13. Rules & Red Carpets

13

Rules & Red Carpets

Auston

I’m as stressed as a high-school boy about to take his date to prom. At least, how I think a high schooler would feel in that situation. I only came as close as portraying one in my first role. I’ve already rung the doorbell, and I’m now waiting for Emma to come down the stairs. The street is quiet, quieter than I’ve ever seen it. Most of the equipment has been stowed in the bookstore, and only a few props remain outside. It’s a no-man’s land, except for Gary and Joe from security, to whom I waved when I reached Warlington Lane. I’m sur prised Clarence isn’t here tonight. Like me, he likes to hang out on set after hours. It helps him think.

Finally, I hear muffled footsteps on the other side of the door, and Emma opens it.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” she mutters, locking the door behind her.

I remind myself to close my gaping mouth. “You’re beautiful,” I breathe out.

A slight blush coats her cheeks—even if my words don’t come close to describing how gorgeous Emma is right now. She’s magnificent. Her dress suits her perfectly, revealing her graceful shoulders and falling right below her knees, making her legs seem endless. Her short black hair is down, as usual, and some makeup highlights her electric-blue eyes.

“Thank you,” she says, ruffling her bangs before roaming her eyes over my dark-green suit. “You look good too.”

I should be used to people complimenting my looks, but coming from Emma’s lips? That’s an entirely different ballgame. I clear my throat. “Should we go? I’m parked on the lot near my trailer.”

She nods, and we stroll down the sidewalk in silence.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me driving?” I say once we approach the car Robyn rented for me.

She releases a long breath. “Ye s. I won’t love it, but I trust you.”

My heart soars. The faith she’s placing in me means more than she’ll ever know. Especially after I let her down so badly. Sure, she says that she’s put it behind her, but I haven’t.

We take our seats inside the luxurious car, and I start the engine.

“I’ll be careful,” I promise before putting the car into reverse.

We start the drive to the venue, and with every minute that passes, I feel her relaxing next to me.

“So,” she says, casting me a glance. “What exactly should I expect tonight?”

“Basically, Lucacci is launching a new perfume, and as one of their brand ambassadors, I’m expected to make an appearance. Their parties are always extravagant and heavily themed, so this one should be fun. We’ll take some red-carpet pictures, and there will be a few photographers inside as well. We’ll eat, dance—that kind of thing. It’s just a regular party.”

“Okay,” she says, gazing outside. “I never was a big party girl, so . . .”

My throat goes dry. The first par ty she ever attended was the one I took her to. The night I kissed her. The night before I left. “I remember,” I whisper.

Her head snaps back, her eyes drilling into me. At first, she stays silent. Then, she says, “Rules. We should talk about rules.”

I shoot her a confused look. “What do you mean? Like I said, it’s just a party.”

“I meant between us ,” she says, agitating her fingers to gesture between the two of us. “Haven’t you seen any fake dating movies? We need to set some ground rules for this to work.”

I rack my brain. “I don’t know. I think I might have watched one or two.”

“Well, I’ve read dozens of books with that trope. It’s not my favorite, but they all have threads in common. Like rules.”

“It’s not your favorite trope, but you’ve read dozens of books with it?” I breathe out a quiet laugh.

“Exactly. It’s a good thing one of us is prepared.”

I suppress my smile. “Fine. What rules do we need?”

“First of all, we’ll define how much PDA is expected when we’re in public.”

Oh, she’s going straight for it . “Um, I don’t know. What are you comfortable with?” I’m up for anything when it comes to Emma.

“Holding hands is expected, a hand on the small of my back. Things like that. I don’t think we really have to kiss in front of people. More and more couples don’t kiss in public.”

My stomach sinks, but then I remind myself that I want it to be real when I kiss her again. If I kiss her again. “Sure. That works.”

“If we do have to kiss for any reason, we can just do a quick peck. But again, I don’t think it’ll be necessary.”

A quick peck? I don’t think I could ever settle for a quick peck. Better if we don’t kiss at all. “What else?”

“No disgustingly cute nicknames, please. It’s my pet peeve. You won’t believe the number of books I DNF because the guy called the girl ‘flower’ or ‘babe.’” She grimaces.

When I stop at a light, I turn to her. “DNF?”

“Did not finish.”

“Ah. Well, that one I can agree on. I was in a movie once where I had to call my love interest ‘doll.’ Longest shoot of my life.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Ugh. Yeah, I can imagine. Glad we’re on the same page. Oh, and no talking about the past, either. It was a long time ago, we w ere kids, and it was nothing. Let’s just focus on the task at hand, okay?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” I think. I doubt I’ll ever manage to stop thinking about it, though. I haven’t been able to curb those memories for ten years. That’s not magically going to stop now, especially since she’s back in my life, looking like a ghost of her teenage self.

We drive for a while until we reach the street leading to the party, and it’s pure mayhem. The traffic is bumper-to-bumper, and the sidewalks are packed with people. Pedestrians cross in front of us without looking, trying to get closer to the event.

“I’m sorry you have to drive in this nightmare,” Emma says, pressing her lips together.

“It’s fine. I’m managing.” I grin, keeping both hands on the wheel. As if I wouldn’t do anything for her. “Robyn is waiting for us at the red carpet. She’ll take the car and park it somewhere close so we can walk to it later tonight.”

My senses remain on high alert, and after a while, the traffic clears, and we reach the red carpet. I get out first, telling Emma to stay inside before I walk around the car. Robyn and Cillian are already here, waiting for us.

“Here are the keys,” I say, handing them to Robyn before opening the passenger door for Emma.

She takes my hand, and I draw a q uick breath. How on earth am I going to fake it with her? She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I’ve dreamed of. None of this is fake, at least not for me. All I want is to break down those walls she’s built around herself, because I remember how it felt being on the other side of them.

“Are you okay, lad?” Cillian slaps a hand on my back, and I realize I’ve just been standing here, staring at Emma like an idiot.

I clear my throat. “I am, yes. Let’s go.”

Emma and I walk side by side to the red carpet, and I put on my entertainer smile.

“Should I let you take a couple shots alone?” Emma asks when we approach the photo area.

“That’s not necessary. Let’s just get our picture taken together, and we’ll go inside.”

I lead her to the dedicated space, and we turn to face the photographers. Everyone is yelling my name, and the air is stuffy thanks to the huge spotlights they’ve installed at every angle. Pulling myself into focus, I place an arm behind Emma’s back, and we smile at the cameras. If she’s stressed or feels out of place, she doesn’t show it. This woman is the picture of poise and elegance, offering a relaxed smile. It’s like she’s done this her entire life. And for the first time, this part of my job doesn’t feel so stifling or forced. For once, I think I could actually enjoy it.