Page 84 of Sit, Stay, Love
Ethan unfolded himself from their limo, reached in and took Sera’s hand. She shuffled across the seat and stepped onto the pavement, squinting from the brightness popping all around them.
A woman approached them with a phone in her hand. ‘You’re here. Good.’
‘Sera, this is my publicist, Lena,’ Ethan said.
Lena smiled. ‘Killer dress. Did Ethan confirm the date with you for the fundraiser?’
Sera frowned and looked up at Ethan. ‘Uh…’
‘Shit. I forgot. Sorry. Lena told me the date when she told me about tonight, and I just… forgot. This is why I need people organising me.’
Lena puffed out an impatient breath. ‘Jesus, Ethan. Give me your phone, Sera.’
Sera fumbled around in the tiny bag for her phone and passed it to Lena.
She put her number in it and handed it back. ‘Call me Monday and we’ll go over the details.’
Sera nodded obediently. Lena was formidable.
Ethan grimaced and mouthed, ‘Sorry.’
‘Okay,’ Lena said to Ethan. ‘I’ve teed up interviews with all the networks, and a couple of the online sites. I’ll tell you who they are when we get to them.’ She straightened his lapel and wiped down his shoulders. ‘The Tom Ford looks good.’
Ethan nodded. ‘Anything I shouldn’t be talking about?’
‘Focus on the movie. TheSit, Stay, Lovepress release went out this morning with an embargo until five am tomorrow. You’ll make the Sunday papers, and the Sunday morning breakfast shows, and then they’ll do a segment on it next week. I’m trying to get you a spot with one of them.’
‘Got it.’
Sera’s eyes widened as she watched him talk with Lena. His easygoing, relaxed persona had completely vanished. He was all business, his brows knitted, concentrating as he took in the information. His shoulders were back and his chin out, and Sera would swear he was two inches taller. He looked every bit the movie star he was hoping to become. A mainstream hottie.
‘You’re going to be great,’ Lena said to him.
Sera waved her hand. ‘What should I do?’
Lena handed her a ticket. ‘Just head inside. Ethan will see you in there.’
‘Okay,’ she said as Lena grabbed Ethan by the arm and led him away.
Sera glanced around, shrugged, and walked down the street to join the end of the queue of guests waiting to enter the cinema. As she slowly approached the start of the red carpet, she could see Ethan in the distance. In his natural environment. Cameras on him. His head was back as he laughed, all sparkling and beautiful under the glare of the lights.
She spied a couple slip out of line and head towards an entrance, away from the noise and excitement exploding just metres in front of them. She followed, and the man held the door open for her as she stepped past him into the cinema complex.
‘Avoiding all that craziness too?’ he asked.
She smiled and nodded. ‘For sure.’
Inside, the red carpet continued, weaving its way past an enormous cardboard cut-out of a T-rex. Sera took out her phone and looked around.
‘Hey,’ she said to a young woman waving her arm as she guided people forward. ‘Would you mind taking a photo for me please? With the dinosaur.’
The young woman snapped a quick photo on Sera’s phone, then went back to waving her arms for people to follow.
Sera sent the photo to Toby.
Sera: Rawr!
She watched as the three dots popped up on her screen, then vanished, then popped up again, then vanished again. Then his message finally appeared.
