One of the events we were holding for the Sugar and Spice and Everything Smart campaign was a fashion show, spotlighting up and coming Irish designers. This event was garnering far more media attention than the science fair that was sponsored by major international corporations; it was a coup for Jimmy, who had come up with the idea.
“What can I say – we’re far more interested in fashion and celebrities than we are science!” We were backstage at the show, and Jimmy’s cheeks were covered in lipstick kisses from the designers and models.
“When you’re right, you’re right,” I sighed. The Science Fair had been my idea, as I thought that would be a great way to highlight the achievements of female students in science and technology. I had Tenneh mention the Science Fair on the morning show, which was just a brief reference in the daily “what’s on in Dublin” segment. I was slightly disheartened to see she was actually here with us backstage at Fashion show with a camera crew, which was getting a lot more coverage than the Science Fair.
Behind the catwalk, I overheard a designer say she wished she had known Tenneh would be there, because she would have had her model a wedding gown. Tenneh screeched with mock horror, firmly declaring she was not yet in the market for a wedding dress. She caught my eye and gave me a knowing look. I blushed and turned away.
Andy’s brother Tony was my date for the Fashion Show’s after party. I let Tenneh set us up on a dinner date previously, and things had gone well. Tony di Angelo was a nice guy – tall dark and handsome, he managed the other Mediterranean café his family owned. He wasn’t above teasing me about Andy in a good-natured way. “I should be grateful he’s married, otherwise my brother would have snatched yet another beautiful girl away from me!” he joked when we met. I acknowledged the compliment, but I knew he was just flattering me. Tenneh told me his history – he had married his childhood sweetheart, only to lose her to breast cancer. That blow had left him uninterested in dating for a while, something we had in common. It was nice to be paired with someone who had been “off the market” for a while. I was afraid of being awkward when finally on a date, but Tony was just as nervous as I was. It was a nice first date, all in all.
Backstage at the show, Jimmy threw his arm around me for a photo. “We are terribly superficial as a society, so this campaign is just right,” he whispered to me. “Let’s focus on the education of girls, and in future the Science Fair will be the main event, not a fashion show!”
I gave Jimmy a grateful squeeze, only to have to pass him off to a bevy of models for another photo opportunity. Tenneh got into one of the shots with them, smiling brightly. I was so proud of her; she was gaining international attention, having been interviewed for an American primetime news show about her story. I wondered if we would lose her to the brighter lights of America or the UK, but she seemed to be content to stay in Ireland.
“My family is here,” she told me when I asked her this question. She took my hand. “My friends are here!”
Cara had done as Kate bid her – she met with Tenneh and Hannah, who had a long talk with her. I don’t know the details of that talk, and I don’t need to. I trust the Lord for my sister’s healing. When she ready to tell me about it, she will.
My mobile was abuzz with texts from Kate and Niamh, wishing me luck on the show and making me promise to tell them details after the after party. Not because they were interested in the event, but because they wanted to know how things were going with Tony. Tommy had thoughtfully sent me a bouquet of flowers that afternoon. He told me that Athletes Against Exploitation had had a positive effect on his difficult colleague. After hearing sports heroes come out against the sex industry, he never again suggested taking clients to lap-dancing clubs. Kate said that miracle alone should convince me our campaign was a success.
Sheila made a speech at the after party, launching into a long string of statistics about women not being properly represented in the business world, in science and technology in particular. It was an important message, but the after party for a fashion show was not the place for it. Eileen McGrath Roth cut her off after a bit, officially starting the party by popping the cork off a champagne bottle. She sidled up to me at our staff table after the toast.
“In future, you make the speeches,” Eileen told me. “You’re the one with the altruistic credibility.”
I felt so honoured when she said that. It was nice to know that people thought of me as a symbol of philanthropy and goodwill at work. Back at our table, I told Jimmy and Theresa what Eileen had said, and they nodded.
“Everyone knows you’re the one with the good heart,” Theresa said.
“And you know how to keep your speeches short!” Jimmy threw in with a cheeky smile. Theresa swatted him, and he held up his hands, his face serious. “OK, for real. We wouldn’t have a pro-bono department if it wasn’t for you!”
I was so touched by this that I felt tears well up in my eyes. Tony kissed my cheek, and I giggled like a schoolgirl, the tears I had a moment ago suddenly gone. Tenneh, of course, chose just that instant to come up to our table, and let out a small whoop. I gave her a look, and noticed she had brought someone with her, a beautiful slip of a girl in a flashy evening gown. She looked like a model, but I hadn’t seen her on the catwalk. I got up and went over to her and Tenneh.
“Lisa, this is Fabiana,” Tenneh introduced. The girl shyly reached out to shake my hand. “She’s studying fashion design, and two of her dresses were shown tonight!”
“You’re a designer? I thought you were a model!” I said to her, shaking her slim hand.
Fabiana laughed, looking very surprised. “Really? Everyone keeps saying that to me tonight.” She blushed, looking down at the floor modestly. “In my country, Brazil, no one would ever consider someone as dark as me a model!”
I gaped at her. She was very exotic looking with her dark skin and slanting pale green eyes. But when she mentioned she was Brazilian, I thought of all the famous models I’d heard of from that country. They were mostly fair-haired and blue-eyed, and they were all white. I shook my head in disbelief.
“She wanted to talk to you about your campaign against sex-trafficking,” Tenneh explained. Fabiana nodded vigorously.
“It’s a huge topic in Brazil,” she told me earnestly. “Especially with the World Cup coming, there are a lot of campaigns against prostitution, very much like your Athletes Against Exploitation. Unfortunately, there aren’t ones with sports stars in Brazil…I think ones like that would really get the message to young men in our macho society!”
I thought of some of the research Kate and I had done on the topic. I had heard of the Blue Heart Campaign, which was all across Latin America, and seen some of the posters. They showed heart-breaking images of women crying, most often with a bruised face or black eye. But I hadn’t seen any featuring a sports star, like our Athletes Against Exploitation campaign.
“Do you have any posters or literature?” Fabiana asked me. “I would like to send those to people I know at home.”
I took her email address and promised I would send her some of the proofs from the campaign and press conferences. I felt my heart beat wildly, in a way it didn’t when I was working on Sugar and Spice and Everything Smart. I believed the education of young women was important, but it didn’t excite me the way fighting against modern-day slavery did. Fabiana hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks, the Brazilian way. She and Tenneh went back to the party, and I drifted back to our table. Tony, who didn’t really know me that well, could tell I was thinking about something.
“What is it?” he asked gently.
“I really miss Athletes Against Exploitation,” I answered dolefully.