Page 16 of How to Kiss a Movie Star
But every once in a while, something reminds me that I’m more than just a brain. I have a beating heart, too. And right now, it’s aching in a way that feels foreign and disconcerting.
It takes a moment of careful thought to figure out what the feeling is.
I’m lonely.
And I have no idea what I’m supposed to do about that.
Chapter Four
Flint
Ileanagainstthecounter in the middle of my kitchen, my arms crossed over my chest. Nate and Joni sit on the opposite side of the island, while my publicist, Simon, and my agent, Kenji, both back in LA, are on a video call connected through Joni’s iPad, propped up in the center of the island.
It’s a relatively small group, and that’s just the way I like it. The longer I’m in this business, the happier I am with as few people as possible involved in my career. A few years ago, it was thrilling to travel with an entire entourage, knowing they were all there for me. But now, the simpler my life is, the better.
“What if we come up with some credible reason for him to skip the premiere?” Joni says. “A family issue, maybe?”
“He’s the lead,” Simon says. “His attendance isn’t negotiable. Unless someone is dead or dying or in need of a life-saving kidney only Flint can provide, he’sgoingto the premiere.”
“Of course I’mgoing,” I say. “But there has to be a way we can preemptively manage this.”
And by this, I meanher.
Claire McKinsey.
Hollywood darling.Turning Tidesco-star.
And my ex-girlfriend.
It wasn’t a long relationship. But you wouldn’t know it for how much she’s milking the few months we spent together whenever she’s in front of the press.
“It’s like she’s honed it down to a science,” Joni says. “It’s honestly impressive how she manages to say just enough to keep people guessing but not enough to actuallydeclareanything outright.”
“Kenji, were you able to make any headway with Rita?” I brace my hands against the cool countertop, wishing this entire conversation could be over. This is the part of my job I’m really starting to hate.
“Rita. That’s Claire’s manager?” Nate asks as he reaches for one of the sugar cookies I brought home from the feed store.
Joni nods and picks up her own cookie. The icing on hers didn’t set quite right, and my nose has three nostrils. When she holds it up to show Nate, they both start to giggle.
“We talked last week,” Kenji says, his voice all business, despite the circus clowns hanging out in my kitchen. “I kept things casual. Like we were just catching up. But I did make a lightsuggestionthat Claire tone down the storytelling. Rita seems to think the gossip Claire is generating is only going to help the movie. I could try again, make the request feel a little more official, but I don’t think Rita is our ally in this.”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Maybe I’m the one who needs a cookie.
Claire was sweet at first. But she was hungry, too—Turning Tidesis her first major motion picture role—and her attempts to piggyback off my fame and thrust herself into every possible spotlight quickly led to our relationship’s demise.
At this point in my career, I’m ready to getoutof the public eye when I’m not working. She’s looking for the opposite.
“Okay, hear me out,” Simon says, and my jaw tenses. This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about the Claire problem and last time, Simon agreed with Rita.
“What’s truly the harm?” he argued. “Claire is the kind of star America is going to love, and they already love you. If she’s getting people talking about the film, who cares if she’s telling the truth?”
To a point, I understood where he was coming from. I learned a long time ago that I can’t react every time someone says something about me that isn’t true. But this time, Claire’s antics are hurting more than just me.Turning Tideswill be the directorial debut of Lea Cortez, who happens to be a good friend of mine. Back on set, she expressed concern that Claire’s starlet behavior might detract from the seriousness of the film. Claire and I were dating at the time, and I assured Lea everything would be fine.
I want those words to be true. But more than that, I don’t want Claire to overshadow the work Lea did on the film. If Claire keeps this up, it’s all the press junket will focus on. We won’t talk about my acting. About Lea's directing. Every single question will be about whether I noticed Claire’s latest Instagram post and do I really have plans to meet her in Fiji next week? Lea deserves to have her work celebrated, not overshadowed by an upstart’s attempt to steal the show with a false narrative. That’s the last thing this movie needs.
When no one protests, Simon clears his throat and dives in. “As I made it clear the last time we spoke, I don’t actually disagree with Rita. Be that as it may,youare my client, so I’ve come up with a potential solution that should, if executed correctly, get Claire to shut up.”
My eyes lift to Joni’s. She doesn’t love Simon, and I trust her instincts. But he’s too good at his job for me to let him go. Hollywood is a multilayered web of connections—someone who knows someone else who knows that one guy who knows the casting director for the movie you really want to work on. Simon is neck-deep in connections. I don’t want to need him, but there’s no escaping how much I do.
