Chapter 1: september

Chapter 1: September

"I'll have the salmon, and instead of potatoes I'll have the arugula. Thanks, oh and another martini, please. Oh yeah and my mother will have the small, cucumber salad without dressing." Celine Petit handed the menu over to the starstruck waitress and scouted around the Chateau Marmont to see if she knew anyone. She recognized a couple of faces, and even though none of their names came to her mind, she waved back to them anyway to be polite. Celine fluffed her long, wavy deep-auburn hair and pouted her plump, glossy red lips for her camera phone, within five minutes she received thousands of likes and comments on Instagram. Celine was riding high, currently Hollywood's "IT" girl and at just 26, she already had two Oscar awards. She was always privileged, growing up in Beverly Hills with her famous mother and father, she was used to being in the spotlight and having people wait on her hand and foot. She only knew a life of famous people, fancy parties, and exotic travel and she unapologetically loved it.
Just then Celine saw her beautiful, botoxed mother, Marlene Petit, standing in the doorway looking fabulous as usual in a white wrap dress, hugging her fit yet mature, tanned figure. She waved her down, signaling at the empty seat at her table. Marlene was a super successful actress in the 80's and 90's, and with five oscars under her belt, she mainly just spent her time relaxing and traveling around the world. Celine gave her mother a big hug, "How was France, mother? Did you end up buying the flat on Rue du Bac?" Marlene rolled her eyes and scrunched her brow, "No darling, it was wretched. Hardly any natural sunlight and only one walk-in closet. Where would your father put all of his leather jackets? Not in my closet, oh no." Celine's father, Bernard Petit, was the lead singer of an 80's rock band that broke up in the late 90's. Her mom and dad led an extremely wild life for a few decades. Thankfully, they were much more calm in their 50's however there was not enough therapy and xanax in the world to help Celine forget about walking into her parents giant orgy when she was seven. "Enough about that, I need to hear about this meeting with your agent, darling, tell me all about it!"
Celine's youthful face went a bit pale, "Well...It's complicated. I have to think about it. They want me to be in this independent movie about some chef who starts her own restaurant. I don't know, mother."
Marlene responded in disbelief, "What don't you know Celine? Isn't the director Marcus Calypso? He's an absolute genius. Everything he creates is a hit. I don't understand you sometimes, being at the top doesn't last forever you know...they only want me in grandmother roles now."
"Mother, Calypso wants me to gain like, forty to fifty pounds within the next three months for the table read. Apparently, this character MUST be chubby." Celine polished off her martini.
"My God," Marlene responded in disgust, "They can't just put you in a fat suit or something?"
Celine sighed and rolled her eyes, "Nope. I already asked. Calypso prides himself on being authentic."
"Well, there's nothing a personal trainer and some adderall can't fix after the shoot is over...you can probably lose that weight in two to three months." Marlene responded, matter-of-factly.

******

Celine walked into her architectural, modern West Hollywood home to find her boyfriend, Milo Hudson, doing push ups in her living room. Milo was also an actor, he wasn't an A-list like Celine, but the media was obsessed with them as a couple and girls swooned over him. She met him on a yacht party in Monaco last year and basically made him relevant. He just finished his first movie, or as Celine's mother calls it, "Some shitty action flick". Milo was epically handsome with Paul Walker vibes and a smile that women melt. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but his piercing green eyes and rugged beard stubble really did it for her. It also helped that his body was chiseled like a Greek statue and that the sex was passionate and amazing.
"Hey beautiful! How was your day? How's your mother?" Milo asked cheerfully.
"Oh it was fine. She's you know, Marlene. We had lunch at Marmont...she said I should take that fat girl role. Ugh. I don't know babe." Celine responded pensively as she looked at her perfect, slender but curvy body in the full length mirror. She lifted up her tank top and ran her hands softly over her abs, trying to appreciate what she had before it could be gone. Milo came up behind her and wrapped his muscly arms around her, kissing her on the ear. He mused, "I think you should do the movie, it's important to expand on your range of characters...plus I never made love to a chubby girl before and it could be fun!" Celine scoffed and swatted his arm, "You're an idiot. Are you gonna leave me if I put on some weight? You better not." Milo responded reassuringly, "Heck no babe, what, its only like 40 lbs? You're skinny now so you would just be like, average." Celine's brow furrowed as she stared into the mirror at her dazzling reflection, "Average", she repeated. She shuddered at the thought.