I continued walking, then paused again to pose — shoulders back, chin up, big smile, knee bent. But my gaze wandered. As much as I hated playing Jackie, I was thrilled to recognize some of the actors. My eyes devoured the familiar faces, like Luke Holtz who smiled at his date, then turned back to say something to the interviewer. She threw her head back and laughed. Several other stars were speaking with the press as well, like Lazarus Mayer from Dark of Night, another of my favorite shows.
“Jackie, over here.” A man’s camera clicked. When I rotated, there were a series of clicks from others behind the press line. In my peripheral, a couple walked toward the step and repeat — my cue to pass the spotlight to the next person.
The red carpet part was almost over.
A short man in a suit leaned over the rope and yelled something as he stretched his microphone toward me. I backed up and continued walking with a powerful urge to move faster gripping me. Dutifully, I paused again a few feet later and repeated the pose.
“Jackie, how do you plan to get Henley to cast you?” a woman asked, followed by a man asking, “Do you think you’ve got a shot at playing Amy?”
Well trained by Stella, I just kept up my smile. In a hurry to move on, I quickly twisted around and crashed into a rock-hard human-filled tuxedo. I thrust a leg back for equilibrium, but stepped on my dress and lost my balance.
I was about to go down — in front of probably hundreds of people. Oh, god, I’d die of embarrassment before my butt ever hit the ground.
Just before I descended, a pair of strong hands grasped my waist from behind me. “I gotcha,” he said, holding me steady, then he stepped away. An instant later, he was smiling for the cameras and speaking into a microphone as if he hadn’t just taken a moment to save me from humiliation. Dallas Bines.
Dallicious Bines would be a more fitting name.
Anxious to get the carpet walk over with, I forged on, praying I’d survive the rest of Jackie’s gig without breaking my neck. Thankfully, I made it to the end of the step and repeat in one piece where Stella waited for me wearing a proud grin.
“I almost ate it on the carpet. Did you see?” I asked in a hushed voice.
“Didn’t notice at all. I doubt anyone else did either. You looked like a pro out there, a natural.”
Yeah, naturally awkward. “My feet are killing me, Stella. Can we go someplace to rest them?”
“There’s a lounge upstairs where we can chill until the movie starts. We’ve got balcony seats and there’s a bathroom close by. Walking should be minimal the next little while.”
“Oh, thank God,” I said.
“Stop fidgeting.” Stella gave me a stern look. “Jackie never gets twitchy. Ever. Oh, crap. Luke’s coming this way. Don’t worry. You’ve never met him — but you’re about to.”
I could do this.
“Hi. Luke Holtz, big fan.” He held out his hand and gave me a big smile, full of beautiful, white teeth. “This is my sister, Heather.”
My whole body filled with rapture at the thought of having a conversation with him. But I was supposed to be Jackie, not some fan-girl. Lifting my chin, I smiled, but kept it conservative — as if I met huge stars like him every day. “Nice to meet you both. Love your show,” I said, keeping my tone light.
His blond head whipped around when his name was called from near the door to the theater. “I’m needed,” he said. “I’ll see you later?”
“You know it.” I smiled again and he strolled away.
“Luke seems interested in you. I probably don’t need to remind you what a good idea it is to avoid him. Everyone, actually.” Stella grabbed my hand. “But if someone manages to talk to you, just go with it. Smile and comment on the weather. You’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
As I followed her toward the front door of the theater, I spotted more press up ahead. We’d have to pass them to get inside. Just before the door, Stella shielded me and I slipped by the mob, only to come face-to-face with a microphone blocking my way to freedom.
“Jackie, our readers want to know who you’re dating now. Rumor has it you’ve traded one musician for another.”
That was a rumor Jackie would want stomped into itty bitty pieces. “I-I’m not currently dating anyone.” I smiled politely, then darted around the reporter. Stepping through a doorway at least twice my height, I pivoted so my eyes could devour the stained glass above stretching to the ceiling. Over the threshold, I turned to gawk at the window, stepping aside so others could pass.
“I keep worrying someone’s going to come along, someone who knows Jackie, who I have no info on. We should keep moving,” Stella said for my ears only.
Oh, yes, way to relax me, Stella. I stiffened as she tugged on my arm.
“Besides,” she continued, “you’re acting like this is all new to you. Try being more aloof.”
“I'm at a Hollywood premiere and I haven't fainted. I'd say I'm doing pretty good.” I wasn’t supposed to appear like a newbie though, so I'd work on that. I dragged my eyes from the stained glass, but they caught on the corbels momentarily as we passed through another doorway. The architecture of the building was stunning. I could stare at the decorative fixtures for hours and still not get to all of it.
Slowly, we wove through the throng of celebrities and schmoozers. People I didn’t know, but recognized from movies smiled at me, nodded or waved as I passed. I followed their lead, matched their gestures, and kept moving. Just before the stairs, I saw Dallas. Of all people, he’d be hardest to avoid, since he and Jackie were friends and neighbors. And since they’d dated, he could easily discover I wasn’t Jackie and expose me. I quickly glanced away just as his head snapped to me.
My face hurt from smiling and if one more person tried to photograph me, I’d be tempted to stab them with the heel of my shoe. I mean, they kept getting right in my face. So rude! Plus, I was absolutely positive that the layer of makeup on my face was bubbling, which didn’t help my insecurities. But I forced my mouth to do the unnatural and curl up just a little while longer.
A few minutes later, Stella and I freshened up in the restroom with a few spare minutes before show time. As it turned out, the only thing bubbling had been my brain.
We claimed a settee in the long corridor near the entrance closest to our seats. As Stella advised, I faced her, so I couldn’t see anyone approaching. They’d be more likely to keep walking if they thought we were deep in conversation.
Stella’s gaze wandered to something behind me. “Oh, hell. Dallas Bines is coming our way. Keep it short and sweet while I figure out how to get away.”
Chapter Three
My heart fluttered and I steeled myself not to get all warm and gooey over Dallas, a guy I barely knew.
“Hey, Stella, Jackie.”
I shot him a smile over my shoulder, then turned back to Stella, hoping that would be enough for him.
Turns out…. not so much.
Next thing I knew, he was on my left, towering over Stella and me. Right then, I wished I had my camera. The photographer in me pictured Dallas wearing that sexy tux and leaning against a door frame, ankles crossed, a faraway look in his eyes, bow tie loosened and his hands stuffed in the pockets. Black and white, matte finish.
His weight rested on one leg, like he was in no hurry to leave. That pose would’ve made a great shot too. “How’s your nose?” he asked.
“All good now. Thanks for asking. And thanks for the save out there.” I gave him another smile, but it faltered when he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
“Dallas, what movie are you working on now?” Stella asked, jumping to my rescue.
“I’m between projects.” His eyes flashed to mine. “I’m home a lot these days.”
Stella gave a nervous giggle. “That’s great.”
Oh, geez, if Stella buckled in his presence, how could I be expected to do any better?
Damn, he smelled good. A little bit musky and a whole lot of yum.
Dallas nodded, his gaze steady on me. ?
??Maybe I could switch seats with Stella and she could sit with my brother. You remember, Dave, don’t you, Stella? He's been asking about you.”
“Uh…” Her words stuck in her throat and, for a moment, she seemed torn.
“Stella and I are going over some things.” I opened my tiny purse and pretended to look through it. "Privately. Maybe next time?"
Dallas’s brows lowered as he studied me. “You two are up to something. You’re both acting weird. You,” he aimed an index finger at me, “especially.”
“Ha,” I scoffed. “It’s business as usual. We just have a lot going on.”
“I’m not buying it.” One corner of his mouth curved up. “You’re sitting with me.”
My jaw went slack as I stared at him, unsure how to respond. If I said no, would he become even more suspicious? Plus, my resistance was breaking down. I mean, hello? I’d crushed on him for years and here he was asking me to sit next to him in the dark. How much did Jackie expect me to take?
Stella gave a nervous laugh. “Jackie and I are working.”
“Now?” He shook his head. “Come on.”
“Sure, if it makes you happy,” I told Dallas, trying to convince myself that giving in to his request was only to keep up the charade. Jackie was Stella’s boss. I needed to act like it. Right? “You and I can go over that stuff later.”
Stella looked panicked, but what choice did I have?
He pressed his lips into a straight line, like he was suppressing a smile, and offered his arm. “You look beautiful tonight.”
I stood and slipped my arm through his. “Thank you. You look…” Dallicious? I couldn’t say that. “Good too.”
He chuckled as we entered the theater. Oh, Lord, he had a sexy voice, all low and growly.
Once we found our seats, Stella’s gaze followed the direction of Dallas’s index finger. A slightly older version of Dallas waved from a seat near the next aisle over.
“I’ll go around to the other entrance.” Stella’s lips thinned to a straight line and her eyes gave me the silent message, Don’t say too much, then she took off.
Why did Dallas want to sit next to Jackie anyway? Was he interested? Hadn’t he already been there and dumped that? This made me wonder how serious Jackie and Dallas had been. I'd never gotten the details, just the glossy version. Did they have sex? I immediately ejected that image from my head.
As soon as we’d taken our seats, Dallas twisted to face me. “Everything going okay?”
“Of course.” I unfolded my hands to make a production out of straightening my dress.
“You’re not fooling me, you know.”
“What do you mean?” My entire body tensed.
“Shh!” He held a finger to his lips as the lights dimmed and the screen lit up, saving me from his scrutiny. I crossed my arms over my chest and vowed to ignore Mr. Hotness.
Yeah, like I could forget Dallas Bines was currently sitting right next to me in the dark.
I stared straight ahead, but the expression out of sight, out of mind meant nothing when I could still smell that clean, musky scent that made my mind go in forbidden directions.
Despite his broad shoulders and my constant struggle not to rest my head on one of them, I managed to catch snippets of the movie. It was a romantic comedy, which was usually my thing when I didn’t have certain distractions...
An hour and forty-five minutes later, the credits rolled over the giant screen, lights flooded the theater. As soon as I could get away, I needed to find Stella and, hopefully, get the hell out of there.
“What did you think?” he asked.
“It was great.” I grinned.
He gave me a skeptical glance. “Really? I thought you didn’t like chick flicks. You always go for the action packed movies. ” He turned toward me, his arm brushing against mine. A little shiver skated along my skin. “You're full of surprises today,” he said.
“No, not really.” I should have made my excuse and left, but I was frozen in my seat with my heart pounding wildly from his touch. Help! Where was Stella? A chill vibrated through me and I held my arms.
“Here.” He stood, then shrugged out of his jacket and turned it so the jacket lining faced me.
I rose to slip an arm into one sleeve, then turned as he slid the fabric over my other arm and past my shoulders. His musky scent wafted from the fabric and invaded my brain. Involuntarily, I bent my head and inhaled. I faced him again, but he hadn’t let go of the jacket, which left me uncomfortably close to him.
“What game are you playing?” he asked.
The metaphoric gun clicked at my temple. “What do you mean?”
“C’mon. You know what I’m talking about.” It was almost a whisper, but not like he was the bad guy cornering me. He sounded… concerned. And very nice.
Nice. That’s how Jackie had described Dallas when she’d said he wasn’t her type. Well, if nice meant incredibly sexy, sweet and confident, nice was definitely a good thing to me. A very good thing.
Uh… what was his question?
"We’ll talk about it over a drink,” he said when I didn't answer.
I swallowed. If he knew Jackie well enough — and I was struggling not to think about the two of them really getting to know each other — given enough time, he’d figure out that I definitely was not Jackie. My head reeled with various scenarios of us having drinks together and me giving myself away. Every ounce of me wanted to say yes, but it could ruin Jackie if he discovered the truth.
He motioned for me to go first and I led the way from the balcony section and into the second floor lobby. We took the elevator down to the first floor, but could barely push through the mass of schmoozing people.
The giant chandelier cast deceptively little light on the women showing off their sparkling gowns. Cameras flashed as the media captured the various celebrities in natural situations — and I use the term natural hesitantly considering how acutely aware they all were of their bodies and what positions flattered them most.
How would Stella find me amidst the throng of people? Because of Dallas’s height, he’d stand out. But if Stella only saw his back, he’d look like a lot of other guys in a dark suit.
My skin tingled when Dallas’s hand closed around mine and we squeezed through the crowd. He stopped on the other side of the large room where a few inches of free space opened up.
A waiter appeared in front of me, but I hardly noticed as my focus remained fixed on Dallas. I hoped I successfully hid my fascination over his masterfully chiseled features. And that little smile that reached his eyes. Totally swoon-worthy.
Dallas was only around twenty. He gave the impression he’d packed a lot into a short time. With all that experience, would he be a good kisser?
I blushed when I caught myself focusing on his lips. He was talking. Oh, crap, I hadn’t been paying attention.
“Jackie? Would you like a drink?” Dallas said, nodding toward the server who appeared to have said something to me. That same smile played at the corner of his mouth, like he had a secret.
My brain engaged again and I gawked at the server. “I’m not drinking. Besides, I’m not twenty-one.”
The waiter’s blond brows flew up and I wondered what I’d said wrong.
“Really?” a woman asked behind my shoulder. “Jackie Bloom has given up drinking? That can’t be.”
Apparently, my brain wasn’t fully up and running or I would’ve just accepted the glass. I didn’t have to drink from it. I twisted around to see a redheaded woman with an extremely smug look on her face. Did Jackie know her?
“Lisa Alcott, Exposed Magazine.” Instead of reaching out for a hand shake, her green eyes narrowed. “What would make you give up alcohol?”
“I… I’m not in the mood tonight,” I said. Exposed was the worst of them all, constantly printing retractions or getting sued. They probably kept printing trash because they sold enough papers to make up for it. Forget the truth.
Lisa’s cat-like smile grew wider wi
th each second. “Hm.”
I sucked at impersonating Jackie. I’d make a horrible actress. And I couldn't help wondering how much my little sister — by two minutes — drank when she went to these events. I forged on, adding a little snark like I’d seen Jackie do. “It’s not mandatory, is it?”
“No, but you’re not exactly known for your discretion.”
Witch. “You don’t have many friends, do you?” I asked.
She’d already sidled up to Dallas as though she hadn’t heard me.
“Are you two back together?” she asked him, then her eyes strayed to my shoulders. “Nice jacket.”
Oh, yeah. It totally looked like we were dating.
“Lisa, I promise you Jackie and I are just friends. There’s no story here.”
“You’re hiding something.” Lisa folded her arms over her chest and smirked.
“You’re wasting your time with us, Lisa.” Dallas grabbed my hand and led me away. Realizing that Lisa was right behind us, he stopped short of the door and whirled around. “Have a good night.”
She scowled, probably because all her baiting hadn’t gotten either of us to slip. But she didn’t need our cooperation. She’d probably use the pictures of Dallas and I together to make up a story, simply because that was her job — to twist the truth and create controversy. I’d heard enough rumors about Jackie to know I should never take anything at face value. But other readers may not see through the lies.
“Let’s go.” He tugged on my hand again, compelling me to trail after him.