Page 35 of The Actor: Harrison

“Is that a yes?” I raise an expectant brow.

“Give me that dress. I already know I’ll regret it five minutes after we get there.” She reaches out her hand to grab the dark green fabric.

“Give me some credit! I promise if you don’t like it, I’ll bring you home.”

I stand up and walk out to give her some privacy to change.

***

One hour later we’re passing through the gates of a mansion in Bel Air. There are a few paparazzi outside taking pictures of the cars but nothing major. The neighborhood here is a bit strict about celebrity privacy and when it comes to the photographers, they don’t tolerate a mob of intruders in front of someone’s house. They’ll call the cops if it gets out of control. It doesn’t matter that the owner of this place called them to shine a spotlight on the party. No one cares about a celebrity birthday party unless there’s some kind of promise of a scandal.

I drive through the gates and Sienna looks down at her lap. I don’t know if she’s trying to protect herself from the paparazzi or just embarrassed to be seen with me.

I drive to the back of the house where a bodyguard helps me find a spot to park in. When we step out and Sienna notices there’s no one taking pictures of us, she seems relieved.

“You knew there were paparazzi, didn’t you?” she asks with a knowing smile.

“Yes, why?”

“You drove the Ferrari to the set. You never come with this one. You use it just to show off your status.” There’s no judgement in her voice, just a simple observation.

I chuckle. “Guilty. I knew about the party and I needed to be on my best appearance.”

“Why? They all know who you are here.” Her voice is laced with curiosity while she waves in the direction of the mansion.

“I’m making an indie movie. I have to remind them that I’m still the king of the jungle or they’ll forget that I can still make them money. A lot of money,” I explain and she stops in her tracks.

“Really?”

“This party is as useful for you as it is for me. Every move is monitored in Hollywood, and it’s easy for someone to spread the rumor that I accepted an indie movie because I’m at the end of my career,” I explain as we head toward the front door.

She seems worried. “I never thought this could be a problem for you. I always assumed you can do whatever you want whenever you want.”

I shrug. “There are non-written rules in Hollywood that everyone follows. If you step out of line, you need to have a really good and convincing reason unless you want to see your career crumble.”

“The more you describe Hollywood, the more I want to stay away,” she murmurs with an adorable pout on her lips.

I laugh. “It’s not that bad, and fortunately you have the most amazing captain to navigate these waters.”

She rolls her eyes. “The most cocky and annoying too.”

“Admit that you like me.” I wink at her with a grin.

She scoffs. “I tolerate you. Don’t fool yourself.”

“I can work with that,” I say while I put a hand on the small of her back and guide her inside.

The place is packed with people and it’s easy for me to introduce Sienna to the most influential ones in the room. At first, I almost want to hug her and tell her that everything will be fine. She’s so tense she barely moves her lips to speak with people. But when she starts to relax, she becomes the perfect compliment to every conversation.

“Why an indie movie? It’s a peculiar choice for you,” Alan, one of the producers that terrifies almost everyone in Hollywood with his blatant honesty in telling you that you suck, asks me.

“Should we tell him?” Sienna asks me with a knowing smile that piques Alan’s attention. His eyes widen just for a second, but the curiosity is plastered all over his face.

I make a scene of thinking about it. “Okay, just because it’s you,” I say, looking around to be sure there isn’t someone eavesdropping over the loud music.

I look at Sienna and she nods. Then I lean closer to his ear. “A friend tipped me off that there was this great script around but it was tied to a director that was really picky about the casting.” I nod toward Sienna and Allan takes in her presence with more interest. “She couldn’t find the male lead because she wanted specific acting skills. She’s the terror of the indie industry. She’s known for making people walk out crying after their auditions.” This last part makes Alan smirk in approval at her.

“But you didn’t cry. You put on your Oscar pants and nailed the audition. It was a closed-door process, I didn’t want anyone to know thatpretty boyhere auditioned for the part. I have a certain reputation to maintain,” she chips in and Alan laughs.

---