Mirror Mirror

Chapters 19 & 20

Opening the door, she smiled and let in her friend. “Hi Jamie, come on in. I was just getting ready to leave though. I’d planned to call you.” Lauren grinned.

Jamie eyed her friend and looked at her clothes. “Hmm, something you want to tell me Lauren, my best friend? Did you get the job or not?”

Lauren nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes, I got the job. I leave in two weeks and I’m staying on the tour bus.”

Jamie squealed excitedly and hugged her friend. “Oh my god, that’s great Lauren. See, I knew you could do it. Now you’re going to be working for the hottest rock n roll band ever. So, does this outfit mean you’re seeing Joe tonight?” She grinned.

Lauren held her stomach and groaned. “Jamie, it’s strictly business. They want to get to know me and give me the in’s and out’s of the business and what the tour will be like, that’s all. I’m not seeing Joe. I told you, he could never be interested in me.” Lauren sighed, lowering her eyes.

Jamie put her hands on her hips and gave her friend a stern stare. “Lauren Brady, I hate it when you talk like that. You’re a better person now and you’re beautiful.”

“I’d bet that any minute, Joe is going to ring that bell and when he does, he’s going to be amazed at how you look and he’ll be instantly attracted to you, if he isn’t already. When are you going to let go of the past and open your heart?”

Lauren’s eyes filled with tears and she looked at Jamie. “You weren’t there that night. YOU DIDN’T SEE THEM THROWING TOMATOE’S AT ME JAMIE. THAT WAS ONE OF THE WORST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE.”

“DON’T PRETEND YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA. Don’t you understand? It terrifies me to let any man close to me because I’m scared that the only person he’s going to see is that fat, ugly girl I used to be.”

“My heart can’t take it. I love Joe but he can never know it because then I’d have to let him into my heart and I couldn’t stand it if he walked out on me. He’s a fantasy, nothing more and that way, he’s safe because I don’t have to risk getting hurt.”

“He’s better off if he never knows who I am and the person I used to be because if he ever learns the truth, he’ll never be able to look me in the eye again and I’ll lose him. You’re the only person that understands how I feel about Joe and the only one that doesn’t think I’m crazy for having feelings for someone I don’t even know yet.” Tears slipped from Lauren’s eyes and her hands trembled.

Looking at Jamie, she dabbed at her eyes. “Joe’s always been a part of my dreams and my fiction but that’s it. If he’s real, then I have to let him see who I am and I can’t stand the thought of him looking at me the same way everyone else used to. I’ll never be his type because I don’t fit the persona of a rock star girlfriend. No matter how sweet Joe is, deep down, he’s going to wonder if he could do better.”

~20~ 

“Oh Lauren, you don’t give yourself enough credit. Haven’t you learned by now that if someone can’t accept you for who you are, then they’re not right for you, whether as a friend or something more? A big part of beauty is believing in yourself and when you’re confident, people take notice and they WILL see beneath the vanity.” Jamie smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand.

“It’s true what they say, beauty is only skin deep and with age, looks fade but who you are inside, lasts forever. All those people who have ever ridiculed you or put you down, will look in the mirror one day and wonder what happened to them because with some, they relied on their beauty to get them what they wanted. When that fades, they have to learn that the true beauty lies beneath the surface and from what you told me, that doesn’t leave much.” Jamie sat beside her friend and put her arm around her shoulder.

Lauren giggled and nodded. “Thanks Jamie, you always know how to make me feel better.” The doorbell rang and Lauren jumped up, walking over to the mirror and checked her reflection. “Oh god, that’s Joe and my mascara’s smudged.”

Jamie giggled and handed her a tissue. “You’re thinking like a chick, now fix your face and I’ll let Joe in. I want to meet the man that stole your heart.”

Jamie opened the door and smiled at Joe who stood in the hall, wearing a pair of black dress slacks and a white dress shirt. “Hi, come in Joe, she’s getting ready.”

Joe stepped inside and smiled. “You are?”

Jamie laughed and held out her hand. “I’m Jamie, one of Lauren’s best friends. She speaks very highly of you Joe and she is very happy about this job.”

Joe grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I think she’ll do great. She’s a very sweet girl.”

Jamie nodded and looked up as she heard Lauren enter the room. “Hey girl, your man is here. I’ll go so you can go out and enjoy dinner. Call me tomorrow okay?”

Lauren nodded and kissed her cheek. “Thanks Jamie, I’ll talk to you later.”

Jamie smiled at Joe and left them alone. In her mind, she hoped that Joe would never hurt her because she knew if Joe fell off that pedestal, she would probably never recover.

Joe looked at Lauren and whistled. “You look beautiful sweetheart. Are you ready to go?”