Free Your Number by J. Joseph Wright

 
     
    1.
     
     
     
    Glass. Glass everywhere. The balcony floor, glass. The safety rail, glass. She thought quite possibly the night sky was made of glass. And, littering the place like sparkling gems, was A-list celebrity after A-list celebrity. Jennifer Lopez, giggling with Steven Tyler. Tom Cruise, chatting Steven Spielberg’s ear off. Kim Kardashian, with her sister Kourtney, feasting on caviar and sea bass while swaying seductively to a dance remix of Lights . Sunset Tower Hotel had been invaded by Hollywood’s crème de la crème. Despite her recent successes, Kate still felt a little out of place.
     
    “Don’t do it!” a voice rose over the pounding bass. “Don’t jump, Kate! I can’t lose my twin sister!”
     
    Kate felt her face go red. She gave Eva a stiff lip, trying to say, ‘shut the hell up,’ without actually saying it. People were watching. Eva just smiled and shook her head. She had a full glass of champagne in each hand.
     
    “Here,” she gave one to Kate. “I was gonna drink both, but it looks like you need this more than me,” she took a particularly undignified guzzle, then burped. What a lady. “What’re you doing way up here?” she squinted. “Hey, you’re not upset, are you?”
     
    Kate glanced at the celebrity fete below her feet. “About what?”
     
    “You know,” Eva forced Kate to look at her. Except for the different length hair, they were a perfect match, a mirror reflection. “About not winning. Because you shouldn’t be upset or jealous or anything. Like they say, it’s an honor to be…”
     
    “To be nominated. Yeah, yeah. I know.”
     
    “So you are pissed!”
     
    “I am not,” Kate sighed. “I’m just…tired,” she looked past her sister at the small gatherings on the veranda. It was quieter up there, and darker. Several groups sat in cozy, private settings, created by a series of hanging tapestries. She saw shadows and heard voices, but didn’t see many faces. “Where’s Charlie? You seen him?”
     
    “Charlie?” Eva downed the rest of her bubbly in one gulp. “He’s showing off his Oscar to anyone who wants to see it. I mean, tacky,” she rolled her eyes.
     
    “Now who’s jealous?”
     
    “Oh, bull,” Eva dug into her handbag and fished out her phone. “Hey, listen. I’m gonna get outta here…you gonna be okay with Charlie?”
     
    “Yeah. He’ll probably crash at my place tonight,” Kate saw something in her sister’s eyes. “Don’t give me that look. We’re just friends.”
     
    Eva winked. “With benefits?”
     
    Kate motioned a big, exaggerated slap. Eva slinked away.
     
    “Night, night!” Eva tiptoed downstairs. The second she glided out of sight, Kate lost her breath and jumped at the sudden and disorienting sensation of being twirled around.
     
    “I thought she’d never leave,” Charlie had her by the hips. He kissed her quickly and raised his Oscar above his head. “Can you believe I won!”
     
    “Of course you won,” she assured him. “Your performance was a classic. You deserve it.”
     
    His expression straightened and he skewed his head. “Oh, Katie, you’ll win one,” he kissed her cheek. “You’ll win more than one,” he backed away, beckoning her to the labyrinth of silky canvases, candlelight casting him in silhouette. “Come on…some people want to meet you.”
     
    He led her to the outermost corner of the patio, where the music became nothing more than thumping in her ears. Sitting at a large table, in the dimness, she recognized each and every person, all superstars. Angelle, the pop sensation, with her boyfriend, Bradley Davis, a Pro Bowl quarterback. Big-time actors Dean Bow, Elena Lake and Simone Bardot—it looked like the cover of US magazine.
     
    “Everyone, this is Kate,” Charlie said. “Kate, everyone.”
     
    “Welcome to our cloistered little Oscar party,” Dean gestured toward the transparent tabletop. “Have some. On me.”
     
    Kate recoiled from the white