The Hollywood Effect (21 page)

I listened attentively as he told a story about his grandmother, and how much she and her life had inspired him, how he wanted to honour her by sharing her story.
 

“… And of course, a big thank you to our stars, Lily Bristowe and Liam Burns. You both worked so hard and with such passion. It was a pleasure to bring this film to life with you. Thank you.” Archibald Douglas held up his hands as the audience began to clap. “I suppose that’s enough rambling from me. Without any further ado, I give you
Gertrude’s Promise.”
He stepped backwards off the stage and I found myself hoping that he wouldn’t trip over and fall off. I probably would have.
 

The final credits rolled. Applause rang out. I squeezed Liam’s hand.
 

“You were great,” I said, leaning towards him so he could hear.
 

“You liked it?” he asked earnestly.
 

“Of course. It was wonderful. I even cried.”
 

Liam scoffed. “You cry in every movie. You cried in
The Lion King.”
 

“
What’s wrong with that? Everyone cries when Mustafa dies.”
 

“You cried when we watched it last year… for what, the twentieth time?!”
 

I shrugged. “I have no defence. I’m a sucker for a tear jerker. But, still. It was good. You were great.” I leant over and gave him a quick, awkward side hug and peck on the cheek.
 

“Thanks, Jen. I know you’re biased, but it still means a lot.”
 

I smiled and squeezed his hand again. We stood up. Lily turned to Liam and gave him a big hug.
 

“I had so much fun working with you, Liam. I told you that, didn’t I?”
 

“Just a few times.” He grinned at her. She laughed and started talking about someone I didn’t know.
 

“You’re coming to the afterparty, right? Please tell me you’re coming.” Liam elbowed me subtly. I’d zoned out again. Lily was talking to me, not Liam.
 

“Sorry. Yeah, we are. Aren’t we?” I looked up at Liam. He nodded.
 

“Wouldn’t miss it.”
 

“Great. Oh my god, I’m so famished. I didn’t eat before this. I was paranoid I wouldn’t fit into this stupid dress!” Lily put her hand to her flat stomach and laughed at herself. “Wanna grab some food on the way? Real food. Like a burger or something. I’m dying for a burger. They’ll probably just have a bunch of fancy finger food at the party.”
 

Liam turned to me, question on his face. Burgers with Lily Bristowe? Was he crazy? Of course I would. I nodded and looked at him like he was an idiot.
 

We slowly made our way out of the theatre. I ended up next to Lily’s brother Billy while the two actors mingled and answered questions.
 

“I don’t know how she does it,” Billy said quietly to me. “All this, and she’s still the same down to earth, annoying little sister that I’ve always had.”
 

“Yeah. Liam hasn’t changed too much either, thankfully!”
 

Billy nodded. “Yeah. He seems like a nice guy. Not like a lot of the people I’ve met here. It’s a very strange place that’s for sure. So many plastic people. I’m looking forward to be going back home, I can honestly say. It might be a small town, and everyone might still know who you are, but they don’t want your damn photograph at every corner!”
 

“When are you leaving?” I asked. We were a few metres behind Liam and Lily, and being mostly ignored.
 

“Tuesday. It’s nice to spend some time with my sister, but…” Billy shook his head.
 

“I know what you mean. It’s so surreal. I’m going to be back in my classroom in about a week. They’re completely different worlds.”
 

Billy nodded. “I used to think I wanted to be famous. Not anymore. Not after I’ve seen what Lily’s gone through.”
 

“Is it that bad?”
 

Billy shrugged. “It’s getting worse, I think. She has a security detail now. But she won’t let on that it bothers her too much. But it does. I can tell. Ah, we’re on the move again.”
 

Lily and Liam were moving towards a limo, gesturing us to follow. A small crowd of people had surrounded them, but as Lily was smiling warmly at them, they seemed welcome enough.
 

Billy kept pace with my slow, careful walk. I smiled gratefully at him.
 

“I don’t usually wear shoes like this. I should have word flats.”
 

Billy laughed and shook his head. “Don’t know how you girls to it, to be honest. They look like torture devices or something.”
 

“You could probably use one as a torture device. I’m sure it’s been done before.”
 

“What are you two laughing at?” Liam asked when we finally caught up with them.
 

“The merits of high heels as a torture device.”
 

Liam just raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
 

“Jen, I want to introduce you.” Lily grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. “Jen, this is my assistant and angel, Jasmine.” I smiled and nodded at a young woman with slicked back dark hair. She looked very… competent. Jasmine smiled tightly at me and nodded back before looking back down at her phone. “And this is my stylist, Connie.” Another smile and nod. “And these are Gary and Suresh, my muscles.” Just a nod from these two. They were more interested in scanning the people around us. It took me longer than it should have to realise they were bodyguards. So weird.
 
Sometimes, on particularly crowded walks up the corridor, I’d felt like a body guard would be nice, but to actually need one…
 

We all piled into the limousine. Liam pulled me down next to him.
 

“Where’s your entourage?” I smirked at him.
 

“You’re it, I’m afraid.” He winked at me. I rolled my eyes back at him, and made a mental note to ask him why he didn’t have an assistant like Lily did later. I knew Holly had one as well, and probably most actors and celebrities of Liam’s situation. I wouldn’t mind an assistant sometimes.
 

“So where do you want to go, Lily?” Jasmine asked.
 

“Oh, um. How does everyone feel about In-and-Out? I’ll be honest, I’ve been craving them all week.”
 

“Sure,” Liam shrugged.

“Billy?”
 

“Fine with me.”
 

“Jen?”
 

“Uh….”
 

“Have you been to In-and-Out? Liam, have you taken her there yet? Please say yes.”
 

“Well, actually…”

“Oh my god. Liam! You fail as a tour guide. Utterly fail.” Lily shook her pretty head in disgust, although her eyes were laughing.
 

Liam looked at me, bemused and ran his hand through his hair.
 

“Jen, trust me,” Lily turned to me. “You’ll love it. It’s an institution.”
 

“I’ve heard of it… I just…”
 

“Well, I’m so happy that I am going to be there when you try that delicious, juicy, wonderful burger for the first time.”
 

“Uh…” I started. This moment was always vaguely awkward. I didn’t want anyone to think I was a pretentious wanker.
 

 
“Oh, wait. Jen’s vegetarian.” Liam belatedly came to my rescue.
   

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.” I didn’t see how she would, I didn’t exactly have a giant V tattooed to my forehead. “That’s okay,” Lily continued after a moment. “You could get a grilled cheese, or I think they also do the burger but without the patty?”
 

“Have you studied the secret menu or something?” Liam laughed. Billy grinned.
 

“Er… maybe. Don’t judge me.” She leaned over Billy and pushed Liam.
 

“Not judging.” Liam tried to keep a straight face and held up his hands in self defence.
 

“Sure you’re not. I know you, Liam Burns.” She glared at him.
 

“You do eat fries don’t you?” Lily turned back to me, alarmed.
 

I laughed. “Of course I do.”
 

“Phew. Half the girls I know don’t eat potato. They’re crazy.”
 

“Oh…” I didn’t even know that was a thing. “What’s wrong with potato?”
 

“Carbs. Or something. I dunno. Stupid fad diets.” Lily waved her hand dismissively.
 

Jasmine must have relayed the decision to the driver somehow, because we were soon pulling into a drive-thru. I’d never been through a drive-thru in a limo. Hell, this was only the third time I’d even been in a limousine. My friend Sophie’s parents had hired a limo for her as a high school graduation treat, and she’d picked us all up so we could arrive at the graduation dinner in style. It had been fun, but it being Tarang, there wasn’t exactly many places to go, and we had a whole hour to fill in. The nearest drive-thru was 50 kilometres away in Warrnambool, which technically I suppose we could have made it to. But we had settled on doing laps of the town… which didn’t exactly take much time.
 

Before long, Jasmine was handing out everyone’s food, and a lot of napkins. I carefully covered my lap and the front of my dress. Now was not the time to be spilling food on myself.
 

We all must have been hungry, because we scoffed our food down.
 

“It’s pretty good, isn’t it?” Lily said around her burger. I nodded in agreement, my mouth full of fries.
 

Liam bared his teeth at me once we’d finished eating.
 

“You’re all good,” I said after scanning his teeth and face. “Me?” I copied the face he’d made at me.
 

“You have a bit of sauce on your nose.”
 

“What the hell…”
 

“Here, let me get it. It’s in a weird spot.” Liam grabbed one of the napkins and leaned over and wiped a bit of sauce off from the side of my nose. I had no idea how it even got there.
 

“You guys are cute,” Lily said. Liam and I both looked at Lily and then sat back self-consciously, which just seemed to make her laugh even more.
 

“We’re here, Lily,” Jasmine piped up.
 

The car was surrounded by photographers. I took a deep breath. It was okay. They were here for Lily. And Liam. Not me. They wouldn’t pay me any attention at all.
 

The bodyguards got out first and stood on either side of the door. Jasmine and Connie followed, and then Billy. Lily winked at us and then got out. The noise level rose and the photographers started yelling questions at Lily, or simply begging her to look at them.
 

“This is crazy,” I muttered to Liam. “Is it always like this?”
 

Liam shrugged. “Depends who you’re with. Sometimes. C’mon, our turn.”
 

Liam held my hand tightly, probably so I wouldn’t get lost in the crush of people that suddenly surrounded us as soon as we got out of the limo.
 

It was hard to make much sense of what the photographers were yelling out, given that they were all yelling at once, but I heard a few mentions of Holly and glanced up at Liam. He has a stiff smile plastered on to his face and all but dragged me into the building, past the waiting security guards who were trying to keep the photographers out.
 

The room we ended up in was full of people I recognised from the premiere, and then some. Black attired waiters and waitresses floated through the crowd with trays of champagne and plates of hors d’oeuvres . Liam grabbed two flutes of champagne off a passing tray and handed me one. I’d lost sight of Billy and Lily through the crowd.
 

“Cheers,” I said and held my glass up to Liam.
 

“Cheers,” he repeated and clinked my glass. We both took a sip.
 

“So, what now?” I asked.
 

Liam shrugged. “Have fun. Mingle, if you want to. Don’t mingle if you don’t want to. Drink. Eat. Make the most of the free stuff. There should be goody bags here somewhere…”
 

“Hey, Liam.” We both turned. Billy was back, glass of champagne in one hand and some sort of pastry in the other.
 

“Yo, Billy.”
 

“My sister told me to give you a heads up that Holly’s coming,” Billy said quietly.
 

“What? Um, thanks mate.” Liam looked flustered for a moment and then schooled his face, planting a pleasant, bland smile on it.
 

“You okay?” I asked, softly.
 

“Sure. It’s no big deal. I just didn’t know she was planning on coming tonight…”
 

“Bit strange,” I said.
 

Liam nodded then shrugged. “Oh well. What can you do? It’s a small business in some ways. We’re bound to be at the same events. It’s all good.”
 

“If you say so…”
 

What a night. Holly was there. Jen was there. Lily was there. Does anyone have any inside scoops? Email us if you have any!
 

“Hello, Jennifer.” I closed my eyes briefly and then turned, a polite smile on my face.
 

“Holly.” I paused and looked her up and down. She looked stunning, as usual. “Nice to see you again.”
 

She went in for a hug. I was really starting to hate awkward, fake hugs.
 

“I’m surprised to see you here! You’re a bit far from home.”
 

“Yeah, uh. Liam invited me to come over for the premiere.”

“So I gathered.” She paused and looked me up and down, reaching out to touch my dress lightly. “You look nice.”