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“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking,” Rachelle said.
“Take me with you,” Eddie begged. “Please.”
“I don’t know,” Rachelle whispered. “I have to ask my sister when she has time.”
“Give me your appointment, then!” Eddie demanded. “You’re younger than me. And nobody cares what the sous chef looks like. I’m a server. I rely on my face.”
Rachelle could have thrown up.
But she assured him she would talk to Darcy. And as she drank the rest of her wine, Eddie smothered her with compliments and praises.
“I’m so glad I met you. You’re the kind of woman who really gets me,” he said. “I mean, what would I have done without this advice? I’ve been too scared to look into it on my own. But you come along and give me everything I need.”
If Rachelle wasn’t mistaken, one of the members of the camera crew had just pointed the camera at them when he started saying that. What a poisonous world this was. How little she wanted anything to do with it.
Chapter Seventeen
Darcy could “squeeze Eddie in” for an early morning slot at the clinic on Monday. Rachelle agreed to go with Eddie for moral support, as he was frightened of needles and wanted her to hold his hand. At least, that was the reason he gave. Maybe he just wanted the attention. “We could even get breakfast after that if you want,” Eddie said. To this, Rachelle stopped herself from saying, Make sure you invite the entire camera crew, too! Instead, she said, “I love breakfast! Can’t wait!”
Rachelle didn’t understand the mechanics of Darcy’s incredible career. It required a precision comparable with cooking, but it seemed to mix the mechanics of science and magic into an astonishing finish. Darcy knew the muscles of the face intimately. She could analyze someone’s cheekbones and forehead and laugh lines and decide exactly which procedure to use and when. Although Rachelle still felt too young for most anti-aging procedures, she still asked Darcy for facials and other treatments, as Darcy’s commitment to beauty was loving and honest.
But Darcy had said of Eddie, “I can’t stand someone treating my sister like that.” And she’d decided to use her skills for evil.
On the drive to Darcy’s clinic, Eddie spoke enthusiastically about the future of his career as Rachelle shivered in the passenger seat of his truck. “I can see the elevens creeping in,” he said, gesturing toward his brows. “It’s such a racket, getting old, isn’t it? Makes me want to take back a few of my decisions! Like, come on, Eddie. Wear sunscreen! You’re going to be on television one day! People will fall in love with you, and it could make you a lot of money!”
Rachelle fake-laughed along with him. Sometimes, when he glanced over at her happily, her stomach flipped over. He truly was exquisite-looking. And Darcy was going to destroy that.
Darcy met Rachelle and Eddie in the foyer of the clinic. She wore her own bright white medical coat and had her hair in a high bun that made her look like a professional ballerina turned doctor.
“Darcy! You’re a dream,” Eddie said flirtatiously. He just couldn’t stop flirting with everyone around him. “I can’t thank you enough for all this.”
“It’s honestly my pleasure,” Darcy said. “It’s not every day I get to help a real up-and-coming celebrity.”
This, Rachelle knew, wasn’t entirely true. Throughout the summer months, Darcy’s schedule was jam-packed with very rich men and women who wanted to keep their faces youthful and bright. She’d worked on everyone from top celebrities to up-and-comers, from reality stars to orchestral musicians. People trusted her with their lives, with their moneymakers.
Rachelle made sure to name-drop a few of the bigger celebrities Darcy had worked on for Eddie’s benefit. Eddie beamed, “Darcy, you’re a real catch, aren’t you?”
When Eddie’s back was turned, Darcy looked at Rachelle and comically rolled her eyes. It was showtime. Rachelle thought she was going to throw up.
As Eddie sat back in the procedural chair, he slipped his hand around Rachelle’s for support. Darcy’s expression was hard and angry. She then assessed Eddie’s face, her nose just a few inches from his.
“What do you think?” Eddie asked with a laugh. “Is it too late? Can I be saved?”
Darcy giggled. “Honey, you’ll look so refreshed and handsome when I’m done with you. The viewers at home won’t know what to do with themselves.”
“That’s what I want to hear,” Eddie said.
Rachelle loosened her hand from Eddie’s. “I’m running to the bathroom. You’ll be okay?” For whatever reason, she couldn’t watch the procedure.
But Eddie had already forgotten her. His mind’s eye was entirely focused on his bright and gorgeous future. On the films he would star in, the modeling contracts he would bring in, and the house in the Hollywood Hills he would purchase for millions upon millions of dollars.
In the bathroom, Rachelle stared at herself in the mirror, marveling at the horrors she and her sister were committing. She half-imagined Eddie’s screams to come from down the hall. He’d transform into a monster. He’d threaten them all.
But Darcy said hyaluronic acid took a little time to take effect. They were still in a safe zone.
After a few minutes, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Rachelle opened it to find Darcy smiling serenely as though she’d just gone to a spa.
“He’s done,” she said.
