Summary/Disclaimer: None of this is owned by me. (HA! I wish…). Stephenie Meyer created the world of Twilight. I just like to visit and make them do pervy things, like have sex and swear. Normally, I'm not one to beg for reviews, but I'd like some more loving with this story…I'm not feeling it. Wah…Please?
Up next will be the press junket, leading up to the big premier in Los Angeles. We're getting closer to the end, folks. I'm thinking maybe five more chapter, plus an epi?
Chapter Twenty-Five: All that Glitters…
BPOV
"Bella, love, you've got to calm down," Edward said as he got dressed in our luxury hotel room in London.
"This is craziness," I said, pointing out the window. "I've never seen so many people. Look at all of those posters. I want to go home."
"Dolcezza, look at me," he said, standing between the window and my worried self. "Look. At. Me." My eyes move up to his and they were filled with concern. "I know you're panicking. I am too. I've never done this. Seeing that is surreal. But your panic is different from mine, but regardless of what happens, I'm right next to you."
"So will the rest of us. Now, sit your skinny little ass down so I can finish curling your hair, Masen," Ginny barked.
"Ginny, you are not getting anywhere near me with that contraption," Edward quipped.
"Not you. The female Masen," she snorted. "Bella, I mean it!" I groaned, walking to the makeup chair so Ginny could curl my brunette locks. "Edward, go talk to your uncle about some sporting event. I need a moment with my girl."
"I hate to burst your bubble, Ginny. She's my girl. It's legal and shit," he said, wiggling his left hand in her face.
"Don't make me throttle you," she said, arching a brow. "Get out. Bella needs some girl talk." Edward rolled his eyes, kissing my lips before leaving our suite. "Before I go into my diatribe about what's coming at you, I want to know. How was your honeymoon? I'm totally jealous of your tan."
"It was amazing, Ginny," I breathed. "Everything a honeymoon should be."
"Sooooo, you fucked like bunnies," she giggled.
"Pretty much, yeah," I smirked.
"Where did you go? I knew you were going someplace tropical with all of the swimsuits and beachwear that was packed," Ginny smiled, curling my hair expertly.
"Turtle Island," I answered. "It was gorgeous, Ginny. The water was warm, the villa was secluded and my husband was hot. I want to go back and never leave."
"Did you take pictures? Do anything other than each other?" she asked, fluffing my hair.
"We took some pictures and enjoyed the spa. Other than that, we just really enjoyed each other's company," I blushed. "Honestly, it was amazing to be with him after not making love for so long."
"You hadn't since your attack?" Ginny asked.
"Nope. I freaked out. Panicked, really. I knew that Edward would never hurt me, but flashes of that night would invade my subconscious. We fooled around a lot, but didn't make love until our wedding night. I felt like a virgin all over again," I blushed, then giggled. "It didn't last for long. We were going at it like porn stars, christening anything strong enough to hold up our body weight. It was amazing. Truly orgasmic. How are things with your guy?"
"Ugh, he's being a douche. I love him and he loves me, but he's not at the same level of commitment as I am. I'm not ready for marriage and babies and shit, but he still sees us as being somewhat casual. I told him that I was in London for your premier and would hope that he'd come to see me or I would visit him or something. He was on a date," Ginny grumbled. "When he called back, he explained that she was just a friend but I don't know."
"Wow," I frowned. "And you've said that you loved each other…"
"Yeah," she snarled. "I don't get it. I told him that I needed to think about my priorities. If he wanted to make it work, he'd show me that he loved me, more than just saying it. Whatever. I'm happy for you that you found your Prince Charming."
"He is charming," I sighed, looking back toward the door.
"Okay, goofball, enough with the romantic shit. Talk to me about that reaction you had at the window," she said seriously, sitting in front of me.
"Ever since the wrap party, I've been in this little bubble. I mean, it took me how long to get out of the house? I'm terrified that something horrific is going to happen. Jacob, James and Victoria are all out there…"
"But, they cannot fly internationally. Their passports are flagged…" Ginny said, taking my hand.
"That doesn't mean they can circumvent it. They can get fake passports, change their looks…any number of things can happen, Ginny," I frowned.
"And that's why we have so much protection. I know that seeing that does little to assuage your fear, but these red carpets are going to be the safest in all of Hollywood," Ginny smiled.
"It's not that. It's just going back out there in the public eye. I haven't been seen since the attack and I'm afraid. Just terrified," I sighed.
"Edward will be right next to you," Ginny replied, squeezing my hand. "Your husband will kick anyone's ass who looks at you the wrong way. Even though he's your costar, he's still got it ingrained in his head that he needs to protect you. He was pissed when I gave him his outfit for today and it didn't include a jacket. He really wanted to wear his shoulder holster. Anyhow, all you need is your lip gloss and you're done, Mrs. Masen." Ginny handed me a tube of light pink lip gloss. I swiped it on, giving her my best Hollywood smile. "Beautiful. Now, up first is the press conference and then the individual press interviews."
"Individual?" I squeaked.
"You're with Edward, sweetie," she said, guiding me out of our suite at the Savoy. We walked to the suite that Carlisle was sharing with Esme. I could hear the television on inside. Ginny knocked quietly before pushing the door open. She walked over to Esme, checking her makeup and handed Tanya a tube of lip gloss that coordinated with her outfit. "You're all good!" We all gathered our belongings and descended down to the ballroom where the press conference was set up. I was shaking like a leaf.
"I'm right next to you, dolcezza," Edward said as he rubbed my back. "You look beautiful…"
"I feel out of control," I whispered.
"Just hold my hand and squeeze it if you need control," he murmured back, threading his fingers with mine. He lifted my left hand to his mouth, kissing my rings. "I love you, wife. I'm so proud of you."
"I love you more," I said, kissing his mouth before the doors open. Carlisle walked in first followed by me and Edward and then rest of the cast. I sat down next to Carlisle, reaching blindly for Edward's hand underneath the table. The flashes from the cameras were blinding, but my fake smile was screwed into place. My fingers were squeezing the death out of Edward's hand but he smiled along side of me. The pictures stopped and Carlisle began speaking.
"Thank you for coming out today in support of Summit's new film Midnight Dawn. I'm Carlisle Cullen. To my right is the star, Isabella Swan and her leading man, Edward Masen. Further down the line is Emmett McCarty, Tanya Denali, Esme Cullen, my lovely wife, Jasper Whitlock and Alice Cullen. Before we answer some questions, I want to tell you a little bit about the movie…"
Carlisle spent twenty or so minutes going over how the rights were bought from a famous young adult book and it was morphed into movie. He briefly spoke about the recasting of Daniel. I cringed at the memory, trying to keep my face impassive, but I knew I was failing. "Deep breaths, dolcezza," Edward whispered in my ear.
"Why did he bring that up?" I asked, looking at my husband.
"He would rather face it head on than deal with questions later," Edward explained. I closed my eyes, nodding slowly.
"Miss Swan? Were you upset when James was replaced by Edward?" asked one of the reporters.
"No. I was relieved, honestly. Edward and I had a long working relationship prior to the movie. Working with him made it so much easier," I smiled, holding my husband's hand under the table.
"And what about the alleged attack on you…?" asked the same reporter, but a large security guard grabbed the man's arm. "Hey! What are you doing?"
"You read and signed the paperwork, stating that the ongoing investigation against Miss Swan was not allowed in the press conference," the security guard growled. My eyes glazed over and I was immediately back at the wrap party, in a boozy, drug-induced fog…
"Bella, come with me," Edward said, tugging on my arm. I could feel my stomach churn and my heart slam against my chest. "Dolcezza, please…" He helped me out of the chair and clutched me to his chest. I could hear Carlisle talking, but it sounded like the teacher from The Peanuts cartoons. Edward helped me out of the ballroom. Once we were outside, he swept me in his arms. Carlisle's assistant was barking orders as we moved through the lobby. I was still deep in my panic attack, whimpering quietly. Back in our room, Edward lay down on the bed, his hand pressing my ear to his chest. "My sweet girl. Please be okay…"
"When will this nightmare be over?" I whispered.
"I don't know, baby," he said, kissing the crown of my head. "God, I wanted to strangle that reporter. Uncle Carlisle showed me the forms that they had to sign in order to come to the press conference. Questions about James' dismissal were allowed, but anything related to your attack or anything following that was not allowed, due to it being an active police investigation." He held me closely, humming quietly as I cried against his chest.
I must have dozed off because when my eyes opened again, it was night time. I was still in bed, but out of my dress clothes I wore to the press conference. I got up out of bed, padding into the living room of our suite, where I heard Carlisle, Edward and Esme talking. Edward saw me immediately, rushing over to my side and enfolding me in his protective embrace. "How are you, my love?" he asked, kissing my lips.
"Out of sorts," I muttered.
"Understandable," Esme replied, pulling me into a motherly hug. "I wish I could shield you from all of the badness, Bella."
"The badness is a part of life," I shrugged. "I just can't cope with those questions."
"We don't want you to cope," Carlisle said, leading me to the couch. "After the press conference quickly ended, I met with the publicity reps from the movie studio. In order to prevent this from happening tomorrow during the press junket…"
"Oh, God, that was supposed to be today, right?" I moaned.
"Bella, do not beat yourself up. No one expected you to go back into the lion's den after what happened during the press conference," Carlisle soothed. "Besides, the reporters who were going to be a part of the press junket had homework to do."
"What do you mean?" I asked. Edward sat down next to me, curling me to his body.
"All questions need to be preapproved. That way we can control what is asked and avoid a situation like we had at the press conference," Carlisle said, nodding slightly. "The questions need to be emailed or submitted prior to the assigned interview time or they lose their spot."
"Is that for everyone?" I questioned.
"Yes, dolcezza," Edward replied. "The reporters cannot use our cast mates to get information about you or your attack."
"We've also sent this ahead to the press corps in Paris, Sydney and Los Angeles," Carlisle explained. "We do need to do some damage control. The day after the premier, the entire cast is going to do a photo shoot for Vanity Fair and Teen Vogue, focusing on Edward and Bella, or rather 'Daniel' and 'Becca.' It'll bump our flight to Paris a day later, but I think it's only fair since we're reworking the rules of engagement for the press junket. Tomorrow morning, a stylist from the two magazines will fit you for your clothes and then the interviews will start at eleven, going until eight with a lunch and dinner break at two and six."
"I'm sorry about causing so much trouble," I whispered, twisting my wedding rings.
"Bella, we tried to make things as easy for you as possible. The reporter didn't follow the rules and as a result, you were the one hurt by this," Carlisle said. "I feel like I'm pushing you too hard and too fast to go back out there."
"I can't say that I won't do publicity for the movie, Carlisle," I deadpanned. "It's in the contract and part of the commitment to doing a film."
"Not many people would have your same dedication, Bella," Carlisle smiled proudly. "Es, do you remember that one girl? She's not involved in the business anymore because she got a reputation of being lazy, coming to work high and skipping out on promotional tours. She was in some movie musical as a kid…"
"I know who you're talking about and it's the sad reality that younger stars feel that their work is done once the film has wrapped," Esme frowned. "They want all of the notoriety without the work." Turning to me, giving me a warm smile. "Now, you two go to sleep and be ready for a long today tomorrow. If you're up to it, perhaps we go out for a late dinner." Esme hugged me, kissing my cheek before dragging Carlisle out of our suite.
The door clicked shut and I collapsed against Edward. "They must hate me. The press has to be ripping me to shreds."
"From what I understand, the reporter that asked the question has been blacklisted from any future press conferences, by his fellow reporters. They knew and understood the delicacy of your situation; that this was your first foray back in the public eye. Carlisle stayed after we left, heralding questions from the press. Most of them were of concern for you. He showed me several brief articles, painting you in a positive light. There were a few that were somewhat cruel, but we're working on getting those removed and a public apology," Edward said, kissing my forehead. "And my family does not hate you. They love you and wish they could shield you from the pain you're still recovering from."
"I just need to thicken my skin," I said, frowning slightly. "I should be fine by we get to Los Angeles. I hope."
"Come on, dolcezza," Edward said, guiding me into our bedroom. "Let's order some room service and be bums."
"I think I can handle that," I snorted. He cupped my chin, kissing my lips sweetly. "Thank you for being there, Edward. I love you so much. I don't know what I would have done…without you."
"You're stuck with me, Mrs. Masen," he smirked. "Always."
xx STARLET xx
Thankfully, the day of interviews went by smoothly. Most of the reporters and interviewers apologized for the behavior of the colleague. I smiled, thanked them and we went about our business, which was talking about the movie. Edward and I had a lot of fun as we had our interviews. He was nervous and unused to answering the same questions over and over again. I was anxious, but that quickly dissolved with each new interview. By lunch, I was relaxed and calm. Edward was even having fun with the interviewers. By dinner though, we were tired and our throats were sore from talking most of the day.
Despite our exhaustion, we do go out to eat at a restaurant near the hotel. We were all a little slap happy and punch drunk, but it was nice to relax with people who understood what we were all going through. We ate fattening foods and drank a little too much. Well, I didn't, but most everyone else did.
Early the next morning, all of us women-folk, as Emmett said, went to the spa to relax before we were all gussied up for the premier. Edward didn't want me to go. He wanted to recreate some of our more creative moments from our honeymoon. Alice, Ginny, Esme and Tanya wouldn't take no for an answer. Together, we went downstairs and enjoyed a morning of massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and everything in between. Conversations were light and I almost felt normal.
Back up in the room, Ginny told me to shower off all of the stuff from the spa day. Several hours later, my hair is curled and I'm dressed in my Armani Privé gown with diamond jewelry. As requested, all of my dresses for the premiers were white. My rings were cleaned and I was ready to go. Until I heard the screams from the theater…three blocks away…I started breathing heavily. Interviewers were one thing. It was quiet, safe, and controlled. The premier, while being under control of security, was not quiet or safe. In my opinion, it wasn't controlled either. People screaming for autographs, photos, more interviews and just mass chaos.
"Bella, do not throw up. This dress is couture!" Ginny snarled. "I know that you're freaking out. I love you, girl, but you could do this in your sleep."
"I'm not that girl anymore," I said, glaring out the window. "Ugh! I can't stand this. I miss my self-confidence."
"You have it, Bells. It's just buried underneath all of that fear," Ginny said, taking my hand. "I get that you're afraid. You lost that feeling of security that night. It's not going to come back overnight. But, think of it? Think how far you've come since December."
"I'm just anxious. They could be out there," I muttered.
"Possibly, but give them the proverbial finger. Show them that they didn't break you," Ginny smiled. "If need be, act confident. Pretend that this is a movie set."
"That's sooooo not healthy," I snorted.
"Be that is it may, that could possibly be your only option without having to have a heart attack before the age of thirty," Ginny quipped. "Okay, Edward and everyone are in the living room. Kick some ass. Take some names. Enjoy the premier. Smile." I plastered on my Hollywood grin, posing for an imaginary photo. "That's my girl!" She handed me my clutch and led me to the living room. Everyone stood up, smiling at my ensemble.
Alice looked very sexy in a red lacy strapless dress. Her hair was curled and parted down the middle. She wore a chunky red ring on her finger. Esme was more understated elegance. Her dress was a soft baby blue. It was structured but whimsical. She wore her wedding rings and a pair of aquamarine earrings. Tanya's dress is slinky, in a deep plum. It's a halter dress, cut very deeply but accenting her lithe body. The guys all wore different suits or tuxedos. My eyes were trained on my husband. His tuxedo was the exact same one he wore at our wedding a little over a month ago. I stood a little taller, walking to him and caressing his cheek. "You're gorgeous," he whispered. "You look as beautiful as you did on our wedding day. You look like an angel."
"And you look like James Bond," I said, running my hands up and down his arms. "Can you wear tuxedos all of the time?"
"Tempting," he snorted.
"We've got to go. All of the couples have limos. Emmett and Tanya, you're first, followed by Alice and Jasper. We're after them, Esme and Edward and Bella will be in the last limo," Carlisle said. "Let's go." We all left the suite, walking to the elevator. Thankfully the Scotland Yard had blocked off the entrance to the hotel the day of the premier so we wouldn't have to contend with the paps. We all clambered into our assigned limos. They pulled away, doing a lap around Covent Garden before arriving at the theater.
The limo pulled up to the curb. Edward looked at me, caressing my knuckles with his thumb. "We'll be right next to each other, dolcezza," he whispered. "I will not leave your side."
I nodded, giving Edward one brief kiss before the driver opened the door. Gracefully, my husband slid out and offered me his hand. When I stood up, he slid his arm around my waist and kissed my temple. "I love you, Mrs. Masen." The crowd went bonkers. We walked along the red carpet, or rather black carpet, smiling, posing and canoodling. Edward kept his hand firmly around my waist the entire time we walked the black carpet. Once we hit the press, questions began about our relationship. We didn't hide the fact that we were married. We flaunted our rings. We looked like the top of a wedding cake. We loved each other and we showed it.
Some of the press gave us grief that it was only for show for the movie. But, we knew that our relationship was real. It had been real for the past four years. It will continue be real. Just before we went into the theater, Edward cupped my chin. We kissed each other chastely, earning us another round of deafening screams. Breaking apart, we smiled once more and went into the theater, heading to the backstage area to introduce the film.
Keeping the idea that it was a movie set had definitely calmed my fears. I knew that was not healthy and I would definitely be calling my therapist. It would have to do for now, because it worked.
The movie was met with mixed reviews, but we knew going into it that we weren't going to Cannes or winning any Academy Awards. However, for what it was, an adaptation of a novel, it was very good. The author was pleased with the final product. We went to a brief after party at the bar in the Savoy. It was closed to only people associated with the movie or premier. I was suctioned to Edward's side the entire time, but did manage to have a fairly decent time.
The next day, Emmett and Carlisle were hung over. Carlisle was grateful he didn't have to get in front of the camera for the photo shoots, but he came to the studio for moral support. Personally, I think Esme read him the riot act and demanded his presence. He kept glowering at his wife the entire time as he nursed his very weak coffee. The Vanity Fair shoot was very high end, avant-garde and fashionable. The set was similar to what you'd see in horror movie, but it worked. Teen Vogue was fun, whimsical and playful. We just acted like goofballs, dancing to some silly pop songs. I can feel, little by little, my walls crumbling and my old self-confidence coming back. With a kiss, Edward murmured his love for me, saying he was so proud of me and how I bounced back.
I just hoped that I kept it up
xx STARLET xx
Paris was a lot like London, minus the panic attack. We had a great press conference, entertaining interviews and a great premier. The romance of the city definitely caught up with my husband. We made love the night of the premier until early in the morning. I was walking a little funny when we got on the plane for Sydney.
By the time we landed in Australia, we were all exhausted and jet lagged. Thankfully, we had a couple of days to recuperate before we had our press tour and premier. Alice got sick, suffering from a hell of a cold and was miserable on the flight. I was PMSing and cranky. We just needed a few days to chill before we went through the motions at our last international stop before the Hollywood premier of Midnight Dawn.
Sydney had some interesting reporters, but no one like the guy in London. They just used some Australian lingo that we needed translated. Once we were able to understand them, everything was smooth sailing. The premier 'down under' was definitely the loudest, since the writer of the story was Australian. By this point, I had loosened up and was able to sign autographs, take photos and reconnect with my fans. I don't know how comfortable I'd feel in California, but I wanted to give them something. I had been fairly cool in London and Paris, attached to Edward's hip. Sydney gave me an opportunity to give back.
We also had a photo shoot in Sydney. We drove out to the outback for a shoot for some movie magazine. The shoot was unique and I loved being out in the middle of nowhere. The outback's desolate beauty was something that made me almost tear up. Our makeup and clothing really made the shoot something special; vampires meet zombies meet the Wild West. It was cool.
The next day, we flew back to the states. The premier for Midnight Dawn was going to be in four days. We all had various promoting responsibilities. Edward and I were going to be on Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. Carlisle was flying out to New York to be on David Letterman. After the premier, Edward and I were flying out to be on Good Morning America, David Letterman, Seth Myers and possibly do an improv sketch on Saturday Night Live. On top of all of that, we had interviews with the press and preparations for the premier at Grauman's Chinese Theater. We had one day of rest before the insanity continued.
After sleeping in our bed for nearly an entire day, Ginny came over to our home, looking like death. "Jeesh, woman. What's wrong with you?"
"I caught Alice's cold," she sniffled. "I'll be fine."
"Ginny, I can do my own hair and makeup. I'm not completely incapable," I quipped.
"Well, your hubby needs a haircut and you're going on television. You need to look perfect," Ginny argued.
"And you doubt my abilities to do so?" I teased. "I can do this." I gestured to my face and hair. "I cannot cut hair. You take care of Edward and then go home."
"Where is he?" she asked, blowing her nose.
"In the shower. He needed to go for a run. All of the bad food and sitting around made him antsy. So, he spent some time running on the beach this morning when he woke up. I did some strength training in the basement, but I'm all clean and fresh, waiting for my hair to dry," I said, sipping my coffee. "Do you want some tea?"
"Nah. I'll just wait until Prince Charming comes downstairs, attack his head and then leave. I'll leave my makeup here since I have to beautify you tomorrow. You are not getting out of that, Masen," she snorted, blowing her nose. As she was speaking, Edward walked to the kitchen. Ginny dragged him by the arm, set him down on a stool and told him to take his shirt off.
"At least buy me dinner first," Edward laughed, tossing his shirt onto the couch.
"You're married. Not my type," Ginny chuckled, her voice nasally. She sniffled and picked up set of styling shears. She expertly began cutting my husband's hair. Within a few minutes, his long mop was now a chic, styled coif. "Have your wife put in some gel and don't shave. The two-day scruff is in right now."
"You're not staying?" Edward asked.
"Sicker than a dog. The missus gave me the night off," Ginny smirked. "Later, kids! Have fun on the Jimmys!" She cleaned up the mess from Edward's haircut and left, hacking like a smoker. After she left, I went to the bathroom to work on my hair and makeup, dressing in some comfortable clothing but packing a bag with two different dresses for the two different shows. I also put in two suits that coordinated with my outfits in the bags for my husband.
"Bella, I got us a limo for today. I do not feel confident in my ability to stay coherent," he laughed, dressing in a pair of jeans and a tight t-shirt that showed all of his muscles. If only I wasn't surfing the crimson... "Baby, stop staring at my chest." He covered his pecs, posing coquettishly.
"What? You're hot," I laughed, tossing my makeup and jewelry into the bag.
"I beg to differ," he said, wrapping me in his arms. "I think my gorgeous wife is the beauty, brains and brawn in our relationship."
"I'm so tough," I snorted, growling and posing like a body builder. Then, I wrapped my arms around him and tried, unsuccessfully, to pick him up. "Not so much, Edward."
He laughed, pulling me onto his lap as he sat down. "Physically, you're not so strong. But, I'm a porker after this past month. It's disgusting. Your strength lies in here." He pressed just above my heart. "You've made tremendous strides, my love. I was never more proud of you then seeing you interact with your fans in Sydney. I love you and I'm so proud to be your husband, or arm candy. Whichever you prefer."
"Best friend," I said, hugging his neck. "I love you, Edward."
The phone rang. Edward picked it up, speaking briefly to whomever. Hanging up, he kissed my lips. "I love you, too, dolcezza. That was the gate, though. The limo is on the way and we've got to get going. Fallon first and then Kimmel."
We finished getting ready and loaded up the waiting limo. I was grateful to see a familiar face with Jared, our usual limo driver. I was certain that Edward made sure that Jared was aware of the situation with Jacob, James, Victoria and ugh, Royce. We hadn't heard anything, but it doesn't mean that nothing isn't going to happen. It was nerve wracking.
Arriving at the set, we were led to a dressing room and we changed into our outfits for the interview for Jimmy Fallon. I wore a red, black and white rose printed dress with black stilettos and red jewelry. Edward wore a dark gray suit with a black dress shirt and black shoes. I attacked his head with some gel and made it look all sexually disheveled. We waited in the green room, sipping some water and chatting with the musical guests, which happened to be one of the bands from the movie's sound track, Muse.
The stage manager called us out and we waited for the cue to walk onto the stage. Jimmy announced us and we walked through the curtain, hand in hand, waving at the screaming crowd. Jimmy hugged me, kissing my cheek and he shook Edward's hand. We walked to the couch, sitting down next to Jimmy's desk and smiled, waiting for the crowd to settle down.
"So," Jimmy began. "I hear congratulations are in order? You two got married?"
"Yes," I smiled, taking Edward's hand. "We got married earlier this month in Palm Springs."
"I bet you made a beautiful bride," Jimmy beamed. "Wouldn't you say so, Edward?"
"Most gorgeous woman in the world," my husband chuckled. "And the happiest day of my life."
"And you met on the set of the movie?"
"Actually, Edward was my bodyguard prior to his casting in the film. We'd been friends for over three years and one day, we couldn't deny our feelings anymore. The rest, they say, is history," I answered, threading my fingers with his.
"So, Edward, you're new to the movie industry, right?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah. This is my first film, but I've already got a couple others on the stove," he blushed. "I'm not a stranger to the business, though. My uncle, Carlisle Cullen, directed the film and he taught me a great deal."
"What about you, Bella? What's up next for the new Mrs. Masen?"
"After the first of the year, I'm working with Aro Volturi again on a Mary, Queen of Scotts biopic. After that, we begin filming Waning Moon," I smiled. "It's going to be a busy year, but well worth it."
"Now, you fell off the grid earlier this year. There were rumors floating around…what happened?"
"I was injured in an attack," I said, my throat closing him. "It took me a long time to get over my injuries, both physically and mentally."
"You're okay, now?" Jimmy questioned, his eyes filled with concern.
"Getting stronger every day," I beamed.
"Now, we're going to take a brief commercial break and when we come back, we'll see a clip from Midnight Dawn and talk a little more about the movie," Jimmy said, smiling at the camera. The lights went down and he leaned forward. "Are you okay, Bella? You look pale."
"I'm fine. I just struggle talking about what happened earlier this year," I answered.
"I apologize," he said, taking my hand. Edward held me close and kissed my temple. The lights came back up and we introduced the clip of the film. It was where Becca realized that Daniel was a vampire. We talked briefly about the film and about the upcoming sequel before ending our two segments with Jimmy Fallon. We hugged and left the studio, going across town to Jimmy Kimmel's set.
It was very similar on the other Jimmy's set, but Kimmel focused more on our wedding and honeymoon, less on how we got together. We showed a different clip to Kimmel's audience, the scene where I met Daniel's vampiric family for the first time. With another hug, we left the studio and relaxed on the way home. Back in our seaside home, we ate some dinner, watched television and crashed before we could watch either interview. Jetlag was still kicking our asses.
We slept in the following day, not wanting to look walking corpses for the premier. Ginny was a little bit better. She was hacking like a smoker, just dripping like a faucet. For this final premier, I was again wearing a white dress. This one had a bit more glitz and glamour. It was an off the shoulder white beaded dress with a small train. It was another Elie Saab dress. In fact, it was one of the contenders for my wedding gown. My hair was going to be curled and pinned over my bare shoulder. I was also going to wear Edward's mother's ruby jewelry in addition to my wedding set.
Dressed up and ready to go, Ginny took a few photos before packing up her belongings. She had to go change since she was going to the premier as a part of the crew. She had her own makeup and hair to address. The limo arrived and we drove to Carlisle and Esme's for a celebratory drink. Everyone was there, wearing their finery and celebrating a very promising opening weekend for Midnight Dawn.
I was a bit more anxious about this premier. We were back on home turf. The crowds were insane and any one of these people could have access to the men and woman who made my life hell. Edward was quite attentive and he said that he would be by my side the entire time. I wasn't going to sign autographs. I knew it was probably standoffish, but I was so anxious that my stomach was in knots, twisting with nausea and fear. I didn't want to throw up on the fans, nor ruin my gorgeous dress.
Priorities, you know?
The premier in LA was bigger than all of the other premiers combined. The popularity of the books had fans coming from all over the country. A tent city was set up all around the theater. Huge screens were everywhere so the fans could see the actors and producers arrive. The screams were deafening. It made our black carpet interviews difficult to understand. The fans wanted pictures, autographs and anything from us. Edward and I just stood back, smiling with flashes blinding our eyes. Directly after we introduced the movie, Edward and I had to go back to our home, pack a bag and fly to New York City. Our interview with Good Morning America was early the next day.
I was starting to feel the beginnings of the cold that Alice and Ginny were plagued with. Landing at JFK was brutal. My ears wouldn't pop and the pressure inside of my head was excruciating. Edward called ahead to our hotel and asked if we could have some cold medicine delivered to our suite along with Vicks Vapor Rub, a humidifier and the makings for warm tea. I looked at my husband, thankful for his thoughtfulness.
Once we were checked in and I was drugged into a cold medicine stupor, we crashed only to be jarred awake by the alarm clock on Edward's phone. I felt worse than last night, all achy and sore. My throat was on fire and I sounded awful. Edward helped me and I drank my tea as we drove over to the Good Morning America set. I was going to have their makeup artists attack my face since I looked like death.
The interview went well but I was definitely feeling a fever. I was shivering in the warm studio. I was almost certain that the waver in my voice was apparent, but Edward assured me it was fine. Finishing up our interview on GMA, we went back to the hotel to catch some shut eye before we went to the Ed Sullivan Theater for our interview with David Letterman. For our interview with him, I wore a silver sequined dress with purple Jimmy Choos. Edward had on another suit with a light gray shirt and no tie. Dave was hysterical and had us in stitches. I nearly hacked up my right lung, but managed to keep the nastiness inside.
After our stint on Dave, we had a day of rehearsals at the Saturday Night Live studios for our skit. It was a spoof of the 'discovery' scene from the movie. I was acting it out, seriously and one of the regulars was acting like Daniel. Edward was going to cut in as the director and say that the actor was doing it all wrong. In a weird twist, my husband stepped in as me. It was hysterical. We were just doing that one skit and then going back to the hotel afterward before we had to fly back to Los Angeles to recuperate from the craziness that was our lives.
On Saturday, I spent most of the day in bed before we went to the SNL studio. We did another run-through of our skit and waited patiently backstage as the opening monologue happened with the host, Melissa McCarthy. She was fucking hysterical. She had all of us in stitches. Our skit was after the musician's performance since our scene had a lot of set up with the woods and trees. I was extremely nervous because I was still battling this awful cold that somehow morphed into an upper respiratory infection, thanks to the diagnosis from the hotel physician. I was afraid that I'd forget my lines, even though they had cue cards. I definitely was freaking out that I was going to have a coughing jag. Edward? He was as cool as a cucumber.
Backstage, I was pacing nervously, wearing my 'Becca' garb. "How can you be so chill?"
"I'm nervous. I just show it differently," he snorted, raising his arm. His pits were soaked.
"That's gross, Edward," I giggled.
"You asked," he chuckled. "It's why I can never do live theater. I'll sweat off my makeup." I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "I can't wait to get back to the hotel and shower. The stage makeup combined with the sweat? Yuck."
"At least it's not your 'Daniel' makeup," I giggled.
"White, nasty ass shit," he grumbled. One of the crew members came in, carrying our microphones. We were micced up and walked to the set where the 'forest' was set up. Edward took his spot behind the fake movie camera while I stood in the back, waiting for my fake 'Daniel.' We got to our marks and the director lowered the lights, giving us the cue. "Action!" Edward yelled.
Fake Daniel and I were walking over the fake forest when he stopped. I looked up at him. "I know what you are…"
"Really?" Fake Daniel sneered.
"Your hands are as cold as ice. You're pale, with hard skin. You're fast, exceptionally strong…I know," I said, glaring back at him.
"Say it." He circled me, caressing my hair. "Out loud."
I panted dramatically, my hand flying to my chest.
"Say it!" he growled.
"V-v-v-vampire," I breathed.
"CUT! That was…ugh!" Edward grumbled, stomping into the forest. "What was that?"
"We were just doing what was in the script, boss," Fake Daniel shrugged.
"Uh, hate to break it to ya, but you have to think outside the script," Edward snorted derisively. "It's called ACTING!" He paced around us and shook his head. "This isn't going work. The chemistry is all off." I smiled, latching onto Edward's arm. "Do you have the standby Becca?" Edward barked.
Galumphing through the trees was Melissa McCarthy, dressed exactly like me. She fluffed her hair and smiled sweetly. Edward gently pushed me away. "That's a little bit better. Let's try it again." I scoffed as I dragged off the set and stood, glaring petulantly at Melissa who was now Becca. "ACTION!"
Melissa delivered the lines like she was from the Jersey Shore. You could barely understand her. Edward, acting upset, yelled, "Cut!" He pointed to Fake Daniel and gestured for him to get off his set. The third time, Edward was Daniel and Melissa was Becca and it was deemed 'perfect.' The lights went down and we all let out a sigh of relief. The promo tour and premiers were over. We only had one more thing to do and that was fly home. We stayed until the end of the show, bowing with the rest of the cast. Melissa hugged both of us tightly, congratulating us on our new marriage and successful movie.
We went to our dressing room, gathered our belongings and went outside. There was a limo waiting for us and we climbed inside. Leaning my head against Edward's shoulder, I just collapsed against him. "It's done," I croaked.
"It's done. Now, we get you home and healthy, dolcezza," Edward murmured, kissing my forehead. He guided my head down to his lap and idly played with my curled hair. However, he grew stiff. "We're not going to the hotel, Bella."
"How do you know? I get so lost in New York," I said, looking out the window.
"We're driving away from the city and off the island," Edward growled. He lowered the partition. "We're staying at the Waldorf. It's the other way."
"You're not going to the Waldorf," sneered a familiar voice. "We've got a bone to pick with you and your bitch wife." Glaring at the partition, I saw the eyes of my worst nightmare.
"Jacob," I squeaked before fainting dead away.
A/N: Cliffhanger…don't hate me.
You knew he'd be back along with the other jackasses.
Please don't throw sharp objects at me…please? Pretty please?
Now, I have pictures from their premiers (at least for the women) and the clothes from their interviews. Those will be up on tumblr and blog. Links for those are on my profile. I did take some liberties with this chapter since I'm not in the entertainment industry. I hope I did it justice.
Up next will be the continuation of this chapter, in Edward's POV. Where is Jacob taking them? Who will be there? What will happen? How did he get a limo? If you have any guesses, leave me a review! I'm curious. As always, thank you for reading and I'll see you next time. Sooner rather than later, you know?