Fauxmance (Showmance #2)(31)
“What are you thinking about?”
“About you,” I answered honestly. “You have quite an interesting life.”
His eyes held a sparkle. “Oh Elodie, you don’t know the half of it.”
I was locked in his gaze again. If I wasn’t careful, I could get lost there. I looked away, scanning the room. “So, who was it you wanted to introduce me to?”
His tone was playful. “Are you familiar with the work of J.K. Rowling?”
My mouth fell all the way open. “Shut up! She’s here?”
Julian motioned me forward. “Come along. We met while I was holidaying in Fiji last year. The woman is a delight.”
*
By the time the night was through, Julian had introduced me to so many celebrities my head was fit to burst. I was on a buzz as we climbed into a cab to head home. I’d be high off the adrenaline of that party for months. And the fact that they all believed Elodie was a real person? So exhilarating.
It was a victimless crime. Well, except for Suze. I was still trying to figure out what to do about her. Maybe it would be best if Elodie just ghosted her, but the idea of letting her go hurt. I’d come to like Suze a lot.
When we arrived at my house, I turned to Julian. “Do you want to come in for a little while?”
His smile was teasing. “I never sleep over on the first date.”
I swiped him on the shoulder. “Not what I meant! I just…I still feel too excited to sleep. Tonight’s been amazing.”
His expression was tender. “It was certainly a lot of fun painting the town red together.”
I opened the door to the cab. “So…”
Julian pulled out some money to pay the driver. “Fine, I’ll come in for a little while, but I’m warning you, if you get handsy I’m gone.”
The cab driver chuckled quietly in the front. I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, your virginal body is safe with me.”
We stepped out of the cab and Julian gave a loud hoot. “This body hasn’t been virginal since the Monica Lewinsky scandal.”
I slotted my key in the door, chuckling. I wasn’t tipsy since I’d only had two drinks. I’d been too busy taking it all in. The party. The people. The thrill of pretending.
Rainbow and Skittles chirped in their cage when I came in. “Hello, my babies!” I greeted jovially, high on life. Julian walked into the kitchen behind me as I opened their cage. Skittles flew out and perched on a wood beam close to the ceiling, while Rainbow came to sit on my shoulder, fascinated by my wig.
“Vocal little things, aren’t they,” Julian commented as he took a seat by the table.
“Yep. This house wouldn’t be a home without them.”
“How long have you had them?”
“Almost six years. I got them soon after I moved to London. But lovebirds can live for up to fifteen years, so they’ll be around for another few years yet.”
“Will you be sad when they die?”
“Of course! It’s like losing any pet. They’re my best friends.”
Julian’s expression softened, and I realised how sad that sounded. My closest friends in the entire world were my pet birds. I grimaced.
“It’s not as pathetic as it sounds, I promise.”
“I don’t think it sounds pathetic at all. Look at this beautiful house and those wonderful birds. You’ve got it made.”
“Yes, well, I could stand to try for a little more human interaction.”
“You’re already doing it. Tonight, you were charming celebrities like you’d been doing it your whole life.”
I held up a finger. “Correction. Elodie charmed them. Ellen would’ve hidden under a table and waited for it all to be over.”
“You do realise that you are Elodie. She’s right there inside of you. You just need to dress up in order to let her free.”
I petted Rainbow’s head and placed him back in the cage before he decided to poop on my wig. It was often a hazard of letting your pet birds sit on your shoulder.
“Yes, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to be like her while I’m…me. This is going to sound confusing, but when I’m Elodie, I’m more myself than when I’m actually being myself.”
Julian was quiet a moment, thinking. I pulled two bottles of water out of the fridge and handed him one. He took it and silently unscrewed the cap. “What if you try a slow progression? You could keep being Elodie until one day you feel comfortable not to wear high heels. Then, maybe a couple of weeks later you’ll wear jeans instead of a dress, and so on.”
I exhaled. “You’re making it sound simpler than it is. This is a psychological block. It’s not so easily overcome.”
“Well then, you just keep going out as Elodie and see where it leads. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I could suffer the ultimate mortification of being found out. Oh, wait, that’s already happened,” I deadpanned.
Julian smiled. “Exactly. And did the world come to an end? No, it didn’t. If pretending to be Elodie makes you happy, then you keep on pretending. Lots of people have alter egos, just look at drag queens. You’re no different.”
I pointed my water bottle at him. “It’s funny you should say that. Elodie actually began when I won a makeover at a drag show I went to with Bernice and Felicity.”