Page 56 of See You There
It sounded like a compliment, but something in his tone made her think it wasn’t as clear cut as that. She locked her back teeth. “Thanks.”
“You’re stunning. You know that. Even if everyone didn’t tell you all the time… You have a mirror.” He shrugged. “I’m not explaining myself well. When you’re all done up for your interviews, you’re Lia...” A shot of alarm raced through Dahlia. “But like this…” He smiled and his eyes warmed. “Somehow, this matches the sassy woman who prefers my twin. You’re Dahlia.”
Her initial reaction was to deny it. Luke saw deeper than she wanted. He saw past the persona—was that so bad?If she let someone in? What if she could be Dahlia anytime she wasn’t on set?
Time had given her perspective, and not for the first time, she wondered if Victor’s theory of stardom was correct. If the public found out all of her family’s sordid secrets, would it be such a big deal? If she could control the narrative… Control how it was revealed… Dahlia sighed.
She may not have a choice anymore. Now that Victor knew she planned to fire him, he could sell her story to the tabloids. Of course, he would look bad, too.
The car turned onto the treelined road leading to a restaurant styled to resemble a World War II era French farmhouse. Piles of sandbags ‘reinforced’ the walls, and a vintage fighter plane was parked in front near the parking lot. The magazine had reserved the restaurant for the day, but Dahlia needed to be quick in order to get the pictures before the light changed.
Edgar pulled around the circle in front of the building, depositing Luke and Dahlia at the front door. Luke received several curious looks from the photographer’s staff, but there was no time for explanations about his disheveled appearance. She left Luke in the main restaurant overlooking the runway for Peachtree-Dekalb Airport while her makeup was done, and she slipped into the first of the looks.
The studio had gotten her the magazine feature to promoteLove in Arms. The whole shoot was supposed to be an homage to the 1940s era of the movie setting. Dahlia sat still, letting her mind wander as the makeup artist applied fake eyelashes and transformed her face.
Today, she needed to call the attorneys Luke mentioned. This time, she promised herself, she would read every word of every piece of paper they put in front of her. If she had questions, Dahlia was confident she could ask Luke. She trusted him. Her eyes flew open.
“Can you close your eyes again?” the makeup artist asked. Dahlia closed them while she probed the thought. She barelyknew Luke! Three days ago, he was a stranger. Was she confusing trust with her attraction to him? It wouldn’t be the first time she’d made that mistake.
“Everything okay?” the makeup artist asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re frowning.”
“Sorry, just a bit of a headache.” Which was true. Her head did still hurt from the fall, but the ibuprofen had taken the edge off the pain.
Dahlia kept her face still and let her mind drift back to Luke. At the radio station, he had seemed genuinely concerned for her. Even before Victor appeared, Luke brought up how her agent treated her. He had nothing to gain from intervening, unless he got a kickback from one of the attorneys. Dahlia dismissed that idea.
Quid pro quo was standard in the entertainment industry. Dahlia wouldn’t have blamed Luke if that was why he was helping her. But he’d given several names for her to choose from, not just one, and hadn’t shown a preference for any.
Why was he doing it for her? Was he just a nice guy, and she wasn’t used to it? Warmth spread through her chest. For the first time in a long time, Dahlia felt like she could rely on someone. Maybe there could be something more—the makeup artist interrupted her thoughts when she announced she was done.
Dahlia stood and took a hanger from the standing rack holding the wardrobe choices. The first outfit was a Rosie-the-Riveter style coverall. However, the jumpsuit was so tight, Dahlia doubted anyone could have done any actual work in it.
She took the red polka dot pushup bra off the hanger with a sigh. Someday, she’d like to be recognized for her work—not just her boobs. She zipped up the coveralls, unsurprised to find that the fastener stopped several inches from the top, revealingthe top of the bra and her artificially enhanced cleavage. Dahlia swallowed her frustration and cinched the belt at her waist.
“You look hot,” the wardrobe assistant said, smacking her gum.
With one last adjustment to the matching scarf holding the heavy weight of her hair at her nape, the hairdresser removed the clip holding her victory curl bangs in place. Dahlia stepped into a pair of red patent high heels—because nothing says factory worker like stilettos—and followed Peter’s assistant to the plane parked out front.
They had placed a two-step stool next to the open engine compartment of the plane. Peter explained he wanted her to pretend she was a mechanic and handed her a large wrench.
That makes perfect sense, she snarked in her head. The character she played in the movie, Helen, was an emotionally complex character. Her husband, played by Chandler, had returned from the war with a devastating war wound. The movie primarily dealt with the changes both characters faced after living apart for four years.
But sure! Cleavage and a tool. Men!
Dahlia caught Luke’s eye and rolled hers, thinking he would share her amusement, but the expression on his face almost made her stumble. He was staring at her with such fierce longing, answering heat flowed through her straight to her core. She broke the intense eye contact before the crowd fussing over her noticed where her attention was.
“Too bad Chandler couldn’t be here,” Peter lamented. “We were supposed to have romantic couple shots. We’ll have to make do.”
Someone put on forties-era swing music, and Dahlia followed Peter’s directions, moving into different poses. Over the years she had developed a habit of creating uniquecharacters in which to lose herself in order to make interminable photo shoots bearable.
While she listened to Peter’s instructions on autopilot, Dahlia ceased to be there, and a character named Jackie took over. Her mind could sort through specific details, allowing her to forget about the people watching.
Jackie was a young woman who wanted to do her part in the war. She wasn’t cut out for nursing but had always been good with tools, having learned at her father’s knee…
No, too close to home.
