Lights, Cameras, and Fake Action

Maggie

"Ow!"

I flinched back as the heat from the straightening iron burned my ear. I was brought back to my senses to focus on the present. For the past hour of getting ready, all I could think about was what I would face in the hours ahead. I looked back at the elegant maroon fitted spaghetti dress I wore.

I anxiously clicked my phone screen. 5:01. Perfect. I had two hours more to get ready before Landon would pick me up. I took a deep breath before attempting to straighten my hair with a wobbly hand.

I thought about how, in an hour, my life would change forever.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but tonight would be a turning point. It would be the first time that I would be revealed to the media, and I had to make a good impression.

All this thinking just increased my anxiety further.

After 30 mintues, I finally finished straightening my hair and focused on my makeup. In front of me was all the facts of Landon that I had to memorize.

They were practically ingrained in my brain. He was the only child. His favorite food was crab rangoon and his favorite ice cream was mint chocolate chip (which I didn't understand).

I was finishing up my makeup when all of a sudden I was startled by a loud noise. The door bell. My lipstick flew out of my hand and left a smear of red on my chin on its path. My jaw dropped as I rushed for my hand.

What the heck? I thought. There's no way.

The time read 6:10. He was an hour early. I wasn't ready. I didn't have time to prepare what I was going to say to the press, or how to smile, or how I would walk into the restaurant. I didn't think I even memorized the things I was supposed to recall about Landon.

Crap, crap, crap. I scrambled to the entrance of the door to get my bag and my shoes.

As I panicked, I tried to convince myself the opposite of what I was hoping was happening. Maybe I was hallucinating, which must've been the case because I was so anxious. There is no one at the door. I'm on time and I have more time–

The doorbell rang again.

Heart pounding, I slowly turned the doorknob and creaked the door open. In front of me stood Landon. He wore a messy black suit with a black tie, covered in wrinkles. Water droplets fell from his hair, and his face was twisted into a scorn. He tapped his foot and stared at his watch.

"Took you long enough." He looked up from his watch and stared right into my eyes. "We're late."

"No, we're not. You're just extremely early."

He rolled his eyes. "We're like what, five minutes early? Just get into the car so we can go."

I combed a hand through my hair as I took a deep breath. I took out my phone and placed it in front of his face. "You're an hour early. Why were you rushing?"

He squinted at my phone.

"Crap." He looked at his shoes and took a long breath before looking back up again. "I took a nap and thought I overslept. I'll be back in an hour." He waved his hand in dismissal.

"I know you're rich and all, but isn't that a waste of time and gas?"

"Trust me, I am not rich in time," he muttered as he shoved his way past me into my studio.

Okay, make yourself at home, I thought, annoyed.

He paused. "Ugh, this place is a pigsty."