Etoile (The Mannequin Series) (27 page)

When the girl's hazel eyes wandered over to Elodie's face in a judgmental way, she was overcome with a feeling of d
éjà vu. Fuck. They were the Americans that she had met with Tyler in Paris.

Fourty

Shit, Elodie thought as her mind scrambled back to their encounter. What exactly had happened? As Elodie racked her brain for any type of substantial memory, she heard the girl add, “Long time, no see indeed.”

“Hey Jack,” Daniel greeted her, giving her a big hug as James stood dumbfounded. “Shit, I haven't seen you in so long. Paris treated you well, huh?”

“Not as well as New York,” she replied with a perfect smile. Elodie hated her already. “But I'm back where I belong. Enough about me, though. Happy birthday, Daniel.”

“Thanks,” he said with a grin. “Let me get you guys some drinks!”

As Daniel scuttled off to fetch them gin martinis, or whatever fancy cocktail these types of girls drank, the four of them stood alone in awkward silence.

“Hi, I'm Samantha,” the blonde said as she extended a hand to Elodie. “You are?”

Elodie looked over at James, who was distractedly looking off in another direction. “My name is Elodie,” she answered as she turned back to the girl with a smile.

“Elodie? That name is
so
pretty.
You're
so pretty!” the girl said with a big smile. Elodie liked her already. “This is Jacqueline,” Samantha added as she prodded her stoic friend to say hello.

“We've met before,” Jacqueline, or Jack or whatever her stupid name was, replied with a hint of a smirk. Elodie gulped as she felt a cold sweat form on her back.

“You have?” James suddenly asked as he turned to her with a weird look on his face.

“In Paris,” she continued as one corner of her lips ticked upward. Shit, my ass is sweating, Elodie thought frantically as she offered a nervous smile.

“Really?” Samantha asked with a confused expression. “When?”

“When we were at that bar one night,” Jacqueline said with a perfect little smile. “She was with your little friend. That model,” she added with a sniff.

“Oh yea!” Samantha cried out excitedly as she clapped her hands together. Her psychiatrist really needs to lower her antidepressant dosage, Elodie thought bitterly as she plastered a fake smile of recognition on her face. “You were with Tyler Peeters! You're his—”

“I remember!” Elodie squealed out loudly. James gave her a quizzical look as Jacqueline let out a tiny scoff. “Good to see you again!”

“Seriously, what are the chances!” Samantha said as she threw her hands up.

“Seriously,” James muttered under his breath.

Thankfully, Daniel returned right on time to save Elodie from having to make any more painful conversation. He handed the girls two martini glasses as Elodie pat herself on the back for guessing correctly.

“So, where's Tyler?” Samantha asked eagerly as she gulped down her drink.

“Er, I am not sure...” Elodie trailed off as she looked around the room, desperate to be anywhere but there. My ass is literally sweating, she thought as she tried to swish the skirt of her dress around without drawing attention.

“Well that sucks,” Samantha said with a shrug as she set down her empty glass on an adjacent table. “I need a cigarette,” she added as she began to scramble through her Chanel purse.

“You can't smoke in here, Sam,” Jacqueline scolded her lightly before turning to Elodie. “I would go with you outside, but I can't stand the smell. Elodie, why don't you go with her?”

“Er, um,” was all that came out of Elodie's mouth as she fanned the back of her skirt discreetly.

“Yea, come with me! I hate smoking alone. You can bum one of mine,” Samantha said with a friendly smile.

“Do you smoke?” James asked with a surprised expression on his face.

Literally. Sweating. My. Ass. Off.

“Sometimes when I drink,” Elodie squeaked out. “But just sometimes.”

“We're drinking now, aren't we?” Jacqueline asked with a tinkling laugh. “Go ahead. We'll be right here when you two come back.”

I fucking hate you and your stupid Valentino dress, Elodie thought as Samantha grabbed her by the hand and dragged her outside. Mortal enemy worthy hate, she silently whimpered as the heavy door closed behind them.

“God, this tastes
so
good,” Samantha gushed as she inhaled deeply after lighting one of her Parliament Lights. “Are you sure you don't want one?”

Elodie wanted to stuff three cigarettes into her mouth and smoke them all at once. “No thank you,” she replied with a small wave of her hand.

“Hm, okay!” the blonde chimney said with a nod as she puffed away. “So how do you know Daniel and James? Please don't tell me they hired all of you girls to come to his lame little birthday party.”

“Oh, um, just, you know...” Elodie said as she shrugged her shoulders. “How do you know them?”

Samantha waved her arms around as she began her storytelling. “We all grew up together! You know, me, Jack, James, Daniel, Mike. We all went to Dalton together since we were, like, toddlers. Jack and James dated for, like,
eternity
. That's probably why they're acting so weird.”

“They dated?” Elodie asked as she felt queasy at the thought.

“Oh yea,” Samantha continued, lighting another cigarette. “Since we were maybe 16? Then she went off to Princeton and he went to Penn, so they did long-distance or whatever for a semester before they broke up. Then when we all graduated and ended back up here, they started seeing each other again. But his schedule's, like, totally crazy! So then they broke up again and she went to Paris to study museum shit, so that was that. But all of us think they'll end up together. I bet that marriage would be boring as shit.”

“Oh,” Elodie replied, suddenly feeling very envious. What if
she
wanted that boring marriage with James?

“Who cares about them, anyway,” she continued while rolling her eyes. “Drama! So, tell me about Tyler! What's it like? He's
so
fucking hot. His face is, like, perfection.”

“I am actually not his girlfriend,” Elodie said as Samantha stamped out her cigarette and they headed back inside. “He just likes to joke around.”

“Really?” Samantha asked as she gave her a "tell me more" smile.

“Really what?” James asked as they came into earshot. When he protectively touched Elodie's arm and drew her closer, Samantha gave them a quizzical look. When the status of their relationship registered in her head, a look of "oh shit" filled her face. Maybe she shouldn't have told the French model about her best friend's history with the blonde banker?

“I was asking her about this guy,” she said slowly as she watched James' hand move onto Elodie's back.

“Her boyfriend?” Jacqueline interjected, not wasting a second.

“No,” Samantha said with a distracted shake of her head. “He's, like, this really hot model. He's everywhere.”

“Didn't he say he was your boyfriend last time?” Jacqueline asked in a sweet tone as she shot Elodie an innocuous smile.

“Er, no,” Elodie replied quickly as she tried to come up with a clever response while a frown formed on James' lips.

“No, that was a misunderstanding. I heard that he just likes to joke around,” Samantha offered with an innocent expression. I love you so much, Elodie thought as she gave her a smile of thanks.

“Anyway, models always hang out together. Trust me, I work in fashion. I've had, like, ten internships! You're a model too, right?” Samantha continued as she turned back to Elodie.

“Yup,” James butted in, grinning brightly as he turned to look at her. “She just booked two Ero campaigns.”

Elodie giggled nervously as Samantha flipped her shit. “Oh my God! I love their stuff. I would live and die in Ero if I could. Smell me! I'm wearing
Chèvrefeuille
.”

Jacqueline rolled her eyes as her supposed friend fawned over her ex-boyfriend's new prize, and Elodie couldn't help but beam as she saw how much it bothered her.

“Elodie is doing a beauty exclusive for them,” James said proudly as he rubbed her arm, though he probably had no idea what a beauty exclusive was exactly.

“I'm wearing you!” Samantha squealed as Mike came over and handed her and Mortal Enemy #1 new martinis.

“I used to do some modeling too, you know,” Jacqueline said petulantly, her Park Avenue feathers obviously a tiny bit ruffled. “Don't you find it so... mind-numbing at times? It's really admirable how you can put up with it.”

“Whoa, easy there, Jack,” Mike said with an uneasy laugh. James lightly shook his head in annoyance as he reached down and squeezed Elodie's hand. Samantha looked at Elodie with big eyes and raised her brows as she took a big sip of her drink.

“So anyway,” Daniel said after awkwardly clearing his throat. “I'm going to go look for my girlfriend. I hope you guys have fun!”

“We're going to go too,” James announced coldly as he gave them a curt nod and dragged Elodie away. When they reached the bar, he loosened his tie and grabbed her chin lightly. “Hey,” he said in a softened voice. “Sorry that she was so rude to you. It's just—”

“I know,” Elodie told him with a cheerful smile. “Samantha told me. It is okay. You are just in high demand,” she finished with a laugh.

“You're the best,” he told her as he ordered their drinks. “My super supermodel girlfriend,” he said with a laugh as he smiled down at her.

“You never called me your girlfriend before,” she ventured, feeling a bit brave after taking a sip of her drink.

“You never told me you smoke before,” he said as he gave her an inquisitive smile. 

“I am sorry,” she began with a wince. “I do not usually, it is just—”

“Can you quit for me?” he asked with a playful pout. “Pretty girls like you shouldn't be smoking.”

“Of course,” she said, touched by how he actually cared enough to ask her.

James smiled as he brushed her cheek with his hand. “Way too pretty.”

Elodie heard someone clearing his throat audibly next to them, obviously requesting their attention. Who the hell is it, she groaned inwardly to herself as she turned her face away from James'. What she saw next made her feel as if someone had come and punched her in the stomach.

“What are you doing?” Tyler spit out with a look of disbelief on his face. His green eyes were trembling as they searched hers for an answer.

“I... uh... I,” she mumbled, unable to find her voice.

“Are you serious right now?” he asked as he scoffed incredulously.

“Tyler, I...”

“Who is this?” James asked calmly, surveying Tyler's shaky demeanor.

“He...”

“Elodie, who is this?” James asked her again, touching her chin lightly as he turned her head to face him. She saw her reflection in James' warm brown eyes and lowered her head with a sad smile. She could hear Tyler let out a defeated sigh as he turned on his heel and walked away from her.

“He is nobody.”

Fourty-one

“Bad news,” Jelena said with a pained expression on her face as she caught Elodie on her way outside.

“Not
that
bad,” Heddi added as she rolled her eyes.

“So, I not know you still seeing James,” Jelena began as she quickly scurried alongside her. “I mean, I am so out the loop since I never home and always work and always tired. I work since 9, you know, so I have wake up at 7 to shower and get Starbucks and walk to showroom,” she continued as Heddi nudged her to stay on track. “So, anyway, I see Theo at Whole Food when I go my way home from studio because I so thirsty and need something drink. So I ask myself what I want, and myself say I want coconut water. You know, they no feed you anything when you do showroom because then clothes look fat and no one want buy. For five hour, I no eat or drink! I thought I going faint! So I go for buy coconut water,” she prattled on as Heddi let out an exasperated sigh.

“She invited Theo who invited Charlie who invited our dear friend, Tyler,” Heddi explained. “Who just seems so very eager to see you so that he can clear the air about what happened yesterday.”

“I know,” Elodie whispered in hushed tones as she pushed her way through the crowd.

“You know?” Jelena asked with a frown as she pushed two girls out of the way so that she could keep up. “How?”

“He was just here!” Elodie blurted out frantically as she turned to face her friends. “He saw me with James and he got so angry and he left!”

“I sorry, Lodie, I not know,” Jelena said with a frown. “Just when I work so much, I not know what I doing. But look on good side! Now you not feel bad anymore!”

Heddi let out a sigh. “The traitor's right,” she said as Jelena let out a scoff of protest. “Now you won't have to feel like a sneaky little shit any longer.”

Elodie looked over in James' direction with a weak smile. After he valiantly told her that she needed to go and sort her mess out, he had gone over to where Ethan and Aaron stood amongst a crowd of young girls fawning over their Jil Sander suits. Even as the pretty little models vied for his attention, he was simply looking at his phone, waiting for her to come back.

Even she knew that it takes a special kind of guy to make his obviously brain-dead girlfriend go and settle things with another man. Though she knew that she had made the best decision. both for her sanity and her future, she couldn't help but feel something tugging at her heartstrings.

“Where we go, anyway?” Jelena asked curiously as Elodie began to move towards the exit again.

“I have to at least explain myself to Tyler,” Elodie said with a worried expression. “I feel terrible.”

“Have fun with that,” Heddi muttered under her breath as she held Jelena back. “Update tomorrow!”

Elodie finally made her way to the door and burst outside, quickly scanning the sidewalk and street for any sign of him. Her heart tightened as she saw him towards the end of the block, smoking a cigarette and calling a cab as he stood near the entrance of a parking garage.

“You are still here,” she called out in a trembling voice as she neared him.

When he spun around to face her, she saw a coldness in his eyes that she had never seen before. He let out a scornful laugh as she slowed down to a stop a few feet in front of him.

“Not because I'm choosing to be,” he spit out at her. “There aren't any fucking cabs around here.”

“Oh,” was all that she could say, her breath shortening as he spoke to her in a tone that told her just how much he absolutely despised her.

“You're fucking ridiculous,” he said as he took a deep drag from his cigarette. “Did you know that? Fucking unbelievable.”

“Let me explain,” she began as her voice cracked. Try as she might to hold them back, she could feel tears welling in her eyes.

“Explain what? That you're going to get mad at me because some girl, who, by the way, I could not give
one
shit about, got
my
number from someone else and called
me
,” he yelled out, taking deep breaths to steady his voice. “And then you're going to go sidle up next to some dick in a
suit
?”

“I just...”

“Why? Because he tells you you're pretty? Because he's going to buy you a fancy bag? Because he's a douchebag working on Wall Street?” he continued with a disgusted look on his face.

Elodie felt a tear break away from the puddle that had pooled under her eyes, leaving a burning trail as it rolled down her cheek.

“Who the hell wears a suit to a club!” he muttered as he shook his head.

“He is not...”

“Don't fucking talk about him to me,” Tyler hissed as he looked her straight in the eye. The loathing in his eyes made her feel as if someone had stabbed her in the chest. She felt more tears fall down her cheeks, her vision blurring as she gasped for air.

“Why are you even crying? You have no reason to cry.”

“I...”

“You know what your problem is?” he asked with a bitter laugh. “You're stuck between the person that you are and the person that you think you want to be.”

“What?” she managed to ask as her lower lip trembled.

“Fuck this, I can't deal with this shit. I'm walking.”

Elodie felt a laugh rise up at his childishness, unable to keep it down as it escaped her lips as a garbled mess. “Your house is twenty blocks from here,” she called out as his figure grew smaller and smaller.

“I'm exercising!” he yelled back angrily.

Before she knew what she was doing, she heard the harsh clacking of her heels pounding against the pavement as her legs chased after him. He froze as he heard her footsteps behind him, though he refused to turn around. When Elodie rounded his tense body and stood before him, she couldn't help but let a few ugly laughs escape. She didn't even care that mascara, tears and snot streamed down her face as she gave him a sad smile.

Tyler closed his eyes tightly and let out a long sigh, keeping his eyes shut as he stepped to the side and continued to walk forward.

“Don't fucking smile at me,” he said quietly as he left her behind. “I really kind of hate you right now.”