The Perfect Doll, Becca Marien [book club suggestions txt] 📗

and a new outfit because I left everything in my other car on my haste to get over here. I’ll see you around.”
Other car? As she headed towards the mall her ponytail swung back and forth. Then she put her purse on her shoulder and turned to face me.
“You want to come with me?”

I was going to say no, I really was, but instead for some reason I nodded and grabbed my purse off my trunk. We got the things for our class along with a gym bag and got dressed.
“See?” Anna Lee whispered as we waited to get into the room. “No one would ever guess we came unprepared.”
“Your right.” I smiled at her.

  I didn’t know how to act around my Model friends. Obviously we wouldn’t stuff our faces with fries or talk about the snotty popular girls at school like I did with Piper. These girls were the snotty popular girls, and when they turned to the side, they almost disappeared. The teacher hurried over apologizing and opened the door. Anna  Lee and I grabbed some floor space next to each other and the class began.

Crap. I don’t think I’ll be going with Anna Lee for another class any time soon.

“Wow Shiloh,” Anan Lee dabbed at her face, “You sure kept up.”
“My arms are like noodles,” I whispered.
She laughed, “It’s the hardest leveled class.”

“I need some Motrin.”
“I have some in my purse.” She dug around. “I really have to get my personal assistant in check. My purse is a mess.”
“You have a personal assistant?”

She nodded, “You give the girl a day off and it’s like she doesn’t remember her job description or something. Here!” She pulled the bottle out with a flourish and handed it to me. “Wait no, sorry. That’s zanx.” She dug around, “Here it is.”
I looked at the bottle before I took any, and she laughed.
“It really is Motrin, I promise. Are you hungry? I’m starving.” She linked our arms together, “Lets drop off our bags and then head out for something to eat. We can even go shopping afterwards. I’m sorry if I seem a little excited. I’ve never had a friend from work before.”
“Me either.”
“You’re new to the business aren’t you?” She asked as we headed over to the cars.

Here we go, “Yeah.”
“You don’t really seem like it. Did your parents take a lot of pictures of you when you were little?”
“My Mom took tons.”
“Maybe that’s why.”

  We dropped over our gym bags and purses taking only our wallets. We headed over to the food court and got in line at a subway.

“Two diet cokes please.” Anna Lee fished a few bills from her wallet.

“Any food?” The guy asked.
“None for me.” Anna Lee looked over at me eye brows raised. I shook my head, “Just the soda.”
     The guy rolled his eyes and took her money. I thought she said she was starving? We walked around the mall drinking our soda. We bought a few outfits and then went outside. I shoved my bags into my trunk and turned to face her.

She had a cigarette in her mouth her hand cupped over the end, as she lit it. She took a deep drag and handed it to me. I took it from her and she pulled another one from her pack, putting it in her mouth.
“Oh I don’t smoke.” I held mine out to her.
“Really?” She sounded genially surprised as she took it from me. “How do you cope?”

“With what?”
“The stress of the job. Most of us smoke, or take happy pills. What do you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Well you’re still new.” She put the unlit smoke into the pack and then put the lit one in her mouth. “Here give me your number. We can get together next Sunday.”

   I handed over my number and she gave hers. We said our goodbyes and headed out. I parked in the drive way, and laired my bags up my arms. I headed inside, and walked over to one of the stair cases. I sighed, and started up.

The doors of my room where made of white smooth wood and privacy glass. When you open them they’ll fall shut unless you pushed them all the way open so they would prop themselves open by the metal bars on the top. There was a small little hall with different shaped squared mirrors before you actually could see my room. My California king sized bed was done up in my light grey and purple bedding and curtains, decorative pillows almost hitting mid bed. My grey couches and glass coffee table was arranged in front of the fire place.

Above the fire place was a white flat screen and speakers bolted into the wall. Facing the room was a silver and glass desk on top of a white furry rug. A white sleek chair with a tall back was behind the desk. A sleek white monitor was on the desk, a small thin tower on the floor. There was a lap top box on the coffee table.

I had a corner set up for a reading nook. My bathroom was hard to explain. It looked like a spa from some French novel. There was an electric fire place that served as a space heater, and the tub was built into the ground. There was a lip, and then stairs that led down to the tub.

There was jets and everything. The shower was big enough for four, and had a curved bench you could stretch out on, and a wall remote turning on the steam. There was another door with privacy glass, that led to my closet. It was huge. There was a black island dresser with a  marbled top.

On one wall there was a built in desk with a large circled mirror. There was a white fuzzy stool. I walked over and opened the drawers of the desk. My makeup and hair supplies was already in them. Didn’t matter if I was at the apartment or the house, I still had tons of room in my closet.

I put away my newest purchases. There was a stand for shoes, one for purses, accessories, and sunglasses. I took a shower to get the sweat off and got dressed in some shorts and a shirt. I grabbed a series of books, and layed out by the pool and read them.

“Shiloh!” Dad yelled, “Get your ass over here right now!”
“Ah shit.” I shut my book and hurried inside.

  People I have never seen before milled around the house with cleaning supplies.

“Who are they?” I asked.
“A cleaning team that Amara hired. You need to call her and have her get these people out of my house or so help me god you will never model again.”
“Woah,” I pulled out my phone, “Calm down.”

 What was the big deal? He had never ever done any of the house cleaning ever since I was born.
“I don’t want strangers in my house.” He barked and a few maids jumped.
“My Dad want’s these people out of my house.”
“Let me talk to him.”
I handed the phone to Dad.
“Amara-“
I heard Amara’s quick voice on the other end, and then Dad hung up.

“What did she say?”
“They’ll only come in on Sundays.” He ran a hand over his face, “ I’m going to work. What are you doing today?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“What do you want for dinner? Subs from that one place?”
“Yeah sounds good.”
      He left the house, and I headed back outside. I picked up my book and sat down. The sun had gone down but it was still light out. I shut my book and sighed. What a good book. I quickly reached for the other book, and devoured the first few pages.

“Miss Shiloh?”
“Huh?” I looked up, “You guys are still here?”
“Big house. You check?”
“Amara didn’t pay you guys?”
“You check house.”
“I trust you. Have a nice night.”
“Okay. No tell me twice.” She waddled away.

   I began to read my book again when my phone rang. I sighed and picked it up.

“Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?” Piper demanded, “The party is almost starting and you’re not here!”
“Piper,” I slowly said, turning the page of my book. “We both know that I don’t do parties.”
“Then why did You set the party up?”
“For you. Look, I have to go.”
“What are you doing that is so important that you cannot come?”
“I’m relaxing.” I examined my manicure.

“Relaxing.”
“Look honey,” I sighed, “You’ll be perfectly fine.”
“Can you show up for just five minutes to make sure everything is in order?”

“Since when did you ever need me to have a party?”
“I’m just a little nervous. What if no one comes?”

“They’ll come. People love any occasion where they can get drunk or high.”
“Just come okay?”
“Piper, I have work in the morning.”
“You’re no fun anymore.”
      And with that, the line went dead. Oh well, I set my phone down and went back to my book. I sighed as I picked it up. I perked a bit at the name.
“Anna Lee!”
“Shiloh! She answered, “What are you doing?”
“Relaxing by the pool.”
“That sounds so perfect right now.”
“My friend wanted me to go to a party.”
“A high school party? Ew.”
“I know. Why would I want to get pawed at by a bunch of drunk guys when I need to focus for tomorrow? Anyways, what are you up to?”

“Not much. I just wanted to chat before the big family dinner.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s this annual get together my family has every month to catch up with family members. Totally lame. I have no one to hang out with, and everyone thinks I’m too young to talk to the adults.”
“Casual or dress up?”
“Cocktail.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Oh I knew I could count on you, Shiloh!”
“Just text me the address.”

“Bye!”

I gathered my books and headed to my room. I sat down in front of my mirror and curled a piece of hair. Uh-oh, that doesn’t smell good. I called Frankee.
“Yes Love?”
“I have a crisis.” I started off too dramatically, “My friend is having this cocktail dinner, and when I went to curl my hair it gave off a weird smell, and a hiss.”
“Don’t touch your hair!” I heard a shuffling noise, “I’m not far.”

  I looked over my dresses, and pulled on a long one.

“You should lock your door,” Frankee came into my room with his bag of tricks.

Within thirty minutes my hair and makeup was done and I was on my way. I headed over to Anna Lee’s and stepped into an elevator. The man looked at me and I told him top floor. He pulled a lever and we rode up. I began to fiddle with the buckle of my clutch.

Finally the elevator stopped and opened to a pent house. The party was in full swing, people laughing, and glasses clinking. I headed out. How the hell was I supposed to find Anna Lee in this mess? A man with a tray stopped in front of me.

He lowered the tray and I took the flute filled with yellow bubbled liquid. Anna Lee was in a floor length dress just as I was. Good. She was sipping on her glass, looking out a window. I walked over.
“Anna Lee?”

“Shiloh!”
          We set our glasses down at the same time on the sill and hugged. We picked them back up and looked out the window.

“Nice party.” I said, for lack of anything better.
“Hell of a time.” She shot back the remaining champagne.

I took a sip of mine.
“Wow!”
“I know, smooth right?”
“Yes, and no burn.”
She nodded smiling, “It’s the only good thing about this party I swear on it. Stay away from the mixed drinks.”
“Okay.”
    I