He raises an eyebrow.
‘There was this one time where the film didn’t come on. It just didn’t work. Bit awkward,’ I explain.
Luc laughs.
‘There was a fault with the screen, or something like that.’
We’re pulling up at the end of the red carpet and Luc’s head snaps to face me, a wild look in his eyes, bulging as his eyebrows lift in panic.
‘Ready?’ I ask and don’t know why I do because he’s clearly not ready.
‘We don’t have a plan,’ he whispers.
Dennis is already opening the door.
I shrug and paint a smile on my face. ‘Follow my lead.’ I’ll have to make it up as I go along. Convince every single person at this premiere and across the world that I am in love with this man.
I don’t even know what it feels like to be in love.
Luc is the first of us both on the red carpet. He uses all his charm and charisma, waving to fans screaming behind metal barriers, flashing their cameras and waving pieces of paper for autographs. Dennis gives him a small nod and Luc opens my car door, helping me out and steadying me as I balance on my pin-thin stilettos on the carpet.
The screams get louder and I’m sure I see someone burst into tears. I swallow the golf ball-sized lump in my throat, waving at the crowd on both sides, looping my hand through Luc’s arm and clutching him as tightly as I can. He rests his other hand on top of mine and smiles at me, the flashes getting more and more intense. My arm is stiff in his, especially with his hand on top of mine. I’m trying to relax, but my muscles defy me.
‘Ready?’ I mouth.
This time he nods.
Dennis walks behind us slowly, Kareem’s car having already driven away to make room for the next person to get out. Luc walks me over to the barriers on the left, where I meet a few young girls. I sign copies ofYour Email Didn’t Find Me Welland take selfies with their phones. I hope I never have to see the result, although I know the photo will be floating around on the internet somewhere, even if my eyes are shut and my lipstick is smudged outside of the line.
Luc signs a few autographs of his own, his non-dominant hand never straying far from resting on the small of my back. I wish we’d settled on how much PDA was too much. Set boundaries of when and where we’d be fine being touched and for how long.
Anything we can do to make it as fake as possible, as regimented. To make it not feel like it did ten years ago when Luc’s touch lit up every inch of my skin. When I wanted to tear his clothes off every time we got home.
Anything that will make this as platonic as possible to protect myself.
We make our way further along, the paparazzi cameras getting thicker, and more journalists with microphones appearing along the sidelines. They’re all vying for my attention, hoping to get that all important exclusive.
‘Sienna, how’s it going with your mystery man?’ one shouts as I walk past.
I squeeze Luc’s hand and look at him, hoping the cameras will pick up my ‘happiness’ and ‘love’.
‘Really well,’ I smile. ‘This is Luc, so we can all stop calling him my mystery man.’
‘Where did you meet?’ another asks.
‘When I was onEric Lancaster’s LaughsforInfinite Ghosta decade ago – Luc worked on the show.’
‘How did you get together?’ I’m not sure if it’s the same person who says this or not.
‘I’ve been chasing her ever since!’ Luc jokes. ‘I guess I finally wore her down.’
I pretend to laugh along with his joke, but something is bubbling in my core, my blood fizzing. Luc’s cherry brown eyes glint, reflecting the flashing cameras, and he touches the bottom of my chin with his index finger. He gently pushes my head up the small amount needed to make our faces level. He leans in, his nose slipping past mine, and presses a kiss against my lips. He’s warm and tastes of sugary coffee and my entire body tenses. A subtle smell of expensive aftershave. Different to what he used to wear. This one is kind of a leathery, wooden smell. Underneath is that smell of sea breeze, the washing powder he’s always used. It’s homely, comforting – the same Luc from all those years ago deep down.
My body doesn’t relax when he pulls away.
Alex Pauls struts up the carpet, giving his fans a quick two-finger wave but going nowhere near them. His smile is more of a smoulder than a true expression of his happiness for his latest movie – destined to be another box-office hit.
I pose for more photos, ignoring most of the questions shouted at me, not knowing who the questions are coming from or whether I’ve caught the entire thing before someone else has interrupted with another demand.
