Romeo-Dylan folded his arms around Cece and picked her up again, like a princess. ‘Lead the way,’ he said to Murray.
‘I’m coming with you,’ Dylan said.
‘No, you’re not,’ Murray said firmly. ‘Georgie’s got this. This way.’
And just like that, they were gone, cameramen scrambling after them as they swept out of the room.
Dylan raised both her hands to her head as she looked after them, fingers clutching at her hair. ‘Fuck,’ she said. ‘Fuck.’
‘Hey,’ I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. ‘You did good, Dylan. You looked after her. She’ll be all right.’
She turned around and looked at me, wild-eyed. ‘What the fuck am I doing here, Mandie?’ she said, a desperate note in her voice. ‘What the fuck have I signed up for?’
5
I wanted nothing more than to take Dylan aside, sit her down and rub her back like she’d done for me at the auditions, but there was no time. ‘Okay, that’s a wrap up here!’ someone called. ‘Girls! Hand your necklaces back to the PA!’
‘We don’t get to keep them?’ one of the other women asked.
‘You think they have that kind of budget?’ Lily said. ‘Cute.’
‘Don’t patronise me!’
‘Don’t say stupid shit and I won’t have to.’
‘Girls!’ producer Carrie snapped. ‘Necklaces! To the PA! Now!’
Don’t call us girls,Dylan didn’t say.
Lily, shut up,she didn’t say either.
Instead, she just stood there, clutching at her elbows, nostrils flared, breathing shallow, looking like she’d seen a ghost.
I reached out and unfastened my necklace. ‘Hey,’ I said quietly, touching her arm. ‘Dylan. Your necklace.’
‘Oh. Um.’
She fumbled with the clasp, but she couldn’t get it undone. ‘Here,’ I said. ‘Let me.’
Her skin was warm under my fingers, and I could feel her shaking. I had the strongest urge to press my lips to the curve where her neck met her shoulder.Hey,I’d whisper in her ear.It’s all right. You’re all right.
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING MANDIE GET YOURSELF UNDER CONTROL.
I took her necklace off and handed both of them to the PA. ‘Here’s mine and Dylan’s,’ I said.
‘Already so possessive?’
I blinked. ‘What?’
‘MineandDylan’s,’ Lily said, in a high-pitched, sickly sweet voice. ‘Getting the first necklace doesn’t mean shit, sweetheart.’
‘Oh,’ I said, realisation dawning. ‘Not that Dylan. I meant—’
‘Shut up, Lily,’ Dylan said hoarsely.
One corner of Lily’s mouth curved upwards in a smirk. ‘Getting the second necklace doesn’t mean shit either.’
‘Getting the last necklace does,’ I blurted out.
