“Hey—didn’t know you were going to be here,” she called out to him. “Is Elodie coming, too?”

He shook his head. “Just me. You excited?”

She gave Liam a thumbs-up and sat for the makeup artist. His name was Sebastian, and he did not look happy.

“I told them minimalism was the way to go with the makeup but they’re insisting on going heavy glam,” Sebastian said. This didn’t surprise Paulina; her parents weren’t exactly cutting edge. Her mother still thought it was the 1980s.

“Let’s go rogue,” Paulina said. Sebastian shook his head of blond dreadlocks. He couldn’t. He was paid to follow the art direction, not to improvise. “Liam, come here for a sec.”

He strolled over, checking his watch. “We’re getting a little behind schedule. Everything okay?” he asked.

“Well, this will save us some time: I don’t want makeup. Just some mascara and lip gloss.”

Liam looked confused. “That’s going to read washed-out on camera,” he said.

“Washed-out is in. Look, why not let the diamond be the only shiny, glittering thing in the photos? It will be so much cooler that way.” She glanced at the racks of clothing. “And I’m not wearing fur, so you might as well just get rid of those.”

“She does look pretty fab just the way she is,” Sebastian said.

Liam crossed his arms. “The art direction was carefully thought out and your father signed off on it.”

Paulina jumped out of her seat and walked over to the clothes. Ralph Lauren, Escada, Armani. Boring.

“Are you trying to make me look like a Beverly Hills housewife?” she said.

“Who do you think is shopping at Pavlin & Co?” Liam said.

He had a point.

“Please, go get the makeup done. I’ll be right back.”

When she was in the makeup chair, her face covered in foundation and midway through the application of fake eyelashes, Liam stood in front of her with a velvet jewelry case. Behind him, two burly security guards stood close watch.

“I thought this would help you get into the right frame of mind,” he said, opening the case to show her the Electric Rose. Paulina, exposed to precious gems her entire life, afforded almost every luxury imaginable, still felt awestruck at the sight of it. She held out her left hand and he slipped it on her ring finger.

“Fine, fine, this is worth wearing fake eyelashes for,” she said, laughing. She held her hand up against her shoulder, wagging her ring finger. “Amazing.”

“It suits you,” he said. “Now let’s do this.”

After ten hours in heavy makeup and furs under bright lights, Paulina needed to let off steam. Live music and tequila shots would do the trick.

“Let’s go to Brownies,” she said to the crew when they wrapped, suggesting the hole-in-the-wall bar on Avenue A that always had the best bands.