«DAY 2»
Luke
When I close my eyes, she's there - in the room with the white walls. It's just the two of us, like always. When I try to get closer to her, my legs won't move. I try to say "Excuse me," or anything that will catch her attention, but I'm incapable of speech. I don't know her name, and I never have.
All I know is that she's beautiful, and I want her.
But she doesn't turn around.
She never does.
"Luke, wake up," a feminine voice says, shaking my shoulders.
She's here. She's here with me?
A sleepy smile forms on my lips as I roll over in my bed. I reach towards the voice and grab her hands in mine, soft as angel skin, and bring them to my lips. It's so dreamlike, I can't believe it's actually happening.
The hand slowly slips out of my grip, and I moan in disappointment. One eye opens, and then the other. Then seeing the proxy in front of me, I scream and trip over the edge of my bed, still clumsy from sleep. A humiliating start to the morning.
"What the hell?" I grumble from the floor, glaring right at her. The proxy avoids my eyes.
"We're having breakfast downstairs," she mumbles in a barely audible voice. She's cleaned up for the day; with her brown hair styled half up, half down just like Amber does, and carefully applied salmon coloured lipstick, in the exact shade that Amber wears. I swear she's even picked clothes out of her closet, with a miniskirt and everything. She picks at the bottom of it in discomfort and tries miserably to pull it over her ass.
I reach over to my bedside and grab my shirt, pulling it over my head. But before the material is covering my chest, I notice her sneaking in a glance. On a regular day, I would feel smug. But not now, knowing I'd done the same yesterday night. Thinking I was asleep, she'd changed right in the room, and I'd watched every moment of it.
And then I realised I was deprived as fuck. Sometimes I just wish, like Michael had said, I wasn't so caught up on a girl who I would never see again. The biggest question was: Why couldn't I just fall for Amber? She's a model, she's Ben's daughter, and she's easy. Whenever we fucked, it was just that. Easy. She is a plaything, a one night stand.
If only the rest of my life was as easy.
+
When we get downstairs, Ben, Calum, Michael and Ashton are waiting for us at the usual table. Unfortunately, the proxy takes a seat next to Michael, so the only place left for me is next to Ben.
Ben is watching as Lissa interacts with Michael, who's getting more nervous each time he says something. Her face is blushing a beet red by the time he's done his yapping, and Ashton pokes Michael in the arm. "You're killing her, Michael," he jokes loudly, making Michael smile. With that, I imagine punching him in the face so hard that his teeth would be knocked out and he won't be smiling anymore. It'd be a beautiful sight. Just like how I gave him a makeover last night, with my fist. Now, his face is all patched up in bandages and band aids. On the other hand I'd left my wounds completely alone. I plan to wear the rest of them in plain sight just to piss off Ben, and for the hair and makeup crew who will just have to work with it.
"Look at her, she's adorable," Ben whispers, watching Lissa sneak glances at Michael. "Are you still pissed about hiring her?"
I take another bite of the croissant and pretend I didn't hear him. "Correction," he says, holding up his index finger. "To let you know, I didn't hire the proxy. Amber did."
"Why don't you ask Michael that question?" I ask. "He doesn't seem too happy that Amber's gone and someone's replaced her."
Ben's eyes narrow at me. "I see. Is this why you two were trying to kill each other last night?" Ben asks, setting down his spoon.
"No," I tell him quickly, feeling the fear rising in me.
"Then what was the reason, exactly?" He demands, and I know I'm starting to piss him off. Especially this early in the morning, it is not a good sign.
"He said some assholey stuff," I tell him, turning my eyes back to my plate. "I'm sorry I punched him."
Ben ignores my apology. "Let me guess. About her, the famous Jane Doe?"
I don't confirm nor deny, and he shakes his head in anger.
"Instead of looking for Amber, can't you help me find Jane, for once?" I ask quietly.
"How can we find a girl that only exists in your mind?" He hisses.
"She's real," I say, finally getting choked up.
"We took you to every single hospital across California. We never found evidence of her even once, and the records were completely blank."
"They didn't even let us look through those records!" I exclaim.
"Jesus, Luke! She was a schoolboy crush." Ben throws his hands up in exasperation. "Get over it and enjoy what you get. I brought you fame and a girlfriend. Now I've brought you another girl to cover for her. And you're never satisfied," he grits through his teeth.
Well, I hate this industry, and I hate my job, so get the fuck over it, I want to tell him, but I know I shouldn't. Instead, I keep my mouth shut tight for the rest of the meal, fighting back the tears.
Lissa
Breakfast is the best I've ever had in my life. Perfectly scrambled eggs with a choice of freshbaked bagels, chocolate croissants or strawberry scones, with a side of either bacon or vegetable soup. I thanked the chef as he handed the dish to me, and he gave me a strange look. I'm guessing he doesn't get a lot of appreciation around here, with some of the richest and privileged guests of London.
Luke was picking at his food. The whole time, he and Ben hissed angrily at each other, but were quiet enough so no one else could hear. I tried to listen in, but Michael kept distracting me with his flirty lines and corny jokes.
Although Luke didn't look or talk to us for the whole time he sat there, he finished his food and just left the table without a word. The rest of us followed suit when we were done, and I rub my belly in pure happiness as we walk out of the restaurant.
"We're leaving for the interview in five minutes," Ben calls to the boys when we arrive at their room. The four of them rush in, laughing and shoving, and the door closes behind them with a slam.
I'm left outside alone with Ben, who looks down at his watch.
"There's not much of a schedule today, Lissa, especially since the boys will be gone," he says, looking up at me with a smile. "But when the concert begins tomorrow night you will be busy."
I nod, already excited to spend my day alone in the peace of my own company.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you the good news," he adds. "Our calls to Amber finally went through."
"What did she say?" I ask, feigning shock, even though I knew the answer.
The truth is, Amber had told me where she was going when she'd given me the job two months ago. I'd gotten a call from my agent telling me to meet her at a Coffee shop downtown, the most discreet location she could find to get away from the paparazzi.
"All she'd said was that she'd like some time alone, and she's safe," Ben says. "That she'll be back on October 2nd. Which is...around thirty days from today. She didn't tell me where she is, though. When I asked, she hung up on me."
I don't dare tell him that she's in Vegas, taking a break at her friend's condo. Told me not to tell Ben until she told him herself. When I'd met her that summer night, she'd sported dark circles under her eyes, and she flinched with every noise made in her direction, as if expecting cameras. And I'd wondered why she was in such a rush to get away.
+
Ben doesn't bother me for the rest of the day, so I spend my first day roaming and exploring the hotel. But like a mouse in a trap, I am forbidden to step outside unless a full crew of makeup and hair has nailed my perfect look for an Amber transformation.
Before Ben had left, he'd given me a run down of how things work in this place, and I am supposedly not permitted to be too far from Luke, because I will be bombarded with questions and cameras. And the more that happens, the more I will be suspected of not being his girlfriend. Which makes sense, I guess.
By afternoon, I'd discovered the glass elevators that takes me from floor to floor like an amusement park ride. After riding it about five times up and down, I'd become acquainted with the old man that presses the elevator buttons. I don't know what you call those jobs, so I decide to call him the Elevator Man.
His eyes had gone wide when he'd first saw me, attempting to avoid my every move and gaze. He thought I was Amber.
When I'd explained that I most definitely was not, he seemed to relax. "You certainly look like her, miss," was all he'd said.
According to Elevator Man, Amber is very feisty and a rather terrifying presence to the staff in the hotel. I've taken a liking in him, while she definitely had not. How could I not? No one has been exceptionally kind to me in this hotel so far, except for him, Michael and Ben. But I'm trudging through it. I'm going to be okay.
+
After lunch, Ben calls me to the same meeting room that I first met him in. The boys are back. An intuitive feeling of dread creeps into my body when I see that they didn't come alone.
Three men, dressed in pinstriped suits just like Ben, take their seats across from me. They introduce themselves as the directors and image consultants of Motion Records.
I don't like how I'm left standing at the front as if giving a presentation, and all of them are sitting, silently observing me like a specimen. I hate being the centre of attention.
One of the men, the black-haired one, clicks his pen. "As a final evaluation for today, we need to see a few things from you. Even though Amber personally picked you, we need to know if you're really a good fit for the role."
"O-okay." Really? In front of all these people?
"So I figure you've studied Amber already?" The man beside him with the moustache says.
"Y-yes."
"Give us a run-down."
"I...er..." I blush, getting tongue-tied. "Uh, what would you like to see?"
"Anything. Give us an indication that you could play the part," he says with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.
Channel Amber, I tell myself. I can do it. I puff my chest out, push my shoulders back, and let out the famous giggle. Then, "Luke, you're the best!" I exclaim in an overly sweet voice like Amber's when she is excited. The only problem is that my voice breaks in the middle.
The men look at me, and then they look at each other, and the notebooks open in their laps. Something is wrong. This is not a regular evaluation. Something else entirely is happening.
"She got the attitude right," the man with the moustache mutters, looking me over once again. "If she just avoided paparazzi and wears sunglasses, maybe take it from that angle..." he strokes his chin, and the black-haired man whispers something in his ear.
Ben is the only one who's looking at me with a friendly smile. "You have to stop being uptight," he offers. "I can see you hesitate from all the way over here. Don't be so shy, all right? Amber's not that kind of a person."
I know she isn't. She only wears designer and spends her Friday nights at parties. Unlike me.
"Parties?" Michael asks beside me.
Did I just say that out loud?
"Yeah, you did," Michael says, grinning slyly at me. I blush furiously. This is certainly not a good impression, but I can't help it if I've got four pop stars, their publicist and three intimidating men in dress shirts staring at me, trying to decide if I'm worth a shot.
"If you're into parties, the boys and I are having one tomorrow night. Wanna come?" He whispers.
"Is that even a question? If Amber goes, I go," I whisper right back, and I barely gather enough courage to give him a playful smile.
The moustached man clears his throat, drawing all of our attention to him. "Now, Lissa...we have a project proposal for you."
Everyone gets very uncomfortable. I can feel the uneasiness in the air.
"No," Luke shouts, standing up. His face is especially grim. Like he already knows something I don't.
"Wait, wait," Michael says, his brows furrowing. "This isn't fair. It's her first day," he protests, standing up as well.
I stare at both of them, terrified.
The directors look at each other.
"We need to see you interacting with him," the moustached director says with a clear of his throat, looking between me and Luke. "Amber hasn't been home for two days now. If we have to make-believe with you, we have to make it believable for the public. And photos from the paparazzi simply risk a chance of exposing you, so we only have the option to fabricate one."
"I-Interacting?"
"He means..." Ashton raises his brow at me. "You know."
"K-kissing? Making out? But that's just...I don't feel comfortable."
"It's just kissing, Lissa. It's not like they asked you to do porn," Ashton chimes in boredly. "Amber did it all the time."
"I've never kissed anyone before," I say out loud. Everyone's eyes focus on me, and I blush even more.
"Then the better for you to practice in front of the cameras," says the blond director that hasn't spoken a word so far. He sits right in between the black haired man and the moustached one, his arms crossed over his chest. "Here's the rundown. We'll be filming it, and it'll be about 5 minutes long."
Okay, it was one thing to kiss Luke in public. That was a part of my job description; I'd been expecting it. But I want to tell him this could possibly be illegal. Child pornography. I refuse to do sexual shows in front of strange men, with an even stranger boy I barely know.
"It can take place right here, and we won't need all that fancy camera-work," the man continues, gazing at his notebook.
"It's important that you get this exactly right, Lissa," the moustache man says. "From the way you move, to the way you talk. If this fails, so does Motion Records." He accentuates each syllable of 'So does Motion Records'. "Now, do you need photos of Amber to get your placing-"
"No," I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. "No, I know how she does it. I've seen the photos." Photos of them kissing in public, canoodling, cuddling. I've seen them all, on the front cover of magazines, in two-page spreads, with the word 'Scandal' scrawled across the top. But little did I know that those 'scandals' were all Hollywood fakes.
"Good, then you already know we fabricate those pictures," the blond man says.
"I'm not touching her," Luke growls beside me, his eyes burning with rage. "And she's not laying a fucking finger on me."
"You're doing it, Luke," the blond director says forcefully, and Luke shuts up immediately. I can tell already that he has the most authority over Luke. But the silence only lasts for long.
"Yeah?" Luke retorts. "You may be my father - a shitty one, in fact - but don't expect me to listen to you when you're so filled with shit," Luke says with malice, and then he storms to the door, slamming it shut behind him as he leaves.
Silence falls over the room. As a last resort, I glance at Michael, desperation and shock crawling at me. Help.
"He was fine with doing it with Amber," Ashton mumbles under his breath.
"No, he wasn't. Remember, he threw a fucking vase one time they fabricated that photo of them together," Calum tells him.
"Sorry, Lissa. We need to tell the fans that Amber is still intact and alive, and she is well in the city," the blond man...uh, Luke's father interrupts, adding lamely. And you couldn't do that any other way?
"But-" I protest.
"Your deal is a hundred bucks a day. We sent you a list of disclaimers describing the requirements that will come with the job," the blond man says tiredly, closing his notebook. "You've also signed the contract."
"I know," I say.
"And from what it says here, you need the money for your brother's-"
"I know!" I say louder. The directors stare blankly at me, and I force myself to look headstrong.
Everyone stares at me. Calum and Ashton's eyes bore into mine, almost sympathetically, and Ben and the Directors' are bored and quite irritated with the girl who won't take orders. Michael has stopped looking at me. He's looking at the ground instead.
"You have a few days," the moustache man says, sending shivers down my spine. "Do the tape or you're fired."
I feel like this story is really boring so far but please be patient with me, I've got a huge plot twist in store :3 (IF YOU HAVEN'T REALISED FROM READING MY OTHER STORIES, I LOVE PLOT TWISTS)
Thank you a million times for reading <3 See ya next Thursday and Friday, cuz that's when I'm updating from now on.