Etoile (The Mannequin Series) (25 page)

Thirty-six

“What took you so long?” Tyler griped when she returned to the table. Elodie gave him a tense shrug, unable to let her shoulders hang loosely after the ordeal that had just occurred. She awkwardly perched herself at the edge of the seat cushion as Charlie handed her another glass of champagne, unsure of how to position her body as she sat and finished the drink in one gulp.

“Finally, someone's in the mood to party properly,” Charlie commented with an encouraging nod as he poured her some more. Elodie thanked him with a nod as Tyler shifted himself up and leaned closer to her, causing her body to stiffen subconsciously.

“Is something wrong?” he asked as he peered at her curiously. “You're acting weird.”

Elodie turned to him with a fake smile and shook her head. “I am fine!” she replied, a bit too jumpily.

“Hm, okay,” he said, but not without a suspicious look on his face. When Caroline made her way back to the group, Elodie noticed that Tyler couldn't help but roll his eyes, his arm tightening around her waist. Though she tried to shake the thoughts out of her head, she wondered if he was only doing it so that Caroline would see.

“We're leaving,” Caroline hissed bossily to Amanda, who shrugged her shoulders and rose from her seat. “Bye everyone,” Caroline announced chirpily with a dazzling smile. The disappointed groans of males everywhere would have echoed across the room had the music not been so loud.

“Bye Tyler,” Caroline said in a singsong voice, smirking at Elodie as she and Amanda sauntered towards the exit. Elodie glanced over at Tyler to see that he was shaking his head as he watched them leave the room, eliciting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was everything that Caroline said true?

Wiping the crestfallen expression from her face, Elodie tossed back her head and finished her glass with determination. When she brought her head back down, she saw that Charlie was watching her with amusement. “Whoa,” he said with a grin. “Don't get all crazy now. You don't want to pass out again, do you?”

Elodie gave him a weak smile as Tyler ruffled her hair and planted a kiss on her cheek. “It's okay. Go crazy. I'll take care of you,” he whispered to her with a wink.

At this, her shoulders naturally relaxed as she let out a small sigh. Of course Tyler wasn't using her. Why had she allowed Caroline's tirade to touch a nerve? The girl was obviously unhinged.

“Last bottle,” Theo announced as he held up the glowing champagne bottle by the neck as the night drew to an end. The lounge was packed to the brim with sweaty and inebriated people, the music blaring as cigarette smoke hung like a thick fog in the still air. “Congratulations to me,” he slurred as Gabriella giggled in his lap.

“Bottle's empty, bro,” Charlie told him with a dismissive shake of his head as he signed for the bill. “Let's get out of here.”

As they rose from the cushy sofa, Elodie found that she had trouble balancing, which meant that she had partaken in about three glasses too many. Tyler steadied her as they made their way through the crowd, pushing away the leering creeps who tried to grab at the drunk girl's hands. Once they were all finally upstairs and outside of the hotel's entrance, Elodie took a deep breath and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light shining down from the lamps above.

Soren, Erik and Caroline's M&Ms were calling girls to hang out, and Theo and Gabriella were nowhere to be found. Charlie and Tyler smoked cigarettes while Elodie drunkenly swayed to and fro under Tyler's protective arm.

“Told you not to get crazy,” Charlie taunted her as he shot Tyler a knowing grin. Elodie looked up to shoot him a glare, but found that her eyes were greeted by two obnoxious Charlies when she did.

“Do you want to go home?” Tyler asked her as he leaned his head close to hers. She turned her face towards his and gave him a dopey smile. “I cannot,” she announced firmly, trying not to slur.

“And why not?” he asked back exaggeratedly, as if he were talking to a 3-year old. His face broke out into a grin as he rubbed his nose against hers.

How was she supposed to resist him when he was so adorable? Elodie frowned as she looked into his eyes, not bothering to answer for fear that he would pull another cute move. He let out a snort of laughter before grabbing a cab, motioning for the others to go on ahead with their debauchery without them. After Elodie had crawled in, he climbed in next to her and told the driver his address.

Fuck, Elodie thought as she bobbed around in the backseat. How the hell am I going to get out of this? I have no self-control right now, she groaned inwardly as she closed her eyes and breathed in his cologne. Stop breathing in his cologne! Tell the driver your address, Marais. Tell him! What the fuck. Why is this ride so bumpy? I'm going to throw up all over my jeans. No, don't throw up, she pleaded with herself as she took deep breaths. Fuck! That cologne! What did I say about breathing?

They eventually pulled up in front of Tyler's building as she was deep into her seventh minute of arguing with herself. “We're here,” he announced with a smirk on his face as he led her out of the backseat. Fuck. Had she been mumbling aloud the entire time?

Why are you even here? she demanded to herself as they stepped out of the elevator. What are you doing? Are you crazy? What about James?

Elodie could hear the blood pounding in her ears as Tyler led her to his front door. She contemplated running as he fumbled with the lock, but realized that she would probably trip and break her ankle if she attempted it in her current state. When she heard the undeniable click of the doorknob turning, she looked over at Tyler and gulped. Shit, did he hear that?

“Do you want water?” he asked as he walked into the kitchen. Elodie didn't answer, merely standing frozen like a statue in the entryway. When he returned with a bottle of Smart Water, he looked at her with a quizzical grin. “Did you want me to take your shoes off again for you, Cinderella?”

“No, no,” Elodie responded, quickly kicking off her boots, which landed on the wooden floor with deafening thuds. Sorry, my dear Wangs, she apologized silently to the pair as she nervously grabbed the bottle from his hand and pattered towards the couch. Tyler followed her with a confused look on his face.

“Are you sure you're okay?” he asked cautiously, the corners of his mouth slowly twitching in amusement. Elodie took a giant gulp of water as she nodded fervently. Tyler let out a laugh as he moved closer, grabbing the water bottle from her hand and placing it on the table in front of them. As the sound of the plastic hitting the table echoed throughout the large room, she felt herself jump in anticipation for what was coming next.

Elodie felt her stomach fill with butterflies as his face approached hers at a teasingly slow pace. He stopped right before their noses met, a small smirk playing on his lips as he looked her in the eye. She could tell that he was drunk also, though not as much as her, and could smell the whisky on him with each breath that he exhaled through his nose. The cold gusts that tickled her chin caused her teeth to lightly chatter as tingles ran up and down her neck.

Why is he so cute? she thought to herself as she looked at him in trepidation. Was he always this cute? What did he look like before? Were his eyes always this green? You really need to ask him about his eyelashes, she reminded herself as she watched him blink. Was James cuter, or Tyler? What did James look like again?

Would it be so terrible just to kiss him? Kissing isn't technically intimate, is it? Of course it is, Marais! Get a grip. It's the second most intimate thing that you could do! she grumbled inwardly to herself. Don't do it! Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, please do not—

Oh, fuck it, she thought as his lips touched hers and she let out a sigh of relief. He held the side of her face as he planted tiny kisses on her mouth, pushing her onto her back as they lowered themselves onto the couch together.

Tyler pulled away slightly as he brushed the hair out of her face and smiled at her, taking a moment to just stare. Each time he blinked, her lids instinctively followed suit. Maybe if you follow his blinking patterns, your lashes will become like his, she drunkenly told herself as if it all made sense.

“You're like a little doll,” he murmured before he slowly leaned in again.

Elodie yearned for more as he lightly kissed her on the mouth, almost as if he were taunting her. With each kiss, he gently sucked at her bottom lip, the tip of his tongue brushing ever so lightly against hers. When she moaned aloud, imploring him to kiss her more deeply, he began to do so more forcibly.

He moved his hands along her bare arms and down to her waist as she rolled over on top of him, her own hands holding his face as they ravaged each other's mouths. She let out small gasps of pleasure as he moved one of his hands down to her ass, eventually pulling her legs apart as he stroked her thigh.

When he began to move his sensuous kisses to her neck, Elodie tossed her head back in pleasure. She moaned deeply as she rubbed herself against his leg, causing him to grab at her ass as their lips found each other again. Tyler moved his hands to her back, holding her tightly as he kissed her softly over and over. His eyes scanned her face as he smoothed her hair with one hand, a tiny smile on his lips as he whispered in a raspy voice, “What is it that you do to me?”

As if someone had just turned on the lights, Elodie sobered up immediately at these words. “What?” she spit out with a look of disbelief on her face.

Tyler's smile slightly faded as she tried to pull herself away from him. “What's wrong?” he asked as his brow furrowed the tiniest bit.

“Do you say that to all of your girls?” Elodie asked with shaky eyes before she could stop herself. His grip loosened as a confused look crossed his face, allowing her to wriggle out from his hold. She bolted up and shook her head as she tried to gather her thoughts.

“What... what are you talking about?” he asked slowly as he sat up next to her.

Elodie let out a long sigh as she fumbled with her hands. “I... I just...”

Almost comically, Tyler's phone began to vibrate on the table. He ignored it as he continued to look expectantly at her for an explanation.

“Answer it,” she said in a hollow voice. The screen displayed a 10-digit phone number, but no contact name. Something caused a gnawing feeling in her chest as she dreaded who the caller might be.

“Not until you tell me what's wrong,” he replied with a sigh, not even glancing at the phone as it danced noisily across the wood.

Elodie closed her eyes tightly. “Just answer it,” she said quietly. “Please.”

If it's not her, then it's not true, she bet with herself pathetically.

Tyler let out a deep breath before answering the unknown caller. “Hello?” he asked in annoyance as he glanced at Elodie's distraught face.

The voice on the other line was unmistakable, as were the ear-piercing giggles that followed. But of course, Elodie thought as her shoulders slumped in defeat. But of course.

Elodie let out an exasperated sigh as she rose from the sofa and walked towards the entryway. Tyler quickly hung up and threw the phone on the sofa, following after the despondent girl.

“I didn't even give her my number,” he tried to explain in as level-headed a way he could. “You know that.”

Staring at her shoes, of which there were now four, she realized that there was no way that she could walk in heels right now. Elodie picked up her boots and bag as Tyler grabbed her wrist. The room whirled around her as she attempted to gather her senses and her sanity. “Elodie,” he began firmly before she cut him off.

“I am very drunk,” she told him with a sad smile as she pulled her arm free of his grasp. “We can talk about everything later. But I have a meeting tomorrow, so I should get home.”

Thirty-seven

“My darling little superstar!” Adam squealed uncharacteristically as he pranced past the row of computers and towards where Elodie stood in her hungover glory. A few of the other agents turned to watch him with confused expressions on their faces, seemingly unaware of the fact that Adam knew how to smile.

“Tell me all about your a-ma-zing trip, sweetie!” he began as he grabbed her hand and led her to his station. The rapid movement made Elodie feel sick. “Do you want something to drink? One of my minions can go and get whatever you want. Anything! Shall we get a bottle of champagne?”

“No thank you,” Elodie told him with a weak smile, cringing inwardly at the thought of alcohol, not to mention her discomfort with her booker's newfound peppiness.

“You're right. Empty calories!” he sang out. “You make me so proud. So. Tell me ev-er-y-thing. How did you do it! Well, I mean, I know
how
, but tell me
how.
”

“Huh?”

Adam patted her on the hand dismissively. “It's okay, never mind. Don't worry your pretty little head! Your pretty little Ero Beauty head! Estella's team is
super
happy with the perfume proofs so far, and they want to arrange for a few other shoots. You know, mascara, blush, lipstick. Whatever. We'll get to those when the time comes. But
please
tell me all about your fancy little time in
Pa-ree
!”

“What do you mean?” Elodie asked, utterly confused by the knowing wink that Adam shot her.

“Oh, sweetie, I thought we were friends,” he retorted as he opened his eyes widely at her. “No need to pretend! You can tell me, girlfriend!”

“I am so confused,” Elodie muttered as Adam continued to direct deranged smiles in her direction.

“If you insist,” he replied huffily, turning to his computer and clacking away at the keys. “For future reference, I know everything!”

Elodie followed his pointed finger to the images on the screen, her eyes widening in horror as she saw what he had been referring to. She felt the color drain from her face as she stared at a row of pictures of herself and Tyler from that night out in Paris with Lauren & Co. The series of photos had been taken from a few yards away with a grainy camera phone, but the two models' faces could easily be distinguished in the dim light.

The first showed Tyler with his arm nonchalantly thrown around her shoulders as they spoke, while the second was of him grabbing the top of her head and staring into her eyes. The third was of him with his arm around her again as they conversed with the three American girls, while the last photo was the most incriminating.

In it, Tyler had his hand on the small of her back, and it had been taken right after he had drawn her dangerously close to his body. Anyone who hadn't been there would assume that the picture had been snapped as the two were about to share a kiss.

“Where...where did you find these?” Elodie asked weakly.

“Some 13-year old girl's Tumblr,” Adam said with a wave of his hand. “Tyler is everywhere on there. Just so you know, there are hundreds of death threats headed your way. So exciting!”

“How is that exciting?!” Elodie demanded as she tore her eyes away from the images to look at him. Stefan, the booker who had the misfortune of having his station next to Adam's, peered curiously at the screen before nodding approvingly.

“Honey, you know that nobody is anybody until they're getting death threats from tech-savvy teenagers,” Stefan told her. “It's, like, common knowledge. I bet you're trending on Twitter.”

“This is great exposure!” Adam continued excitedly, smirking in Stefan's envious face. “Now we just have to wait for all of the options to roll in.”

Elodie plopped down into one of the empty chairs nearby, slowly shaking her head. She hadn't even noticed anyone looking at them, let alone taking pictures. What if James saw these? What would he think?

“So. Tell me all about you and Tyler,” Adam purred, interrupting her thoughts. “That boy is just precious.”

“Nothing,” Elodie said with a furrowed brow, shuddering inwardly as she thought of her ridiculous behavior just a few hours prior. She had woken up full of regret and self-pity, which were only made worse when she checked her phone to find a cryptic text from Tyler.

Call me when you feel like it

What does that even mean? Elodie had asked herself as she buried her head into her pillow and groaned loudly, waking a very grumpy Heddi.

“It is nothing,” Elodie repeated with a frown. “Anyway, was this the urgent reason why you needed to see me at 9 AM?”

Adam pursed his lips at her, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Fine. Don't tell me,” he drawled out. “But no. We need to get you some new pictures, especially since you're going to be my little star. We can't be sending you around town with outdated test shots, can we?”

“I guess not,” Elodie grumbled as he began printing something for her.

“Well, you'll love me, because this one's going to be great for your book,” Adam chirped as he handed her the paper. “Make sure to be at the studio by noon, because I doubt he'll wait.”

As Elodie turned the warm piece of paper over, she felt her stomach drop for the second time that morning. She must have done something really terrible in a past life, she thought with a gulp, because karma was definitely not working in her favor.