Wish You Were Her(83)

As Jasper and Allegra had watched the original swarm of reporters from her father’s flat, the day she left Lake Pristine, the only respite from the tension and anxiety had been when a local woman had almost run the reporters down with her Range Rover.

“My sister,” Jasper had said, with a wince. “Christine.”

Now, as the town came into focus, Allegra understood exactly what Jasper had said. Everyone waved at the two of them in Jasper’s car, as if nothing had happened, as if Allegra had just gone on vacation for a week and returned with no news for anyone. She spotted Vivienne Thorne outside her bakery, with two members of her staff. They were handing out free samples of what looked like some kind of brownie. When Vivienne spotted Allegra, she smiled and waved, but there was a clear look of worry in her eyes.

“Mothers and sons,” Jasper said, observing the reaction. “Scary.”

“She’s really nice.”

“She is, but Jonah’s getting way too independent for her, I think. Not sure she’s going to take it well.”

“I’m just here to talk to Dad, and then gather everyone up for the premiere.”

As Allegra said the words, she realized something.

“Jasper?”

“Yes.”

“I … really don’t feel comfortable inviting Simon anymore. Would you like to come instead?”

“To a fancy premiere of a Hollywood picture?”

“Yes.”

“Red carpet?”

“Yes.”

“Photographers?”

“Yes.”

“Pretty clothes?”

“The prettiest. Natalie, my publicist, is sending a car this afternoon and we’re doing style options tonight in the hotel suite.”

“You won’t mind an ancient twenty-three-year-old chumming along with you teenagers?”

“No, happy to have a responsible adult.”

Allegra had gone through a few premieres and screenings, plus one high-profile ball, in her career. Hotel suites full of colleagues and social media interns were fun, but she had always envied people who brought tons of their friends along. Polaroid photos of fun and friendship, the kind Allegra desperately wanted but sometimes didn’t know how to cultivate. She made a great first impression. She could say, “let’s get lunch” as easily as anyone. But securing and maintaining friendships had always been hard for her. She didn’t know the steps to that dance, and a childhood in film and television had not helped her in that regard either.

Gathering new friends together and whisking them out for champagne, pizza and a Cinderella night of Hollywood glamor was the scariest thing she had attempted in a while. It felt like being six years old again and wondering why no one had come to her birthday party.

Jasper dropped Allegra at Brooks Books, promising to meet her there again at three o’clock for the glamorous pickup. Allegra watched her go, feeling a type of gratitude that was reserved for only the most special people in her life. The ones that accepted all of the fingerprints on her canvas, the kind that spoke to a life lived with challenges and human mistakes. The ones who found it all the more beautiful.

She stepped into Brooks Books to find Simon there alone, packing up returns by the front desk. They stared at one another for a long while, Allegra watching with fascination as shame fought with defiance on Simon’s face.

“Hey,” he finally said.

“Hi, Simon.”

She took note of the slight black eye he was sporting on his left side. “Did Jonah give you that?”

“Yeah.” His voice was bitter. “You’re a sore subject for him, it seems.”

“Good. I wanted to hit you for what you did to me. If you ever do that to another girl, I’ll make you regret it. The one good thing about fame is that there is always a journo willing to listen. You touch someone else without their consent, I’ll make your whole world go away. It’s what you did to me.”

“I’m sorry, Allegra.”

“You hurt him, too, Simon,” Allegra added. “Putting him out in the public eye like that. It’s not what he wants. It’s a burden for anyone, let alone those who don’t actually choose it.”

“He wants to be a writer, Ally. This will make a hell of a story for him. He should be grateful.”

She deliberately stayed silent, allowing her disapproval to fill the air like smoke.

“Sorry,” he finally mumbled. “I’m sorry, Allegra. I really am. I didn’t know what the pictures actually were. They asked about you and me and when I confirmed it was me, they pressed about the guy you were with as you left Main Street. I gave Jonah’s name. I didn’t know about the photos. I swear, I didn’t. That … I had no idea about it.”

Allegra reached out to touch some of the books in her father’s shop. “Okay.”

“I—I’m really sorry. I am. I’m going to give Jasper my spot at the premiere, too. It will be too hard for Jonah to see me there.”

She still said nothing, the silence speaking volumes.

“I bought into your surface act,” Allegra said softly. “Everyone around here thinks you’re great. I believed the reviews. But you’ve got a nasty streak. You show it to Jonah, more than anyone. Don’t you?”

“Allegra, I didn’t know you liked him. I knew he liked you. God, I’ve never seen him like that around anyone. You were the name we could never bring up around him, and Jonah has always been indifferent or oblivious to everyone. So, it was weird. I worked it out pretty early on.”