Excerpt of Flawless by Jan Moran

Beverly Hills, California Verena heard her name called. Despite the uneasy, prickly feeling on the back of her neck, she arranged a smile on her face and made her way to the podium, past linen- draped, flower-laden tables and dazzling designer evening dresses, through clouds of expensive perfume and throngs of well-wishers. Lifting the hem of her silvery evening gown, Verena navigated the steps up to the brightly lit stage. She greeted Robert Montreaux with a kiss on each cheek and turned on a radiant smile for the photographers. As head of her family company, Verena knew the proper protocol for such events, and she performed her job with impeccable grace and precision. She blinked against the camera flashes that left a shower of blue sparkles in front of her eyes, momentarily blinding her. A vein pulsed in her temple, twitching her eye. Tonight was a night that her grandmother, Mia, had dreamed of, and Verena wished she could be here, but Mia was at home resting in bed. It was supposed to have been such a happy celebration. As her vision cleared, Verena glanced at the crowd that had gathered in the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel. She spotted her friends Dahlia and Fianna, as well as Scarlett, who had just flown in from New York for the occasion. She drew a deep breath. At least her good friends were with her tonight. They’d waited patiently through a long evening of speeches from other industry professionals who were also being honored for their accomplishments. Verena was seated at a table in front for the honorees; her friends had been seated at another table farther back. She couldn’t wait to speak to them, especially Scarlett, her attorney, to see if they’d heard anything. Verena had received a voice mail just moments before she had left for the awards banquet. Her banker and good friend, Marvin Panetta, had left an urgent message for her to call him, but he didn’t answer when she tried to call him back. I have bad news, his message said. I need to warn you. “May I have your attention, please?” Robert Montreaux, the French president of Cosmetic Executives Worldwide, tapped the microphone. “We’re here tonight to honor Verena Valent, who took over Valent Swiss Skincare ten years ago at the age of eighteen after the death of her parents. Not only did she persevere through that tragedy, but she grew to become the driving force behind the company’s recent innovations and expansion. Next month, Valent Swiss Skincare expands into Asia, with debuts planned in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Singapore. And now, before she jets off to Asia, please join me in honoring Verena Valent, our Executive Visionary of the Year.” Applause exploded in the room, and Verena acknowledged the audience. From the corner of her eye Verena saw Greta Hicks, the anorexic-thin, Versace-clad reporter with Fashion News Daily who used to date Derrick Logan, Verena’s fiancé. She knew that Greta still called Derrick, though he swore it was just business. She had to trust him; as a partner in one of California’s most prominent venture capital companies, he fielded plenty of calls from the press. Still, Greta looked especially haughty tonight, and Verena noticed that she kept glancing in Derrick’s direction. “Thank you, Robert, merci, my friend,” Verena said, graciously accepting the faceted crystal award he offered to her. “It’s such a privilege to be singled out for this award when there are so many deserving people in the industry.” She went on to acknowledge the people who worked for her, as well as the department store buyers who had helped make her brand such a success. Even as she spoke, however, she couldn’t get the phone call out of her mind. She paused to organize her final thoughts. “I’d like to thank everyone who has shared our vision and worked to grow the company my dear grandmother, Mia Valent, conceived more than sixty years ago. She founded the company in 1948, just a few blocks from here. Today, after several expansions, we continue to manage all international activities from that location on North Beverly Drive. I merely carry the torch for the next generation, as my parents did, and I look forward to the next sixty years of continued service and innovation in skincare. In closing, I dedicate this award to The Women in Pink Foundation for cancer research.” As applause rose across the room, Verena saw Greta’s hand shoot up. This isn’t the place to field press questions. She wondered what Greta was up to. Fortunately, Robert noticed Greta, and smoothly took over the microphone. “Verena is too modest to mention the rather large donation to Women in Pink from Valent Swiss Skincare, but I will. Thank you, Verena, and now, I invite everyone to join me on the dance floor.” Having spoken earlier in the evening, the executive director from the Women in Pink Foundation returned to the stage and Verena took a few minutes to pose for a series of photographs with her. After the photographer got all the shots required, Verena managed to avoid Greta and hurried to her friends, who were dressed in shades of summer sorbet evening wear. “Scarlett, I‘m so glad you could make it,” she said, hugging her friend from New York. “I thought you had a big court case.” Originally from Spain, Escarlata Sandoval was known to her friends as Scarlett; she was a top intellectual property attorney, as smart as she was effortlessly beautiful. Tonight she was stunning in a pale coral gown that set off her olive skin and coppery blond hair. “I did, and it was settled late yesterday, so I thought I’d surprise you. Where are your sisters and Mia?” “Mia hasn’t been feeling well. She’s at home resting, but she insists she’ll be well enough to take the twins to Switzerland and France for their school break. Anika and Bella are with her—to them, this is just another boring event.”