Etoile (The Mannequin Series)

by Olivia Besse

  Heddi grabbed his hand and leapt up, rubbing at the heavy bags that had formed under her eyes. She slowly walked over to the bed and kneeled down next to Elodie, who did not move a muscle from beneath the blanket. “Out cold,” she commented as she smoothed her friend's hair.

  Rising back up, Heddi walked over to Tyler and gave him a hug. “Thanks for having us,” she told him as she let go and began following Charlie out the door. She gave Tyler a knowing smile before adding, “Here's some advice: Catch her while you can.”

  Twenty-three

  Elodie stirred awake to a warm breeze blowing against her cheek and the sound of cars passing by outside of the window. While slowly opening her tired lids, she made her best attempt to open her parched mouth to take a deep breath.

  She moaned quietly as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight that spilled into the unfamiliar room. Where was she and what had happened last night? The last thing that she remembered was arriving at the nightclub and walking down a long series of stairs, though everything after that was a blur. But how did she get here?

  It was only after rolling over that Tyler's sleeping face came into view. Too tired to react, Elodie simply stared at him, watching his eyelids occasionally twitch as his nostrils flared ever so slightly. She couldn't help but think that he looked like a little boy as he slept, and wondered what he was dreaming about.

  Trying her best not to wake him, she gently lifted the blanket up and slinked out of bed, tip-toeing across the cool wooden floors, stopping ever-so-slightly each time a floorboard let out a groan. During her journey, she came to the realization that she was still quite drunk, finding it difficult to stand still after each sudden creak. After finally making it to the bathroom, she took a good look at herself in the mirror.

  God, she looked like shit. Working quickly, she quietly rinsed her mouth and washed her face. After wiping the runny mascara stains from underneath her eyes, she checked her transformation in the mirror before silently making her way back to the bed, As she slipped under the covers, assuming her original position, Tyler's eyes sleepily fluttered open.

  “You're awake,” he croaked out. Elodie pretended to stretch and yawn adorably as he squinted his eyes at her. “How do you not look like shit right now?”

  “I am not you,” she whispered with a small smile as she turned onto her side to face him.

  A lazy smirk appeared on his face as he reached out and pulled her closer. “You mean that?” he quietly challenged as he proceeded to rest his head on her pillow. His face loomed dangerously close to hers, and she held her breath as she felt the warm air from his nose on her cheek.

  Elodie tried her best to focus her eyes as her lashes lost the fight against the blinding sunlight. How much had she drunk last night? Tyler gave a small laugh as he batted his lashes back at her before slowly running his hand under the loose fabric of her dress and up her thigh.

  Her skin prickled sensitively as the pads of his fingers came into contact ever so lightly. Tyler took his time in inching his hand towards her bottom, at which point he slowly leaned in to kiss her. As he touched the tip of his nose to hers, she suddenly felt extremely self-conscious as he held her eyes for a brief moment.

  Whenever he looked at her like that, she didn't know if she wanted to melt or explode. His hauntingly pale green eyes seemed translucent as the light reflected off of them, making her feel woozy as she stared deep into them. Before she could gather her thoughts, let alone consider the consequences, Elodie lunged for him. Though she had controlled herself for so long, she honestly couldn't fight it anymore.

  She could smell the sharp scent of whiskey on his breath as he took her mouth in his, and she let out a small moan as she felt his warm tongue pressing softly against her own. Giving in to her longing, she pushed her body towards his, falling into his arms as she began to kiss him back more passionately.

  Whenever she kissed Tyler, everything felt so right, yet so wrong at the same time. A sense of desperation filled the air as she tried to have as much contact with his warm body as she possibly could. Picking up on this urgency, Tyler grabbed roughly at her ass with both hands and began probing deeper into her mouth. He tasted of coffee and metal, and Elodie couldn't get enough. She wrapped her arms around his neck and grabbed his hair in between her fingers as he let out small moans of approval. Their kisses grew more intense and Tyler slowly rolled her onto her back, with one hand tugging lightly at her hair as the other ventured under her dress.

  Her bent knees knocked together in the air in anticipation as she grew more excited by his touch. Elodie sharply gasped as he shoved one of them down to the side, holding her thigh against the bed as his hand slowly moved up tauntingly before slipping under the thin fabric of her panties. Knowing just how to turn her on, Tyler grabbed at her crotch and began to massage her softly, causing her to break away from his mouth as she lost her breath. Her eyes fluttered upwards as he began to leave a trail of kisses from her collarbone and up her neck, passionately nibbling at her ear as he continued to fondle her.

  Elodie could feel herself getting wet with excitement, and Tyler looked up to give her his signature smirk of boyish mischief. He lifted the flowy skirt of her dress at an excruciating pace, drawing the smooth fabric across her torso as she sat up and raised her arms so that he could fling it off of her body. She leaned forward and pushed him onto his back, doing the same to remove his tee shirt as his bulge grew visible in his boxer briefs.

  Biting her lip in what she hoped was a seductive way, Elodie pounced on him as her hair swayed wildly above his perfect chest. Pushing the hair out of her face and tucking it messily behind her ears for her, he gave a small laugh. “Hey,” he said quietly as she lowered her body onto his. His eyes searched hers for whatever response he was looking so deeply for. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, perched on his chest in her underwear, as she squeakily replied, “Hi.”

  “I...” he started as he took a big gulp. He licked the edge of his lips lightly and let out a nervous laugh. Their faces were mere inches from each other as Elodie felt her stomach lurch. Scrunching up his face and donning a shy smile, he told her, “I really fucking like you.”

  Elodie didn't move a single muscle as she attempted to process what he had just blurted out. She felt her pulse quicken as she subconsciously lifted herself away from him, unsure of how to respond. Tyler's eyes nervously darted around the room as he tried to amend the awkward situation.

  “I mean, I'm not just fucking around with you,” he quickly added as he bolted up next to her. “I know I talk a lot of shit, but I meant it when I said I can't stop thinking about you. You're different. There's something about you. I'm not just spewing out bullshit, either.”

  “Um, I...” she attempted, shaking her head slightly. Where was this confession coming from? She had always had a tiny crush on Tyler, but she had thought that everything with him had just been for fun. He wasn't the type of boy to actually have feelings, or so she had thought. “I... don't...”

  “Can you at least say that you think of me even once in a while so I don't feel like such an ass?”

  She suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented as she swiftly turned to look at him, only to be met with a sad, lopsided smile. The cocky and arrogant male supermodel had been replaced by a hopeful little boy, waiting on her every word. Her brain was soon flooded by a million racing thoughts, all of which were screaming at her at the same time.

  Why was he telling her this? Why now? Was this a joke? Did he not remember about how she had told him that she was seeing someone? Guilt overwhelmed her as she thought of James and brought up mental images of her and Tyler in bed just a few minutes prior.

  But what about James? She hardly knew him, and he hadn't even bothered to try and contact her in the past few days. Then again, she didn't know Tyler all that well, either. While James made her feel like a fairy tale princess, Tyler made her feel raw and passionate in ways that she never had before. Elodie shook her head again as she willed the ambivalent thou
ghts out of head. Her cheeks burned with shame and confusion as she dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap.

  “I think I should go,” Elodie cautiously said at last.

  She heard him let out a tired sigh as she rose from the bed, unable to bring her eyes to his figure. The tension in the room was tangible, and Elodie wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. She felt extremely self-conscious as she scooted over to where her dress lay, pulling it on as rapidly as her trembling hands allowed. After grabbing her bag and putting on her shoes, she nervously attempted a casual comment about how she would see him in a few hours at the airport, never once raising her head to glance at him.

  This, of course, was quite unfortunate, for that one simple gesture could have changed the entire story. For if she had taken a good look, she would have seen that Tyler, in fact, had not been joking, and that his pretty little green eyes were now rimmed with red.

  Twenty-four

  “Oh my God, where were you? I totally called the police but, like, 911 doesn't work here!”

  Elodie gave Lauren an exhausted smile as she walked into their dingy model apartment. The American teen circled her older French counterpart like a hungry shark, except that she probably wasn't hungry due to the alarming amounts of food that she consumed everyday.

  “So, you're in the same dress from yesterday,” the young girl commented suggestively as she took a seat next to Elodie on the couch. “Did you have, like, a fun night? Where did you go? Where did you stay? Who did you stay with? Oh my God! Was it Tyler? Please tell me it was Tyler! No, wait! Don't! Please tell me it wasn't Tyler!”

  None of the other girls seemed to be home, as a stampede did not ensue at the mere utterance of their idol's name. At the mention of Tyler, Elodie couldn't help but feel a pang shoot through her heart. Wanting to distract herself, she lit a cigarette and watched as the smoke billowed upwards in dramatic curls whenever she inhaled from it deeply.

  Lauren's ponytail bobbed to and fro as she observed Elodie with expectant eyes. Even watching the peppy girl made Elodie want to collapse into a pile on the floor and succumb to the overwhelming fatigue that loomed over her. “Nothing,” she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Nothing happened. Our friends came from London and left just now,” she fibbed nonchalantly. No need to position herself at the receiving end of Lauren's vengeful jealousy.

  “Oh. My friend, Jessica, is based in London and she really hates it there. She says it's always really rainy and gloomy. I bet it's really sad. It's actually really funny because she's from a city called London in Canada, and the only way that I even know where it's near is because she told me that it's an hour from Toronto. But how can you hate London in Europe if you're from a tiny town in Canada?” Lauren began as she embarked on one of her word vomiting episodes. Elodie tuned the girl out, watching the teenager's mouth move at a hundred miles a minute and slowly nodding along at what seemed like appropriate points in the story.

  As she faux-listened to the 15-year old's spiel, she began to really think about her situation. How had she gone from the girl that no one wanted to the one being pursued by two very attractive people? The issue at hand wasn't easy to deal with either, especially since she was unsure of her own feelings. It was undeniable that she was attracted to both men, albeit in completely different ways.

  While James was cautious and responsible, Tyler was utterly reckless and impulsive. She felt safe with the handsome banker, but disconcertingly alive whenever she was near the gorgeous model. Though she had yet to experience intimacy with James, there was no hiding the fact that what she and Tyler shared was magnetic.

  As Lauren's hands waved in the air excitedly, Elodie thought back on Tyler's sad smile from earlier that morning. Where had that even come from? She had been absolutely sure that he had just been fooling around with her up until now, chasing her as if it were some sort of game. He surely had a handful of girls that he juggled around as he wished, or so she had thought. How could she have known that he actually had feelings too?

  Seeking distraction, Elodie promptly arose from her seat, saying to Lauren, “I should pack. I have to leave tonight for the shoot.”

  “I'll totally help you,” Lauren replied eagerly as she shot up with her, scampering after Elodie into the bedroom. “I'm, like, so bored I could just die.”

  “Where is everyone? Did your new flatmates arrive?” Elodie asked as she crouched on the floor and unzipped her suitcase.

  Lauren nodded as she jumped onto the bed. “Yea, but those girls went to the agency today to get their schedules, or whatever. Two of them don't even speak English, so that should be loads of fun. Mira and Lana went to the salon and Klara went for a run or something really not fun like that. Anyway, I'm, like, so sad that you're leaving. I'm going to totally call you if I get to go to New York for Fashion Week in September, so you totally have to let me stay with you, okay? I'm going to put in a request with my booker in New York, and everything.”

  Elodie couldn't help but look at the teenager and smile warmly. “Of course,” she told her as she rolled up one of her tee shirts and shoved it into the corner of her bag. She hated packing with a vengeance, and finished as quickly as she could. Once she was done, she locked her suitcase and leaned against the side of the bed, accepting the cigarette that Lauren handed to her.

  “What time are you leaving?” Lauren asked as she lazily rolled over onto her back, her thick brown hair hanging off the side of the bed.

  Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Elodie replied, “The driver is coming for me around five. What time is it?”

  Lauren checked her phone and cried out, “It's already two. Oh my God, I only have three more hours with you!”

  “Well, I have to shower, so make that two,” Elodie said with a laugh as she pushed herself up from the cold wooden floor. Lauren groaned loudly as Elodie dug through her purse for her phone, which was vibrating noisily. When she retrieved it, she was confused by what was on the screen.

  “Hello?” she asked breathlessly. Even before he said anything, the prospect of hearing his voice made her feel tingly inside.

  “Why did you call me so many times last night?” James asked, his voice covered by slight static.

  Elodie felt her cheeks redden. “I did?”

  “You called me thirteen times yesterday around 5 PM, and then sent a bunch of text messages in gibberish. I was in a meeting and my phone kept ringing nonstop, so I had to turn it off,” he told her. Unless her ears were playing tricks on her, she thought she could sense a hint of agitation in his voice.

  Thirteen? “I am so sorry,” she managed to squeak out. She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. “I must have had a bit too much to drink.”

  He let out a sigh and she heard rustling in the background. Was he at work? “Yea, and then you didn't even pick up until now. I thought you were there for a photo shoot?”

  “I am,” she mustered. “I just...”

  She heard computer keys clicking and the sound of the printer. “Are you at work?” she asked in a surprised voice. It was 8 AM on a Sunday. He couldn't possibly still be working, right?

  “Yea, I am,” he said bitterly. “I told you that I'm really busy right now, remember?”

  A lump formed in her throat as she whispered back, “Yes, I remember.” Was he upset with her?

  Elodie turned her head towards the window, avoiding Lauren's inquiring eyes. She swallowed hard, feeling very stupid for having drunk-called him so many times while he was busy pulling all-nighters.

  James let out another sharp sigh as his voice softened slightly. “Look, let's just talk when you get back. I just wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong. Sorry, but I really have to get back to this project.”

  “Oh, of course,” she replied, suddenly feeling very small and juvenile, as if she were a child being scolded by her father.

  “I miss you,” she added in a tiny voice.

  Click.

  Her face turned hot as she brought the phone into
her lap. Had he heard her? Surely he hadn't? Elodie blinked furiously as she pretended to busy herself, reopening her suitcase for a change of clothes and lighting another cigarette.

  “Who was that?” Lauren finally asked in a cautious voice, searching Elodie's face for any sign of emotion.

  “Oh, just a friend,” Elodie chirped back nervously. “Anyway, I really must shower.”

  Lauren gave her a big smile and nodded supportively, obliging the sad girl.

  As Elodie stood still under the stream of burning hot water that trickled out of the grimy showerhead, she replayed the conversation in her head. Was James terribly upset? He had sounded extremely annoyed with her, but maybe it was because of the sheer amount of stress that he was under, or so she hoped. She mentally kicked herself as she angrily washed up, frustrated with how she had allowed herself to act like such a fool.

  “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she muttered to no one in particular as she climbed out of the shower stall and wrapped herself in a towel. Wiping away the fog that had formed on the mirror, she stared at her sad reflection. What was wrong with her?