CARA

“No!” I hissed at Bridgette. That moment, I didn’t care if I was looking at myself. She chose to wear my dark brown hair around her shoulders so it was flying everywhere as the wind blew by, rustling the dry leaves on the ground. “I am not facing Quinn Carter.”

“Cara, in case you forgot, you are in my body and I have met Quinn just a week ago. We planned his wedding together and we were civilized individuals. Don’t make a big deal out of this.” She raised her brow and studied me. “Or maybe you still have wounds to heal?”

“I don’t have—”

She raised one hand and turned away from me. “I don’t want to hear your story with Quinn. I place everything in the past now.”

I snorted. “Yeah, right. Says the woman who chased me across the street, in the rain, screaming words of how I ruined her high school.”

“It was the alcohol.”

“It was your subconscious not getting over what happened—what you did.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yeah, right.” I started walking down the street.

“Where are you going? You still have to go to that meeting!”

“I am not going anywhere! What I am going to do is find someone who can bring me back to my body!”

“Well, fine! If you are going somewhere, I guess I can too.”

I stopped. There was something in her tone that made me suspect she was planning something.

When I turned around to face her, she smiled. Her arms were crossed on her chest. She decided to wear my old teal shirt which I only wore once because it showed too much of my shoulders. She paired it with faded blue jeans and brown boots. “I’m going to start doing things you wouldn’t like me to.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, but I just want you to know that I can…” she dropped her arms at her sides and I saw myself walking towards me. I cringed. I didn’t like the way Bridgette used my legs and my hips. “I am asking you to do this one for me because I need it, okay? I desperately need this project for reasons I cannot tell you.”

I did not say anything. I heard desperation in her voice. She really needed this. And I really needed her to behave for my own sake and for the safety of my own body. If I wanted her to cooperate, I thought that doing what she wanted was the best idea. Even though it meant dealing with Quinn Carter.

BRIDGETTE

I was not sure if Cara was going to do okay but for the sake of my career, I had to do everything possible.

“This is what you have to do. You need to go to my office, grab everything my secretary hands you, study them and then go to the meeting.”

“How about you?”

“I’ll be with you in the office. My secretary won’t ask questions because she’s not paid to do so. But I don’t think it would be a good idea if Quinn would see me,” I motioned at the body I was currently in, “as you. It would only bring back bad memories.” Cara looked at me pointedly. “What?”

She continued to look at me with those gray eyes of mine. “Okay, if we’re going to do this, you we have to make a deal. I need you to shut up about what happened ten years ago. We have to think about now.”

I looked at her. I couldn’t let go of everything that happened in the past even if I wanted to. I had lost a lot since then and I wanted to show her that. But if I wanted to do so, I would also show a lot of my vulnerabilities so I said, “Yes, fine. If you don’t bring it up either.”

She held out her hand—my hand. “Deal.”

I rolled my eyes and shook her hand—my hand. “Oh God, I miss these nails,” I uttered with longing as I turned her palm and looked at the nails that once belonged to me. “You have to make sure that you take care of it.”

“If you promise never to put anything on mine.”

“Why?” I let go of her hand to look at the ones I now owned. “They’re dull. Lifeless.”

“Because nurses are not allowed to do that unless of course you can have the energy to do your nails for fun and then remove them before you go to work.”

“And why would I—” I stopped in my train of thoughts when I realized what she just said. “Work? Me?” My eyes widened. “No…I don’t have a license…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there. If I’m going to do this, you are also going to work. Hey, we all have to eat, right? So yes, you have to work.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. We can go back to our bodies anytime soon…”

“Says who?”

“Me,” I said, raising my chin. “I only asked you to do this one meeting and now you’re asking me to work as a nurse? That’s absurd. You’re thinking this is going to be long-term, aren’t you? Or maybe…you are thinking it can never be fixed.”

“I am only being realistic. If we want to go back to the way we were, we have to face the present. And as I can see it, our present situation requires us to live our lives as normally as we could while we try to find a way to fix everything.” Cara looked at me squarely and seriously. “I am willing to do everything to make everything in your career as great as it had always been as long as you promise that you can do my job as I have always been able to.”

“But being a nurse requires a license and I don’t have that!”

“We can find a way through that. I’ll walk you through my daily motion. It’s just routine if you ask me but if you encounter anything wrong, you’ll have to call me. If you have questions, you ask me first.”

“But—”

“Ask your questions later. For now, answer mine.”

I was left gaping at her as she continued to walk away.

CARA

But if I am to do what she wants, she also has to do something for me, I thought.

I knew that asking Bridgette to go to work for me could jeopardize my career. But I didn’t care. I wanted her to go through a life that she had never had before. We could actually make it work. Being a nurse could be very complicated but if we could establish a good communication, we could make it.

As long as she stays away from Dr. Scott Newman, she’ll be okay, I thought.

“How do I basically do it?” I asked her when she caught up with me. Her brows were knitted together and I was certain she was bothered about my request. Well, that was good. Bridgette Finn was bothered about something.

“You just pretend their opinions matter,” she finally answered.

“Really?”

“Well, yeah. They’re my clients. I have to make them happy—you have to make them happy. And if they’re happy, they will pay you. Any ideas I come up with for the event will just come out one by one. I would usually suggest something like a color for the flowers and the bride would end up loving it. Then on the next meeting, I can suggest a few songs and the groom may agree after learning his bride is planning to play N’ Sync. But most of the time, I go behind their back. I tell the other a different thing and they end up saying yes to what I think is best for the wedding.”

“That’s…cheating, right?”

“No, that’s being a planner. You don’t just please the couple. You also have to please every person who will be at the wedding because that would mean more clients.”

I should say I was amazed. But it was also expected from Bridgette Finn.

“For now, you have to know the number of guests, their names and of course, you have to know them. They would be my perspective clients in the future. Knowing them would give me an idea of how to make this wedding.”

I was no longer listening. I couldn’t believe that Quinn Carter was already getting married. It only made me realize it has been a long time since I last saw him. And during that time, he was very angry. I mentally slapped myself. How could I be thinking about Quinn after all these years? I should have moved on.

But I didn’t…I never had.

But I could pretend. Being in Bridgette’s body gave me the best weapon. I could literally hide myself and Quinn would never know who I was.

After all, he was the one who told me to never show myself in front of him since that night ten years ago.

BRIDGETTE

There were a lot of things running around my mind. A big part of me didn’t want Cara playing as me in front of clients especially if that client was Quinn Carter. She obviously still had feelings for the guy and I didn’t want her to jeopardize this project for me. This was my last chance.

So the only option I was left was to watch Cara closely, make sure that she didn’t do anything stupid such as bring back old feelings. Quinn had obviously went on with his life. Cara had to see that.

I took comfort to the fact that she was currently occupying my body and that Quinn hated her after what happened ten years ago and I was sure he felt the same way towards me. There would be no problem on Quinn’s side. I just had to focus on Cara.

“You should lose the c-collar,” I told her, struggling with my own.

“You cannot do that!” she stopped me. “Trust me. This c-collar is important. We are not sure if we have sustained any neck injury.”

“How would you explain this to Natalie then?”

Cara frowned. “Does it have to include a lie? I tell her I had an accident.”

“And if she asks what happened? You would have to tell her you were with me and Quinn would find out and he might back out. He will think this is ten years all over again and my project will be gone.”

“I wouldn’t answer that question because it is personal. Period. Your client is not that nosy, is she?”

“No.”

“And Quinn will surely not care if you died in that accident. So don’t worry.”

But I could still see that she was worried. “Just don’t mind Quinn. That’s what I did.”

She threw me a look. “What? Not talk to him?”

“If he talks to you, talk to him. If he chooses to be quiet, then let him be. Pretend he’s not there. It’s just the bride that usually does all the talking anyway. The grooms either sit back or pretend to be busy about work.”

I saw Cara nod. She was being forced into this because I told her this was important to me. I tried not to mind that. I didn’t want her to think I owed her anything.

“But first, we have to dress you up. You have to look presentable and fearless.”

“I don’t—”

“No shaking of the head or anything. Just go with me.” I led the way back to my apartment.

CARA

Bridgette was attacking her closet like a warrior who was not going to see the light of day. I was like a mannequin putting on different pairs of clothing.

“All this trouble for just one meeting?” I asked, looking black pencil skirt. I didn’t see myself but I saw Bridgette and I must say the lady could wear anything.

She was not listening to me because she was busy frowning at the c-collar. “It should really go.”

“I say it doesn’t. Do you really want your neck to suffer?”

She finally sighed and dropped her hands at her sides. “I think this will do.” She straightened the navy blue blouse I had tucked under the skirt. “Oh my God, I miss my body.”

“And I miss mine.” I looked at her with longing. I so wanted to get back to that body, forget about ever meeting Bridgette and live on.

She took a deep breath and let it out forcefully. “Now it’s time to meet Quinn.”

My heart started pumping. I didn’t think I wanted to see Quinn Carter even as Bridgette.

***ComVo all you want, guys! So excited to finally introduce the MEN.... hehehe