“I can get in anywhere. The doormen always recognize me.”
Madison had snorted. “As a person who just finished a season of her own TV show, I’m pretty sure that I’ll be the one to get us in.”
Kate shifted uncomfortably in the backseat. She hated to watch people bicker; it made her feel itchy and claustrophobic. “I’m sure the bouncers or whatever they are will recognize both of you,” she said lamely. She’d definitely been thrust into the peacemaker role between these two. She wasn’t a child of divorce, but she could only assume this was how it felt a lot—Mommy and Mommy are fighting! Kate had opened the door then and stepped out to the sidewalk. The line was getting longer by the second. She felt sorry for the girls who had to stand so long in those high-heeled shoes.
The PopTV cameras had already been set up to film their entrance, and Laurel was there, too, drinking something from a travel mug. “Coffee,” she’d said when Carmen raised her eyebrows at her.
“I hope you put some whiskey in it then,” Carmen had said. “Because you look a little tense.”
It was true: Laurel looked as wired and nervous as Kate felt. No doubt it was hard to be in charge of a TV shoot, but at least she didn’t have to be on-camera.
“All right, girls. The cameras are set and the doorman knows to let you in. Once you’re inside, wait a moment for us to get all of the cameras in, and then you can go to your table,” Laurel said, quickly motioning toward a tall doorman dressed in a black suit and armed with an ID scanner.
In a group they’d gone to the front of the crowd, and of course the ropes had parted for them as the doorman nodded a greeting. (It had nothing to do with either Carmen or Madison being recognized. They’d have to fight about it some other night, when PopTV hadn’t set things up so they could jump the line.) The PopTV cameras followed them into the dim, crowded room.
“What do you think of this place?” Carmen asked, jolting Kate back to the present.
“It’s . . .” Kate had to think about this for a moment. It was chic and obviously super-exclusive and everything, but did she like it? She wasn’t sure. “It’s . . . well, it’s definitely not like any club I’ve ever been to before.” She smiled broadly, hoping that that would convey the enthusiasm she didn’t quite feel.
“Well, you aren’t in Kansas anymore,” Madison said as she headed toward the table.
“Ohio,” Kate said quietly, but Madison was already distracted by some guy with one too many buttons undone on his collared shirt.
Carmen smiled at Kate. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I love a club and sometimes I’d rather be at home eating popcorn and watching Clueless.”
“I love that movie,” Kate said.
“So brilliant, right?” Carmen replied.
“Completely. Although it definitely messed me up for getting around L.A. when I first moved here.”
“What are you talking about?” Carmen said, laughing.
“‘Everywhere in L.A. takes twenty minutes,’” Kate quoted.
Carmen laughed even harder. “Oh, honey, you can’t take traffic advice from Cher’s dad in Clueless.”
“Duh,” Kate said. “I know that now. . . .”
She laughed, too. She was surprised at how quickly she’d bonded with Carmen. At first she’d been starstruck—after all, the most famous person she’d met before her was the guy who did those annoying mattress commercials—but by the time they’d all finished their post-Grant’s burgers that night a few weeks ago when they met, Kate felt like Carmen was just another girl trying to find her way in L.A. Which, in a way, she was.
She liked Drew, too. He looked intimidating because of his height and his tattoos, but he was down-to-earth and funny. He didn’t make a big deal when Kate had spilled her Coke on his sleeve (oops!) when the three of them hung out the other night, and he laughed at all her lame jokes. But it was Carmen to whom he devoted most of his attention. He seemed to hang on every word she said, and Kate had to wonder if there was something going on between them. But she didn’t know Carmen well enough yet to ask.
“Aren’t you hot in that?” Madison asked, leaning over to catch her attention. She plucked at Kate’s long sleeve.
Kate smiled, embarrassed. “Uh, yeah. No one told me that it’s like, a violation to cover more than thirty percent of your skin around here.”
Madison laughed as if this was one of the funniest things she’d ever heard. “Oh, you can cover up whatever bits you want. You just have to do it in high style.” She took a sip of her drink, which was something pink served in a martini glass. She squinted over the rim, taking in Kate’s outfit. “Yes, I think it’s time you got yourself a new look. Do you have any favorite designers?”
Kate gripped her drink tighter and shook her head. Designers? Why in the world would Madison think she knew anything about designers? Madison should ask her about guitars. Gibson, Maton, Les Paul: Now those were names that meant something to her.
“Time to show off those legs, girl,” Carmen said.
Madison nodded without looking in Carmen’s direction. She obviously wanted this to be a two-way exchange; that way the cameras could catch her being sweet for once. “You’re cute as a button, Kate. We have to maximize your assets. Which means”—and here she raised her glass, toasting Kate—“we have to make a date for my very favorite activity: shopping.”
“Sounds great,” Kate said brightly. Now it was clear why Madison was being so nice to her: Trevor had written them a shopping date. She’d seen it in her filming schedule.
Kate and Madison—Shopping
Time: 11 a.m.
First Location: American Rag
She’d assumed that if they were going to have her shopping it would have been with Carmen. Of course, Carmen hadn’t just spent a season on TV doing makeovers. Surely Trevor wanted to showcase one of the things Madison was now famous for.
And she’d play her role in this story line as best she could. Barneys! Kate Somerville! Lunch at Joan’s on Third! Gossip with Madison! It would be fine. She was much better already at living on-camera. The first night she was filmed, when she’d moved into her new place—complete with a fake phone call her to mom—she kept looking right into the lens, whereas now, she sometimes found herself forgetting the camera was there (but only for a moment).
Oops! She’d just looked. That’s what you get for being too cocky, she thought.
But then she noticed something strange: Even though she, Carm, and Gaby were all on one side of the small, round table, the cameras were trained only on Madison.
Huh? she thought. Do the PopTV people find Madison as fascinating as she finds herself?
And then, materializing out of the club’s dimness, Kate saw a familiar shade of platinum approaching the table. She was stunning in a flowery, floaty dress, strutting in gold wedge sandals. She was none other than Sophia Parker.
Oh, thought Kate. Wow. That’s what the cameras were waiting
