The day before Ipanema was to open, Gabriel and I hung his exquisite mask collection. It was one of those things that requires trial and error. We played around with it, made mistakes, and tried different configurations before settling on our final arrangement that showcased each of the masks in his collection. I knew it was worth the extra time and thought. This was the kind of thing that food critics loved to take pictures of to feature in their reviews. He opened a bottle of his preferred champagne, and we toasted to our collaboration. It was the quiet before the storm. Opening night was wall-to-wall beautiful people and the who’s who of Gabriel’s celebrity friends. Photographers snapped countless pictures. Good reviews and notices followed. We all benefited. Gabriel gave me an exquisite wooden box from Brazil that had belonged to his grandmother. After I initially refused, Gabriel said, “You can. And you must.” I was quite touched.

And then I got the call. The one I had been dreaming about from the beginning. Architectural Digest wanted to do an article on me. Talk about dreams coming true. I told Elliott first. He insisted on taking me shopping.

“This is a big deal for you, Bailey. National exposure. I want you to look as beautiful on the pages of the magazine as I see you each and every single day.” I told the girls next, and they agreed with Elliott.

“You can tell that man loves you and is proud of you. I happen to agree with him. You cannot wear your scavenging clothes for a photo shoot. I bet your brother and Griffin are over the moon.”

The girls were surprised that I hadn’t told them yet. When I did, my men were predictably excited and sent flowers. Griffin texted.

“Make sure you put the flowers in the pictures and say they came from your brother and me who own three little establishments down in Atlanta.”

“No can do, Griffin.” I said with forced lightheartedness. It made me so sad.

As cavalier as I could be by text, I understood that my feelings wouldn’t be so clear-cut when I saw him in person.

Elliott infused even shopping with fun. We chose a salmon-colored dress that would stand out and a green one. I ended up wearing the salmon one for the shoot. I also wore my favorite diamond and peridot earrings. I probably wore them too often, but what’s the sense of having something you love and not enjoying it?