Page 9 of Perfect Order
Some of your favorite celebs turn fashion into an art. Leading the fall list of best-dressed is genre-defiant singer, Erzulie. Her style is much like her vocal capability. Not everyone can mix fitted sequins, exaggerated over-sized wool cardigans, and thigh-high leather boots tighter to make it trendy.
—Eva Henn, Fashion Blogger
“What’s this I’m reading about you and Beckett Miller? I thought you just went on tour together for a few months after the premiere. You swore to me there was nothing between you,” I demand.
My twin just chortles. “Trust me. We’re just friends.”
“Then what is this innuendo from StellaNova? According to them, you’re practically living with the man.” Hurt runs through my voice. It’s not that I’d be upset by my sister getting involved with someone—anyone. It’s that she hadn’t told me first, and I’d be reading about it in a tabloid.
“They’re a bunch of blowhards,” my twin tries to soothe me. “Trust me, I am nowhere close to living with Beckett or any man. I am having way too much fun to settle down.”
I begrudgingly cede that point. But still— “You’d tell me first?”
“I promise, Leanne. If I eventually fall for some megahot star, you will be the first to meet him,” she vows. “Now, if you really want to know who I was sleeping with while I was on that tour, we’ll be here all night.”
“Oh, God. Just assure me you didn’t break anyone’s heart.”
“Not at all.” Her face takes on a seductive cast. “And if I can get my ass into the studio, you might hear all about it on my next album.”
One beat, two, and the two of us burst into laughter. “You’re completely incorrigible.”
“Of course I am. We’re each other’s mirror, Leanne,” she reminds me.
“That’s what Mom always claimed, but I swear to you, expect to get the third degree from her about Beckett Miller. I swear, her crush on him is ridiculous. Even Dad’s annoyed by it.” Kylie groans so loudly, I’m certain the people outside my office can hear it. “Listen, the man’s hot as hell. It’s not my fault she has her fantasy of you settling down and producing musically inclined babies with their daddy’s eyes.” I taunt my sister even as my fingers fly across the keyboard. I scan an email sent from my handler, which includes the press release we were authorized to announce earlier today. His message sends a surge of pride through me.And to think I wasn’t sure if this was going to work in our favor.Excellent work, Q?za!I quickly type back,It was a group effort. Let’s bring the team together for a call to see how to mine the data for the intel we’re looking for.Then I refocus on Lee’s indulgent face.
“If you talk to Mom before me, disabuse her of that.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Listen, Beckett is gorgeous, and honestly, I do want you to meet him. But there’s someone much more important for you to meet.”
“Good, because I was starting to get a complex. Wait, what? Who do you want me to meet? He’s not some troglodyte, is he?” I ask suspiciously.
Kylie sticks her tongue out at me as I grin back at the face that’s identical to my own. Even our hair is cut similarly, hanging in long, angled layers. It’s crazy how despite the hundreds of miles between us, we’ve never drastically altered our appearance. We’ve always had this odd twin connection that our mother calls our twin ESP. If one of us did something, a few days later the other would do the same thing. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she reminisces, “No, the guy I want you to meet is one of Beckett’s bodyguards.”
“What makes you think we’d get along?” I twist my head away and scan something that flashes across my screen.
“Because he’s just your type. Hot, smart, and a smart-ass. Plus, he’s a little bitch about Beckett’s security.”
I whip my head around stick my tongue out at Kylie, who laughs uproariously before reminiscing, “Remember the way we used to go on and on about Beckett and Brendan? And now they’re people I interact with. What dimension did I step in?”
“Do you remember the way we used to drool over the life-sized posters we had hanging of them in our room as kids.” We both giggle helplessly.
That’s when she confesses, “I was astounded when Kris set up that date for Beckett and me for the premiere back in February.”
“Wait. You’re you, and he’s him. You’re telling me it was all a setup?”
Nodding, her blonde hair floating in the wind off the balcony of her New York City condo, she gives up gossip rags like StellaNova would kill for. “Complete setup. The record label wanted to see if they could spark some promo. With the way the fans reacted, they decided to send me on tour with Beckett, Mick, and Carly.”
“And there wasn’t a spark between the two of you? Even from the beginning?”
Kylie had just brought her mug of tea to her lips. She quickly sets it down. “Between me? And Becks? You have got to be kidding.”
“Because of his age?” Just as my sister’s about to respond, I hurriedly respond, “Because I don’t care about the fact he could almost have fathered us, the man’s shit hot.”
“There’s no denying that.” She frowns thoughtfully. “But take it from me, there’s just something…sad about him. Like he’s been damaged somehow.”
My antennae shoot straight up. “Damaged how?”
