Closer: Tyler, The Creator

25. Premiere

"Fuck, Tyler I don't know if I can do this."

I pulled his arm back before we could even walk into the huge party mansion.

My nerves were eating me up again. The fact that I was going to be around famous directors and actors made my heart skip a beat.

"I'll be there with you the whole time. Don't overthink it. C'mon."

I felt the pressure of his hand on my waist as we walked in. I was literally holding my breath.

"Name?" The security at the front stopped us.

"Tyler—,"

"Hey man! You haven't hit me up since I beat you in that golf game," an older black man in a suit patted Tyler's shoulder. I couldn't quite get a glimpse of his face in the dark light, but his voice was familiar. He moved past the guard as he walked us in instead.

The guard didn't question it; realizing T knew people in here.

"Nigga that was one game. You know I was off it that day," Tyler smiled.

"Keep telling yourself that!" He walked away chuckling before I could get a good view of his face.

"Who was that?"

"Uh, Denzel." He casually looked around.

My eyes widened as I put two and two together.

Washington.

My mom would literally be freaking out if she was here.

"I told you I knew people in the industry but you don't want my help." Tyler replied, watching me internally freak out. He could tell.

"I didn't think you meant actual famous famous people."

Just then, people walked past us and greeted Tyler nonchalantly. I was pretty much ignored; which I expected anyway.

A waiter with a tray of champagne glasses handed us two.

"How did you even meet them in the first place?" I asked, taking a sip.

"I've invested in a few of their movies; it's how a lot of them know me. A lot I just met while on the set of movies some friends would invite me to when I got bored. Or playing golf. Some buy from me but it's mostly older retired niggas."

I took it all in as he spoke.

"Does he know about it?"

I alluded to the drugs.

"Nah, people like him just think I'm working on sets behind the scenes. They have no idea."

"Shit."

Tyler introduced me to a few people. He probably noticed how tense and quiet I was being because he excused us. Tyler pulled me to the side.

"Be more aggressive. Like you belong here, 'cus you do. A lot of these niggas got here through loopholes. You genuinely work hard for this shit. Act like it."