Having given up on the modeling contest, Shay is back to doing what she's always done, making her own designs come to life, and trying to find a way to get someone in the fashion industry to see her work. It would be great if Gavin really could get her into a swank party to get her close to the WhooNoo magazine editor, but Shay knows enough about men not to trust everything they promise. Though she had a really good time with him & she felt they really connected on some level, she's not counting on his call. So when he calls her just a couple of days after their meeting at the rave bar & tells her he's heard of a fancy Beverly Hills where the magazine editor will definitely be & that if she's still interested, he'll pick her up & get her in, Shay is a bit suprised. Pleasantly suprised.

Gavin picks her up as promised & drives her into Beverly Hills. As they drive up to the glowing white mansion & Shay spies the rich & famous guests filing in, she starts having second thoughts: what business does she have intruding on their party? And what makes her think she'll be allowed to stay even if Gavin somehow does manage to get her in? Gavin parks his car, but Shay sits still, not sure if she can do this. "Ready?" Gavin asks, though, clearly, she is not. "What are you going to do in there?" she asks him. "Me? Tonight, it's not about me...once we get in, go find your magazine editor & do what you need to do. Don't worry about me," he laughs. Shay just shakes her head a little, "What if you get kicked out, how will I get home?"

Gavin looks at her very seriously, "I wouldn't leave you here, Shay. Listen, I'll lay low, I promise, and the manager will never know I was here...You know you want this. Don't be afraid of them, all you have to do is act as though you have every right to be there & that you're as good as they are. Trust me, these people are scared of their own shadows, they have no opinions that aren't written for them in a magazine & they'll believe anything you tell them, because the world they live in is entirely illusory. Every one of them knows in his or her heart that they are just like everyone else & they are deathly afraid of being found out: if you act like one of them, they'll accept you as one of them, but as soon as you start grovelling or acting like they're better than you...that's when it's over...." Shay wishes she had Gavin's self-confidence as she gets out of the car. There's Charlie, the host of the Late Night with Charlie Chatterbox, and tons of other celebrities & important people: how is she supposed to pass herself off as one of them? Just before she steps up to mingle with the celebs milling around the door, Gavin whispers in her ear, "You are the most beautiful woman that has ever walked this planet. You are a goddess: make them worship you." Shay did not expect that, but it makes her cheeks glow & her eyes shine & when she joins the crowd, she feels so good about herself that she fits right in & nobody questions her right to be here.

Once she gets inside, Shay is overwhelmed by the luxurious setting, the gourmet foods & the celebrities, so many celebrities. She turns to express her wonder to Gavin, but he's slipped away, as he promised & Shay is on her own....but his last whispered words stay with her & keep her going as she mingles with the crowd, looking for Monica, the editor of WhooNoo magazine. Not seeing her right away, Shay grabs a plate of food to quell the nervous jitters in her stomach & sits near a guy she doesn't think is famous, so she's not as afraid of him as she is of some of these other people. It turns out he's Bill Arthag, the CEO of BMC music company, a very rich & powerful man. But just like any regular Joe in a bar, he chats Shay up & makes pathetically suggestive remarks that are supposed to be flirtatious....Gavin might have something with his 'they're just like everyone else' philosophy, she realizes.

Rich & powerful people drink a little too much & make fools of themselves just like we all do. Arthag insists Shay listen to his song: he may be the CEO of the biggest musicy company out there, but he is completely talentless. And Shay has no use for him, either, so she gets up to resume looking for the magazine editor she came here to find in the first place.

Arthag is relentless however, and stops Shay so he can continue his posing & flirting. Shay tells him she has to go powder her nose & runs off.

NEXT