Fame and Misfortune (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 15

"Go ahead."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're the bridesmaid." Then I added, "But just know that I wouldn't do this for anyone else."

She smiled and took my hand, pulling me over to the many rows of chairs. She stopped at a man seated toward the front. The guy—tall, chocolate brown hair, beard, dressed in a nicely tailored suit—stood up to give Lux a hug. The "buddy" kind where you pat each other's backs for a few seconds.

"Ted, this is my friend, Ava," she said, then turned to face me. "This is Ted Manning, an old friend of mine who costarred in my first big part."

The guy looked a bit older than Lux. In his early thirties I would guess. I shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you," he said.

"Likewise."

Lux gave me a little smile, which I returned, before leaving. I took the seat beside Ted.

"What's your last name?"

Odd question. "De La Cruz."

He made a humming sound for a moment before saying, "I don't think of heard of you before."

I chuckled. "That's because I'm not famous."

His eyebrows perked in interest. "Really? Lux knows someone who isn't famous?"

Clearly.

"How did you two meet?"

"Working on her most recent movie. I'm the hair and makeup artist," I said, knowing he was going to assume me to be a clout chaser.

There was a moment of silence, probably in which he assumed I would bombard him with questions about his movies, love life, scandals, etc. But once he realized I wasn't, he spoke, "What got you into hair and makeup?"

"Nothing. I'm just good at it and need a job to pay for graduate school."

His brows ruffled.

"How do you know the bride?" I asked.

"Lux introduced us actually, and we became fast friends. The three of us try to have dinner every once in a while."

The conversation was dry; borderline awkward but not quite there.

"You must be pretty close friends with Lux for her to invite you to her best friend's wedding."

I tried not to smile. "She does think I'm pretty incredible."

"Everyone else seems to as well." He did a quick look around the quickly filling chairs. "They're all staring."

"Probably because they're trying to figure out what movie they've seen me in."

"Or because you're the most beautiful one here."

Was he flirting? Was I some sort of celebrity magnet now? I might have read somewhere that "hard to get" is more enticing than actual admission of feelings due to the chase of it. Perhaps my disinterest and lack of knowledge was the main attraction that was seemingly causing a domino effect of celebrities to find interest in me.

"Thank you." But I already have an affair with a famous person, I almost said. But instead, "I have a boyfriend."

"Is he rich and on the posters of blockbuster movies too?"

Great. Another conceited hollywood airhead.

"No. And thank God for that." And thank God for the perfectly timed start of the ceremony, cued by the soft, romantic, and cliché music.

They played a song to quiet everyone and make them find seats. Meanwhile the groom and his groomsmen walked down the aisle relatively quickly and waited at the alter. After a few minutes a little girl in a cute white dress, floral crown atop her blonde head, came skipping down the aisle, throwing little blue flowers left and right out of a beautifully woven basket. Next came the bridesmaids. There was a woman I didn't recognize that came first. Next was Mikayla. She looked amazing, wearing the same dress as Lux, her hair long and wavy.