"It's your turn," says the woman in the suit.
"Meditation never fails," thinks Gabriela.
She smiles confidently at the receptionist, but the suite itself almost takes her breath away. It's like an Aladdin's cave, full of rail upon rail of clothes, and all kinds of pairs of glasses, handbags, jewelry, beauty products, watches, shoes, tights, and electronic devices. A blonde woman comes to meet her; she has a list in one hand and a mobile phone on a chain around her neck. She takes Gabriela's name and says:
"Follow me. We haven't much time, so let's get straight down to business."
They go into one of the other rooms, and Gabriela sees still more luxurious, glamorous treasures, things she has only ever seen in shop windows, but never had a chance to see close up, except when worn by someone else.
Yes, all this awaits her. She needs to be quick and decide exactly what she's going to wear.
"Can I start with the jewelry?"
"You don't get to choose anything. We know exactly what HH wants. And you'll have to return the dress to us tomorrow."
HH. Hamid Hussein knows what he wants her to wear!
They cross the room. The bed and the other furniture are cluttered with more products: T-shirts, spices and seasonings, a picture of a well-known make of coffee machine, several of which are wrapped up as presents. They go down a corridor and through the doors into an even larger room. She had no idea hotel suites could be so big.
"This is the Temple."
An elegant long white poster bearing the designer's logo has been placed above the vast double bed. An androgynous creature--whether male or female, Gabriela cannot tell--is waiting for them in silence. The creature is extremely thin, with drab, straggly hair, shaven eyebrows, beringed fingers, and is wearing skin-tight trousers adorned with various chains.
"Get undressed."
Gabriela takes off her blouse and her jeans, still trying to guess the gender of the cr
eature who has now gone over to one of the dress rails and selected a red dress.
"Take your bra off too. It makes bulges under the dress."
There's a large mirror in the room, but it's turned away from her and so she can't see how the dress looks.
"We need to be quick. Hamid said that as well as going to the party, she has to go up the steps."
Go up the steps!
The magic words.
The dress was all wrong. The woman and the androgyne are starting to get worried. The woman asks for two or three other dresses to be brought because Gabriela will be going up the steps with the Star, who is dressed and ready.
Going up the steps with the Star! She must be dreaming!
They decide on a long gold dress that clings to the body and has a neckline that plunges to the waist. At breast-height, a gold chain keeps the opening from getting any wider than the human imagination can bear.
The woman is very nervous. The androgyne goes out and returns with a seamstress, who makes the necessary alterations to the hem. If Gabriela could say anything at that moment, it would be to ask them to stop. Sewing the dress while she is actually wearing it means that her fate is also being sewn up and interrupted. But this is no time for superstitions, and many famous actresses must face the same situation every day without anything bad ever happening to them.
A third person arrives, carrying an enormous suitcase, goes over to one corner of the vast room, and starts dismantling the case, which is, in fact, a kind of portable makeup studio, including a mirror surrounded by lights. The androgyne is kneeling before her, like a repentant Mary Magdalene, trying shoe after shoe on her foot.
She's Cinderella and will shortly meet her Prince and go up the steps with him!
"Those are good," says the woman.
The androgyne starts putting the other shoes back in their boxes.
"OK, take it off. We'll put the final touches to the dress while you're having your hair and makeup done."
Gabriela feels relieved that they will no longer be sewing the dress while it is on her body. Her destiny opens up again.