“I’m sorry, I am due for a fitting. I will see you there, I suppose. We will have to be photographed leaving the party together. At least that is what I was just informed.” She rises onto the balls of her feet since we are almost equal in height and presses her lips to my cheek. The sounds of the cameras going off is almost deafening even though I seem to be the only one to hear them. “Until then.”
I’m left standing in the lobby, surrounded by people checking in and out of the hotel, bellman pushing carts around filled with luggage, valets escorting guests to their cars, but I’ve never felt so alone.
~
The party is in full swing when I arrive, many of the attendees too far gone to even notice my appearance. But Elena sees, as do Quinn and Tessa. My fake girlfriend leaves her assistant and makes a beeline toward me.
But I sidestep her and head toward Tessa instead.
“Glad to see you could make it.” She reaches up to adjust the collar of my shirt, one of the lapels tucked into itself in my hurry when I received her text.
“Sorry. I wasn’t really in the mood.”
Her sorrowful smile doesn’t ease the pain. “I know, but you’re the lead and need to be here. Also, good news, I hear that you’ll be attending the premieres with your true love.”
At first, I think she means Larsen, until I realize that it’s said in jest.
“Great.”
“I know it sucks, but the buzz is already going strong. I believe we’re going to have a blockbuster on our hands.”
It’s what I always wanted – the spotlight. The go-to lead actor is known to draw in the crowds. But then why doesn’t my heart feel in it?
“Focus, Devyn. You’re almost there. Then, so long as there aren’t any screw-ups, you’re set.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
We stand together on the outskirts of the crowd taking everyone in with their suits and ties, sparkling dresses, glittering jewels. I should feel like I belong but I’ve never felt more distant from my colleagues, from the world I crave to be a part of again.
As if Tessa knows where my head is at she leans in and murmurs, “She should be arriving in about fifteen minutes. There was a long layover.”
Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I ready for her call and as if summoned from a higher power an unknown number with a Colorado area code flashes across my screen.
I look at Tessa wondering if I should wait to answer or leave to take the call, not wanting to rock the boat with my agent and the team more than I already have.
“Go, I’ll handle it.”
“Thank you,” I say as I turn on my heels and brace myself to hear her voice.
“Larsen?” I answer once I step into the abandoned hall. “God, I wish that you were still here.”
CHAPTER TEN – LARSEN
Same letter, different day.
As expected, images of my time in Chicago surface, and the sullen fan letters began to occur more frequently. Some with fake return addresses, some without any. They mostly say the same thing.
That I’m not good enough.
That he’ll tire of me.
That my end is coming.
As requested, I make sure to send Devyn a snapshot of each before I take them to Officer Tawny. She’s gone so far as to ask the postal service to keep an eye out when they retrieve the letters. But that seems to be a dead end as well, they’ve been coming from various mailing locations.
Everyone is stumped, except me.
I chalk it up to a fan eager to gain Devyn’s attention, and by paying these letters more attention than they are worth, we’re only feeding the fan’s desires.