Page 35 of When Stars Collide
“You got me there.”
“It sucks being a success, doesn’t it?”
He chuckled. “I guess that’s one way to look at it, but on nights such as this, and all the others, I remind myself how lucky I am that I even have projects to work on, people to market, and staff members to concern myself with.”
“That is a very Phineas Drake response. Just remember to take care of yourself, too. Go out occasionally, give yourself a break, bask in your success.”
“I’ll keep that in mind … some other night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Goodnight, Phineas.”
“Oh, Mena,” he called out to me after I’d already taken a few steps down the hall.
I backed up until I was in his doorway again. “Yes?”
“I was wondering whether you would accompany me to the premiere ofSoldiers of Atlantis? I was given two tickets with my invitation and, quite frankly, I have no idea what I’m going to do with the second one.”
“S-Sure, but that’s like five months from now. Surely, you could scrounge up someone to take before then.”
“As you’ve so perceptively noted, I clearly don’t have a life, and I don’t anticipate that will change much by March. Besides, even if I did manage to scrounge someone up before then, I wouldn’t feel right taking someone I just met to an event like this over someone who puts in almost as much time as I do into making sure we’re even invited to these things at all.”
“That’s very generous of you. Of course I’ll go. But you do realize who you’re asking to attend this hoity toity event, right? I mean, I’m still me no matter where I’m at.”
“That’s one of the things I like about you.”
*****
“Let me see if I’m understanding this,” Elle took a sip from the complimentary, small tulip glass of champagne we were served at La Bella’s while we waited for her other bridesmaids to arrive, “you’re going to be walking the red carpet at an actual movie premiere with not only Kira Capucci but Preston Paul?” She shook her head in disbelief, her hand gesturing wildly, practically spilling her champagne in the process. “My God, what is your life?”
“It could be your life, too, if you would finish the book you started.”
“I write poetry. You don’t see many movies based on haikus and sonnets.”
“And that’s a crying shame, because some of Shel Silverstein’s works would make for one hell of a show, or one hell of an acid trip, depending upon your perspective.”
“Shel Silverstein is literally the only poet you can name right now, isn’t he?”
“Why do you have to personally attack me like that?”
“That’s okay, I know plenty of people who couldn’t even name one.” Sighing, she sat back against the cushioned settee.
“Hey,” I said, grabbing her attention, “just because I or a few other people aren’t that well read in the poetry genre doesn’t mean you should abandon your dream. You’re talented, Elle. I’ve read some of your stuff; mainly while I was drunk, but even sober, it’s apparent you have serious talent.”
“High praise.” She smiled, clinking her glass against mine.“Thanks, Mena.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve reached my pep talk limit for the day, so don’t expect anything else uplifting to come out of me.”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t. You know what? Maybe I will take up writing again. I mean, what do I have to lose, right? And I know just the editor to send it to.”
“Sure. I charge two hundred an hour and am booked for the next four to six months.”
“Wait, what?”
“I’m kidding. Sort of.”
“Oh, there’s Kirsten.” Elle handed me her glass of champagne and leapt up from the settee to greet the cute, tall, blonde woman who’d just entered the store. At the rate this was going, I was going to need to stand on a step stool for the wedding photos.
I looked around the boutique while Elle and Kirsten exchanged pleasantries, draining my glass of champagne and setting it down on a glass coffee table. Whoever the designer of this place was really—and I mean really—appreciated the color peach. Its varying hues were found in pretty much everything, from the striations in the marble flooring to the wallpaper. Accents were even embedded in the chandelier above the—surprise, surprise—peach settee I was sitting on. With Elle and Kirsten still chatting it up, I stood up to stretch my legs, taking a prolonged sip from Elle’s champagne. The dresses at La Bella’s were arranged in a color coordinated manner, which formed somewhat of a rainbow around the store.
