so long, london - gracie abrams

05

Cameron woke up the next morning with a horrible headache. She groaned as she opened her eyes to the morning light. Last nights events rushed back into her memory and she smiled a bit into her pillow. She reached for her phone before she did anything else, ready to scroll through the hundreds of posts about the Met Gala and people's outfits. Instead she saw a couple of texts from her publicist, accompanied by 15 missed calls. It was only 10 in the morning, she wondered what possibly Jesse would have to say at this ungodly hour. She clicked on one of the missed calls and the phone started ringing. It only took two rings for Jesse to answer. 

"Cameron!" She screeched into the phone. 

"Hello? What?" Cameron grumbled, "Why are we screaming?" 

"Why don't you read your texts and see what I sent you. You have a lot of explaining to do." 

Cameron groaned and swapped the call into speaker while she opened up her phone. She pulled up her conversation with Jesse. She had sent her a screenshot of a tweet, a photo of Gracie and her at the pizza place last night, then another of them leaving together. The title read 'Actress Cameron Elliot seen out in New York with pop star Gracie Abrams.'

"Those fucking kids." She muttered to herself. 

"What kids? You're diverting the attention off of yourself. I thought we said that you wouldn't do anything like this anymore, and especially not after a high profile event!" Jesse hissed, "I have no interest in your personal life as long as you keep it just that. Personal! Don't go parading your new conquest around New York City thinking a hat is going to disguise you. Like it or not you are a celebrity, people watch you on their television all the time. What makes you think they won't recognise you in public?" 

"Okay, slow down. She is not my new conquest, she's my friend. Nothing happened last night, just two friends getting dinner together. I don't see why this is a problem." 

"Aside from the fact that you just up and left the fucking Met Gala to get fucking pizza, people will believe what they want, and if they believe you two are more than friends, then nothing is going to change that. You're a smart girl Cameron I don't see-"

"Don't patronise me Jesse. I am fully capable of understanding that people believe whatever they read, what I don't understand is why you are blowing this so out of proportion! It's not like we were 'pictured' making out on the street! We were getting food. A normal activity that normal people do. I know this is annoying for you and for that I'm sorry but in case you don't understand, I pay you. This is your job. If you think this is bad for my image or whatever the fuck then fine, get it wiped from the internet, if not, do me a favour and stop whining about it. Especially not at 10 in the morning." 

Jesse huffed into the microphone, "Fine. But so help me God if I hear you complaining about your image or getting asked about things like these in interviews I will-"

"I know. I know. Thank you for letting me know." Cameron said calmly. 

"Okay. I'll call you if anything else happens. Goodbye." 

"Bye Jesse." 

Cameron hung up the phone and sat in bed looking up at the ceiling. She was technically unemployed for the next month until she started filming the third installation of Knives Out. She was thinking about whether or not she should go back to London for the time being, visit her friends there, see her parents, whatnot. On the other hand there was the option of staying in New York. New York meant seeing some celebrity friends, going out to the Hamptons, and Gracie. She couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to see her again. Her thoughts kept diverting back to Gracie's eyes, or her smile, and she felt sick.