“May I see your press pass?” Clyde asked.
The woman looked dumbfounded at first, and then slightly panic stricken.
“Press pass?” she choked, staring back at the camera man behind them. “I didn't think we needed a press pass for an event like this.”
Clyde continued to bedazzle the young woman. “Oh, that's fine,” he said. “I can understand the confusion. What network are you with again? I may have missed that?”
“We're Hollywood Divas Online, a YouTube channel with over a million followers,” she said with an expression that said she was both proud and pleased with that fact.
Clyde, however, didn't look so impressed. Though Gabe had never heard of the show, he did think that a million followers was pretty impressive.
“Sorry, miss,” he said, no longer smiling. “We have to get going. Maybe another time.”
Gabe was confused. Weren't they supposed to be doing interviews? As they pushed past the woman and her camera man, Gabe looked back, whispered “I'm sorry,” to the woman. After all, he didn't want to seem rude, especially when someone expressed interest in interviewing them.
“What was that about?” Anthony asked Clyde as soon as they were inside the club.
“Just a nobody hoping to push themselves inside with the rich and famous, that's all. Always avoid those YouTube stars, unless they have well over several million followers and you've verified it for yourself. Because honestly, those online celeb gossip shows are a dime a dozen and your time is worth more than the limited exposure they can provide. I mean, a million followers? Really? That's peanuts.”
Ouch. Gabe didn't consider himself to be that big of a star, so to already have to turn down an interview just because they weren't big enough seemed more than a little snooty to him.
Clyde must have sensed the discomfort. “Listen, I know you guys feel like nobodies, and right now, you kinda are,” he said with a laugh. “But that's going to change and it's going to change quickly. You don't go around Hollywood acting like a nobody. You hold yourself up to a higher standard, reserve your time for the biggest of opportunities and make yourself worth it. You hear me?”
“Yeah,” Gabe said, though honestly, it felt even a little snooty for his tastes.
He'd never been inside Koi before, he just wasn't a clubbing type of person. But this nightclub sure as hell took the cake. As Anthony had mentioned earlier, it was dark in there. Very dark. The only lights to be found were red lights. Had he worn all dark-colored clothing, he surely would’ve been missed. The bar was large and featured several bartenders, males and females. The men weren't wearing shirts, just suspenders attached to their pants. Most of their chests and arms were tatted up. The women wore what looked like bikini tops, showing off washboard abs and tattoos.
The bar itself was dark and would probably have been invisible had it not been for the bright red lights underneath, shining down onto the floor. Of course, the crowd of people also gave it away.
“I thought this place was reserved for us?” Gabe asked.
“It is,” Clyde said. “For us, our friends, contributors, and anyone we thought could help promote the film. You might recognize a few people from the indie crowd, including stars from some of our other films. Thought it might give the entire event more buzz within the community, you know.”
Gabe recognized Shannon Zimmerman, an indie film star that was finding herself in the tabloids more and more lately – mostly because of her penchant for being naked or wearing skimpy clothing wherever she went. Shannon, a tall, thin redhead with boobs that had to be fake, smiled at him from across the room. He returned her smile and gave her a nod, but before he could look away, she headed in their direction.
“Oh shit,” Gabe whispered to Anthony.
Anthony looked confused. “What?”
“She's coming this way,” Gabe said. It took him a minute to remember Anthony wasn't a mind reader and had no idea who she was. “Shannon Zimmerman.”
Shannon wore a dress that went to the floor, but looked to be missing some fabric in the midsection. The almost dress was black and sparkly, and if it wasn't for her porcelain skin, she probably would have disappeared into the dim lighting of the club.
Or rather the parts of her that were covered by her almost dress, which wasn't much. The entire mid-section of the dress was held together by one, long piece of fabric opened on either side. The top covered her necessary bits, barely, and her girly bits were also covered, but it didn't leave much to the imagination. Her red hair was long and flowing down her sides, tickling the sides of her body in soft ringlets.
Anthony smiled at her and kissed her hand once she approached. They talked, but her eyes stayed fixated on Gabe. He couldn't deny that she was an attractive woman. Most men would kill to be him right then and there, but Gabe felt nothing when he stared at this otherwise perfect woman. Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled at him, her thick lips parting slightly to show off perfect, white teeth.
“And you must be Gabriel,” she said, reaching for his hand.
“Please, call me Gabe,” he said, following Anthony's lead and kissing the back of her hand instead of shaking it.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Gabe,” she said, flashing him a look that would have left most men in a puddle on the floor.
“Likewise, Miss Zimmerman,” Gabe said.
He really wasn't used to talking to celebrities, so it all felt a little awkward. Especially considering the fact that she was a woman. And a beautiful woman at that.
“I've heard a lot about your film from Clyde here,” she continued on. “I can't wait to see it. I hear the sex scene is to die for sexy.”
Gabe found himself blushing, though thankfully it was too dark to see it.
Clyde brought them each back a drink and Gabe was more than happy to indulge. He needed to calm his nerves, relax a little and not stress so much about where he was at, or who he was with. This was supposed to be fun and enjoyable after all. It was a night for him to drink in his successes. He chugged the drink down and headed off to the bar for another.
“She has the hots for you, man,” Anthony said, joining him, his eyes on Shannon who was now talking to Tom and a few of the other cast members.
“No way,” Gabe said with a sheepish look on his face. “No freaking way.”
“It's true,” he said. “Did you see how she was looking at you? She was totally undressing you with her eyes. If I hadn't been standing there, she may have done you on the floor right then and there.”
“She looked at you the same way,” Gabe said. “I don't think she meant anything by it.”
“True, she did look at me, for a moment, but her eyes didn't linger like they did with you. How much you wanna bet you'll get her number by the end of the night?”
Gabe wasn't so sure about that. And even if Shannon was interested in him, he wasn't like other men. There was something about her that was off, and he didn't find her that attractive. There was just something missing. He couldn't pinpoint it, but she just didn't do it for him.
“Sure, I'll take that bet. What do ya wanna wager?”
Anthony met his gaze and Gabe couldn't help but get lost in those eyes. Yes, Anthony's eyes were hazel, but they could bounce between being green, gray or even golden brown depending on the lighting. Tonight, they looked like a mixture of all three. It was hypnotizing. Or perhaps it was merely the alcohol. Gabe realized he'd finished his second drink in record time.
“Hmmm...” Anthony said, leaning closer to him. “How about this? If I'm right and she gives you her number, then you must take her out.”
“Pfft,” Gabe laughed. “That doesn't sound too bad. I mean, come on. Most men would kill to take Shannon Zimmerman out on a date. That wouldn't be too big of a loss.”
Gabe was, of course, lying. But it was true. Most men would consider it a dream come true, not a lost bet. So what was Anthony getting at here?
“Oh yeah?” Anthony said with a playful smile painted on his lips. “Well humor me then, okay?”
“And if I win?” Gabe said, staring deep into Anthony's eyes. Both men looked way too serious considering the circumstances.
“Well, what do you want if you win?” Anthony asked.
It was an easy question. It really should be an easy one to answer. What did Gabe want that Anthony could give him? His heart pounded and his mouth suddenly felt parched. This wasn't a question he wanted to answer. Not here. Not ever.
“Tick tock man, what do you want,” Anthony asked nudging him.
“Ok, ok if I win you owe me lunch,” Gabe finally answered. “But don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you’ll win this one.”
And with that, Gabe walked away from the bar, trying hard not to look back. Anthony was too busy cackling over something he obviously found hilarious before yelling at Gabe.
“Yeah, I find that very hard to believe, Gabe. But whatever you say, man. Whatever you say.”