Etoile (The Mannequin Series)

by Olivia Besse

  “My M&Ms!” Caroline squealed out as she entered Elodie's field of vision, gleefully slapping the toned arms of Marten and Milos like a cheerleader who had forgotten to take her Ritalin. “Remember that? That night was so fun!” The two boys roared in laughter as Heddi rolled her eyes. It probably wasn't even that funny, Elodie thought as she finished off the glass in her hand.

  “Congratulations Theo!” Caroline cooed across the way, flipping her hair and shooting a borderline deranged smile in the suddenly bashful teen's direction. The stunning girl next to him shifted uncomfortably in her seat, obviously unnerved by the supermodel's noisy arrival.

  Elodie fought the urge to roll her eyes as Soren dragged two armchairs over for Caroline and Amada to sit down on while Erik clambered to pour them drinks. What was the big deal? She's not even that pretty, Elodie thought grumpily as she felt her shoulders slump.

  “I told you we should've gotten out of here,” Tyler whispered to her with a peeved look on his face. “It's not too late, you know,” he added with a hopeful smile.

  Before she could respond, Caroline had spotted him like a hawk. “Tyler,” she whined out, obviously having had a few drinks before arriving. Even bats would be disturbed by the high-pitched yelping, Elodie thought to herself as she winced and rubbed at her poor little ears. “You're not even going to say hi to me?”

  Tyler shut his eyes and dramatically let out a trembling sigh before turning to answer her. “Hi,” he enunciated slowly before turning back to Elodie. “Let's go, yea?” he asked again without so much as glancing at Caroline.

  Elodie bit her lip nervously, knowing that she would lose the tiny bit of self-control that she had left if she were to leave with him. Before making the decision to casually date both James and Tyler, she had told herself that she wouldn't do anything intimate with either until she was sure of what she wanted. And though Tyler was making it very difficult for her to stick to her guns, she knew that she still had strong feelings for James that she needed to explore too.

  “We're going to go,” Heddi announced as she tapped Elodie on the shoulder. Tatiana was already waving goodbye to Charlie and hugging Theo, Chanel bag in hand.

  “What?” Elodie asked hurriedly. “No! Stay!”

  “Lo, we not have fun,” Tatiana stated bluntly as she stopped in front of her, swaying lightly from the many glasses that she had indulged in. “We go Daniel and friends, if you want come, but you-know-who is not there.”

  Elodie shot them a wide-eyed look of desperate pleading, which both chose not to acknowledge. “Have fun!” Heddi said in a fake voice as she stuck out her tongue teasingly. Before Elodie could react, the two traitors stomped away.

  “Let's get out of here,” Tyler mumbled as he nuzzled into her neck. A pained expression crossed Elodie's face as she closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. The stinging aroma of whiskey hitting her nose made her realize just how drunk she was, and just how dangerous this situation could become. When she slowly pried her lids open, she could see Caroline glowering at her out of the corner of her eye.

  “No, we should just stay for a little bit,” she told him as she pulled away, trying to come up with another excuse as to why. “I have to go to the agency early tomorrow morning anyway. I cannot stay out too late,” she finally added. Good job, Marais, she drunkenly told herself, impressed at her quick thinking.

  “Tyler, stop being a whiny bitch and drink,” Charlie ordered loudly as he beckoned for him to lean in across the table. Tyler shot Elodie a childish glare before accepting another glass of whisky. “I hate my life,” he moaned as they clinked glasses with Soren.

  “I am going to go to the bathroom,” Elodie announced as she pried herself free from his arm. Tyler looked up at her as she stood with a sullen expression. “You better come back,” he threatened playfully with a small smile.

  As Elodie washed her hands at the crowded sink, she felt someone come up beside her. When she looked up, Caroline was standing next to her with nary a hair out of place, though her eyes showed that she was obviously plastered.

  “Hello,” Elodie greeted her awkwardly as she walked over to the mirror to reapply her baby pink Lip Tar. At least the threat of ruining her lipstick might keep her from giving in to Tyler's irresistible lips. “I do not think we met. My name is Elodie.”

  Caroline followed her and began fixing her already perfect hair as they stood next to each other. “Why are you clinging so desperately to Tyler?” she demanded loudly with an incredulous smile. Elodie felt her shoulders tighten as the girl next to them was obviously eavesdropping on the humiliating confrontation. “You know that he's just using you, right?” she added, never once tearing her eyes away from her own reflection.

  “Um,” was all that Elodie could manage to say in response. She caught her bewildered expression in the mirror and quickly shook it off of her face, not letting Caroline have the satisfaction of seeing the insecurity in her eyes.

  It was too late. “He and I are going to get back together, you know,” Caroline said as she dabbed at the perfectly smudged eyeliner under her eyes. “He's just upset with me right now. But he and I have something special. I do something to him."

  Hearing those words caused Elodie's hand to freeze in mid-air as she tried her best not to look at the spiteful girl. Seeing the effect that her taunting had on her blonde nemesis, Caroline smirked triumphantly.

  "Oh, did he use those lines on you too?”

  Elodie swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, the loud music in the background fading away as Caroline's scathing words took center stage. The girl who had been watching them shot Caroline's reflection a look of disgust before scampering away. Elodie wished desperately to follow her, but found that her feet remained glued to the floor as if bricks had been tied to them.

  “Aw, he did? Shame on him. But, I mean, everyone knows that Tyler's a smooth talker,” Caroline continued as she finally turned to acknowledge Elodie's presence. “Didn't you?”

  When Elodie didn't respond, Caroline pouted her lips as a fake look of worry flooded her face. “Oh, you didn't? That's really cute,” she said in a condescending voice. “But I just want you to know that I'm looking out for you so that you don't get hurt in the crossfire. Tyler's just trying to make me jealous, and it just really sucks that he's using you as bait.”

  “I do not think that is the case,” Elodie said finally, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Using all the strength that she could muster, she continued to finish applying the thick pink goo to her lips, avoiding Caroline's eyes all the while.

  Caroline let out a haughty laugh, her glossy hair bouncing around with every toss of her head. “You don't get it, do you? Don't you see how hot and bothered he gets whenever I'm in the room?”

  Elodie tried to steady her breath as she screwed the cap back on her tube of lipstick. Don't let her get to you, she screamed at the 14-year old girl inside of herself. She's delusional, so don't listen to her, she repeated over and over as the self-doubt swelled up inside of her. Without saying a word, she gave Caroline a tight smile and made her way out of the bathroom.

  Thirty-six

  “What took you so long?” Tyler griped when she returned to the table. Elodie gave him a tense shrug, unable to let her shoulders hang loosely after the ordeal that had just occurred. She awkwardly perched herself at the edge of the seat cushion as Charlie handed her another glass of champagne, unsure of how to position her body as she sat and finished the drink in one gulp.

  “Finally, someone's in the mood to party properly,” Charlie commented with an encouraging nod as he poured her some more. Elodie thanked him with a nod as Tyler shifted himself up and leaned closer to her, causing her body to stiffen subconsciously.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked as he peered at her curiously. “You're acting weird.”

  Elodie turned to him with a fake smile and shook her head. “I am fine!” she replied, a bit too jumpily.

  “Hm, okay,” he said, but not without a susp
icious look on his face. When Caroline made her way back to the group, Elodie noticed that Tyler couldn't help but roll his eyes, his arm tightening around her waist. Though she tried to shake the thoughts out of her head, she wondered if he was only doing it so that Caroline would see.

  “We're leaving,” Caroline hissed bossily to Amanda, who shrugged her shoulders and rose from her seat. “Bye everyone,” Caroline announced chirpily with a dazzling smile. The disappointed groans of males everywhere would have echoed across the room had the music not been so loud.

  “Bye Tyler,” Caroline said in a singsong voice, smirking at Elodie as she and Amanda sauntered towards the exit. Elodie glanced over at Tyler to see that he was shaking his head as he watched them leave the room, eliciting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was everything that Caroline said true?

  Wiping the crestfallen expression from her face, Elodie tossed back her head and finished her glass with determination. When she brought her head back down, she saw that Charlie was watching her with amusement. “Whoa,” he said with a grin. “Don't get all crazy now. You don't want to pass out again, do you?”

  Elodie gave him a weak smile as Tyler ruffled her hair and planted a kiss on her cheek. “It's okay. Go crazy. I'll take care of you,” he whispered to her with a wink.

  At this, her shoulders naturally relaxed as she let out a small sigh. Of course Tyler wasn't using her. Why had she allowed Caroline's tirade to touch a nerve? The girl was obviously unhinged.

  “Last bottle,” Theo announced as he held up the glowing champagne bottle by the neck as the night drew to an end. The lounge was packed to the brim with sweaty and inebriated people, the music blaring as cigarette smoke hung like a thick fog in the still air. “Congratulations to me,” he slurred as Gabriella giggled in his lap.

  “Bottle's empty, bro,” Charlie told him with a dismissive shake of his head as he signed for the bill. “Let's get out of here.”

  As they rose from the cushy sofa, Elodie found that she had trouble balancing, which meant that she had partaken in about three glasses too many. Tyler steadied her as they made their way through the crowd, pushing away the leering creeps who tried to grab at the drunk girl's hands. Once they were all finally upstairs and outside of the hotel's entrance, Elodie took a deep breath and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light shining down from the lamps above.

  Soren, Erik and Caroline's M&Ms were calling girls to hang out, and Theo and Gabriella were nowhere to be found. Charlie and Tyler smoked cigarettes while Elodie drunkenly swayed to and fro under Tyler's protective arm.

  “Told you not to get crazy,” Charlie taunted her as he shot Tyler a knowing grin. Elodie looked up to shoot him a glare, but found that her eyes were greeted by two obnoxious Charlies when she did.

  “Do you want to go home?” Tyler asked her as he leaned his head close to hers. She turned her face towards his and gave him a dopey smile. “I cannot,” she announced firmly, trying not to slur.

  “And why not?” he asked back exaggeratedly, as if he were talking to a 3-year old. His face broke out into a grin as he rubbed his nose against hers.

  How was she supposed to resist him when he was so adorable? Elodie frowned as she looked into his eyes, not bothering to answer for fear that he would pull another cute move. He let out a snort of laughter before grabbing a cab, motioning for the others to go on ahead with their debauchery without them. After Elodie had crawled in, he climbed in next to her and told the driver his address.

  Fuck, Elodie thought as she bobbed around in the backseat. How the hell am I going to get out of this? I have no self-control right now, she groaned inwardly as she closed her eyes and breathed in his cologne. Stop breathing in his cologne! Tell the driver your address, Marais. Tell him! What the fuck. Why is this ride so bumpy? I'm going to throw up all over my jeans. No, don't throw up, she pleaded with herself as she took deep breaths. Fuck! That cologne! What did I say about breathing?

  They eventually pulled up in front of Tyler's building as she was deep into her seventh minute of arguing with herself. “We're here,” he announced with a smirk on his face as he led her out of the backseat. Fuck. Had she been mumbling aloud the entire time?

  Why are you even here? she demanded to herself as they stepped out of the elevator. What are you doing? Are you crazy? What about James?

  Elodie could hear the blood pounding in her ears as Tyler led her to his front door. She contemplated running as he fumbled with the lock, but realized that she would probably trip and break her ankle if she attempted it in her current state. When she heard the undeniable click of the doorknob turning, she looked over at Tyler and gulped. Shit, did he hear that?

  “Do you want water?” he asked as he walked into the kitchen. Elodie didn't answer, merely standing frozen like a statue in the entryway. When he returned with a bottle of Smart Water, he looked at her with a quizzical grin. “Did you want me to take your shoes off again for you, Cinderella?”

  “No, no,” Elodie responded, quickly kicking off her boots, which landed on the wooden floor with deafening thuds. Sorry, my dear Wangs, she apologized silently to the pair as she nervously grabbed the bottle from his hand and pattered towards the couch. Tyler followed her with a confused look on his face.

  “Are you sure you're okay?” he asked cautiously, the corners of his mouth slowly twitching in amusement. Elodie took a giant gulp of water as she nodded fervently. Tyler let out a laugh as he moved closer, grabbing the water bottle from her hand and placing it on the table in front of them. As the sound of the plastic hitting the table echoed throughout the large room, she felt herself jump in anticipation for what was coming next.

  Elodie felt her stomach fill with butterflies as his face approached hers at a teasingly slow pace. He stopped right before their noses met, a small smirk playing on his lips as he looked her in the eye. She could tell that he was drunk also, though not as much as her, and could smell the whisky on him with each breath that he exhaled through his nose. The cold gusts that tickled her chin caused her teeth to lightly chatter as tingles ran up and down her neck.

  Why is he so cute? she thought to herself as she looked at him in trepidation. Was he always this cute? What did he look like before? Were his eyes always this green? You really need to ask him about his eyelashes, she reminded herself as she watched him blink. Was James cuter, or Tyler? What did James look like again?

  Would it be so terrible just to kiss him? Kissing isn't technically intimate, is it? Of course it is, Marais! Get a grip. It's the second most intimate thing that you could do! she grumbled inwardly to herself. Don't do it! Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, please do not—

  Oh, fuck it, she thought as his lips touched hers and she let out a sigh of relief. He held the side of her face as he planted tiny kisses on her mouth, pushing her onto her back as they lowered themselves onto the couch together.

  Tyler pulled away slightly as he brushed the hair out of her face and smiled at her, taking a moment to just stare. Each time he blinked, her lids instinctively followed suit. Maybe if you follow his blinking patterns, your lashes will become like his, she drunkenly told herself as if it all made sense.

  “You're like a little doll,” he murmured before he slowly leaned in again.

  Elodie yearned for more as he lightly kissed her on the mouth, almost as if he were taunting her. With each kiss, he gently sucked at her bottom lip, the tip of his tongue brushing ever so lightly against hers. When she moaned aloud, imploring him to kiss her more deeply, he began to do so more forcibly.

  He moved his hands along her bare arms and down to her waist as she rolled over on top of him, her own hands holding his face as they ravaged each other's mouths. She let out small gasps of pleasure as he moved one of his hands down to her ass, eventually pulling her legs apart as he stroked her thigh.

  When he began to move his sensuous kisses to her neck, Elodie tossed her head back in pleasure. She moaned deeply as she rubbed herself against his leg, causing h
im to grab at her ass as their lips found each other again. Tyler moved his hands to her back, holding her tightly as he kissed her softly over and over. His eyes scanned her face as he smoothed her hair with one hand, a tiny smile on his lips as he whispered in a raspy voice, “What is it that you do to me?”

  As if someone had just turned on the lights, Elodie sobered up immediately at these words. “What?” she spit out with a look of disbelief on her face.

  Tyler's smile slightly faded as she tried to pull herself away from him. “What's wrong?” he asked as his brow furrowed the tiniest bit.

  “Do you say that to all of your girls?” Elodie asked with shaky eyes before she could stop herself. His grip loosened as a confused look crossed his face, allowing her to wriggle out from his hold. She bolted up and shook her head as she tried to gather her thoughts.