Today was one of those days when Sophie needed her twin, the other half that should automatically understand everything on a DNA level, to reassure her.
In the heat of the moment, as she’d made the decision to shake things up, it had seemed so empowering to let Kalen and Jackie make her up, but for someone like her, who’d always been happy disappearing into the background, this hair, this makeup was a big departure.
What if people laughed at her?
What if Jake laughed?
She’d die. Oh yes, right then and there in the middle of Chase and Chloe’s special day, in front of three hundred people, she’d wither up and drop dead.
Lori moved closer, did a full circle of Sophie in her deep pink satin strapless dress. She’d been the last one to meet Chloe at the bridal store to pick out her maid of honor dress. Although it was definitely more conservative that Lori’s, Sophie had forgotten how well the satin hugged her curves, closer than anything else she owned, that’s for sure. It was classic movie-star style, a la Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress, with a long slit up one leg.
Finally, Lori said, “You look amazing, Soph.”
Sophie breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
“But,” Lori added with a slight frown, “you don’t exactly look like you.” Her frown deepened. “Did Kalen convince you to try something new?”
“The makeup was my idea. So was the hair.”
Lori frowned again. “I don’t get it. You’ve never wanted to try anything new before.”
Sophie forced a shrug, as if it didn’t matter to her at all if her sister got it or not. Even though it did matter. So much. “I just wanted to see what it would be like to look different for one day.”
“Hmm.” Lori scanned her again, head to toe, and Sophie knew the exact moment the truth hit her sister. “Oh, no. You’re not actually going to try to get J—”
Sophie leapt toward her sister to cover Lori’s mouth with her hand before Jake’s name left it. She wished she could tell Lori her transformation had nothing to do with him, but she couldn’t lie to her twin.
“I know what I’m doing.”
Lori shook her head, yanking Sophie’s hand from her mouth. “You don’t have a clue what you’re doing. I love J—”
“Lori!”
“—him like a brother, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see his faults, Soph. Especially where women are concerned.” Lori pinned her with a hard gaze. “Don’t do this.”
She’d never thought to admit this to anyone, not even her sister, but now she found herself saying, “You don’t know what it’s like to be invisible.” She instinctively lifted her chin and pushed back her shoulders. “I’m sick of it.”
She wanted her twin to understand, but instead of encouraging her, Lori said, “You love to tell me when and where I’m screwing up.” Sophie tried to interject, but her sister put her hands on her shoulders and made her turn around to face the full-length mirror. “This time you’re the one who needs to listen. Don’t do this, Soph.” Lori squeezed her shoulders tight. “Don’t. Do. This.”
Sophie stared at the incredibly sexy woman staring back at her in the mirror. She’d never have been able to pull this together without professional assistance.
It was now or never.
“I have to.”
Lori looked as serious—and worried—as she could ever remember seeing her. “The boys are going to be beside themselves seeing you looking like that. I mean, they’re used to me playing up the goods, but you...Nope. They aren’t going to like it. Not one bit.”
“Too bad.”
Finally Lori almost smiled, but then she asked, “What’s going to happen if your plan backfires?”
Sophie’s heart stuttered in her chest at the thought of just how many things could go wrong with her brilliant plan to teach Jake a lesson for ignoring her all these years. Still, she thought she sounded confident and secure as she assured her sister, “It won’t.”
And even though she could still feel the heated imprint of Jake’s fingers against her cheek where he’d touched her, she told herself it was the truth. Because if there was one thing everyone knew about Sophie Sullivan, it was that she never, ever lied. Not to anyone else.
And certainly not to herself.
Ellen, Marcus’s winery manager, who had helped Sophie with plenty of the wedding details, popped her head into the room. “It’s time to give the bride her big send-off. You two are gorgeous.” She spent a few extra seconds looking at Sophie, a faint hint of surprise on her face, before saying, “Beyond gorgeous, actually. Are you ready?”
Sophie’s heart jumped in her chest at the thought of making her grand entrance. Of course she wasn’t ready...but she was as ready as she’d ever be.
She joined Lori, Marcus’s pop-star girlfriend Nicola, Gabe’s girlfriend Megan, and the other two bridesmaids, who were old friends of Chloe’s, on the porch. As co-maids-of-honor, Sophie and Lori had had a fierce match of rock-paper-scissors over which of them would walk out first with Marcus, the oldest Sullivan.
Sophie was certain that Lori had cheated. Her twin always did. But now she was glad that she wouldn’t be the first to enter the proceedings. It was even better that Smith was her partner for the walk down the aisle. Everyone would be oohing and ahhing over the movie star in their midst. At least long enough, she hoped, for her to settle a little better into her brand new sex-goddess persona.