The Platinum Rebound

by T V Hartwell

  While doing the inward work to rehabilitate her self-esteem, she’d decided to do a little outward work too. Feeling her lips were too thin and wanting to add volume to them for quite a while, she finally decided to take the plunge and go for a lip augmentation. With Lucy coming to town after Thanksgiving Day to spend the weekend, Amanda couldn’t wait to reveal her new look to her best girlfriend. Although she’d normally stay at the mansion her rock star father and his young wife still owned, but rarely used, in Holmby Hills, Lucy didn’t want to be alone this time and decided to stay with Amanda at her condo.

  I’m almost there. Can’t wait to see those sexy, new lips, Lucy texted as she was being driven from LAX to Amanda’s place.

  I can’t wait to show you , Amanda texted back.

  When the porter called Amanda to inform her that Lucy had arrived and was on her way up to her floor, she ran into the bathroom to take a final look at her lips, applying some lip gloss and pouting in the mirror before blowing a kiss to herself, acting giddy. Lucy had wanted Amanda to send her a photo after she’d had the procedure done, but Amanda made her wait since she was coming to town from New York for a visit.

  After the doorbell rang, Amanda pulled the door open slowly while hiding behind it.

  “Amandaaa,” Lucy sang with a big smile. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”

  Amanda then appeared from behind the opened door with both hands over her mouth, giggling.

  “Let me see,” Lucy demanded excitedly. “Let me see,” she repeated grabbing Amanda’s wrists to pull her hands away from her mouth.

  After the two wrestled a bit, laughing and being silly, Amanda relented and pulled her hands away.

  “Okay, okay. Let me see, let me see,” Lucy said giddily, still holding on to Amanda’s wrists.

  As Lucy settled down and inspected her, Amanda began to feel uneasy and unsure of what Lucy truly thought. “Whaaat?” Amanda said.

  “Oh my God,” Lucy exclaimed, “they look good.”

  “You like ’em?”

  “Yes!”

  “Really?” Amanda asked, seeking reassurance.

  “Yes. Seriously, they did a good job. Wow. And I like that they’re not overdone . . . like those big bubble gum lips. You know what I mean? They’re nice and proportioned. It doesn’t look so obvious. That’s what you wanted, right?”

  “Right,” Amanda agreed.

  “I should get mine done now. Oh my God, they look so cute I could kiss ’em,” Lucy said and then she palmed Amanda’s face and puckered her lips to do so.

  Amanda puckered her lips to kiss her back, feeling happy and glad that Lucy liked them.

  They ended up spending the rest of the day together catching up over lunch and then shopping until Charlie McCormack joined them later that evening to hang out at Amanda’s.

  “Hi, Charlie!” Lucy said excitedly, when she opened the door to let him in.

  “Well, hello, Ms. Lucy,” he said as they exchanged kisses from cheek to cheek. “Look at you, as stylish and fabulous as ever in your jumpsuit. Who are you wearing?” But before she could answer him, “Alana Dupree I bet.”

  “You guessed it.”

  “Of course. You are a walking, talking supermodel for the brand. Why hasn’t your mother made you the official spokesmodel yet? I mean seriously, you’re better looking than that what’s her face British model you guys always use in your ad campaigns.”

  “Uh, you mean Naomi Campbell?”

  “Oh, is that her name?”

  Lucy and Amanda both looked at him incredulously, and then laughed. “Um, we use her because she’s fabulous and looks great in our clothes.”

  “Isn’t she kind of getting old though? What, isn’t she in her forties now?”

  “She’s not the only model we use, Charlie.”

  “Charlie, come on,” Amanda chimed in, “she’s gorgeous. She looks great, and she’s one of the biggest, best known models in the world. She brings a lot of good publicity to the brand. Most of the time,” she said with a grin and wink of the eye.

  Charlie smirked under his breath in reply, “Yeah, a lot of good drama. When’s her next court date?”

  Lucy sighed. “Sorry, Charlie, we’re keeping Naomi. Besides, she and my mother are dear friends.”

  “Anyway,” Charlie said demonstratively with a roll of the eyes, “how do you like my girl’s new lips? Don’t they look suckalicious? I even got to kiss them.”

  “I know, I did too,” Lucy squealed and then laughed that Charlie had had the same inclination to kiss Amanda as she had.

  “Well, I kissed them first. So there,” he said poking out his tongue.

  “That’s not fair,” Lucy said pouting playfully and turning toward Amanda.

  “Now, now, there’s plenty of me to go around,” she said with a chuckle, standing in the kitchen watching them. “Hey, Charlie, Lucy and I are drinking pinot grigio, want some?”

  “Yeah, sure,” he said before returning to the lips. “I even think I was the first to see them.”

  “When’d you see them?”

  “I think a day or two after you got the injections, right, Mandi?”

  “Yep.”

  “So what did your family think?” Lucy asked. “They saw them for the first time yesterday on Thanksgiving, right?”

  “Who cares what Camilla thought? I want to know what does Adam think?” Charlie blurted. “Has he had a chance to try them out yet?”

  “No, he hasn’t seen me yet,” she said with a giggle as she brought over a glass of wine for Charlie along with her own glass and then sat down to join them on her living room sofas. “He went with his family to the Swiss Alps this week. They typically rent a chalet over there the week of Thanksgiving, and they ski and do whatever.”

  “Why didn’t you go with him?” Charlie said. “Did he ask you?”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t want to be away from my family on Thanksgiving. Besides, it’s too early for that. We just started dating again.”

  “So when’s he back?” Lucy said.

  “Sunday. I’m actually surprised he went. He’s been so busy with the release of his new movie coming up, he almost didn’t go. The premiere’s next Thursday, a week from yesterday.”

  “I’m so excited for the one in New York. Can’t wait,” Lucy said, clapping her hands excitedly. “Thanks for getting me passes. Oh, and I think Cass will be able to come. They should be wrapping up post production in Vancouver next week and then he’ll be coming to New York to be with me until right before Christmas. Then he’s heading home to Sydney.”

  “When’s the New York premier?” Charlie asked.

  “The following Thursday.”

  “So guess whaaaat,” Amanda sang.

  “What?” Lucy and Charlie said in unison.

  “After New Year’s I’ll be going with Adam to the London premiere as well.”

  “Oh, cool,” Charlie said.

  “Wow, you didn’t tell me this,” Lucy said. “My goodness, you guys really are becoming serious again . . . more serious, even.”

  “But wait, there’s more,” Amanda said, giggling and turning red.

  “Oh my God, what?” Lucy said as Charlie equally hung on to the edge of his seat in anticipation.

  “So Adam wants me to go with him to the Golden Globes and Oscars too, if his film gets nominated, but given the buzz from all of the early reviews, it sounds like it will.”

  Lucy let out a screech and then lifted her hands to her mouth while Charlie gasped with his mouth hanging wide open. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Lucy yelled and then leaned over to hug Amanda, all happy. “Oh my God, I’m so excited for you. You’ve never been to either before, right?”

  “Nope. Just went to a few after parties with him the last time.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right. I remember you wore that cute little Versace number to the Vanity Fair party. You got great coverage from that,” Charlie said.

  “That’s right,” Lucy recalled. “You and Adam were sudde
nly the new Hollywood it couple after that and then you promptly dumped him three months later . . . oops!” Lucy said jokingly.

  “Awww,” Amanda said, pouting her lips and still feeling badly about how she’d handled that.

  “Okay, I want to style you,” Charlie said excitedly. “Oooh, oooh, I have some great ideas for you. You definitely should go with Tom Ford for one of the two events, probably the Oscars.”

  “You know my mom’s definitely going to want to get in on this. She’s already shopping some ideas to Anne Hathaway’s people since she’ll be hosting the Oscars. Mom really wants a big name to wear one of her designs on Oscar night.”

  “Okay, then Alana Dupree for the Golden Globes and Tom Ford for the Oscars,” Charlie said matter-of-factly, sitting back to have a sip of his wine.

  “No! Alana Dupree for the Oscars and Tom for the Golden Globes,” Lucy retorted.

  Charlie snickered, apparently disagreeing, and then he said something under his breath that wasn’t fully intelligible. Sensing that Lucy might become insulted if Charlie continued with his snooty, know-it-all attitude, Amanda jumped in.

  “Maybe I’ll just wear my prom dress to both events. That will definitely get them talking,” she said in nonchalant fashion while Lucy and Charlie giggled at her comedic comedown.

  “Well, you’d definitely guarantee your position on Joan Rivers’ worst dressed list, that’s for sure,” Charlie said.

  Amanda, smirked. “Oh well, as the saying goes, ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity.’ I should get Adam in on this and have him wear a cheap polyester tuxedo from like Sears or something.”

  Lucy snickered. “I bet he’d do it too. Adam loves to be a part of a good prank.”

  “Are you being serious? Would you really do something like this?” Charlie asked, incredulous.

  “Hell no,” Amanda said rolling her eyes before sipping her wine.

  “I didn’t think so, but you had me worried there for a second. You know, I think you two make the perfect power couple. I mean Jake was a hottie and all, but Adam has hotness and fame. I mean the dude’s a huge, fucking celebrity.”

  Amanda gave Charlie a look that read, Seriously? Are you that shallow?

  But then Charlie clarified. “Oh, you know what I mean. Don’t look at me like that. He can help to raise your public profile in a way that being with Jake never could’ve or would’ve. You’re launching a new handbag line for goodness sake. With Lucy dating Cass and you dating Adam, you couldn’t ask for better media magnets to help drive publicity and generate interest in the brand. Plus, they both could be very helpful with getting you some big celebrity endorsements.”

  “Ooh, this could be fun. I think we should hire ourselves a publicist,” Lucy said schemingly.

  “Oh God, before I know it you’ll be suggesting that we hire an agent and manager too.”

  “Yes, exactly, you should,” Charlie said excitedly. “You should have your own reality show, The Platinum Princess.”

  Amanda and Lucy both let out a shrill and then started to laugh, falling all over themselves, completely tickled at Charlie’s presumption and pretension.

  “Don’t laugh. I know you hate it, but Perez Hilton gave you that name—”

  “No, actually it was Debbie Does Hollywood,” Amanda said.

  “Even better. She has a bigger following than Perez and her own TV show too. I’m sure she’ll start calling you that again after you and Adam make your first public appearance together as a reunited couple at the movie premiere next week. Seriously, just own it. It’s a catchy name.”

  Amanda just rolled her eyes and shook her head dismissively at the idea, but Charlie carried on.

  “I can totally see it. There would be two main story lines. One would be about you as an heiress using money from your trust fund to launch a new luxury handbag line and the other about your life in the Hollywood fast lane as the girlfriend of a hotshot, Oscar nominated producer. And then Lucy and I would be regulars on the show with Lucy mostly shown with you on stuff related to getting Novel off the ground and with me as your personal stylist slash assistant slash best friend”—at which Lucy huffed and rolled her eyes—“who keeps you looking fabulous for all of your appearances, parties, and such.”

  After feigning a contemplative pause, Amanda smirked. “Sounds boring.”

  “No, it doesn’t. I think it would be fun,” Lucy said. “We should do it.”

  “So do I,” Charlie agreed. “Amanda, get used to it. Like it or not, dating Adam is going to put you back in the headlines. You might as well start getting strategic about it. Just own it, girlfriend.”

  “I am going to own it, but not with a freakin’ reality TV show for Christ’s sake,” she said with a combination of disdain and humor that caused Lucy and Charlie to crack up laughing at her. She started to laugh at herself too.

  “Look, she’s smiling and laughing again,” Charlie said. “This is such a beautiful thing to see. I’m so happy. Amanda’s back! Oh my God, this moment requires a toast,” he said, rising to his feet. “Cheers to the return of the Platinum Princess, the hottest, richest, most suckalicious bitch in Hollywood, baby,” he shouted.

  Lucy, now hysterically laughing, rose to her feet to raise her glass in salute of her BFF. Amanda bashfully remained seated, also still laughing, until Lucy reached to pull her up by the arm to join them as they all clinked their glasses, laughed, hugged, and did a happy dance together right there in the middle of the living room floor.

  * * *

  Chapter Thirty-One

  As Adam and Amanda were being driven in their limousine to the premiere of his highly anticipated new film, Mr. Henry’s Book Club, he had one of his arms wrapped around her as she leaned back into him. “I can’t get enough,” he said as he reached for her chin to turn her face to his to kiss her lips over and over again.

  Kissing Adam’s naturally full lips was something Amanda had always liked about him, and now that she too had fuller lips to press to his, the sensation of it drove her equally wild and wet with desire for him. As they became more hot and heavy, Adam rolled up the window that separated them from the driver sitting up front, and then he pressed his lips more firmly to hers, biting and sucking on them while moaning with satisfaction. “So tasty,” he said as he clasped her lower face and upper neck with both hands and then resumed kissing her, inserting his tongue into her mouth to tussle and tangle with her own. Then he started to kiss and lick her neck, inhaling her skin like a hungry tiger, enthralled by its clean, fresh, elegant scent. Amanda’s breathing quickened when he began to rub and squeeze her knee and then inched his hand up under her dress, along her inner thigh until he reached and felt the dampness of her panties. Although eager to have his masculine, but well-manicured fingers fondling and teasing her kitty, she stopped him, grabbing his arm.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We have a third wheel and I’m not looking to give anyone a peep show.”

  “Oh, he’s not paying any attention to us,” Adam said, laughing while continuing to kiss her before stopping again to ask, “Haven’t you ever fantasized about having sex in a limousine?”

  “No, I haven’t. It’s not my style. It feels kind of trashy actually. Is that what you’ve done with other girls on your way to a premiere?”

  “Uh . . .” He contemplated for a moment. “I plead the Fifth,” Adam said with a chuckle.

  Amanda shook her head at him and removed his hand from her thigh. “Behave yourself. We’re almost there,” she said, before reaching into her purse for her lipstick so that she could reapply it.

  “Okay, but one more kiss before you do that.”

  “Oh, all right,” she said all cutesy, wrapping her arms around his neck and then pressing her lips to his, but then he slid his hand up under her dress again.

  “Adam!” she said, giggling, before slapping and removing his hand.

  He giggled along devilishly. “Okay. I’ll behave now.”

  ***

 
Adam had decided to hold his film’s premiere at the Fox Theatre, an historic landmark movie theater in Westwood Village near UCLA that had been a favorite for Hollywood premieres since the 1950s. As they crawled through late afternoon LA traffic, getting closer to their destination, Amanda proceeded to reapply some lipstick and fiddled with her hair a bit, knowing that the moment they stepped out of the limo, the cameras would be on them.

  As the car pulled up to their drop-off point, they could see all the fans lined up behind barricades, waiting to get a glimpse of the film’s stars and of Adam too. Although a producer who performed and did his work behind the camera and not in front of it, Adam had carefully crafted and cultivated a public persona as a producer of artful, critically acclaimed material and was well on his way of joining the ranks of Harvey Weinstein, Aaron Sorkin, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Michael Bay, among others, as a household name and major force in the movie business. Moreover, his youth, good looks, and availability as a single man made him a very hot topic in entertainment blogs and celebrity tabloids.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Amanda said as they stared through the window at the crush of media and the crowd.

  Adam smiled at her adoringly as he held on to her hand and then the car stopped in front of the theater and the limo door swung open.

  “Adam, Adam . . . over here, over here.” “Over here, Adam.” “Adam, Adam, Adam . . .” Over here, Adam!” Different photographers shouted along with random people in the crowd. “Adam, can I get your autograph?” another yelled as others followed suit, making the same request.

  As soon as he and Amanda stepped out of the limo, Adam’s publicist, Carolyn Doer, met them. “We don’t have time for autographs,” she said. “Just walk the red carpet, do some photos in front of the step and repeat, and then take some questions from the press. Debbie Does Hollywood is live and we agreed to speak to her first and then ET, Access Hollywood, and then George Pennachio from ABC.”

  “Got it,” Adam said, giving her the thumbs-up. “Is everyone here?”

  “No, Tom has yet to arrive. His car should be pulling up any minute now. That’s why you want to get down the red carpet now to avoid the crush because it’s going to be a total frenzy when he gets here.”