Chapter 24 #2
“But I’ll have to introduce you to the others as a friend.” Renee could feel Lola’s body tensing up beneath her. “I’m sorry. I understand if you don’t want to come—”
“Stop it. Of course I want to meet your friends.” Renee kissed the worried line of Lola’s mouth. “I just hope they don’t get jealous of all our slumber parties.”
A S SHE AND Lola strode past a photographer and into the glitzy Tribeca restaurant, Renee was a bundle of nerves.
The restaurant was in a former bank, with towering Corinthian columns, dark green marble, and shiny gold accents everywhere.
Following Lola’s security through the space, Renee felt insufficiently stylish in her trusty jumpsuit, which she’d have to wear to the gala tomorrow night too.
At least no one was noticing her: Lola was wearing a figure-hugging dress that made her look like an angel sent from heaven to make Earth sexier, and heads turned as she passed by.
They were shown through a vault-like door two feet thick and into the former deposit box room.
It had been converted into a private dining space, with part of the restaurant’s wine collection on display.
Fancy, but a little claustrophobic. Lola’s friends were already seated: Carolina de Jong, a willowy half-Dutch, half-Chinese model with bright white hair slicked into a bun; Rosalie Thomas, a gorgeous actress who’d gotten her break as a Bond Girl then pivoted to producing to advocate for better roles for Latina actresses like herself; and Tatiana Jones, the mega-huge pop star positioned as the bad girl counterpoint to Lola’s squeaky-clean image.
Renee started to sweat. It was like being admitted to a secret meeting of the High Council of Hot Girls.
Lola didn’t notice that Renee was out of place.
She beamed as she explained how they’d grown up next door to each other and reconnected exactly when Lola needed an up-and-coming director.
Working with someone who’d known her for so long had unlocked her creative process and allowed her to be so much more in tune with herself.
Lola was looking at Renee with stars in her eyes, and Renee blushed at the praise.
If Lola had stopped talking for more than a few seconds, Renee would have kissed her.
Well, not actually. But she damn sure wanted to.
The waiter took their orders—Renee chose a frilly little salad because she wasn’t sure who was paying and wanted to avoid financial ruin—and excused herself to the restroom.
Outside the vault, the air felt looser. She took a deep breath while someone’s bodyguard pointed her in the direction of the private restroom.
Before the bathroom door had swung closed, it was shoved back open and Tatiana Jones pushed her way in.
Renee stepped back. “Um—I think this one’s single occupancy?”
Tatiana trapped Renee with a hard stare. “I want to have a talk with you. About Lola.”
“Sure,” Renee said nervously. A lot of things had gone wrong in her meet-the-friends history, but she’d never been cornered in a bathroom.
Tatiana was not a large person, but with her mane of wavy blonde hair and the double-breasted blazer she was wearing as a minidress, she had more than enough attitude to crowd the small space.
It was obvious that Tatiana did not smile unnecessarily—the kind of person who has a bad side.
She leaned against the sink, leaving Renee standing in the middle of the marble floor.
“Lola’s a very special person,” Tatiana said flatly. “She’s very special to me.”
“To me too,” Renee said.
“She’s sensitive. She doesn’t guard her heart like someone in her position should. So when I see her falling for someone, I take it as my responsibility to ask the questions I know she won’t.”
Renee’s own heart swelled at the thought of Lola falling for her. “Ask me anything.”
“When did you find out about Lola’s documentary?”
“When she called and offered it to me. I was in grad school. Well, I was on leave.”
“Meaning, this is your big break.”
“Meaning, I wasn’t looking for a big break. I was trying to make a thirty-minute thesis film and I couldn’t even manage that.”
Tatiana arched an extremely well-defined brow. Beneath it, her gray eyes were unforgiving. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Obviously,” Renee said tightly, then pressed her teeth closed against any further ill-considered comments.
As much as she didn’t appreciate an international superstar’s judgment of her stunted professional life, Renee could not lash out at Tatiana Jones.
This was one of Lola’s closest friends, the person Lola had really invited her here tonight to meet.
And Tatiana was trying to protect Lola. That was something Renee more than understood.
She sucked in a breath through her nose and steadied herself.
“But I see why you might not believe it. This is a huge opportunity, whether or not I was looking for it. To be honest, it’s completely terrifying knowing that millions of people are going to see my first film.
I’m trying not to think about that too much, because I’ll start having panic attacks and I really don’t have time for that.
Instead, I’m just trying to focus on making something Lola can be proud of. ”
Tatiana tilted her head. “Okay. Lola said you hadn’t spoken in years. Not since before her first album, and yet now”—she raised those sharp eyebrows again—“you have quite a personal interest in her. Explain that.”
“How could I not have an interest in her?” Despite the interrogation, Renee found herself smiling. “I saw her over the summer at Claudia’s wedding and she was just magnetic. I truly never expected to fall for her. I mean, that’s like right out of a Lola Gray song, if you think about it.”
“I did think about it.” Tatiana folded her arms.
“Well, I didn’t. You can ask my friend Kadijah; I’m basically allergic to relationships.”
“And a relationship with a massively successful, kindhearted woman is the exception?”
Shit, this is not going well. The FBI could probably learn a thing or two from Tatiana’s interrogation techniques.
“To be honest, I sort of wish she was less massively successful?” Renee said in a last-ditch defense.
“Lola’s basically a normal person—well, an unbelievably talented normal person.
It sucks that she can’t have a normal life.
” Renee swallowed hard. “Look, if you’re worried that I’m pretending to be into her so I can get something out of the relationship, don’t be.
First, no one in their right mind would have to pretend to be into Lola.
She’s fucking incredible. And second, I’m fundamentally incapable of pretending to like anyone, even when I should.
Just ask Gloriana—or anyone else on Lola’s team. ”
“Gloriana doesn’t like you?”
Renee rolled her eyes. “I was on thin ice from the start, with the having no experience directing films thing. Then I kidnapped Lola and took her to Michigan instead of torturing her with her ex like Gloriana wanted—thanks for your help with that, by the way—and since we’ve been back, Lola’s been standing up to her left and right. So yeah, I’m not her favorite.”
The sliver of a grin inched across Tatiana’s face.
“Anything else you want to know?” Renee asked. Now that she’d found her footing, she almost wanted the interrogation to continue. She liked proving herself worthy of Lola. She was glad that Lola had a friend like this—who could not be more unlike her—who felt a responsibility to look out for her.
“That’s all, for now,” Tatiana said, and Renee knew she’d passed.
Renee glanced at the toilet. “I actually do have to pee.”
“Go find the other restroom,” Tatiana said, opening the door for her.
B ACK IN THE vault, the conversation found an easy rhythm.
Carolina and Rosalie were generous with making sure that Renee understood whatever industry development they were discussing, and Tatiana had somehow signaled her approval to Lola, who was practically making heart eyes at Renee across the table.
So this is how meeting the friends is supposed to be.
At least, sort of . In the ideal scenario, all the friends knew you were dating.
Toward dessert, the conversation circled back to the documentary.
“I did one of those docs a few years back,” Tatiana said, then sipped her soda water with bitters.
“I’ve seen it.” Renee fumbled for something complimentary. “It was very … affecting.”
“Please,” Tatiana snorted. “It was trash.”
“Maybe a little,” Renee agreed. “Chess Waterston directed it, right? He was almost signed on for Lola’s, but she wouldn’t work with him.”
“Lola’s a smart girl. Smarter than me. I knew Chess was skeezy. But my management loved him, and I had just gotten out of rehab. Have you been to rehab?”
Renee shook her head.
“It’s therapy seven days a week for months.
When I got out and my management said a film would let me tell my own story, I thought, Perfect!
My story was all I’d been thinking about.
” She pointed a long, spiky nail in Renee’s direction.
“Do not agree to do anything your first week out of rehab. I gave Chess a lot more access than I should have.”
“It sounds exploitative,” Carolina said, in her Dutch accent. “I know that upsets you, but it’s important to say. In my industry, young women get taken advantage of all the time.”
“Carolina’s started an organization for model’s rights,” Lola said as an aside to Renee.
“The young women in your industry are literally children, Carolina.” Tatiana rolled her eyes. “I was twenty-six. And I’m the one making money off the doc. Was I exploiting myself?”
“You were made to do something you weren’t comfortable with.” Carolina’s eyes were enormous on her fine-boned face. “That is not right.”
“I own my bad decisions,” Tatiana said testily.
“This is why women need to fight to tell our own stories,” Rosalie interjected. “Your film should have been an empowering experience, Tatiana. But women still aren’t allowed to be the complicated, messy, authentic people we are. It’s why I always wanted to produce.”
“That’s what Renee and I are trying to do,” Lola said. “Tell my story my way.”
“You have an incredible platform,” Rosalie said. “What are you planning to say?”
Lola adjusted her bangs and glanced at Renee.
Just tell them.
She was cut through with a sudden, piercing desire for Lola to be honest. These women wouldn’t care if she was bi. Rosalie was practically asking her directly.
Just tell them—fuck it. Tell them.
“We’re keeping that under wraps for now,” Lola said.