Julie Fraser took a deep breath and tried to quell the butterflies swooping in her stomach. She hated being late. She got mad at people who came late for important events. Her agent and manager, the latter who happened to be her mother, were going to have a fit when they found out she’d missed the red carpet interviews. Julie didn’t care about the lost camera time, but her team would, so she’d have to make up for it at the after-party. She hadn’t wanted to go to the after-party and now, for more reasons than one, she had no choice.
The one bright spot of the night would be spending time with her friend Trace Bradshaw. They’d met during the filming of Julie’s debut movie, Dangerous Race, when Julie had portrayed the Arrow 500 winner on the big screen.
She should’ve been relaxing in the plush interior of the black stretch limousine as the car slowly made its way down Sunset Boulevard, but instead, she nervously fiddled with the edge of her small diamond-studded bag on loan from Tiffany’s. Sucking in her stomach even more, she couldn’t believe the zipper had ripped the fabric of her gown. If Meg, her stylist, hadn’t been there to fix it, the night would’ve been an even bigger disaster. Even if Meg had poked her with the needle a couple of times, at least they got the dress on her and it would last the night. She never imagined being sewn into a dress, but there was a first time for everything. Especially in this town. Hollywood. Where dreams were either realized or crushed under the giant, hard-heeled boot of reality.
Of course the detour because of police activity hadn’t been her fault. That had led to a thirty-minute drive in the wrong direction. She pushed back the panic. Why freak out over things out of her control? Like the fact that she didn’t have a date. Again. Her best friend, who would’ve loved this night, happened to be shooting a movie on location, and her mother had begged off because of a bout of food poisoning.
“We’re here,” her driver said, coming to a stop in front of the recently finished Lexington Theater. The new venue opened its doors for the first time tonight in honor of the annual Sporties.
“Thanks, Fido,” Julie said as she gathered her dress. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied as an attendant outside opened her door. The loud buzz of the crowd assaulted her senses the way it always did after the stillness of the limo. “Break a leg.” He winked.
Coming from almost any other driver, Julie might have had to hold back a cringe, but as she’d learned over the years, Bill “Fido” Fidelo had honesty that was as sincere as his smile.
“Thanks. Just cross your fingers that I don’t slip like I did in rehearsal.” Julie had learned that any time she presented for any awards telecast, it was always smart to rehearse in the heels she planned to wear. Years ago she’d slipped at the Emmys. Although she’d kept her balance, it was a clip that had been replayed more times than she wanted to remember. She already had more fame than she ever bargained for, but that near fall had given her even more notoriety. The fact that she’d slipped yesterday when rehearsing for this telecast nearly gave her a heart attack. Apparently she could now add klutz to her resume.
“Fingers, toes, legs...I’ll cross it all, but I won’t need to. You’ll be fine,” Fido assured her.
Julie flashed him her wide-eyed I hope you’re right look and he laughed as she gathered her sparkling silver gown. Carefully stepping out of the limo and into the hot spring sun, she waited for the crowd to recognize her. She heard the whispers, the questions. It took another handful of seconds before the roar of the screaming fans, kept behind barricades along Sunset Boulevard, deafened her ears. Tonight she unveiled the new Julie Fraser. Gone were the jet-black locks she’d worn for the past ten years and in was the honey blond she’d been hiding. She smiled and waved, already aware of the cut her new shoes were digging into her little toe. Ignore it. Ignore it. In another seven hours she could go home and nurse her toe with ice.
Although the crowd was still large and unruly, the red carpet was nearly deserted. Only a couple of fellow actors remained with press but most everyone else had moved