It was a man in his forties, with thinning hair and wearing a gray linen suit that was way too creased, calling over from the other side of the room.
Laila straightened up and quickly put her phone away.
“David! Hi! I didn’t know you were here already.” To me, she whispered, “I like this job but my boss is a petty little snake. Ugh!”
A text popped up on my phone. It was Julie, asking if we could meet earlier. Ugh, indeed.
“Look,” I said, feeling torn. “I might have to…”
Laila’s face showed just a hint of discomfort. “Leave. I’m sorry, but you have to. Now that my boss’s seen you… He’s a stickler for everything. Anda gigantic pain in the ass.”
The man was coming over now, frowning in my direction.
“Off you go,” Laila said, gently shooing me away. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
I did as told, obviously. Laila had brightened my day. She was a friend. I wouldneverdo anything to get her in trouble. Besides, I had much more important things on my mind.
Outside the venue, I pulled out my phone, scrambling to remember the handle Laila had just shown me. Dory98765. That was it, right? In the soft glow of the sunset, the Request to Follow button taunted me. If I tapped it, Dorian would think I was trying to worm my way back into his life. Not Dorian the famous actor, but Dorian the man I’d worked for. The man I’d been falling in love with. And also, the man who’d found me naked in his hotel suite. It sounded absurd now, but don’t tell me you’ve never had a moment when you thought you could have everything you could dream of and then some.
I was aware that there were many reasons I couldn’t go down that path again, but right then, I couldn’t remember any of them. I inhaled so deeply I thought I might black out and tapped the button.
Then I rushed down the streets of Cannes, my head spinning, cursing myself for being so weak. So desperate to go back for more.
I didn’t check my phone again until I was safely back inside my hotel room—panting and my hair a mess—where I could be alone with my rawest feelings.
Dorian had accepted my request. I could see his private account now, the secret side of him. After all that had gone down, he was inviting me back in.
Obviously I should have known better, should have kept my distance. But when it came to Dorian, I could never think clearly. Remember thevery bad reason I had for wanting to come to Cannes? Well, there he was, opening the door, so to speak. I couldn’t step through it fast enough.
Cannes Film FestivalDay Two
Dis-Moi ToutPodcast
DM1:I’ve always had a soft spot for Cannes, because the glamour is nonstop for twelve days.
DM2:Right. I love the award shows in the U.S., but you get one day and then you have to wait weeks for the next one. Here, condensed in this sparkling little town on the French Riviera, we get nonstop parties, photo calls, press conferences…
DM1:And red carpets, obviously. And well, yeah, movie watching.
DM2:It’s like spring camp for Hollywood. The packing list is couture, diamonds, and all of the Botox.
DM1:This isn’t to diss older women. Things are tough out there. And even tougher for some.
DM2:I believe you’re referring to an A-list celebrity whose movie is a contender for the Palme d’Or.
DM1:You are correct. We’re talking about Odetta Olson, obviously.
DM2:It’s not our fault. The woman is giving us alotto talk about.
DM1:It’sneverour fault. We’re just speakers of the truth.
DM2:And the truth is, Odetta Olson decided to throw a party on the first night, just because. But guess whowasn’tthere. Fiona Pills, who is filming in Scotland right now.
DM1:We don’t even know if she was invited, but her team said she has a tight production schedule. Our sources confirmed there’s bad beef between the two women.
DM2:We don’t know what kind of beef, exactly, but we’re working on that. Just bear with us.
DM1:For now, there’s this party last night. Everyone from the movie is there—well, almost everyone—and Odetta is, like, the queen of the moment.
