“You’d have a full security detail assigned to protect you day and night, with the same number of staff we’d normally use for a person of Ms.Page’s stature.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”And it set off an alarm inside her head.“Is Sierra Page under some sort of threat?”
The muscle along Austin’s jaw flexed again.“Are you familiar with Sierra’s relationship with Dax Garvey?”
“Yes, but last I heard, they broke up.”Their whirlwind romance, which played out in public, had ended with a fiery flameout in the lobby of a Ritz-Carlton Hotel at two o’clock in the morning.A bystander had captured the incident on their phone and posted it online, where the footage had immediately gone viral.
For the life of her, Sloane couldn’t understand what Sierra had seen in the guy.The son of a billionaire hedge fund manager, he’d been born with a silver spoon up his butt and expected to be treated like royalty.He wasn’t smart, or funny, or even all that attractive.And the opinions he frequently spouted online made it clear that he had a problem with powerful women.
“Apparently, he refuses to accept that simple fact.”Scorn crept into Larissa’s voice.“Sierra blocked him from all means of contacting her, but that hasn’t stopped him from crashing a number of events where she was in attendance.And last month, he paid two million dollars for the property that’s three doors down from her home on Lake Nona.”
“Oh, that’s creepy.”But it wasn’t all that surprising.He struck Sloane as one of those guys whose fragile ego couldn’t handle being told no.
“Mr.Garvey hasn’t made any direct threats to Ms.Page’s safety,” Austin continued.“But his actions are a cause for concern.If we win the account, we’ll provide Ms.Page with a personal protection detail 24/7.And if you agree to act as her doppelganger, you have my word that you’ll be afforded an equal level of security.”
Knowing that she’d be protected day and night alleviated some of her concerns.This wouldn’t be the first high-profile client for Six Points Security.They guarded corporate executives, politicians, A-list celebrities, and the family of a member of the Saudi royal family whenever they vacationed in Florida.Keeping her safe from a spoiled rich boy should be a walk in the park.
And what the hell, playing the role of a pampered rich girl might be fun for a few days.She could wear fancy clothes, stay in a fancy mansion, and pretend she was somebody special.If she turned it down, who knew if this sort of opportunity would ever present itself again?
Decision made, she blew out a breath.“All right, I’m in.”
“Yes!”Larissa reached across the desk to give Sloane a high five.
“Thank you for agreeing to do this,” Austin said.“You have no idea how much we appreciate it.”
She hoped they remembered this when it came time for her annual review.“So what happens next?”
“Ms.Page’s representative will be here Friday morning to ensure our body double meets their approval.”Austin stood.“That means we have three days to turn you into Sierra Page’s twin.”
Chapter 2
“Istillcan’tbelieveI let you do this to my hair.”
Eyes wide, Sloane stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror they’d set up in her office.Gone was her usual brown with red highlights, and in its place was a shimmery champagne blonde that brushed the tops of her shoulders.Also gone was about six or so inches of length.She couldn’t get over how light it felt compared to her usual cut.
To be fair, she’d agreed to change her hair to match Sierra’s current style.But knowing it was going to happen and seeing the actual result were two entirely different animals.This was so much more permanent than the wig she’d worn while cosplaying as the Deathslayer at Dragon Con.After everything was said and done, she could dye her hair back to its original color, but it would take months—maybe as long as a year—for it to grow back to its original length.
“You look fantastic,” Nina said for the seventh or eighth time since they’d returned from the salon.“Not that you didn’t look fantastic before, but the cut and color really bring out your eyes.”
“You’re just saying that so I won’t freak out.”
“No, I’m saying it because it’s true.Convincing you not to freak out is an added benefit.Now hold still while I put on your makeup.”
Sloane eyed the assortment of cosmetics on her desk.Foundations, concealers, eye and lip gunk.The sheer amount of it was daunting.Who had time to put that much stuff on their face every single day?“Is that part really necessary?”
“Of course it is.Clothes and hair alone won’t transform you into Sierra’s long-lost twin.Don’t worry; I won’t put on too much, just some light contouring around your cheekbones and that blood-red lipstick she uses.Oh, and that thing she does with her eyes.”
It was probably for the best to let Nina apply her makeup.After lots and lots of practice, Sloane had gotten fairly adept at imitating Sierra’s funky, futuristic look in theDeathslayermovies, but every time she tried to give herself a simple smoky eye, she ended up more closely resembling a rabid raccoon on a bender.
At the office, Nina didn’t wear much in the way of cosmetics, just a few swipes of mascara and lip gloss, but she enjoyed glamming it up whenever she had a night out with the girls.Recently, she’d invited Sloane to join them.Actually, she’d invited Sloane on multiple occasions, but Sloane had politely declined, convinced her coworker was merely asking out of kindness, a pity invite for the new nerd on the block who didn’t even have a cat to go home to.Thankfully, Nina kept inviting, and eventually Sloane accepted, and then she’d kicked herself for not accepting sooner, because Nina and her friends were tons of fun to be around.
Still, this kind of transformation was a heavy lift for someone who wasn’t a professional makeup artist.They’d floated the idea of hiring one but shot it down just as quickly, because the fewer people outside of Six Points who knew about this, the better—and safer—for everyone involved.“Maybe I could wear big sunglasses and a floppy hat.”
“You know that won’t work.”Nina selected a tube from the tray.“Tilt your head up toward the light, will you?There, perfect.”
With Nina blocking her view of the mirror, she couldn’t watch what was happening, which was probably for the best.It felt weird to have somebody else apply her makeup, like she was one of those giant Barbie heads that little girls used to hone their skills, and it took a bit of effort not to squirm in her seat.
After what felt like an hour, Nina pulled back to scrutinize her handiwork.“You know, you’re kind of like Ally Sheedy’s character at the end ofThe Breakfast Club.”
