A woman travels to Cannes to watch films and flirt her way through a busy work week: 31, single, France.
DAY ONE
6:32 a.m. Wake up in France, groggy from traveling all day. Normally, I’m bicoastal and based between New York and L.A.; I travel a fair amount for work so I feel constantly on the go and pulled in many different directions. For a moment I have no idea where I am before remembering I have a film festival to cover. The website for live tickets to premieres opens at seven sharp, so here we are. It crashes and all the hot tickets sell out. I settle on one repeat screening and go back to bed.
9 a.m. I blast Kim Petras while packing the essentials: heels, blazer, wallet, notebook, gum, contacts, water, meds, charger, disposable camera, iPad, keyboard, highlighter, lip liner, and Eau Sauvage.
9:30 a.m. I head over to a nearby bakery for a cappuccino and croissants. I scroll Raya and Feeld in case the options are better here. Maybe Frencher and hotter? I have been single for a long time, but am finally realizing I might be ready for something more serious after the past few years of complicated situationships, one in particular with an emotionally immature man in L.A. The first name I see on Raya is an actor who I went on a date with years ago and now lives around the corner from me in L.A. Pass. Feeld is all 50-year-olds asking for threesomes, miles away from me.
11 a.m. First meeting of the day with a producer. The next few hours are filled with back-to-back meetings that range from 30 minutes to an hour with agents, execs, distributors, sales reps, and talent. Most I already know, but a handful I’ve never met in person.
3 p.m. Fading fast but I can’t have another coffee, so I order a Diet Coke. The next meeting is on a yacht … sexy!
5 p.m. Shaking from the caffeine, my mind is swirling from endless handshakes, air kisses, and promises to work together. Need a large sparkling water. Sunglasses on, I roll calls. The waiter asks me if I want some rosé … pourquoi pas? Someone squeezes my shoulder to say hi — it’s S, a sarcastic Scandinavian producer who is extra fun and extra handsome. We’ve hung out casually throughout the years at various movie events, but never really sat down properly for a lot of time together. Now he has 15 minutes to spare before his next meeting so he sits across from me and asks me about my day. We met randomly at a party years ago and have had several spontaneous run-ins since but nothing beyond some teasing.
6 p.m. He pushes his meeting and we order more wine. There’s something intense about him. He leaves and kisses me twice on the cheek. He says he hopes he’ll see me again and squeezes my hand.
9:30 p.m. Dinner with seven friends at one of our favorite spots. We order six bottles of wine, truffle gnocchi, steak frites, and meringues with berries and Chantilly. Everyone is tipsy, giggling, and beautiful.
12 a.m. We stop by one of the fancy French parties. It’s dead inside.
DAY TWO
6:58 a.m. Not feeling great so I guzzle water and stuff my face with jam cookies. Snag three tickets!
8:30 a.m. First movie of the day. It’s a strong but imperfect debut. Off to more meetings.
3:45 p.m. Stand in line for a premiere at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. The daytime red carpet is not so glamorous, but it’s still exciting. Once inside, I know a feeling of calm and gratitude will wash over me. Nothing like those first few seconds in this dark majestic theater to make you feel something.
4:15 p.m. I’m seated at the end of the row with time to kill. I check to see if S has texted me. No such luck. I feel someone standing and smiling over me so I look up and it’s T, a tall and blonde director I know, who has a movie at the fest and asks to sit next to me. There’s something about the Italian music, dazzling setting on the silver screen in front of us that just feels intimate. We’re sitting so closely our hands graze. I think we have always had more of a friendly vibe; he is too arrogant but very handsome. The movie drags and he rests his head on my shoulder. I smile in the dark theater.
7 p.m. T insists we go for drinks at the Mondrian. It’s gorgeous out, balmy weather paired with a stunning sunset. We smoke cigarettes and order dirty martinis from a French server who yells at us. The martinis arrive and they’re gin, clear and tasting like rubbing alcohol. We run into two friends who join us, M and D. They’re always together and dressed to the nines. We order another round, ask for the bill and wait forty minutes for it. 340 euros, but T expenses it.
9 p.m. Another dinner! This time oysters and grilled shrimp with white wine. We cackle and talk about the state of the industry.
10:30 p.m. We head over one of their companies’ apartments so we can get tickets to the premiere and party the day after. We end up drinking prosecco under the moonlight.
DAY THREE
6:55 a.m. Here we go again! Only able to get two tickets, but one is for the film I’m dying to see.
9 a.m. Talent breakfast at a fancy hotel. Run into a handful of A-listers who are even more breathtaking in person. Paparazzi everywhere, publicists frantically putting out a fire. I dash to a roundtable.
1:30 p.m. Lunch with my favorite talent agents to scheme.
5:15 p.m. Sneak out for a blowout. There’s a place and a guy who does it for a price that I like, so I head over and bring them pastries. An hour of pure bliss and alone time.
6:20 p.m. Dash home to change. Black and white ensemble, Prada dress, Jacquemus clutch, and diamond earrings. Meet two friends, G and A, at the premiere. It’s all very glam and feels extra-special. T texts me but I have to put my phone away.
10 p.m. Head for drinks after the movie’s standing ovation. We argue about the closing scene. I read my texts. T makes a joke about our evening and says how wonderful it was to see me. He texts again, and he says he hopes I don’t mind him asking … But can I send him M’s contact details? He wants to set up a meeting, which I know means ask her out. I’m secretly bummed, but M is sensational, so I oblige.
12:00 p.m. Time for a beach after-party. It’s in full swing with tequila being passed around. It seems everyone from all corners of the world is here. We sit on beach chairs, shoes off, smoking cigarettes and complaining. I start to feel insecure about T but drink it all away.
1 a.m. They’re playing old-school disco so we dance.
1:30 a.m. We ditch this for another party. I bump into S while we’re leaving. He’s wearing a tux and it’s cruel how hot he looks. We invite him out but he says he has a big day ahead so he has to sleep. He turns around to give me a flirty smile and salutes me before walking away, alone. Hmm.
4:20 a.m. We head over to the most-hated and most-beloved club, Silencio. Everyone knows this is a mistake but we do it anyway. Heads pounding from the drinks, smoking, and laughing, we stumble home. G sleeps over as she has lost her purse and hotel key.
DAY FOUR
7:30 a.m. Miss the alarm, and can barely stand. I cancel my 8:30 a.m. screening and feel sick. Why should I even care about T, when S is even sexier?
9 a.m. I accompany G back to her hotel. We put on bikinis, take our laptops to her terrasse, and do some work.
11:00 a.m. Meetings. The only one that reinvigorates me is with a brilliant emerging writer.
4:00 p.m. I am fading and head back for a quick nap. I oversleep and wake up panicked. I’m late to a dinner which is over an hour away. I can barely function, so I slip on some sandals, white dress, matching leather purse and run out.
7 p.m. Lying down in the Uber with sunglasses on. I realize thirty minutes in that I forgot to put a bra on. The driver drops me at a corner off the main entrance of La Colombe d’Or. As I walk out of the car a thunderstorm erupts. I walk into the restaurant soaked, with smeared makeup. Oops.
11:30 p.m. Get back into town. The dinner was magical, but it’s time to go to bed. I get a text from S, asking where I am. I want to answer but pass out instead. I’m so exhausted I don’t have the energy for banter even though I’m dying to get with him.
DAY FIVE
6:50 a.m. Wake up feeling refreshed and ready to fucking go. Nothing like seven hours of sleep. Tickets sell out again! I feel despair.
2 p.m. M texts me to ask what I think about T, and that he asked her out. I tell her to go for it, but she tells me he has fuckboy energy and she’s not interested. C’est la vie. Time for another film! It’s wild, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I text S back and say I’m sorry I missed him but promise to make it up to him.
5:30 p.m. And another one! I hate leaving screenings early, but forty minutes in, I can’t stand the violence and am so distracted thinking about S, I sneak out.
7 p.m. My publicist friend C and I decide to put together a last-minute dinner with four friends and swap stories over tuna tartare and endless rosé.
10 p.m. We crash our friend’s company dinner. It’s fun and boozy, and suddenly we’ve taken over half the restaurant.
12 a.m. We take a break from the industry shit for an hour, and head to a dive bar outside of town. They let us play music from our phones so it’s makeshift karaoke. It’s late but we make it just in time for a villa party. It’s tame but gorgeous, a dazzling pool and everyone in black tie.
3:45 a.m. Go to a friend’s house, we play loud music and drink white wine in shot glasses. Feeling buzzed and carefree. Think of sexting S but stop myself.
DAY SIX
7 a.m. Miss my alarm again, but am able to snag a ticket for a screening this afternoon. My morning meeting cancels which is a dream come true.
5 p.m. Another movie! It intrigued me, but not something I need to see ever again. T texts me to get lunch, I ignore him.
6 p.m. Sit outside at the Carlton for drinks. It’s lush. I drink two negronis and send a flirty pic to S. He replies immediately and asks what I’m up to. I invite him to come meet us at the end of our dinner tonight, he says he can’t wait and asks what I’ll be wearing. I say a YSL suit that’s easy to take off.
9 p.m. Fancy dinner for our last evening. Table of six, and we’re rowdy. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages, everyone is sharing their horror film set stories and gossiping. We finalize our predictions for the Palme and make hundred-dollar bets. The waiter makes us drink Pastis with him.
11 p.m. S rocks up with a friend. I’m sure I’m blushing when I get up to greet them. Time for an afterparty. His friend jets off, and S says we should go for ice cream. The ice cream shop is closed. We walk the strip and look at the water, yachts and twinkling lights. We stop talking and look at each other.
1 a.m. We go to another beach club, but decide to sit on a couch and talk. He’s talking very close to my face with one hand on my thigh and the other around my waist.
2 a.m. A group wants to go to Silencio. We accompany them reluctantly. We go in and the music is blaring and extra heavy techno, everyone’s all over the place, I feel I need to head home. I lean in to say bye to S, but he grabs my face and kisses me in a hot and intimidating way. We make out and it’s dizzying how much we’re all over each other.
2:30 a.m. S texts me, asking if I got home okay and if I’ll see him tomorrow. I say yes, and bonne nuit, even though I’m restless and can’t fall asleep.
DAY SEVEN
9 a.m. No need to wake up early today. It’s dreamy. Off to the local bakery. I eat two slices of pizza with my coffee and it works magic.
10 a.m. I have 130 new emails and have a big meeting this afternoon. Eek.
12 p.m. Power lunch with an old friend, L, who gives me a pep talk. Meeting goes well. I email updates to my boss, and can finally relax. G has a cabana at the beach club and asks if I want to join. I say yes, as long as there’s no drinking involved and I can get work done.
4 p.m. Fuck the emails. We go for a swim, and it’s wonderful. The sun is shining, the water is cold, and it feels fitting for our last day. I ask her if I should sleep with S and she says obviously. We go back to shower and change. We do each other’s makeup before returning to mine. She does a Zoom call while I pack my bag.
6:30 p.m. It’s our last night and premiere. We stop to take some pictures and have a bottle of rosé champagne with G’s colleagues who are taking chocolate mushrooms.
6:45 p.m. Sit with the crowd watching the cast and crew on the red carpet. It all feels exhilarating. The movie is about to start and everyone is turning their phones off. S texts me and asks when we can resume activities. Game on. I say I’m at a premiere, but tell him I expect him to take me home tonight. Movie is starting, but I don’t care. I see him typing “…” and put my phone on Do Not Disturb.
10 p.m. We are at his place having sex. It is pretty intense and feels like we may have both been waiting for this for some time. I think he’s mesmerizing. However it does feel like it’s nothing more than both casual and fun, and feels very no strings attached …
12 a.m. I’m leaving his hotel. It was great. To be repeated or not, that is to be seen!
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Alyssa Shelasky , 2024-06-08 01:00:37
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