The Hollywood Effect (25 page)

Liam shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I’ve got a few scripts to go through. I might take a break, I dunno. We’ll see what works out.”
 

“You have such a weird life,” Dan laughed and shook his head. “It’s awesome.”
 

By the time midnight rolled around, the conversation was starting to wane, and the yawns were coming in faster.
 

“Well, I think I might call it a night,” Dan said after draining the last of his beer, and standing up to stretch. “I’ll see you two in the morning.”
 

“Good night,” I said. I was pretty cosy where I was on the couch. I knew my bed was even cosier, but for the moment I was happy where I was.
 

“Sweet dreams,” Liam said in a sing-song voice. Dan looked startled for a second and then burst out laughing.
 

“Thanks sweetheart,” he said and blew a kiss in Liam’s direction.
 

Once Dan had disappeared down the hallway, Liam got up and changed the music. A slow, beautiful song came out of the sound system. Liam held his hand out to me.
 

“Dance with me.”
 

I placed my hand in his outstretched one. He gently pulled me to my feet and held me close.
 

“Stay with me tonight,” he murmured into my hair. I pulled back to look at him. He ran his finger rover my lip and then leant down, kissing me slowly, luxuriously. I felt myself drowning in bliss.
 

I blinked, coming awake slowly, strange feelings lingering from dreams that didn’t make nearly as much sense in the cold light of day. I turned my head slightly. Liam was fast asleep, breathing deeply. He looked peaceful. I resisted the urge to run my finger along his cheek, and slipped carefully out of bed, sneaking back to my own bed.
   

“Why is it that I only ever remember how much I hate nightclubs, when I’m actually in a nightclub again.”

The incredibly loud music assaulted my eardrums. I felt old and grumpy, and overly dressed. We were surrounded by bronzed young men and women, scantily dressed and slathered in make-up.
 

“ Chin up.” Dan grinned at me. At least, I think he said ‘chin up’. It was a bit hard to tell over all of the noise.
 

It was all Dan’s fault. I think Liam would have been happy enough to just stay at home with some beers and company. I know I would have been. Dan had wanted to experience the ‘real’ Los Angeles nightlife though. Liam had always been one to oblige, and he’d sent out a few texts to his more party-loving friends. He’d just laughed when I’d asked hopefully if Lily would be there. Apparently Lily hated nightclubs almost as much as I did. Something else to like about her.
 

Dan and I were hovering near the entrance. Liam had disappeared off into the crowd to find someone named Cameron. I glanced up - Dan was entranced by the dancing girls. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and settled for scanning the crowd for Liam. After what felt like an eternity, he came back.
 

“Follow me, guys!” he yelled into our ears. I grabbed Dan with one hand and Liam with the other as we wove through the crowd.
 

“See, now this is why I come out with you, Burnsy.” Dan looked gleefully around the VIP area that we were ushered into.
 

“I knew you were using me,” Liam laughed and playfully pulled Dan into a headlock. It was marginally quieter over here; I could actually hear most of what people were saying/yelling.
 

“Cheer up, Jen. You look like someone just killed your cat.” Liam let Dan out of the headlock and reached down to grab my hand. He pulled me over to a couch and picked up a champagne flute, raising an eyebrow at me in question. I nodded. If we were going to stay here, I could not do it sober.
 

Two glasses of champagne in, and I was starting to relax a bit. We’d been joined by a couple of vaguely familiar looking people. Dan was rather starstruck - apparently one of the girls was on a TV show that his housemate was obsessed with. I elbowed him and told him to stop staring so blatantly. He was beginning to look creepy.
 

Three very attractive, blonde young women had cornered Liam. Dan elbowed me and told me to stop glaring at them.
 

“You’re the one whose starting to look creepy now,” he said with a shake of his head. I switched my glare from them to him.
 

“They’re just flirting with him because he’s famous,” I complained.
 

“Yeah, no shit,” Dan said with a shrug.
 

“Doesn’t it bother you?”
 

Dan looked startled. “Why would it? I wish I was famous so they’d flirt with me!”
 

I just rolled my eyes at him.
 

“C’mon, you can’t spend all night getting grumpy about girls hitting on Liam. It’s going to happen wherever we go. Come dance with me and try to have some fun!”
 

Dan pulled me unresistingly up and over to the dance floor. He grinned at me and started doing some really daggy dance moves. I stood there rather awkwardly swaying to the beat, watching him.
 

“See, this, this right here is why no self-respecting women hit on you,” I shouted in his ear with a laugh. He just grinned wider and kept going. I laughed and decided to join in. He looked like he was having more fun than I was.
 

Before long a couple of girls who wouldn’t look out of place in my Year 11 class joined in, dancing with Dan and gradually pushing me out. I took a step back, looking around for Liam. He was still back in the VIP area, with two of the three women. I felt a scowl forming on my face. One of them was all but pushing her ample breasts into his face. I looked directly at Liam - I couldn’t tell if he was enjoying it or not. I looked down at my not so ample boobs. With a sigh I turned towards the bar. I needed another drink.
 

“Can I buy you a drink? You look like you need one.” I turned to see who had yelled in my ear. A tall, handsome blonde man was staring at me, bright white smile on display.
 

“No, thanks. I’m okay,” I said quickly.
 

“Oh, come on. Just a drink. No expectations.”
 

“Why?” I wasn’t used to guys buying me drinks anymore.
 

“Why not? I like buying pretty ladies a drink.”
 

“Thanks, but no thanks.” I smiled politely so he wouldn’t think I was too rude.
 

“How about a dance then? A pretty lady like you shouldn’t be alone in a place like this.”
 

“I’m not alone.”
 

“Oh really? Is your boyfriend here?”
 

“No… I’m here with some friends.”
 

“Well, good. Dance with me?”
 

I glanced over to where Dan was still happily dancing with the girls, and over to Liam. There was only one woman left and she was stroking Liam’s arm possessively. My heart skipped a beat and a green eyed monster reared up from somewhere. Screw that.
 

“Sure, let’s dance,” I said.
 

The guy grinned his too-white smile at me and grabbed my hand, a little bit too familiarly for my comfort. I shrugged it off and started bopping to the beat, trying not to feel too self-conscious.
 
The guy, who yelled over the music that his name was Caleb started dancing closer and closer, rubbing up against me more often than I could pass off as an accident.
 

There was a tap on my shoulder and there he was.
 

“Can I interrupt?” Liam asked me, a frown filling his face.
 

“Please,” I muttered and nodded.
 

Caleb gawked at Liam and then looked at me, puzzled, obviously wondering what a nobody like me was doing with Liam Burns.
 

Liam pulled me slightly away from Caleb and started dancing, pulling me closer .
 

“What were you doing with a guy like that? He’s a creep.”

“Nothing,”I said, slightly surprised at the jealous look that flittered across Liam’s face as he looked over at where Caleb was still standing.
 

Liam shook himself and focused on me, and then smiled. “Sorry. I just don’t… never mind.”
 

We danced together, somewhat hampered by my lack of co-ordination, but I was actually starting to have fun.
 

Before long though, yet another young woman was pushing her way in to my personal space, dancing closer and closer, trying to get Liam’s attention. My patience ran out when she elbowed me in the boob and stood on my toes with her stiletto heal. I swore under my breath, scowled at her, and pushed my way out of the dance floor. I looked around for the restrooms.
 

The wall of sound subsided when the door swung shut behind me. I barricaded myself in one of the empty stalls and took a few deep breaths, then regretted it when the smell hit my nose. I hated nightclubs. I hated watching all the girls fawn all over Liam. I hated that I couldn’t even have one dance with him without someone barging in.
 

A line was starting to form, and I began to feel guilty about hogging one of the stalls. Time to put on a fake happy face and brave the outside world again.
 

I hovered near the bar, trying to see where Liam or Dan were. I couldn’t see them. I couldn’t see much at all, really, through the darkness, pulsing lights and my limited perspective from the height of 5 feet and 4 inches. I just wanted to go home.
 

“There you are.” Liam materialised out of nowhere. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Oh, I thought you’d still be dancing with that girl.”
 

“What?” He said something else but I couldn’t hear him over all the noise.
 

“What?”
 

He tried again, but I just shook my head. We were too close to the DJ. He reached down and held my hand, pulling me back towards the VIP area.
 

“Are you okay?” he asked once we were back there.
 

I nodded. “I’m fine,” I lied.
 

“You are not. Want to get out of here?”
 

I nodded gratefully.
 

“Wait here, I’ll go find Dan.” He disappeared into the crowd, coming back a few minutes later with Dan and an attractive brunette in tow. Dan looked disappointed when we said we wanted to leave.
 

“C’mon guys, one more drink!”
 

Liam and I exchanged glances. I shrugged and then nodded.
 

“All right then.” We sat back down in the VIP area, and a black clad waitress soon had another bottle of champagne flowing.
 

Dan introduced the girl he’d brought over as Isobel. She was from Germany, and didn’t seem starstruck by Liam at all. In fact, she barely paid him any attention whatsoever. I looked on in amusement as Dan basked in her obvious attraction and attention.
 

The bottle of champagne was soon drained, and Liam shook his head when the waitress asked if we wanted another.
 

“Oh come on, guys. This is fun. We’re having fun,” Dan moaned when we said we wanted to go home.
 

“You can stay if you want,” Liam said.
 

Dan glanced around. “Won’t we have to rejoin the plebs if you leave?”
 

Liam laughed. “I knew you were using me! But nah, you’ll be fine. Promise. Catch an Uber home when you’re ready. You have my address, yeah?”

Dan nodded.
 

“Thanks, man.”
 

I gave Dan a quick hug. “Stay safe.”
 

Dan just rolled his eyes at me. “Yes, Mum.”
 

“Jen?” We were lying in his bed. I’d half dozed off, my body needing to recover from the intense session we’d just had. It was probably a good thing I was leaving in a couple of days. I hadn’t had this much sex in a long time, and it was starting to get a bit tender down there.
 

“Mmmm?”
 

“Can we talk?”
 

“I think you’re talking right now,” I said dryly. My heart started to pound despite my nonchalant answer. Did anything good ever follow those words? A thousand possibilities rushed through my mind. He wanted to end it. He didn’t want to end it. He was confused. I was confused.
 

“I mean, seriously.”
 

Uh oh.
 

I rolled over so I could look at him properly. He was sitting up in the bed, sheets pooled around his waist.
 

“What did you want to talk about?” I prompted after a minute or two went by without him saying anything, just staring intently at me. It was slightly unnerving. He reached out and touched my cheek, and then pushed a stray bit of hair behind my ear. I still tingled at his touch.
 

“Jen… I….This is harder than I thought it would be.” He paused. I waited.
 

“Spit it out,” I said, slightly impatient. He’d come to his senses, I knew it. He was ending whatever this was so we could preserve the friendship, before anything got nasty or awkward. Just like he had years ago, in Year 12, after that one blissful kiss. I wanted to roll away from him, but something stopped me.
 

He took a deep breath and glanced away from me. “These past few days have been amazing.”
 

“But…” I prompted, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
 

His eyes darted back to mine. “No but.” He reached out again and took my hand. I gazed down at our entwined fingers. “I really like you, Jen.” I looked back up at him. He was gazing earnestly at me. “I mean, I’ve always really liked you, you’re one of my best friends. But… this is different. I
really
like you. I’m mad about you. I can’t get you out of my head. And I don’t want this to end.”