From Fame to Shame (3 page)

I inched my hand away, but his fingers tangled with mine. A delicious shiver ran up my spine.

Dallas Bines was off limits, I reminded myself.

“I need to go rest my nose.” Without another word, I spun on my sneaker, breaking his hold on my hand, and took the two steps back to my door. I reached for the knob, then glanced over my shoulder. Dallas looked baffled… but gorgeously so.

I vanished into my temporary home, resolved never again to leave it without Stella.

* * * *

After what felt like hours in the chair the next day getting a make-over, I squirmed in the back seat of the limo, thankful that Jackie and I had similar metabolisms. The most beautiful dress I’d ever seen fit me to perfection. Its smooth lines of silver satin fabric hugged my waist, then draped elegantly over my hips. I felt like a princess. More accurately, I felt like a movie star. After a couple hours in skyscraper heels, however, I’d feel pain.

I’d planned on doing the same as Stella, so how could I fault her? Instead of following my passion, photography, I’d checked out colleges to study business management. Maybe I’d have to rethink that...

“What’s the name of the movie we’re seeing?” I asked, amazed Stella hadn’t already filled me in on the players. Or maybe she had. Too much information had been crammed into my head and since the run-in with Dallas I couldn't keep anything straight.

“Mistaken Identity.” Stella smirked.

“You’re kidding, right?” Talk about ironic.

Stella held back a giggle. “Tommy Landers plays two guys who look exactly alike and eventually switch places. They fall for each other’s girlfriends and mess up each other’s lives. It’s a romantic comedy.”

“How well does Jackie know Tommy?” I jolted when Stella’s hand shot out to grab my wrist before I could rub my eye.

“Try not to ruin your makeup.” She plucked a tiny mirror from her purse and handed it to me.

By then, the itch had faded, so I returned the mirror to Stella. It was going to be a long night if I couldn’t scratch like normal people.

She leaned back again and crossed her legs. “Tommy played her boyfriend in
A Time for Courage
about a year ago. It’s still in post-production. Anyway, they hate each other, so feel free to ignore him. Jackie always does.”

If only I could ignore everyone else, too. “Unless someone comes by with a camera, right? Then I act like we’re best buddies.”

Stella chuckled. “You’re catching on.”

The closer we got to the theater, the more my adrenalin pumped. I slowly sucked in a breath, hoping my hands would stop trembling.

“You really need to change your face,” Stella said, folding her arms over her chest and staring me down.

“That would defeat the whole purpose of this impersonation, wouldn’t it?” I asked.

“No, I mean that grim expression. Like someone’s holding a gun to your head. You know, big eyes.” Stella formed an O with her thumb and index finger and held it in front of her open eyes. “Terror.”

“And then some. I feel like a fraud.” I bit my lower lip and averted my eyes. “What do you say to snooty people who act like they’re better than you? How do you deal with all this and not go crazy?”

“My mom is Jackie’s manager, so I grew up around her famous clients. One thing I’ve learned over the years, they’re just people, Maddie. Celebrities still cheat on their spouses or end up in rehab. Being famous doesn’t make you better than everyone else and don’t let them convince you otherwise.”

I ran an unsteady hand over the skirt of my gown. “I’ve been living in the country my whole life. I feel so out of place in the city.”

“This world, and every city in it, belongs as much to you as it does to anybody. And no one has any power over you unless you give it to them.” She gave me a soothing smile. “If
I
can handle these guys, so can you.”

My mouth gaped. “Damn, you’re good, Stella.”

“I want you to rock that red carpet.” She gave me a cocky grin, then swept her hand toward the tinted glass of the limo. “Here we are.”

Wait. She wants
me
to rock the carpet. What about her? Dread washed over me. “You won’t be with me?” I asked.

“I’m not famous and I’m not your date,” Stella said, confirming my worst fear. “They don’t want me there.”

I groaned.

About half a block away, search lights lit up the outside of the theater. Enormous guys with shoulders stretched back, wearing solemn expressions and dark suits, sprinkled the sidelines and guarded the perimeter.

“When they’re snapping pictures, do that smile we practiced when I was doing your makeup. Whatever you do, keep it up. Scowls look terrible on camera. Those bad photos are the ones they sell to the rags with captions like, ‘Jackie Checks Into Rehab’ or ‘Jackie Dumped by Her Latin Lover.’ So, no frowning, okay? Plus, it gives you wrinkles.”

Geez, no wonder Jackie depended on her so much. “Stella, you totally deserve double whatever Jackie's paying you.”

At the front of the line, a limo door opened and my pre-Dallas long-time crush, Luke Holtz, the star of Jackie’s and my favorite TV show
Otherworld,
stepped out. He showed white teeth as cameras flashed, then he turned and offered an arm to a pretty blond girl who’d just emerged behind him.

In a matter of moments, that would be me posing. Except I’d do it alone. My stomach pinched.

“No need to panic,” Stella said in a soft voice. “I called ahead and made it very clear that Jackie wasn’t giving any interviews. All you have to do is walk and smile.”

“Somehow, I don’t think it’s as easy as you make it out to be.” My shoulder muscles tensed.

“You’ll be fine. We’re up next. I’ll meet you at the other end.” Stella gathered her purple, beaded gown closer to her body and scooted toward the back of the limo. The driver opened the door on my side and I moved to step out.

“Wait.” She grasped my upper arm. “You have to pose for the photographers in front of the step and repeat, but just for a couple minutes, then you can move on.”

“Step and what?” God, couldn’t she have gone over this before the limo stopped? Butterflies waged war in my stomach.

“Step and repeat. The wall with the sponsors all over it, where you stand and they take your picture. You remember how to do the pose?”

As delicately as I could, I stuck one leg out then the other, the glare from the lights nearly blinding me after being in the dark limo. I stood up and mustered all my will to smile, then took a step forward, keeping my eye on the other end of the long, red path.

Oh, Lord, how did Jackie walk in stilettos when she had so many hours in them? I shouldn’t have let Stella talk me out of my sneakers. Even a pair of boots would have been better. It’s not like anyone could see my shoes under the yards of shimmering silver fabric cascading around my feet.

As if the shoes weren’t dangerous enough, I had to worry about tripping over my own dress. I wanted to rush past the press line, but my shoes and dress prevented it. Maybe I could save time by cutting the step and repeat short.

What was Jackie thinking to choose a dress, no matter how gorgeous, with no straps? It looked great on or off the hanger, but horrifyingly, it felt like it was slipping. I snuck a discreet peak only to find my dress hadn’t budged.

And don’t get me started on the fake eyelashes. Sure, they looked great on camera, but the glue felt weighty on my lids every time I blinked. At least they toned down my wide-eyed look of terror, giving me a sultry bedroom look.

A few more steps and I hit the carpet. It had a wide sponsor board on one side and on the other side was a three-foot deep line of press all crowding together for the best shot. Cameras clicked and people shouted out my sister’s name. Keeping my distance from them, I stopped, pasted on a smile and struck the pose Stella had taught me.

A part of me was just a little bit dazzled by the glamour. How many people could say they’d walked a red carpet filled with A-list celebrities? My friend Angie would just die if she knew what I was doing. Still, I wouldn’t be sad when the whole thing was finished and my feet were flat again.

I continued walking, then paused again to pose — shoulders back, chin up, big smile, knee bent. But my gaze wandered. As much as I hated playing Jackie, I was thrilled to recognize some of the actors. My eyes devoured the familiar faces, like Luke Holtz who smiled at his date, then turned back to say something to the interviewer. She threw her head back and laughed. Several other stars were speaking with the press as well, like Lazarus Mayer from
Dark of Night
, another of my favorite shows.

“Jackie, over here.” A man’s camera clicked. When I rotated, there were a series of clicks from others behind the press line. In my peripheral, a couple walked toward the step and repeat — my cue to pass the spotlight to the next person.

The red carpet part was almost over.

A short man in a suit leaned over the rope and yelled something as he stretched his microphone toward me. I backed up and continued walking with a powerful urge to move faster gripping me. Dutifully, I paused again a few feet later and repeated the pose.

“Jackie, how do you plan to get Henley to cast you?” a woman asked, followed by a man asking, “Do you think you’ve got a shot at playing Amy?”

Well trained by Stella, I just kept up my smile. In a hurry to move on, I quickly twisted around and crashed into a rock-hard human-filled tuxedo. I thrust a leg back for equilibrium, but stepped on my dress and lost my balance.

I was about to go down — in front of probably hundreds of people. Oh, god, I’d die of embarrassment before my butt ever hit the ground.

Just before I descended, a pair of strong hands grasped my waist from behind me. “I gotcha,” he said, holding me steady, then he stepped away. An instant later, he was smiling for the cameras and speaking into a microphone as if he hadn’t just taken a moment to save me from humiliation. Dallas Bines.

Dallicious Bines would be a more fitting name.

Anxious to get the carpet walk over with, I forged on, praying I’d survive the rest of Jackie’s gig without breaking my neck. Thankfully, I made it to the end of the step and repeat in one piece where Stella waited for me wearing a proud grin.

“There’s a lounge upstairs where we can chill until the movie starts. We’ve got balcony seats and there’s a bathroom close by. Walking should be minimal the next little while.”

“Oh, thank God,” I said.

“Stop fidgeting.” Stella gave me a stern look. “Jackie never gets twitchy. Ever. Oh, crap. Luke’s coming this way. Don’t worry. You’ve never met him — but you’re about to.”

I could do this.

“Hi. Luke Holtz, big fan.” He held out his hand and gave me a big smile, full of beautiful, white teeth. “This is my sister, Heather.”

My whole body filled with rapture at the thought of having a conversation with him. But I was supposed to be Jackie, not some fan-girl. Lifting my chin, I smiled, but kept it conservative — as if I met huge stars like him every day. “Nice to meet you both. Love your show,” I said, keeping my tone light.

His blond head whipped around when his name was called from near the door to the theater. “I’m needed,” he said. “I’ll see you later?”

“You know it.” I smiled again and he strolled away.

“Luke seems interested in you. I probably don’t need to remind you what a good idea it is to avoid him. Everyone, actually.” Stella grabbed my hand. “But if someone manages to talk to you, just go with it. Smile and comment on the weather. You’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

As I followed her toward the front door of the theater, I spotted more press up ahead. We’d have to pass them to get inside. Just before the door, Stella shielded me and I slipped by the mob, only to come face-to-face with a microphone blocking my way to freedom.

“Jackie, our readers want to know who you’re dating now. Rumor has it you’ve traded one musician for another.”

That was a rumor Jackie would want stomped into itty bitty pieces. “I-I’m not currently dating anyone.” I smiled politely, then darted around the reporter. Stepping through a doorway at least twice my height, I pivoted so my eyes could devour the stained glass above stretching to the ceiling. Over the threshold, I turned to gawk at the window, stepping aside so others could pass.

“I keep worrying someone’s going to come along, someone who knows Jackie, who I have no info on. We should keep moving,” Stella said for my ears only.

Oh, yes, way to relax me, Stella. I stiffened as she tugged on my arm.

“Besides,” she continued, “you’re acting like this is all new to you. Try being more aloof.”

“I'm at a Hollywood premiere and I haven't fainted. I'd say I'm doing pretty good.” I wasn’t supposed to
appear
like a newbie though, so I'd work on that. I dragged my eyes from the stained glass, but they caught on the corbels momentarily as we passed through another doorway. The architecture of the building was stunning. I could stare at the decorative fixtures for hours and still not get to all of it.

Slowly, we wove through the throng of celebrities and schmoozers. People I didn’t know, but recognized from movies smiled at me, nodded or waved as I passed. I followed their lead, matched their gestures, and kept moving. Just before the stairs, I saw Dallas. Of all people, he’d be hardest to avoid, since he and Jackie were friends and neighbors. And since they’d dated, he could easily discover I wasn’t Jackie and expose me. I quickly glanced away just as his head snapped to me.