“Arabella, word around town has your marriage on the rocks, any comment?” another television snoop asked shoving a microphone in her face.
“The only rocks in our marriage are on my fingers and around my neck,” she returned pulling laughs from fans behind them.
She continued down the carpet, stopping to take a few photos with the leading man, who she had worked with for the scene where she played a model who he had a thing for. They’d gotten along well, really well, forming a friendship easily despite her normal guardedness.
“No date tonight?” he asked between flashes.
“Must have gotten held up, he’s been working non-stop since the contracts were signed and they took over the other firm,” she answered. “What about your latest floozy?”
“Figured it’d look better if I didn’t bring anyone,” he admitted. “More fitting for the story I think.”
“Let me guess, she ran away when she found out you weren’t going to throw away millions of dollars on useless things for her?”
“You got it…” he laughed. “I’ll have them save you a seat with me. Two in case your husband shows.”
“Thanks,” she said waving to him as he was led away. She allowed the photographers a few more pictures as she checked one last time for Tyler. She blew a kiss to a few fans that were screaming her name and waved before heading inside.
“Ms. Angel?” someone said as she checked her phone and sent Tyler a text to see where he was.
“Yes,” she answered looking up. “Kelsey, right?”
“Yes,” she said stunned. “Sorry, most people don’t remember it…Mr. Truman was hoping you would join him with Quinn and Denise for a few photos.”
“Of course,” she said following the assistant, “and it’s Bella.”
“Mr. Truman,” Kelsey said when he’d finished an interview.
“Ah Arabella…Quinn, Denise, look who’s here. Thanks Kayla,” he stated taking her arm and walking away from the girl.
“Nice to see you again,” Quinn said with a wink only she could see, “it’s been what…ten minutes?”
“Something like that,” she laughed.
“Alone tonight?” Denise asked looking around the room as hundreds of people mingled.
“Tyler was held up at the office. I barely had time to stop in at home and change after getting off the plane,” she told her as they posed for photos.
“Thank you, Arabella,” Mr. Truman stated. “If you want to make a movie, give me a call, a photo can only capture so much. A video camera can tell the whole story…where’s Kendra?”
“If you mean Kelsey she’s over by the woman with the huge hat,” Bella told him.
“He’s still an ass but he’s a great director,” Denise stated as he moved off. “I have to go do some interviews, you’re joining us for the after-party, aren’t you?”
“Honestly if I make it through the film without falling asleep, I’ll be doing good. I’ve been awake for nearly forty hours and that’s without the time difference between here and the UK. The only thing I feel like doing is going home and crashing in my own bed.”
“You flew in from Heathrow today?” Quinn asked. “I thought they’d gotten snowed in.”
“We did I was coming back from a shoot in Italy when we were forced to land because of the weather. What they didn’t tell us was it was only going to get worse. I wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t used some of my pull to get on the first flight out.”
“And then when you show your husband decides to work?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing. Tyler’s a machine when it comes to work, unless there’s someone to turn the switch off, he’d go on until he breaks,” she told him. “Don’t feel like you have to talk to me. I know there must be plenty of other women here you can flirt with so stop babysitting and go on.”
“Trying to get rid of me?”
“You guessed it.”
“Don’t run off, stay and see the great job you did because Ben’s right you were amazing,” he told her kissing her cheek as he walked away.