Beautiful People | wlw

Nine: Plaid

Restless white sunlight curled fingers through the weave of the thin curtains. Outside, cars hummed sleepily down the road; on the floor beside the bed, the room service tray held only empty plates and a skiff of coffee in the bottom of a chipped ceramic mug. Popping the last fat strawberry into her mouth, Vera finished scheduling a post and snapped her laptop closed before shoving it aside.

She had dreamed about dark skin bejeweled by fairy lights, her hand welcomed by the curve of a generous hip, a sweet pink tongue that promised things it couldn't deliver. She woke wishing she had said something more to Sharise. Flirted back, instead of staring like a dumbass. Invited her up for a drink after the conversation with Carmen.

Vera had talked her way into working for Carmen fucking Juarez, but when a beautiful woman flirted with her she could only think of all the reasons it was a bad idea? It was embarrassing, really. She was a disgrace to bisexuals everywhere.

With a huge yawn, Vera stretched both arms up above her head until her back cracked. Then she settled against her mountain of fluffy pillows and reached for the remote to turn up the volume on her TV.

On the screen, the three morning show hosts finally sewed up their banter, and the unnaturally blonde woman smiled a blinding, toothy smile. "And here she is! Star of Never Enough Smiles and the beloved classic Our Family Tragedy, it's Carmen Juarez!"

The studio audience applauded, and as the goofily oversized door opened and Carmen appeared, Vera squealed with excitement in her hotel room.

Beaming, Carmen gave a small wave as she sauntered across the stage. She was rocking the plaid. A single button held the simple white blouse together at her tiny waist, where the shirt was tucked loosely into the wide-legged pants. Teases of matching plaid bra peeped through as she moved. Jay had given her a high, pin-straight ponytail that swung playfully between her narrow shoulders, a subtle eye, and a dark red-brown lipstick. Her eyes sparkled. She knew exactly how incredible she looked.

Vera wriggled in her seat and texted Jay: SHE LOOKS AMAZING.

Our girl cleans up nice, Jay replied. We make a good team.

Settling gracefully onto the black leather sofa across from the hosts, Carmen crossed her legs at the ankles, drawing attention to her brocade ankle boots, and blew a kiss at the still-cheering audience.

When the applause faded, the hosts welcomed her. Carmen laughed a musical laugh and responded playfully to their practiced jokes, making them sound stilted in comparison. In the brilliance of her smile, Vera saw no trace of the girl who had cried and ranted and thrown things, breakable things, in her hotel room for nearly an hour the night before.

Vera and Sharise had spent that hour parked outside Vera's hotel, trying and failing to comfort Carmen. It had been a strange experience. Sharise was so practical about the whole thing ("Do you really wish you were dating someone who treats you like that?") that Vera had been reminded again, strongly, of Ivy and her rational-and-supportive-but-also-extremely-unhelpful response when Vera had told her about Alex. Heartbreak couldn't be rationalized. It just had to be experienced. Sometimes that required a little screaming.

Wishing she had more coffee, Vera resettled the pillows behind her back. On the show, the hosts transitioned smoothly from purposeful small talk into a discussion about the upcoming Teen Taste awards.

"How does it feel to have your kiss nominated as one of the sexiest of the year?" the blonde woman asked, her smile barely flexing.

"I like to think everything I do is the sexiest," Carmen said with a slow wink for the audience, dark lashes brushing her golden cheek to invite them in on her joke. "No, in all seriousness, Never Enough Smiles was such a fun film to work on. I think everyone who worked on that movie felt it. We all became such good friends; cast, crew, everyone. So if people think Troy and I are sexy together, that's a success for everyone who put their energy into that film."