Chapter 166

We stayed for a while, drank a few bottles of Champagne, and blew through some weed. We called it an early night, succumbing to the fatigue that had set in. Watching Rodeo Drive had been unexpectedly emotional. Now we just had to wait to see if it would be a hit or a flop.

***

It took less than twenty-four hours from nationwide release to learn that Rodeo Drive was a hit. The critical reviews followed the early returns: mixed for the film and glowing for Juliet. Audiences loved her and the movie. Vanity Fair reached out, wanting to do a piece with the angle that Juliet Lawson was now America’s sweetheart. And the box office? Skyrocketed to $175 million in just three days.

Our little compound in the Hollywood Hills buzzed with excitement. We hosted a Fourth of July cookout, which had the potential to be a powder keg before the fireworks even went off. We invited Juliet and Melanie, of course, and Jason and Crystal were coming back from Houston. They planned to bring