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We stand in silence for a beat until she giggles, and I chuckle from the awkwardness, dissipating the tension.
“So what do you think of all this?” She gestures around to the mass of people.
I shrug. “Any excuse for a party, I guess, right?”
She smiles and nods.
“Seriously though, I think it’s a thousand times better than working on a set rife with tension.”
She grins and her eyes sparkle. “Have you worked with Harris Boivin?”
My eyes widen. “Ha! You too?”
She nods. “That guy is such an asshole.”
“Total creep. I was never so happy for a film to wrap than on his movieDissonance.”
“When he directed me inThe Culling, he made one of the production assistants cry and break down on set. She never came back.”
“That’s awful.”
“He’s a total dick. I’ll be more than happy if I never have to work with him again,” she says, bringing her glass of white wine to her lips.
“Unfortunately, this business is full of people just like him and we don’t always get to choose if we want the part.” I down another swig of my beer.
“That’s the truth.”
Scott approaches and wraps an arm around both of our necks. “Glad to see my two stars getting along so well.”
“Yeah, we were just chatting about some mutual friends.” I wink at Adelaide, and her cheeks flush the lightest pink.
“Awesome. We’re just about to eat, so why don’t you guys come join us on the patio?”
“We’ll be right there,” I say as Scott heads off to corral another group for dinner.
“I’m really looking forward to working with you,” Adelaide says. There’s a hint of something in her words, but it isn’t like the usual way the leeches in this town say it.
“Me too.” And it’s the truth. She seems easy-going, and she’s nice to talk to.
Adelaide and I chat as we make our way across the lawn to the patio. She’s single, and this is her first big role. It turns out she’s from Kentucky and grew up in the sticks too.
I’ve been so stressed out, worrying about Lilah while having the weight of my first big-budget movie riding on my shoulders. Adelaide’s easy conversation makes me forget those facts for a moment, and it’s a welcome surprise.
Chapter Eight
LILAH
Idrag my ass off the elevator of my condo at a slug’s pace. Last night was… well, I don’t remember much about last night, truth be told. I headed over to a friend of a friend’s place to party—some up-and-coming photographer, I think. The drinks were flowing, as were the lines of powder. I must’ve mixed too much because the night goes black halfway through the party.
I stumble down the hallway toward my apartment at the very end. My key is already in the lock when I notice a red piece of paper taped to the door.
What the hell?My mind, still half dead from the abuse I subjected my brain to in the past twenty-four hours, can’t put all the letters together to form a word. I blink a few times.
EVICTION NOTICE
What. The. Fuck.
I rip the letter off my door and spin on my heels, storming down the hall to the elevators. The ride down to the main floor lasts forever. I stomp directly to Mr. Owens’s office, and without a knock, I enter, nearly ripping the door off the hinges.
