CHAPTER 8
Lola tapped her high-heeled foot nervously on the carpeted floor that was in the reception area of Elliot Mintz’s office. The architecture and decoration in his office showcased the clout that he had in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately for her most of the time she judged things by their appearance. It was something that many in the industry had grown accustomed to doing, whether it was PC or not. When you lived in the Hollywood bubble where everyone strives for perfection in everything they do it is hard to not judge everyone and everything by what you see on the outside. In LA in particular people were judged by what designer they were wearing, what kind of car they drove, and what part of town they lived in. Life was all about the latest ‘it’ item or person and Lola simply wanted a chance to be added to that list.
Her appointment was at 2:30 and it was now about 2:45. As she had already learned from talking to Elliot’s assistant on the phone that he loved to gossip about the clients that walked through the office on a daily basis. A small part of her couldn’t wait until she was important enough to have people talking about her. Today he had told her about Mr. Mintz being on a conference call with Paris Hilton. Something about her having one martini and blowing a DUI field test. Apparently there were pictures and videos and a pending court date.
The large oak office door opened breaking the silence in the room and Lola’s head snapped up at the interruption. Elliot Mintz stood in the doorway looking directly at her, “Lola Dean?” he questioned. He looked tired and worn out, his tie had been loosened a little and his hair was slightly messy, as if he had been running his hands through it.
“Yes” Lola rose and grabbed her belongings. Elliot stepped to the side and ushered her into his office, shutting the door behind them.
When they were both seated Elliot started speaking right away, “Personally I am a man who likes to get straight to the point and not beat around the bush. Your previous track record for success, minus the last few years, and the fact that you now have Ari Emmanuel in your corner have helped me come to the decision to take you on as a client-”
“Oh thank you Mr. Mintz” Lola rushed to say. “You-”
Ignoring the fact that she was speaking Elliot went on, “Unfortunately unforeseeable circumstances have come up that I have to deal with right away. I will call you later in the week to go over some history with you. I like to get all past indiscretions by my clients out in the open so we will know how to handle them before they come up in the press. And Miss Dean I advice you to think about what you have been doing in the past few years because anything that is potentially damaging will eventually be found out. We want to nip anything in the bud before it turns into a scandal.”
“Okay” Lola stood and shook Elliot’s outstretched hand. “Thank you again. I will talk to you soon.”
Leaving the office feeling the sense of accomplishment that can only come with conquering a fear Lola smiled to herself. Her new life was falling into place and she thought that she could actually feel her old life drifting away, nothing but a memory to look back and learn from. Hopefully nothing that happened during her years off would cause her comeback to stall or worse.
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Lindsay burst through Lola’s bedroom door, in complete party mode. She skipped into the bathroom to wave a small baggie in Lola’s face. “You’re in bitch, let’s party!” She flopped down on Lola’s bed and pulled a small black bag out of her purse. Unzipping it and pulling a small mirror out of the bag, along with a small glass straw and a razor she cut two large even lines of cocaine and expertly snorted them without coming up to wipe her nose. She sniffled and shook her head in an attempt to alleviate the burning sensation.
Like a good friend, Lindsay cut two more lines for Lola and got up to check out Lola’s closet to see if there was anything she wanted to borrow for tonight. She called out to Lola from inside the closet, “You look beautiful. Get out here and celebrate bitch. I cut the lines for you.”
Lola finally came out of the bathroom; she was wearing a green Tracy Reese studded tunic dress and brown suede Marc Jacobs boots. She went straight to the bed, mimicking the expert way Lindsa y had just snorted the cocaine. She wiped the small amount of excess cocaine from the mirror and rubbed it on her teeth and gums, immediately alleviating any burn that she felt. She got up and checked to make sure no excess was easily spotted in her nostrils.
Not seeing any visible cocaine she skipped into her own closet and playfully pushed Lindsay out, “Come on Linds we said we would be there 15 minutes ago.” She grabbed her L.A.M.B. clutch and they drove to Hyde laughing and joking with each other as best friends do.
Lindsay handed the keys and a large tip to the valet and the two of them slowly made their way through the crowd of photographers that were always outside of Hyde. They yelled questions at Lindsay but for the most part ignored Lola’s presence. A few times Lindsay was asked whom she was with but they both plowed through the throng without answering any of the questions.
Inside the club the two girls met up with friends and acquaintances. Many of the people they hung out with in the VIP sections of various clubs they didn’t actually know personally but they all associated together because they were in the same industry and were somehow linked together one way or another. Lola quickly surveyed the room and the people in it. She saw Kimberly Stewart and Paris Hilton dancing on a couch, Ashlee Simpson desperately flirting with Wentworth Miller and Jessica Simpson sulking in the corner watching Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnello flirt in a private booth.
Lindsay grabbed Lola’s hand and the two girls made their way to the table with the Reserved sign in the center. Within the next half and hour they were greeted by friends Mischa Barton, Tara Reid and Andy Roddick. As the night went on Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild fame, Hilary and Haylie Duff and Fergie all stopped by to say hi and were all unceremoniously asked to leave in the rude way you only feel strong enough to be when you’re with your closest friends.
After several hours of drinking, dancing, talking and several “trips to the bathroom”
Lola, Lindsay, Mischa Barton and Adrian Grenier, who Lindsay knew from her friendship with Jeremy Piven, all left Hyde around 4 in the morning. Not surprisingly they weren’t the last people to leave the club, many people and celebrities were still in full party mode.
Getting through the crowd of paparazzi was more difficult than when they had entered the club. Not only because the number of cameras had doubled because of how many celebrities were currently in the club and also because the three of the four friends were not walking very steadily in their Manolo’s. Lola limped along being supported by Adrian while Mischa and Lindsay stumbled through the crowd, arms out to keep photographers at bay and giggling at the not funny situation. Looking back to check on Mischa and Lindsay the two girls locked eyes and Lola watched in vain as Lindsay tripped on the curb and fell onto the ground. Mischa simply giggled in a way that showed she was not only drunk but high as well as Adrian untangled himself from Lola to help Lindsay up. The flashes went wild and several cameramen stooped down to get a closer shoot of Lindsay. Adrian lifted her up while simultaneously pushing the photographers that were close to her back. Then he took on the not so easy task of rounding up all three girls and walking them to the car. Situating Mischa and Lindsay in the back and Lola into the front seat he got in the driver’s seat he quickly drove away from the club and from the unavoidable story that they had all just caused.
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Justin didn’t quite understand why he always waited for Lola to call him. His past girlfriends had called several times a day, sometimes with nothing to say at all. He always felt like they we calling because they felt that was what people in relationships did. In the past he had usually been curt and short during these times but in this moment he completely understood what they were feeling. He liked talking to her and hearing her voice throughout the day, especially if her could not be with her. Not hearing from a girl was slightly foreign to him and while he was going about his day he often found himself looking at his phone and wondering why he hadn’t heard from her yet.
Turning on the television in an attempt to stop his train of thought and to distract himself he flipped through the channels, looking for something interesting to watch. Seeing a photo of Lindsay with Lola and Adrian Grenier behind her he paused, curiosity getting the best of him. Lindsay was sprawled on the ground and her eyes were half shut, while Lola looked on, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.
“Lindsay Lohan was seen last night partying at Hyde Nightclub with Adrian Grenier, Mischa Barton and an unknown blonde. At around 4 am the four left Hyde Nightclub and that is when Lindsay allegedly tripped on the curb and fell. A source has told Access Hollywood that Lindsay and the unidentified blonde were photographed here entering the club at around midnight. No word yet on whether or not Lindsay was hurt in the fall. Reports also say that Adrian and the beautiful blonde on his arm were seen talking and flirting inside the club. There is also no response from Adrian Grenier’s people on who the woman he is pictured with is.”
Justin watched the report with a mixture of anger and confusion. Last night he had told Lola to go out and have a good time with her friends to celebrate her successful meeting. He was recording in the studio and he finally found himself in a good place creatively, he didn’t want to lose the momentum. From the images that he saw in front of him she had taken his advice and then some. He didn’t exactly know where the anger about the situation was coming from but one could safely assume that having so many girlfriends cheat on him had made him irrationally suspicious.
Grabbing his keys he decided to head over to Lola’s house, wishing to hear the whole story about what happened last night. The short drive gave him very little time to cool down and as he walked up the walkway he noticed that the door was slightly open, cautiously he stepped through the doorway and into the foyer. Surveying the living room he was shocked at the mess that lay in front of him. A ceramic vase was smashed into tiny pieces on the floor, the water and flowers that should have been inside were now all over the floor. Picture frames were smashed, magazines and books from on the coffee table were now scattered on the floor, knickknacks from various places in the room were scattered around as well and a small side table was turned over. The television was on the same Access Hollywood that he had just been watching and Nancy O’Dell’s voice was the only thing that he heard.
Walking through the living room he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Squinting, he walked closer to the coffee table in an attempt to confirm his suspicions. Picking up the bent spoon he looked at the bottom and saw that it was burnt. Looking around he saw a Zippo lighter sitting on the couch cushions. “Shit” he cursed under his breath.
The anger that he had felt at his house and on the drive over was gone and was now replaced by worry over the dangerous situation he had walked in on. The whole situation worried him- her door being left open, her house being trashed and now it appeared that she was high on heroin.
“Lola?” he called out. Listening for a response but not getting one Justin called out to her again this time louder, “Lola?” listening closely he thought her heard a soft whimper and he made his way into the kitchen. For a second he was relieved that he saw Lola but the relief was again replaced by worry when he took in her appearance. She was slumped in the corner of the kitchen, her dress bunched up around her hips and a vacant look on her face. Her hair was tangled and wild, as if she had been raking her hands through it and it seemed as if she was staring at the tiles on the floor but it was almost as if she was looking right past them. She didn’t even bother to look up at the noise that he made coming into the kitchen. When he got closer he could see that her face was tear stained and flushed, it seemed as if she had been crying, although he didn’t quite know why she would have been crying.
Making his way through the kitchen he sat down next to her on the tiled floor and awkwardly put his arms around her limp body, pulling her into his lap. Thinking back to the last time he had been on the floor of her kitchen Justin wondered what had caused this particular breakdown. Surely it couldn’t be the same reason as last time. He career seemed to be moving in the right direction very quickly for the first time in years.
“Justin” Lola whispered and his eyes looked down questioningly on her face. Slowly her eyes turned up to his face.
After sitting in the same spot for what felt like hours but in reality was probably only a few minutes and not moving or talking Justin felt his body begin to hurt from sitting on the tiled floor. Picking up her tiny body he moved her into the living room, again this situation seemed a little too familiar for his comfort.
Several minutes went by as Justin watched Lola’s eyes drift close and then open again. Breaking the silence in a quiet whispered voice that seemed void and dead Lola said, “They didn’t even bother to find out who I was.” A few large tears escaped and ran down her cheeks.
Confused as to what that meant he softly asked, “What?”
Lola just slowly shook her head and mumbled, “Unidentified blonde” She said in a saddened voice, it was the most emotion he had heard in her voice since he found her. Coming from experience he knew that he wouldn’t get very much of the story of what had happened before he got there until she came down from the high she was on. Staring up at the ceiling it seemed as if she had forgotten about Justin entirely.
Watching her for a few minutes his attention was taken away from her when he heard the familiar jingle that told the viewer that Extra was starting. He looked up from Lola’s face to the television, but now Extra was on instead of Access Hollywood.
“Many celebrities have been seen recently at the Hyde Club, Hollywood’s latest hot spot. Paris Hilton, Tara Reid, and members of the cast of Laguna Beach have recently been seen at Hyde. Last night Lindsay Lohan, who was taking a break from shooting her new movie, was seen leaving the club around 4 am with Mischa Barton, Adrian Grenier and an unidentified blonde. That is when Lindsay allegedly tripped on the curb outside the club and fell. We tried to contact Lindsay’s publicist for a statement but she was unavailable for comment. And while it didn’t seem as if Lindsay was having a good night Adrian Grenier seemed to be enjoying himself with the unidentified blonde who entered the club around 12 with Lindsay. Sources inside the club say that the two were seen flirting and dancing most of the night.”
As Justin sat and watched the report the pieces of what he had walked in on were beginning to come together. He assumed that she had seen the Access Hollywood that had run a similar report- the one that he had seen. In the short time that he had known her he knew that when people referred to her struggle against Hollywood typecasting that she got very upset. He had seen times when someone would inadvertently bring up her lack of work and it would cause her to shut down. She would hardly talk, sometimes for a day or two. Although he had seen her drown that depression in alcohol and weed he had never seen her on such hardcore drugs as heroin. He wouldn’t get on some high horse and deny that when he used to party more often he would partake in whatever happened to be around that night. But after spending a few nights out at various clubs with Lola he saw that she took it to a whole new level. And the level that she voluntarily went to worried him.
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