Page 9 of Faking Ties
A few people turn my way, but she waves over her shoulder and doesn’t stop.
I remain frozen in my seat wondering what the hell just happened, but more importantly, how I can see her again.
ELODIE
“Are you able to go anywhere without causing a scene?” Rachel shoves a tablet into my hands. “Last night was the opposite of keeping a low profile like we needed.”
“At least no one suspected I wasn’t Stella,” I mumble, sinking into the plush white sofa in Stella’s penthouse. Stella scoots close to me, her gaze drawn to the screen in my hands.
Taking a deep breath, I look at the tablet. It’s filled with far too many photos of Hunter and me. I don’t even know when most of these were taken. There are, of course, the ones from him helping me on the stairs, but there’re also ones of us laughing and chatting together at dinner. But most prominent of all, and the one used in all the headlines, is the one with his hand on my lower back while we argue with Jax.
“It’s not ideal, sure,” I say. “But at least they aren’t saying anything bad about Stella.”
“You’re not getting it,” Rachel says with a huff. “Stella wouldn’t have put herself in that situation in the first place. Stella wouldn’t be in a love triangle after a couple hours at an event and have Jax release a statement saying that you all are endgame and that he’ll be there when you get bored of Hunter. Stella wouldn’t?—”
“I think we get the picture,” Stella says to Rachel and then turns to me, voice gentle. “My results are back, and I need the surgery. It’s impressive that you were able to fool people in person. You just need some training on how to mimic me. The good news is, I have a couple weeks before the surgery and can teach you.”
“We can’t have what happened last night happen again,” Rachel says. “If you agree to switch with her, you need to become Stella completely. Elodie can’t exist anymore, especially when you’re at events.” She takes the tablet from me and waves it in the air. “Or else this happens.”
Shit, they’re right. I acted like myself last night. It was the only way to power through the nerves and deal with Jax and Hunter. But I caused the media to put us all under the microscope at the worst possible time.
“I’m sorry,” I say again. “I really didn’t mean to cause a media storm.”
“It’s okay,” Stella says.
“It’s not,” Rachel cuts in, “but we’ll monitor thesituation, and put out a statement only if we absolutely have to.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Stella says. “Maybe we should say something before it all spirals out of control. It’s already gaining a lot of traction and?—”
“Have I ever steered you wrong before?” Rachel asks. “This is the best course of action. Trust me.”
Stella gives her a long look, her lips pursed as if disagreeing with Rachel’s statement. But after a few moments, Stella nods in agreement and turns to face me.
“So, will you do it? Switch places with me?” Stella takes my hands in hers. “Please help me with this. I have too many people relying on me, and I can’t let them down. If we don’t continue with the shows, people will be out of a job and my fans will be so disappointed. I need to make sure everyone and everything will be okay while I’m recovering.” She’s close to tears by the time she finishes speaking.
She cares so much. And I have a sneaky suspicion that if I don’t do it, Stella won’t get the surgery. Or if she does, she won’t relax while she’s recovering and will hurt herself in the process.
“But what if I’m horrible at this?” I whisper. Sure, I like to run, and I’ve been a theater kid for most of my life, but that doesn’t mean I can pull this off. Performing in a stadium of eighty thousand people is vastly different from an auditorium of one hundredparents, if that. “Last night didn’t end up how it was supposed to.”
The thought of disappointing someone I’ve looked up to for so long is crushing. Stella’s music helped me get through life after my mom’s accident and my parents’ divorce. It helped me heal, and I can’t let her down.
“I’ll be here to help you,” Stella says, “and I have specialists to also support you.”
Stella’s face shines with sincerity, like she really will hold my hand during this entire thing. I’m terrified, but I want to do it. For my mom. For Stella. Helping her is a win-win solution for everyone, and I can’t let an opportunity like this pass me by because I’m scared.
“Okay,” I finally say. “I’ll do it.”
Rachel doesn’t waste any time and has the contracts in front of all of us in a blink. With a pen in hand, I sign away my next four months. When the doorbell rings, Rachel asks Stella to go to another room.
I watch Stella leave with trepidation as a team of hairstylists, makeup artists, and wardrobe people enter. Wow, Rachel works fast. A hairdressing chair and washing station are wheeled into the middle of the living room like it’s just another Tuesday for these people.
“This is Alessandro.” Rachel waves a hand toward the chic, thin man with earrings lining the outside of his entire right ear. “He’s the best hairdresser in the world, and we’re lucky to be working with him for thefirst time.” She turns to Alessandro. “Stella decided she wanted bangs, and we need them to look better as well as cutting off four inches and to lighten the color.”
“Right.” I should’ve expected this, to be turned into Stella and have my hair match hers, but in the whirlwind of the last twenty-four hours, I didn’t. Last night, they put my hair in an updo to hide the differences and made it look wet and slicked back so the color couldn’t be scrutinized, and my bangs would disappear.
Alessandro gets me into a cape and sits me down in the chair. “All right, darling.” He runs his hands through my hair. “Are you ready?”
“Maybe?”
