Pretending to Be Us

by Taylor Holloway

  But just because I didn’t trust Santiago didn’t mean I didn’t trust Daniel. I couldn’t go around telling Daniel what to do. Despite what we were telling people, he was not my assistant. He was also a grown-ass man. I had zero right to tell him to steer clear of Santiago. Besides, Daniel had a point. If Santiago was with him, he wasn’t with Darcy. That meant she was on her own to do her scheming.

  On the other hand, Daniel also had no right to tell me to steer clear of Peter. I could take good advice though. If I really tried.

  I knew Peter wanted to see me. And I wanted to see him twice as much. But my heart burned with guilt every time I looked at him. He deserved someone better than me. He deserved a real princess. Someone who would be able to walk next to him on the red carpet without embarrassing him. Someone who actually had the talent to get the roles that would put her on the screen with him. Not a fraud. Not me.

  Besides, I had a lot of work to do. I had to avoid all of Wallace Prince’s probing questions about my fictional past, continue to pretend to be a princess, and figure out how to sell my car from thousands of miles away. The car was the hardest part. It can be done, I discovered, it’s just not easy to do. But after eight hours on the phone and computer, I had a fresh eight thousand dollars in my bank account and a way to keep my family away from financial ruin for at least another week. We’d have no car, but we wouldn’t be homeless, either.

  Alone at a coffee shop after I couldn’t stand the lovey-dovey cuteness between my best friend/assistant and my maybe-enemy any longer, I could finally think. I was somehow able to order myself a latte, and in the late afternoon sun, I took stock of my situation. I took a few deep breaths and tried to focus.

  My next paycheck would hit next Friday. If we shot next week, which I prayed to God we would, that would mean I’d have enough money to keep myself, my mom, and my grandmother all going for approximately the next month. I’d made a spreadsheet of all the bills that needed to be paid in order of priority. It would all be okay as long as I could continue to work.

  I can do this, I told myself firmly. I can keep it together.

  Do your scenes. Stay calm. Don’t let anyone see what a fraud you are.

  Avoid Peter.

  A familiar voice finally shook me out of my stupor.

  “So, be honest Lucy, are you avoiding me?”

  I looked up to see Peter sinking down into the chair opposite me. His expression was as confident and nonchalant as ever, and as always, I was totally dazzled by him. It never did seem to wear off. Even when he was just wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt, he looked every inch a movie star. A girl like me had no right to a guy like him.

  “I’ve had a busy couple of days,” I said weakly. Making eye contact was hard, so I stared at my coffee instead. Coffee would never hate me once it learned who I really was. Coffee would always be there for me long after Peter was gone.

  “Family stuff?” He took my hand and it honestly made me want to cry. He was so nice. Maybe if he wasn’t so nice, maybe if he’d been the aloof, stuck up Hollywood guy, I could have resisted him. But this version of him? It was irresistible.

  I nodded. “Yeah.” I looked around myself at the little café, still mystified that I managed to con myself all the way to Avignon. “This all feels very surreal,” I told him. “I don’t know if I should let myself believe any of this is real.”

  “Which part?”

  I looked at him and then at our joined hands. “All of it. This part most of all.”

  “I like you, Lucy.”

  “I like you too,” I told him. “But this isn’t a good idea and I don’t want things to be weird on set.”

  “Weird?”

  “I don’t want you to feel like I’m this weird clingy girl.”

  “I don’t think that.” He smirked. “You’re the one whose been avoiding me.”

  “I know.” My voice was small.

  “You know,” he told me, “if you hadn’t been avoiding me, I could have told you that I didn’t want you to think I was only interested in a fling.” My lips parted in surprise, and he smiled at me like he had me all figured out. “I don’t want a one-night stand. I’d like to, you know, try.”

  I blinked in shock. “Try?”

  “Dating,” he clarified. “I think we should give it a try.”

  My heart was in my throat. There was no way. The last girl Peter Prince dated was a superstar. They’d had one of those Hollywood romances where their every move was photographed, and fans made composite pictures of their hypothetical future children. America has no royalty, but Peter Prince was about as close as anyone could get. The person he dated became famous.

  I’d been halfway convinced that whatever happened between us, while lovely, was ephemeral. It was a passing moment in what I’m sure were a lot of passing moments between Peter and the women who got caught in his orbit. I never thought he’d actually want a relationship with me. He could have anyone.

  But Peter was nodding like there was no one else on his mind but me. He was looking at me like there was something real between us. And there was, but it wasn’t enough.

  “I don’t think you want to date me,” I managed. “I’ve got issues.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You’re not the only one.” His smile widened. “I think we’d be good together. A princess and a prince are a perfect match though, even if we aren’t quite what everyone thinks. Don’t you want to give us a try?”

  Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. To be so close to what I wanted and yet, be just out of reach was torture. “Peter, I’m not who you think I am.”

  “You’re Lucy. I saw your passport, you know. It said Lucia Antonia Bergen. If you don’t think I know what I’m getting into, I do. I don’t expect everything to be easy, but now that you’ve met my family you should know you’re in for a challenge too.”

  I swallowed. “It’s not that.”

  “Then what?” His expression was confused. “Lucy, have I done something wrong?”

  “No.” I shook my head sadly back and forth. I was going to cry if I sat here much longer and I hated the thought of him seeing it. I wasn’t sure my pride could bear it. “I’m not the girl you think I am.”

  He looked frustrated now. “And who would that be?”

  “Someone worth having.”

  I got up, spilling the last of my coffee but not really even caring. I took off, not even really knowing where I was going but just wanting to be away from this situation that was spiraling out of control. I took off out the door and down one of the many twisting, little streets of central Avignon.

  My high heels struggled on the cobblestone pavers and I ran with all the grace and coordination of a baby giraffe. I should have known I wouldn’t make it very far. My ankle twisted before I got half a block and I stumbled. If Peter hadn’t been only two steps behind me, I’d have fallen. As it was, he caught me.

  Strong hands gripped my shoulders and turned me around, saving me from a fall but trapping me, pinning me to the wall. We stared at each other. My breath froze in my lungs.

  I put both my palms on his chest to push him away, but there was no strength left in me. He was warm and the look in his eyes told me he really did care. He really did want me. It wasn’t a passing moment for him.

  “Tell me you don’t want me, and I'll leave you alone forever,” he said. He kissed me like I was the only woman in the world.

  “I do want you,” I whispered. My body felt like it was on a roller coaster and my emotional state was even less stable. At any moment I was going to hit the ground hard, but right now this falling felt a whole lot like flying.

  Then he was kissing me again and I forgot why I shouldn’t want him.

  27

  Peter

  Lucy and I walked back to the villa hand in hand. The sun was setting and every time I glanced over at her and saw her smile, I felt like we’d finally turned the corner. She’d been scared, that was all.

  It made sense. She thought I was some
Hollywood playboy that slept around. A few years ago, she’d have been right. But that was in my past. And what was in my future, I hoped, was Lucy.

  When we got back to the villa, dinner was already being laid out. Vanessa was here now, having flown in a day late. She took in Lucy and me holding hands and hid a smile. My dad took one look at Lucy and me and grinned like he’d just won the lottery. I rolled my eyes at him and it only made him smile more. I felt like I’d won the lottery too.

  “Where have you two been?” he asked.

  “Just in town,” I replied, hoping he wouldn’t press for details. Lucy seemed nervous about the whole situation already. I knew our relationship was fragile right now. I wanted to give us some time to talk and figure things out before we got the full parental interrogation.

  He was ridiculously pleased though. My dad’s little scheme to bring us all to Europe had worked just the way he’d hoped. Of everything, that’s what irked me the most. I’d never hear the end of it. But what I was getting, Lucy, was so far beyond the satisfaction of being right that I couldn’t muster that much annoyance over it.

  Darcy and Santiago showed up right as the hors d'oeuvres were being served. Strangely, she had a manila folder in her hands and a big grin on her face.

  “I’ve got something to share,” she announced. “It’ll only take a moment, but I think we should all hear it at once.”

  Lucy tensed. She and Daniel exchanged a worried look. I ground my teeth, annoyed.

  “Darcy,” my dad groused, “the chef has every course timed perfectly. Can’t this wait until after dinner?”

  She shook her head and her ringlets danced. “No, Wallace, it really can’t.” She was eyeing Lucy and me. “Although I wish it hadn’t come to this, I feel like I have an ethical obligation to share something I’ve found out about Lucy.”

  Lucy withdrew her hand from mine and stood up. “Just spit it out, Darcy,” she said. It was clear that her patience had finally worn thin. “Say what you want to say.”

  “Sure thing, Princess,” Darcy said with fake sweetness. She stared around our assembled table. “First of all, I’ve been reviewing the contract and I found something interesting. As the producer, there’s a clause that states that if more than four days go by due to work stoppage or unforeseen disaster, I have full discretion to reselect the actors, director, financing deals, and other essential work decisions. We’ve been stopped for four days now. I’m going to need to make a few changes.”

  Lucy looked confused and she wasn’t the only one. I’d never heard of such a thing.

  “What?” Wallace asked. “That’s not in the contract.”

  “It’s all right here,” Darcy said. She had conveniently printed and highlighted the section. There was one for each of us. She passed out the copies as the food got cold and I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach.

  “This is a photocopy,” Vanessa said into the ensuing silence. “Where’s the original?”

  “I have it,” Wallace said. He was looking at Darcy like she’d just made a horrible mistake. He turned to his personal secretary who must have telepathically known he was needed because he just magically appeared. “Elliot, go grab the original contract out of my office, will you? See if this highlighted clause is in there, too.”

  “It’s on page sixty-five,” Darcy said helpfully. She grinned sweetly and it made me feel even more worried.

  “Go Elliot!” My dad snapped.

  Elliot nodded and took off running in the direction of the study where my dad kept originals. As we waited, Darcy’s smile widened. “I’ve also got another thing to announce. Lucia Antonia Bergen is not a Swedish Princess. She’s not royalty. She’s not anybody. She’s not even an actress, although I have to admit she’s an excellent liar.”

  The room went silent and everyone stared at Lucy. She stared back at Darcy like she wished she could kill her with her eyes. But other than the hatred glowing from her blue eyes, Lucy looked like she’d been carved out of marble. Her pretty face was composed.

  I was waiting for her to deny it. But she didn’t. She just stared.

  The moment lengthened and twisted into one of the most agonizing of my life. The staring contest between the two women was worthy of its own feature length film. Then Darcy laughed and the moment broke, and everyone started talking at once. The individual voices rose over one another.

  “Darcy, how dare you--” my dad began.

  “What the fuck--” I said simultaneously.

  “Darcy--” Daniel stuttered.

  “This wasn’t what we agreed--” Santiago blurted.

  “Can we all please calm--” Vanessa tried.

  Lucy stood up and silenced us all. She pushed her chair all the way out and stalked around the table to where Darcy was standing. The two women regarded each other seriously. I wondered if Lucy was going to slap her, but all she did was sigh and look over at me.

  “Don’t,” Lucy told me over her shoulder. “Don’t defend me. She’s right. I’m not a princess. I never was. I’m just a liar.” Her voice was even, but sad.

  The collective, shocked inhale in the room seemed to take up all the air.

  “But you’re Swedish,” I stuttered. “I saw your passport. I saw your social media. Your name is Lucia Antonia Bergen.”

  Lucy nodded. “It’s my real name. I’m a dual citizen, but not the royal kind. All that stuff online is made up. The truth is that I’m a second generation Swedish-American with a lot of debt and bad judgment.” Lucy looked down at her hands and then up at all of us. “But what Darcy’s telling you is not the whole story.” She turned to Darcy. “Are you going to tell them it was your idea for me to pretend to be a princess, too? That you came to my house and convinced me it was a good idea to go to the audition and lie about who I was? And then, are you going to tell them that you threatened me?”

  Darcy shrugged her shoulders and grinned victoriously. Even in this moment, it was clear who the real villain of this story was. “None of that matters now. What matters is that you lied about who you were. That’s unacceptable. Now that I’m in charge, I can fix it. You’re fired.” Then Darcy looked around the room and made eye contact with each of us in turn. “And anyone that questions my decision here is fired too. And Wallace? You can kiss your distribution deal goodbye if you walk.”

  Lucy stared at the ground, seemingly ashamed. I didn’t know what to think. This was not at all how I expected this dinner to go. In fact, this was so far beyond how I expected this dinner to go that little green men could march in and tell us the invasion had begun and I’m not sure I could get any more surprised. Flying monkeys could come in from the windows and I’d be equally nonplussed. I’d maxed out my surprise-o-meter for the foreseeable future.

  When I finally regained enough wherewithal to look at her, I found Lucy staring at me with the same vulnerability she’d had earlier at the cafe. It all made sense now. All her fear, and her secrecy. It made perfect sense.

  I knew she was scared and alone, it was obvious, but a feeling of betrayal had begun to take root in me, and I wasn’t sure I could stand it. I ripped my gaze away from her and looked at Vanessa, who was wide eyed and silent, and then at my dad, who was red-faced and sputtering. Of everyone here, he’d been the one most excited about having a member of European royalty attached to the movie. Of everyone here, he looked the angriest. He probably felt like a fool.

  I knew the feeling. The real fool here was me.

  “You lied to me?” I asked Lucy. I still couldn’t quite wrap my mind around the size of her deception. She’d lied about everything. For weeks.

  I didn’t even know her. I’d been afraid that she was a liar, and now, it seemed like that was exactly what she was. Only on a whole different level than I’d even thought possible.

  Lucy hung her head. “I didn’t have a choice.” Her voice was a whisper.

  “Bullshit.” I told her. I was suddenly furious, and it felt a hell of a lot better than feeling hurt or betrayed. “That’s total bu
llshit and you know it. You always have a choice. Always.”

  “I--” she started, and then she was interrupted because Elliot burst in.

  He read the faces in the room and went instantly pale. “I, um, I pulled the original contract. Darcy is correct. That clause is there on page--”

  Darcy burst out in giggles and Lucy took off then, finally losing her composure and starting to cry. I probably should have chased her, because the moment the tears started falling from her eyes, all my anger fled. But I was too stunned, too overwhelmed to even move. In my moment of indecision, I let her go.

  28

  Peter

  We never did eat the dinner my dad’s chef prepared for us. The night was very thoroughly ruined. Lucy and Daniel disappeared, and we let them go. Darcy unleashed a list of new demands on each of us and the witch had us all over a barrel, so we had no choice but to agree. The alternative would mean the production died. We’d all invested too much time, effort, and money to let that happen.

  But her demands were steep. First, significant rewrites would be undertaken on the script. Eva would be rewritten so that Darcy could play the role herself. Vanessa would still shoot the movie, but Darcy now had executive control over every scene. She could demand reshoots. She would review dailies. The flight back to Austin from France was basically just a long, uncomfortable lecture.

  The production itself would begin shooting again in three days' time. Although the movie was already half done, we’d now be starting all over. Darcy wanted to control everything, and that meant going nearly frame-by-frame through the original footage and nitpicking everything. While she was busy ripping apart everything good that we’d all built so far, I had a lot of time.

  My dad had been trying to get me on the phone for days, but I’d been avoiding his calls. I had nothing to say to him. I knew he probably wanted to game plan about how to defeat Darcy, but I’d already had the lawyers look at the contract. It was airtight. And now we were all suffocating in it.