On a scale of one to ten, this level of danger scores a two.”
“But even a two means there’s still a risk.”
Emmy brushed off my fears with a wave of her hand. “Yeah, yeah, and I could get shot by a terrorist tomorrow. Right, that’s decided. I’ll get Bradley to go shopping.”
CHAPTER 48
THE NEXT MORNING, I pulled on a pair of dark blue boot-cut jeans while Emmy and Bradley turned their backs. Nick did no such thing. He licked his lips, then groaned as I did the zipper up. The pants were cut far too long for me, but that meant they hid the four-inch platform shoes I needed to wear underneath to bring me up to Emmy’s height.
Emmy didn’t seem to share my embarrassment about getting undressed in front of an audience because she pulled off her loose, floaty top and threw it to me while Bradley stuffed her bra with silicone chicken fillets. After she’d pulled on a long wrap dress, it was onto the hair. Bradley produced wigs for both of us and curled the strands around our faces—all the better to hide them. He’d already worked his magic with make-up, and my bruises were barely noticeable from a quick glance.
I didn’t look exactly like Emmy, and it was hard to hide the fact I was a good few pounds heavier. If anyone stood us next to each other, the differences were clear. However, the plan was that Emmy—dressed as me—would leave first with Nick, and if Jonas was watching, he’d have to follow or risk losing them. That meant that when I caught a ride with Bradley afterwards, he’d be long gone.
Emmy stood in front of the mirror and checked herself out from every angle. It was obviously easier to add weight than to take it away, and she’d padded out her hips as well as her bust, giving her a curvy figure rather than her usual athletic one.
“The fake tits are sweaty as hell, but the cleavage would stop traffic, wouldn’t it, Nicky?”
“No comment.”
“Do I really look like that?” I asked.
“Yeah, baby, but without the hard edges.”
Nick wrapped his arm around me and nuzzled my ear. That didn’t go down well with Bradley.
“Nick! You’re messing up her hair.”
The next half hour was the strangest of my life, and that was saying something after the last few months. Emmy chatted with me, and as she did so, she copied my mannerisms and the way I talked. I’d never thought much about my accent or my speech patterns before, but she picked out every nuance.
“Now walk around the room,” she instructed.
I did, and she followed, swinging her hips a little more and shortening her stride.
“How’s that?” she asked our audience.
Nick nodded, and Bradley gave her two thumbs up.
The way she’d turned into me was uncanny. It was like watching myself in a movie, only she answered back.
“Have you done this sort of thing before?” I asked.
“A few times.”
“What’s that nose wrinkle thing?”
“You do that when you’re thinking.”
“Oh, gosh. Do I?”
Nick laughed. “Don’t stop. It’s cute.”
Hard to stop when I didn’t even realise I did it. I wiggled my nose, then touched it. Did I really?
Without further delay, Dr. Beech signed my discharge papers, and the time came for us to leave. Sweat trickled down my back as Emmy took Nick’s arm and walked out of the room, looking for all the world like she was slightly worse for wear. Bradley plopped back onto the bed beside me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I think so. This all feels so strange.”
“Emmy and Nick’s whole world is strange, but you get used to it. At least you’ll never be bored. Now, I’ve got one of the company Ford Explorers outside. I figured my Lamborghini would be too difficult for you to get into with your injuries, and because Emmy wouldn’t let me help her, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“I’ll be okay to get in. I’m just a bit stiff.”
To my utter relief, Bradley drove far more sensibly than Emmy. I’d been worried her tendency to speed might have rubbed off on him, but he puttered along like a mom on her way to the grocery store.
“How long until we get to Emmy’s house?”
“About thirty minutes. And it’s actually her husband’s place we’re going to. Emmy’s home’s undergoing a touch of renovation at the moment.”
“They live in different houses?”
“No, they share both of them. But Emmy likes modern, and her husband prefers things more traditional, so they compromised and decorated one