Page 1 of Dreaming About Forever

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ALICIA

Alicia stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to rationalize the stranger looking back at her. She’d attended countless red-carpet events, galas, and ceremonies. She’d worn layers of spandex, mounds of makeup, and heavy dresses since she was a child.

Why did she go through the same identity crisis every time she saw her made-up self in the mirror? Photos always brought on a moment of confusion too. Between the designer gowns, thick makeup, and fake hair pieces, she never recognized herself.

But that was the woman the world knew. The pop princess who sold out stadiums and had a fandom consisting of hundreds of thousands of “Crazies” as they called themselves. The celebrity idol who put on the most extravagant performances that needed special permits and permissions her team had to pull all the strings to get.

It didn’t take much, really. People would do anything to be associated with her name. It was…odd. After twenty years, Alicia still didn’t understand the hype. She wasn’t special or exceptional. She smiled for the camera, did what she was told, and everything went smoothly.

“What do you think?” Lillian asked.

Alicia tore her gaze from the artistic rendering of herself and gave her attention to her manager. Lillian was more than an employee. She was the closest thing to a friend Alicia had. “It looks great.”

It. Whateveritwas in the mirror was truly beautiful, but it wasn’t familiar.

Lillian turned her attention back to the phone in her hand. She spent so much time looking down at it that Alicia worried her friend would develop neck issues before she turned forty.

“The car is here,” Lillian said. “We’re meeting Ashton at The Plaza for photos before the event.” She tapped out a message on her phone with speedy thumbs. “Your sister is calling.”

“Tell her I’ll call her back from the car, please.” The Star Award’s waited for no one, and despite the saying, being late usually meant arriving over served in the entertainment industry.

Lillian finished typing before looking up. “Done. Let’s get you out of here.” She looked over her shoulder. “Max? Will?”

The two men flanked Alicia’s sides, bending to carefully gather the enormous folds of her dress into their arms.

Yes, the train was that big. She’d counted about five layers in the one-of-a-kind Lorenzo Bellini gown. The blush of the tight corset bodice faded into a beige about midway down the skirt. Gemstones covered every centimeter of the heavy fabric.

They were real gemstones. The designer had been sure to point that out with the understanding that she would mention the detail in connection with his name on the carpet.

“Step carefully,” Lillian reminded her as they made their way toward the elevators.

Her penthouse in LA was as outrageous as the dress she wore, and she despised the whole place. Lillian had arranged to have it completely renovated for the filming of an episode ofCelebrity Homes: Open Housea few months ago, and Alicia hadn’t gathered up the courage to ask to have it reverted back to the way it was before. It seemed like an enormous waste of time and money.

Most things did.

Dag and Raul met them at the elevators and fell into step beside Max and Will as they carefully spread her train behind her in the small space.

It wasn’t small, but it seemed small when filled with six adults and a gown that had its own zip code.

Lillian ran through the itinerary on the way down, talking more to herself than Alicia, since someone was always standing by to either usher her in the right direction or give her a signal to migrate to the next photography checkpoint.

The move through the elaborate lobby was quiet, given the insane security detail for the building. Only the far-off sounds of cars honking could be heard in the distance as she stepped outside. The building’s private entrance was far enough from the bustling city that it almost seemed like another world.

Alicia stood still and waited to be given directions as Max and Will squeezed into the back seat of the limousine and coaxed her train in first.

Seriously, the dress was massive. It was beautiful, but it also left no room to breathe or even move around on her own.

After slowly folding herself into the back seat, Lillian slid in and closed the door on the outside world. “Are you ready to call Stacy back?”

“Sure.” So many calls had to be fielded for her, but Alicia always returned calls from her parents and sister. It was a tip her first producer, Milton King, had given her when she was a teenager.When you make it to the top, don’t forget the people who were there for you at the bottom.

Lillian held the phone face-up on her knee as the rings filled the car. Well, there was only a ring and a half before Stacy answered.

“Alicia?”

Oh no. Lillian usually had to go through Stacy’s assistant before the call was passed to her sister. It was standard procedure.

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