Chapter Three
The launch of the Wonderwick Woods: Creatures of the Forest video game was kind of a bigger deal than I’d thought it would be.
Not being a gamer myself, I hadn’t realised quite how excited people were for it, and what an opportunity it would be to market the films – especially while we were between instalments.
The red carpet was packed with photographers jostling for position and journalists and approved content creators standing by with their phones and recording equipment.
Well, I say it was a ‘red carpet’ but the carpet itself was Wonderwick Woods green.
That had become our thing: all the big events were accompanied by a green carpet.
I’m pretty sure the studio had even trademarked the exact shade of green, that’s how into it they were.
As soon as I set foot on the carpet, the bulbs started flashing and cries of ‘Emily!’ rang in my ears.
I made sure they got a few of me holding my copy of a new campus novel by a young Korean-American author which had been a big hit in the US but hadn’t resonated as much here.
Yet. Maybe a few more people would buy it if they saw me with it?
But unfortunately, I wasn’t here to spread the good word about literature.
Chloe guided me to the first journalist, a guy from a gaming magazine who wanted to know about the process of recording the voices, then it was a perky, cheerful journalist from British Vogue who I recognised from other events, and who, understandably, wanted to know about my outfit.
That evening, I was wearing a strapless navy jumpsuit under an oversized cream silk blazer.
Without the blazer, I would have felt way too exposed, but with it, I felt it made for a pretty elegant look.
‘The jumpsuit is Stella McCartney and the blazer is MaxMara,’ I told her.
‘Interesting!’ she said with a bright smile. ‘Do you ever think of deviating from these, um, more well-established brands?’
‘How do you mean?’ I leaned in, trying to hear her better over the noise of the crowd as Chloe hovered behind me.
‘Oh you know, just that other actresses your age are going for more, um, experimental looks or working with newer emerging designers. I was just wondering if that’s something you’re thinking about or if you’re firmly committed to the heritage brands.’
‘I . . .’ I was a little taken aback but I didn’t want to let it show. ‘For me, it’s not about a commitment to a brand but a commitment to wearing things that speak to me and my style, whatever that might be.’
‘Thanks so much for your time,’ Chloe said before steering me onto the next person.
‘Heritage brands! Was she saying I dress like an old person?’ I whispered to her as I was presented with a journalist from the big mainstream film magazine, a stubbly guy in a baseball cap.
He greeted me with a smile. ‘Hey, Emily, I just wanted to ask if you’re looking forward to starting work on the next Wonderwick film? I guess it’s about to kick off, right? Everyone’s in town by now!’ Not the most original question but I could work with it.
‘Of course, I’m so excited. This is actually my favourite of all the books in the series and it gives Linderley a lot of character development – not that I’ve been lacking it until now, of course!
But it’s just got a really different feeling to the other books as far as she’s concerned, as well as some of the most exciting moments in the whole arc of the series. ’
‘Not to mention the romance,’ he said, raising his eyebrows.
‘Well, quite! I know the fans are looking forward to things ramping up a bit in this film and I really hope we deliver.’
‘And I hear Darcy Jackson has signed on?’
‘Mmmhmm! So exciting!’ I nodded, a tight smile on my face.
‘Thanks so much for your time.’ Chloe firmly shook his hand and then it was on to the next and the next and the next.
Finally, we made it inside the venue, which had been decorated to resemble the Canopy Plaza, one of the most iconic Wonderwick sets.
Stilt walkers in outfits inspired by the films (or, I suppose, the game?
The book? Who knew at this point) crossed our paths and we had to dodge a rather enthusiastic fire breather.
Cocktails in carved wooden cups trailing coloured smoke travelled past us on vast trays, and speakers blared a strange remix of one of the key themes from the original film score.
Scenes from the game were projected onto the walls and the ceiling and it was all a bit mind-boggling, seeing Video Game Me dashing around in the Wonderwick world, all the trees and the habitats and the creatures enveloping us while we were sipping drinks and mingling in the VIP area.
Or was I in the VVIP area at this one? Lisa from the studio and Martin the director raised their glasses to us from across the room but neither of us made any attempt to approach the other.
‘I think they know they did well out of that meeting and don’t want to push their luck,’ Chloe murmured at me, then gasped with delight.
‘Emily!’ She grabbed my arm, her many rings pressing into the silk fabric of my blazer, her long, oval Builder In A Bottle-fortified nails digging into my flesh.
‘It’s Blake Shaw! What’s he doing here?! ’
Blake Shaw, the gorgeous, red-haired star of various high profile and very celebrated indie movies had graced the Wonderwick Woods video-game launch with his presence, for reasons I couldn’t fully understand.
What I could fully understand is that he was Chloe’s white whale, both professionally and sexually.
‘Maybe he heard you were going to be here,’ I said, drily.
‘Now’s my chance! Either to poach him off Brian Leger or to rip his clothes off! You’ll be all right on your own for a bit, won’t you?’
Before I could even answer, she bopped off in Blake’s direction, who, it must be said, was looking very handsome in an ugly-cool Loewe jumper I recognised from the Paris Fashion Week show.
Which left me . . . somewhat alone. I could feel my cheeks heat up a little bit as I took a sip from my glass.
It was starting to feel like there was a spotlight on me and everyone could see I was just standing around on my own.
I took my phone out of my bag for something to do, and fixed my expression so I was deep in thought.
Surely someone would eventually come up and talk to me?
It felt as if I had been stood up and everyone knew it, like I was waiting at a table for a date to arrive but they never would.
Where were the other cast members? Where was Max who played the rebellious inventor Alder?
I couldn’t see Tommy, famous for playing the serious and stoic Ash.
Or Felicity, better known as my screen mother Imriel.
I’d have even been happy to see Alexander Christie, the classically trained actor behind Vulpus, the sexually confusing shapeshifting fox.
A booming laugh filled the air from somewhere nearby and I turned to see a big, round table with precisely those four chatting over novelty cocktails, except for Max who was, as always, drinking a pint.
Tommy must have said something funny to make Max throw his head back and laugh like that.
I paused, unsure if I should interrupt the scene.
They all looked so at ease, like one big happy family.
I knew I couldn’t make any of them laugh like that, for starters.
How was it possible that I was a star of one of the biggest film franchises of all time and I was standing on my own at a party while my colleagues were hanging out without me?
‘Emily!’ Max caught me looking and waved me over like a madman. As I walked towards them, nerves creeping over me, the four of them started banging on the table in a drumroll to herald my arrival.
‘Oi, budge up,’ Max instructed Tommy, elbowing him in the ribs, so I could join them in the booth.
I shook my head. ‘No, it’s OK – I just wanted to come and say hello.’
‘Join us,’ Alexander said, standing up from the one chair facing the table and gesturing for me to sit.
‘You don’t have to give up your seat for me!’
‘Oh, I was going to get a drink anyway,’ he said, pulling the chair out gallantly. ‘Can I get you anything?’
‘No thanks, I’ve probably had enough already.
’ I sat as he strolled off towards the bar, looking every inch the gentleman in his suit.
There was always such a divide on Wonderwick between the ‘kids’ and the adults – we didn’t really mix that much on set, both camps sticking together, socialising together, so events like this were one of the few times we were all mixed up.
Felicity reached across the table to me and grasped my hands in hers. ‘Darling, I’ve missed you.’
‘I’ve missed you too,’ I said, a little awkwardly.
I’ve never been much of a hugger, a toucher, a darling, I’ve missed you, but the fact was that I had missed Felicity.
I’d missed them all. It just made me feel so embarrassed to say it, like I didn’t want them to know how much they meant to me. How much the whole thing meant to me.
‘So, are we the cast representatives tonight?’ I asked, desperately hoping Josh was still in LA for another couple of days before filming started. I wanted to postpone encountering him as long as humanly possible.
Max and Tommy frowned and look at each other like I was clearly mad, while Felicity just smiled politely.
‘You’re joking, right?’
‘No, why?’
‘Emily . . .’ Felicity said, gently.
‘You know what this party is for, right?’ Tommy sounded uncomfortable, nervous, even. As much as he would get whipped up in Max’s rambunctious behaviour, he was a sensitive soul at heart.
‘Yes,’ I said with an awkward laugh. ‘It’s the party for the video game.’
‘That’s not the only reason,’ said Max.
Felicity muttered, shaking her head. ‘I don’t know why they wouldn’t tell you, maybe they thought you wouldn’t come after all the silliness in the media.’
‘For God’s sake, can someone just tell me what’s going on?’ I burst out.
Just then, Alexander reappeared sipping an Old Fashioned. ‘Ah, there she is,’ he said, his eyes fixed on the entrance, where, under a spotlight stood the closest thing I had to a rival, if your rival could be a person you’ve never met before.
Darcy Jackson.