“You’re not looking in the mirror properly.”
“You’re biased because I’m your friend.”
“I’m honest. You’re beautiful.”
I want to run out of his door and hide somewhere. Compliments feel weird—half nice and half awkward. I believe what he says to me—he doesn’t lie—but I also think he’s just being nice.
“Are you ready to go, Spence?”
“Have been for the last thirty minutes.”
“I was not that long. Come on!” I grab his hand, and we head out of his apartment.
It’s warm in LA in November; about the same temperature as an early summer in England, so I’m wearing my yellow sundress and black flip flops.
“Do you need security?” I tease.
He gives me a flat look. “Jared is meeting up with me later.”
That means he doesn’t want to scare me off with all the security and extra people. I bet Jared wants to be here. To be fair, in sunglasses and a cap, Spencer is almost unrecognisable. You would need to be quite close to notice him. The only people really out this early are runners, and they don’t seem interested in us at all.
Spencer side-eyes me for the fifth time as we walk down the street, towards the restaurant. As we get close, he removes the cap and pushes the sunglasses onto the top of his head. His pale blue sleeves are rolled up, which does stupid things to me.
I take a deep breath as he slows outside the fancy restaurant.
“Will you relax? Ella is going to love you.”
What would he do if I sprinted off? I don’t even know why I’m so nervous about meeting her. If he says she’s cool, she will be. It’s not like I’ll see her once I go home, either. I want his friend to like me, though. It means the same as him getting along with Wren and Mila.
I give him my best everything is fine smile. “We better go in then. I’m starving.”
I’m not starving. I’m actually feeling a little sick.
Spence holds the door open, and I walk inside, trying to ignore the trembling of my hands.
Instantly—from the expensive looking chandeliers, to the plush chairs with cushions—I know I can’t afford to eat here. This is where he goes out now? We used to do an early morning McDonald’s run to pick up a sausage and egg bagel and a cappuccino.
We’re so far from Maccies now.
Spencer is greeted by name by a man in a suit before he’s told that Ella is waiting.
“Tell me I can get something normal here?” I whisper as we pass very rich-looking people.
His lips fight a smile.
We have to behave properly in here.
I look up and see Ella. She’s sitting by the window of a huge conservatory at the very back of the building. She’s all platinum blonde hair, shiny skin, and manicured to hell. She looks like a filter.
“Ella,” Spencer says warmly.
Gasping, she jumps up and throws herself at him.
Calm down, hussy.
“Oh my God, Indie!” Ella lets go of my Spencer and turns to me. She wraps me in a hug that is, thankfully, much less enthusiastic than the one she gave him.
“Hi,” I say, awkwardly hugging her back.
She pulls away, and I’m unsure if she noticed my reluctance to be touching her. I don’t know the woman. She is very friendly. Is it fake?
“I can’t believe I finally get to meet the famous Indie.”
Ironic since she is the actual famous one.
“You, too. I’ve watched and loved a few of your movies.”
“Well, thank you. This new one is the best.”
“That’s because of your co-star,” Spencer injects. Ella rolls her big eyes. “Shall we sit? I’m starving.”
I bite my tongue to stop myself from asking if we can go somewhere else and get a bacon bagel.
Our table is round so we don’t have to pick who to sit next to. I pick up a black, leather menu. “What would you recommend?” I ask.
“The salmon is incredible,” Ella says, scooping her blonde waves behind her shoulders.
I’m a McDonald’s kind of girl.
“You’ll like the poached eggs,” Spencer tells me.
I blink as I spot them on the menu. Am I supposed to take out a loan to pay for this? What kind of royal chicken did these eggs come from? How can a place charge so much?
“The tea is good, too,” he adds.
“Sounds great,” I reply, closing the menu. I can’t continue to look at those big numbers and not be struck with vertigo.
“I just love that you both like tea,” Ella says. “You should have seen his expression the first day on set when he was brought a cup of tea.”
Spencer pretends to wretch. “Creamer. Who does that?”
Ella laughs. “He tipped it out in a plant.”
“Milk goes in tea. Straight up milk. No cream shit.”
I turn my nose up. “We can get milk here, right?”
He nods. “They know how I take tea here.”
Good. There is nothing worse than a bad cuppa. Also, how often does Spencer pay double figures for an egg?
“So, are you looking forward to the premiere, Ella?” I ask. “I think Spence is secretly nervous.”
“Spence is more than secretly nervous,” he admits.
“You’ll be fine. We’ll stick together,” Ella says before I can tell him that he’ll be amazing.
It’s always been my job to tell him that, not only that he can do anything, but he will also do it well. Who does this woman think she is? Why can’t she be a raging bitch? It would be easier to hate her if she wasn’t so nice.
“Just don’t fall over,” I tell him with a grin.
He tilts his head towards me and deadpans. “Really?”
Ella laughs.
“Couldn’t resist. What time do you have to go to the TV thing?”
“Midday. Do you want to come?”
I shake my head. “That’s okay. I’ll catch up with your mum and dad.”
“We’re taking Indie out tonight, yes?” Ella asks Spencer.
No.
I want to be here to support and celebrate Spencer. I don’t want to be photographed with him. I can’t have anyone trying to figure out who I am.
He raises his eyebrow. “Indie?”
“Erm…”
“We’ll disguise
