Chapter 45
45
JESSE
Now
Jesse walked through his hotel lobby, its black and gold sofas and ostentatious palm fronds glistening in a way that made him wish he’d booked somewhere a little more boutique. He saw a copy of Variety on a coffee table. Minnie caught his eye, a knowing look in hers as she smouldered at him, draped on the shoulder of her male co-star, Dexter Maclay, and two other actors Jesse didn’t recognise. It was on a big wrap advert around the outside of the magazine. ‘ Summer of Siena ! Coming to Prime this fall’.
Full of carbs and Chianti, Jesse felt aglow to see her unexpectedly, even if she were on the cover of a magazine.
Is she still in town?
Jesse looked at his watch: it was midnight in LA, 8a.m. Monday in London. He got in the lift, unwittingly ruining the selfies of the young women who were already in there, and whizzed up to his room, tired after adhering to the advice of his dad in his head, well versed in the ways to combat jet lag: ‘Adapt immediately. Live in the time you’re in.’ He felt as if he’d been up all night and was exhausted from a busy day of sightseeing, of catching up with Will and meeting Lloyd.
As Jesse stepped out of the lift on the seventh floor he sensed the women all raise their phones as the elevator doors closed behind him. He imagined the photos they would post.
#elevatorchic
#goingup
#takemetothepenthouse
#takemehigher
And he chuckled quietly to himself.
Back in his room, buoyed by friendship and wine, Jesse thought fuck it.
Live in the time you’re in.
He looked at Minnie’s Instagram again. She hadn’t posted any stories since taking off on Friday, but it did say in her bio that she was ‘rep’d by Devon Smith at McFadden Higgs’.
Devon.
Of course.
Jesse googled him again and found the number for offices in London, which he called, not expecting an answer after one ring. An efficient British voice spoke. Jesse was flustered. And quite pissed.
‘Hi, er, can I speak to Devon Smith about Minnie Byrne please?’ Jesse said, wondering why his heart raced.
The receptionist said Devon was in a meeting. Jesse looked at his watch.
Already?
‘I can leave him a message.’
‘No, it’s OK thanks,’ Jesse said, and he hung up, showered, put on the TV and fell into a weary red-wine slumber while a chat show played on the screen.