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“You’re one cruel woman.”
What was she going to do about him? Cornelia Case was so insecure about sex that she wouldn’t do anything. But Nell Kelly . . . Nell just might have the guts to take a chance.
As she paid for her purchase, she realized she had enough money now to go off on her own again, but a solitary adventure had lost its appeal.
They were leaving the department store when she spotted Lucy charging toward them, her eyes alive with excitement. “I’ve been looking for you guys everywhere. Come on, Nell. Hurry!” She grabbed the packages from Nealy’s hands, shoved them at Mat, and began dragging her forward.
“Wait! What’s going on?”
“You’ll see.”
Nealy looked back at Mat, but he was retrieving one of the packages she’d dropped. She let Lucy pull her, pleased by that fact that she was acting like a normal teenager instead of a hostile burnout.
“I already signed you up. But you’ve gotta tuck in your maternity top so you don’t look pregnant. And, hurry! Ohmygod, they already started.”
“Signed me up for what?”
“This is so cool.” She dragged her toward the center of the mall. “First prize is a TV. It’ll be great in Mabel.”
“Lucy!”
“Hurry!”
A crowd had gathered in front of some kind of platform where music blared, and a group of people wearing numbers were lined up. “Wait a minute. I’m not going a step farther until—”
“Here she is.” Lucy pushed Nealy toward a young woman with a long, dark ponytail. She was carrying a clipboard and wearing a plastic smiley pin.
“You just made it.” The woman stuck a tag printed with the number eleven on Nealy’s shirt. “You’re our last entry. Who is it you think you look like?”
Dumbfounded, Nealy stared at her. “What . . .”
“She looks like Cornelia Case!” Lucy exclaimed. “Anybody can see that.”
Only then did Nealy spot the banner hanging above the platform.
CELEBRITY LOOKALIKE CONTEST!
10
NEALY FELT ALL the blood draining from her head. “Lucy, I’m not doing this!”
“Too late. It cost me ten bucks. And I want that TV, so you’d better win!”
“We have one more contestant,” the announcer exclaimed. “Step up, Number Eleven! Your name is . . .” He glanced down at the card the woman with the clipboard had handed him. “Brandy Butt?”
“I made that up so your ex-husband couldn’t find you,” Lucy whispered as she pushed Nealy toward the steps.
“Don’t be shy. Come right on up. ”
Everybody in the crowd had turned to stare at her. Her limbs felt numb and her fingers icy. She thought about running, but that would only make her more conspicuous. Her legs were wooden as she found herself mounting the three steps.
Why had she let Mat take away her padding? The others were standing in a ragged line. She took a place at the end and willed herself to become invisible, but the crowd was regarding her curiously. She was going to murder Lucy.
“Brandy, tell us where you’re from?”
Her voice quivered. “¿Qué?”
“Where you’re from? Where you live?”
