Page 139 of Not Here to Make Friends
‘Wait,’ the cashier asked me, as she put the magazine in a paper bag and handed it to me. ‘Aren’t you Lily Fireball?’
I laughed.
My number one line of defence against getting recognised was huge dark sunglasses, but wearing them inside the airport would have been a neon sign saying I AM VAGUELY FAMOUS. Luckily, my second line of defence – just laughing at people – was usually equally effective. All it took for most people to doubt their own eyes was the suggestion that they might be being ridiculous.
I went up the escalator to the business class lounge, found a couple of quiet chairs near the window, flipped the magazine open, and started reading.
Murray joined me about half an hour later. ‘Hey,’ he said, leaning down and kissing the top of my head.
‘Hey yourself.’ I smiled at him as he sat down opposite me, stretching his legs out in front of him. ‘How’s Julia?’
‘She’s fine. She says hi.’ By coincidence, Julia was flying out of the same airport as us to go to a conference, so she and Murray had grabbed a quick coffee before her flight. ‘Is that it?’
‘It sure is.’ I held up the magazine.
‘Is it bad?’
‘What do you mean,is it bad? It’s a 40 Under 40 article. They’re not exactly in the business of writing slam pieces.’
‘I know, but—’
Murray sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The grey streak at his temple was very pronounced these days. Every time he touched his hair it made a new, fascinating shape that I wanted to trace, fingernails scratching into his scalp.
‘We’ve worked so hard putting this deal together,’ he said. ‘I don’t want anything to jeopardise it.’
‘It’s fine.’ I beckoned him with the magazine. ‘Look.’
He came around to my side of the table and knelt beside me so we could read the article together.
#11: Lily Ong (38) and Murray O’Connell (38)
These two might not be household names – but once you see Ong’s face, you’ll remember who they are.
Ong is better known as Lily Fireball, the diva contestant who became a cult favourite three years ago on Dylan Jayasinghe Mellor’s (#26 on this year’s 40 Under 40 list) season ofMarry Me, Juliet.She then caused an enormous scandal in the reunion show, revealing that she’d been planted by the network, backing out of her contracted appearance onWherefore Art Thou Romeo?and declaring her love for one of the producers.
Since then, she and that producer – O’Connell, now her husband – have gone from strength to strength behind the scenes, developing new reality TV programming. If you’ve found yourself addicted to a reality TV show in the last few years, chances are Ong and O’Connell were the masterminds behind it. Ong started out consulting for O’Connell directly afterMarry Me, Juliet,but within a year had signed on as an equal partner in his development deal.
Soon, Ong and O’Connell will be jetting off overseas to ink lucrative international franchising deals on three of their original co-developed formats. Taken individually, either would be a worthy inclusion on the 40 Under 40 list – but together, this power couple is taking over the world.
Murray sketched his fingers along my face in the photo. ‘You look beautiful.’
‘I do, don’t I?’ The stylists for the magazine shoot had done a great job on us. Murray was sitting at one end of a leather couch, wearing all black (designer menswear, though, rather than his old producer blacks). I was draped across both the couch and him, wearing that same spectacular yellow dress I’d walked into the Villa in, the one Thuong had designed. Neither of us were smiling, and we were both looking directly into the camera, borderline confrontationally.
I tangled my fingers in his hair so I could pull his face to mine. ‘You do too, though,’ I said loyally, pecking him on the lips.
He grinned and kissed me back, harder. ‘If I’m going to walk onto this flight covered inBlood of My Enemies,’ he said, kissing me again, ‘I’d rather commit.’
I loved him so much.
I brushed my nose against his, tugging his hair a little harder. He made a growling sound in the back of his throat.
‘Challenge accepted,’ I said.
