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Her personal bodyguard, Trevor, approached, a faux fur wrap across his tree-trunk-like forearm, hidden under his stylish tuxedo. "You'll need this. The temp has dropped by at least ten degrees since we got here a few hours ago." He helped drape the garment around her shoulders in time to hide her shiver. She wasn't even outsideyet.
As her entourage made their way to the elevator that would take them to the grand lobby, Khloe gave herself a peptalk.
Today should be one of the best days of her life. She'd reached a major milestone in her career. Tonight the world would celebrate the long awaited film–her first lead in a major box-office film. The fact that critics were raving about the film, and it hadn't even opened yet, was a real coup. The studio was spending millions on marketing. Tonight was the first of four red-carpet release parties scheduled over the next three weeks across the globe. Next up would be Hollywood, Washington D.C., and finallyLondon.
The ding of the elevator had her putting on her final accessory for her outfit. Her publicsmile.
"Khloe!" The screams of her name came from several directions the second she stepped into the lobby. She was grateful for Trevor's steadying hand on her elbow as he stayed close enough to help clear a path through the throng of fans that had somehow discovered what hotel she was staying at. The flash of cameras was blinding. She felt hands daring to grope her. While her brain knew they didn't mean any harm, it always unnervedher.
She had never been the beauty queen in the parade, but she'd perfected her public wave nonetheless. A small part of her reveled in the attention. She'd been chasing fame for years after all, so it felt wrong to reject the outcome now after working so hard to get here, yet she couldn't shake the feeling as they finally pushed through the revolving door, Trevor jammed into the same small wedge as her, that there had to be more to fame thanthis.
A hotel doorman greeted them with an umbrella as they were spit out of the revolving door into the carport where her limo waited. The hotel had put up stanchions to hold the fans back. It didn't stop several teenage men from hopping the red-velvet rope to get closer to their wet-dream.
"Stand back, boys," Trevor admonished, keeping himself between her and the aggressivefans.
"We love you, Khloe! Give us one picture! Please!" The tallest of the threebegged.
She wasn't sure why she stopped, but she did. She patted Trevor's arm as if to say 'it's okay' and stepped around him to approach her brave fans. Pimpled faces broke into lopsided grins as she greetedthem.
"Hi, boys. I have time for a quickphoto."
The shortest of the three looked like he might faint while the one closest to her held out a selfie-stick. She stepped closer to sandwich in for the photo she knew would be on Facebook and Instagram in thirty seconds, trying to ignore the grope against her lower back as the flash wentoff.
It took another minute to close the last few feet to the waiting car as she stopped to sign autographs for more fans lining the path until she finally arrived at the door being held for her by yet anotherdoorman.
Only when the door closed and she was alone–or as alone as a celebrity got with her entourage along–did she let her public smile slipaway.
"What the fuck was that, Khloe? I thought we agreed no mingling with unvetted crowds," Trevor admonishedher.
Her publicist answered for her. "Hey, if you can't handle a little mingling with the public, you're in the wrong job. Her fans love her. She needs to be open to them and accessible to remainlikable."
Her brand. Natalie was talking about herbrand.
Trevor didn't back down. "That's your job. Mine is keeping her safe. Need I remind you all that she got another threatening email less than twenty-four hoursago?"
Khloe's stomach lurched at his reminder, although in truth, she never really forgot about thethreats.
Bernie defended his wife, not his client. "Oh, come on. Every celebrity worth anything gets threats like that. Being in the public eye brings out the kooks. She wouldn't be succeeding if she didn't get threats. Most of them areharmless."
"Which implies a few of them aren't," Trevor shoutedback.
"Guys, stop," Khloe interjected with as much force as she could muster with her tight gown cutting off her circulation. "I have enough shit on my mind right now. I don't need to add you two arguing toit."
The inside of the luxury car fell silent as her driver, Johnson, wove through the heavy Thursday evening traffic on the way down Broadway to the theater. She used the time to take calming breaths while looking at the crowds of mostly tourists. She needed to get into the right frame of mind for the eight interviews they had lined up waiting for her and for the photo shoot on the red carpet with her co-stars from the film, most whom she hadn't seen in the many months since the filming hadcompleted.
She'd had to call in a few favors, but she'd insisted that her leading man be excluded from tonight's gala event. She wouldn't be as lucky the next week in Hollywood, but at least she'd have one night without having to pretend. No, she'd have tolie.
Good thing I'm an actress. That's the only way I'll get through the next fewweeks.
She'd, of course, been to many movie release screenings in her career, but a zing of excitement coursed through her when, in spite of the rain, she saw the huge throng of fans filling the sidewalk in front of the Lincoln Square theater. Only then did she realize an insecure sliver inside of her had been worried. Like the kid who threw the birthday party that no one showed up to, she'd worried she would arrive to an empty theater. She let relief course throughher.
Her relief was shortlived.
Trevor got out first, and she waited for him to turn and offer his assistance. Only after a ten second delay, a different hand waved in front of her. A hand she recognized. The Piaget watch he loved giving himaway.
Khloe shrunk back, refusing to take the upturned palm as she turned to question the Kaplans. "What is he doing here? We agreed he'd skip New York, but we'd both openHollywood."
Natalie's reply was unwavering. "Mr. Reynold's manager and I agreed it would be a missed opportunity to have him skip tonight's grandopening."
