was referring to the fact that this book is set in a different location—Los Angeles rather than New York. Any particular reason?

ME: Okay, that’s a decent question. I take back my snark. The book is set in Los Angeles for two reasons, the first being that it’s the natural setting for the overall backdrop of the story (the film industry). Certainly, the book could have been set in New York (the actors could have been on location), but as to that, the second reason applies: it was time to mix it up a little, and Los Angeles fit—fast-paced, fun, and fashionable.

ME: Alright, then. Let’s narrow the question a bit. How did the idea for doing the third book against the backdrop of theGivenchy Code movie come about?

ME: Much better question—

ME: (dripping sarcasm) So glad you approve.

ME:—and the answer is really quite easy. It’s typical in romantic trilogies, each new story stars a different hero/heroine. The romances in these stories certainly followed that pattern, but the ultimate question of who was pulling the strings of the game remained open, starting in book one and continuing through the trilogy. Because of that open question, I really wanted to bring the series full circle. Not just answer that underlying question, but truly circle the series back on itself. At the same time, I didn’t want to have Mel and Stryker starring again—they’d had their story! But if someone else was doing their story…if a movie was being made…Honestly, it was just one of those brainstorming thing!

ME: And didn’t you study film for a while, and even work in the industry?

ME: Ah, this is the part where you show off your investigative skills? Yes, my undergraduate degree is in film, and I practiced law in the L.A. area for a while, did some entertainment-related work, and also worked as a production exec for a small film company.

ME: So you lived in L.A. Have you been to all the places in the book?

ME: For the most part, yes (though, ahem, some literary license has been taken, though I won’t say where or how!). And I had a very good friend play research assistant for me. Things have changed in L.A. in the years I’ve been gone, so my friend Stephen Carver suffered mightily to go to Beverly Hills and Universal Studios for me, sending back pictures and descriptions. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

ME: Pictures, huh? So that “grafitti” in Beverly Hills is real?

ME: The “Don’t Panic” sign? Absolutely! I have a jpg!

ME: And that seems like a good place to wrap this interview. Once again, you didn’t panic, even in the face of my hard-hitting interview.

ME: It was tough, but I muddled through…