Page 3 of After the Red Carpet
“I was distracted by how good it felt to have you by my side,” he replied, kissing her bare shoulder. “I should probably see what the papers have to say so I don’t stumble into the press conference unprepared. Why don’t you take a look at that menu over there?” he suggested, gesturing to her nightstand. “I’ll throw on a robe and see if the newspapers have been delivered.”
“Okay, but kiss me first.”
He smiled and kissed her passionately before hopping out of bed and slipping into a robe. He retrieved a matching robe from the closet, handed it to her, and went to check outside the room. Ella put on the lush garment and grabbed the room service menu. “Sweetheart,” Finn said, walking back to her, holding a stack of newspapers and looking slightly dazed.
“Good reviews?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Yeah, of our engagement. We’re on the front page of every newspaper around the world.”
“You’ve been gazing out the window for most of the flight. What are you daydreaming about?” Finn asked, draping his arm around Ella.
She turned to look at him and smiled softly. “Nothing, really. Just watching the clouds beneath us.”
He pecked her lips.
“What about you?” she asked. “You must be on cloud nine yourself with the incredible response to the film. Winning the Palme d’Or, the biggest award of the festival. It’s extraordinary.”
He smiled. “I only wish Albie had been there to celebrate with us all.”
“Me too. Although he once told me that he found awards to be a bit preposterous. He called them ‘dust collectors for the chronically insecure,’ which cracked me up.” They both laughed and Ella continued, “Making good art and living with gusto both on- and off-screen—that’s what mattered to him. And that’s what the film captures.”
“Yeah.”
“Jean, on the other hand, no doubt derived great personal satisfaction from the win. For years he’s felt so misunderstood, attacked by the mainstream media. They’ve relishedlabeling him controversial. To be fair, he’s certainly gone out of his way to play it up, to have fun with the absurdity. I caught his eye when the award was announced, and I could tell he was having a good giggle at it all.” She paused and touched his face. “I’m honored to have been there when you were all making such a spectacular piece of art. You truly deserve the accolades.”
“Ella, this film changed my life in every way. It will always be the most special shoot of my life because it’s where we met and fell in love. The reception the film is receiving is just the icing on the cake. To tell you the truth, I haven’t given the award or the recognition a single thought. I’ve been too preoccupied by thinking about how happy I am that we’re together.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “I should really take little Sweden out of her travel carrier.”
“I’ll get her,” Finn replied, bending over and retrieving the small kitten. “Hi, sweet little thing,” he said, gently petting her snow-white fur. “Here you go. She’s trembling.”
Ella took her carefully. “Oh, it’s okay, little one. This is an adventure, that’s all.”
“Is she all right?” Finn asked.
“I think she’s just a little nervous.”
“Are you nervous too, sweetheart? It’s okay if you are. Leaving Paris and your friends, moving to LA, being thrust into the spotlight . . . it’s a lot.”
She looked deeply into his sea-colored eyes and said, “Losing you was the most painful thing I’ve ever been through.”
“It was for me too.”
“When we fell in love and you started talking about our future, so often there were things I was thinking, things I wanted to say, but I didn’t because I was afraid of hurting you or disappointing you somehow. So instead, I let thingsfester, tried to bury them, until I had retreated so far into myself that I didn’t know how to tell you what I was feeling. I barely knew what I was feeling myself.”
“You can tell me anything, Ella.”
“I know that now. I promised myself a long time ago that if I were ever lucky enough to get another chance with you, I wouldn’t make those same mistakes again. Finn, I want us to share everything, to be real partners, like you said.”
He played with one of her curls, waiting to hear what she would say next.
“So, to answer your question, I’m mostly out-of-my-mind excited for everything that’s ahead. But yes, I’m also a tad nervous. This is all new to me—moving in with someone, building a life together.” She glanced down. He touched her cheek, and she raised her gaze to meet his. “Leaving my home for yours isn’t hard. I’ve always looked at taking leaps as a part of the adventure of life, and I love LA. It’s just . . .”
“What, baby?”
“You live in a mansion. You have a staff. That’s so wildly different from what I’m used to that it’s hard to wrap my mind around it. I don’t know what to expect or how I’ll fit into your world.”
“Sweetheart, I promise to do everything in my power to make you comfortable. When we get to the house tonight, it will be empty. I thought we could use privacy, and I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I gave the staff the day off tomorrow so the two of us can unwind. We can just take it day by day. The details will sort themselves out. Remember, it won’t bemyworld ormyhome anymore; it will be ours. Nothing is set in stone. If something makes you uncomfortable, we can change it. We’ll figure out what works for us.”
