Red Carpet Kiss

by Melissa Brown

  “You did it!” Luke boomed over the applauding audience once they reached the large expanse of stage. Whitney, Rob, and everyone else at the table, aside from Troy, gathered around her as the heavy golden statue was placed in her hands.

  She stood before the microphone and looked out into the massive audience. Tears of amazement and gratitude brewed in her eyes as she leaned in to deliver her speech. She cleared her throat and began.

  “I can’t believe I’m standing here,” she said off the cuff before she wiped her brow with the back of her quivering hand and looked down at her note cards. The thick paper bounced between her trembling fingertips. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of this show. First and foremost, to the Hollywood foreign press—it was such an honor to be among those nominated tonight. I’m delighted to work with the cast and crew of our show each and every day. Nolan, Gina, and Luke, you make this show what it is—you each bring so much talent and creativity to the table and we couldn’t do it without you. Rob Morris, Whitney Bartolina, and everyone else who makes this show possible each week, thank you for your tireless work and for supporting me with each storyline we’ve undertaken. And finally, thank you to a very special man named Troy who came to support me tonight. You’re the reason I’m standing here, whether you know it or not. So thank you. Thank you so very much.”

  The lights were so bright Elle was unable to find Troy in the audience, let alone make eye contact with him. But she could only hope he was touched by her speech. It was because of their love story that Follow the Sun came to be. He deserved recognition, even if it was painful to accept.

  They were guided offstage by the award presenter. When they were out of sight, Luke wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his strong chest. Within seconds, he lifted her by her waist and twirled her in the air. Her fingers gripped his shoulders as she threw her head back in absolute joy.

  When he lowered her to the floor, Elle, who was smiling from ear to ear, looked into Luke’s bright eyes. They were backstage and the production crew was shuffling this way and that. It seemed everyone was moving in fast-forward motion as they stood together, their eyes connecting as Luke beamed with pride.

  “I think this is the best and worst day of my life,” Elle said, smoothing down his disheveled hair. Luke took her hand in his and pressed it to his chest. His heart was thumping wildly beneath his tuxedo.

  “Focus on the good. Everything else will work itself out.”

  Elle wanted to be as optimistic as Luke often was. She wanted to view the world as a place filled with endless opportunities and limitless potential. She wanted to ignore the turmoil building within her as she was torn between the two men in her life. Celebration seemed almost impossible when she felt this way. No matter what she did, someone would be hurt. Wouldn’t he?

  As if he somehow read her thoughts, Luke pressed his lips gently to her forehead and sighed. “I’ll stay out of the way. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. This was your story, the two of you, and you should celebrate together. So for tonight, I’ll give you your space.”

  Luke released her hand and started to walk away. “Wait,” she called after him, her voice urgent and filled with nerves. “Will you be at the after-party?”

  He smiled. “Of course. Wouldn’t miss it.”

  Relief came over her as she nodded and lifted her hand to blow him a kiss. In a silly, overly dramatic form, Luke pretended to leap in the air to catch it just in time. Elle giggled as he placed it in the pocket of his tuxedo. He patted the fabric, and for just a moment, he looked sad. His smile was replaced by a contemplative gaze. He raised his hand, gave her a subtle wave, and disappeared into the swarm of production assistants and staff who were preparing to announce the final awards of the evening.

  “We’re so impressed with you, Elle, and I want you to know we’ve been giving your show ideas much thought.” Saul Greenberg, the network president, had cornered her beside the pool. Troy was seated next to her, his hand on her thigh as they listened to Saul, a tall, portly man, encourage Elle and her success at the award ceremony. Elle knew awards such as these were a major factor in renewed contracts and future opportunities. She was thrilled Saul was pleased.

  “Is that right?”

  “Indeed.” He took a drink of his cocktail, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “In fact, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but since this is my fifth drink, I don’t really care. We like them all—we’re having trouble deciding.”

  “Well, maybe you can increase your entire fall lineup,” Elle joked, nudging him in the elbow. Saul erupted in laughter.

  “You never know, young lady.” Elle cringed at being referred to as a young lady. She was thirty-five freaking years old. She forced a smile, however, knowing that Saul a) was drunk and b) could make or break her career with just one phone call. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, and the possibilities will be endless.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Elle stood and smoothed down her party dress. She and Whitney had changed into shorter, more comfortable cocktail dresses before arriving at Saul’s estate. “I’m going inside to use the ladies’ room. Troy, can I get you something to drink?”

  “You know”—Troy stood and took Elle’s hand in his—“my glass is getting low. I’ll get our drinks while you use the washroom.”

  “Great.” Elle squeezed Troy’s hand. “It was a pleasure speaking to you, Mr. Greenberg. You have an absolutely gorgeous home.”

  Saul raised his glass and winked before leaning back into his soft outdoor armchair. Elle and Troy quickly retreated into the house.

  “I don’t really need to pee. I just had to get away from him. He was really making me uncomfortable.”

  Troy sighed. “Same here. I’m glad you said something. I wasn’t going to pull you away from him, or anyone from the network. C’mon, let’s get another drink.”

  It felt like they had been drinking for almost eight hours, and yet, Elle never reached more than a delightfully steady buzz. Thank goodness she remembered to eat, and food was plentiful at the awards show and now at Saul Greenberg’s enormous mansion. When they reached the indoor bar, Troy ordered two glasses of scotch, handing one to Elle. They toasted the evening and the success of the show before linking arms and strolling through the expansive first floor of the home. Cast, crew, and executives from all of the network’s shows were walking through the elegant estate. Elle and Troy made their way to the empty foyer to escape the loud music at the back of the house, where most of the partygoers were drinking, eating, and celebrating. Marble floors and two winding staircases led to the second floor.

  “God, this place,” Troy began, taking a sip of his scotch. “I can’t even imagine. I thought your place was huge, but this is . . . well, it’s like a compound.”

  Elle giggled, nodding. “I think I’d get lost here.”

  “Should we go back outside? They have a dance floor, ya know.”

  One thing Troy and Elle were good at was dancing. Back in college, they actually took swing dance lessons with a few of their friends and learned several routines. In each one, Troy would flip Elle’s entire body over, until she landed back on her feet. Swing dancing led to salsa, which led to ballroom dance. The one place they never argued was on the dance floor.

  “Ahh, do they now, Mr. Saladino?” Elle placed one hand on her hip. “Do you still have your moves?”

  “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” Troy offered Elle his arm, a flirtatious grin on his face. Playfully, Elle puckered her lips and narrowed her eyes, looping her arm through his and allowing him to lead her back outside. The warm breeze of the evening swept through her hair and down her back. The evening was turning out just lovely.

  “Kingston!” a voice shrieked from inside the house. “Where is he? Where is that rat bastard?”

  Gina.

  Tearing through the crowd of partygoers, Gina searched wildly for Luke, who was talking with a small group of men near the pool. Elle watched as he craned h
is neck, making eye contact with Gina. And then he rolled his eyes as she stormed toward him.

  “The E! network? How could you do that?”

  “Calm down, Gina,” Luke responded, his voice low, so as not to draw more attention to them. But Gina was having none of it.

  “Calm down? I will not calm down! You screwed me! Now the whole world thinks I’m a liar!”

  “Knows,” Luke corrected her. “The whole world knows you’re a liar.”

  “Screw you, Luke.”

  Elle watched in awe, not having any understanding of what they were talking about. But she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious. In fact, curious didn’t do her emotions justice. She was dying to know. Without even realizing it, her feet inched toward them until her toes reached the concrete around the pool. Across the glistening water, she watched as their argument continued.

  “You need to sleep this off.” Luke touched Gina’s elbow, but she pulled away.

  “I don’t need to do anything! My publicist just spent the better half of this party screaming at me, you asshole!”

  Whitney approached Luke and Gina, looking embarrassed at Gina’s ridiculous display. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Him. He told E! News I lied.”

  Whitney crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You did, didn’t you?”

  Gina looked exasperated, flailing her arms and throwing her head back and screaming into the air, “Of course I did! And if this idiot were smart, he would’ve just gone along with it! Now I’m the laughingstock of Hollywood!”

  Luke shrugged, his words stern and unwavering. “I told you I wasn’t interested, Gina, but you did it anyway. What the hell did you expect? I’m not your puppet.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Gina threw her head wildly from side to side before locking eyes with Elle across the pool. “You’re her puppet! Isn’t that right, Elle?”

  Luke grabbed Gina’s elbow. “Do not bring her into this.”

  Elle’s heart raced as she watched everything transpire, doing her best to process what, in her heart, she already knew to be true. Luke had nothing to do with the Us Weekly article or a showmance of any kind. It was Gina. All Gina.

  “Or what?” Gina pulled away from his grasp, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

  Whitney took a few steps to stand beside the actress. “Oh for God’s sake, shut up!” With one swift nudge from Whitney, Gina’s heels wobbled over the edge of the pool until she plunged into the water. She screeched as her arms splashed about. Most of the attendees watched as Gina popped back to the surface. Once she did, Elle, Luke, and everyone else near the pool looked to Whitney with mouths agape.

  “What?” Whitney raised one shoulder, her hand resting gently on her hip, like it was no big deal. “It’s the shallow end.”

  Elle pressed her hand to her mouth, her chest heaving with laughter. She wanted nothing more than to run around the pool and tackle Whitney with a grateful hug. But she refrained. Instead, she watched as Nolan walked to the steps of the pool, offering Gina his hand. Surprised by his compassion, Elle smiled. The actress attempted to pull him into the pool with her, but Nolan anchored himself with the handrail, shaking his head at her as he guided her up the steps.

  She was soaked, her chiffon dress like a second skin on her body. Elle curled her lips underneath her teeth, her hand still blocking her mouth as she watched the actress, who looked ridiculous. One of the waiters brought her a towel, wrapping it around her body and guiding her into the mansion.

  Elle stood, watching Luke from across the pool. When his eyes found hers, he smiled—a smile Elle could only describe as relieved. She finally knew the truth—but that didn’t make their situation any less precarious. He polished off his drink, placed it on a server’s tray, and gave Elle a salute, bidding her good night. Her stomach tied itself in knots as she watched him hug Whitney and shake the hands of those around him, before turning and exiting the party.

  “Well, that was interesting.” Troy’s arms were crossed in front of his broad chest. “Poor girl.”

  “Poor girl? Do you know the hell that poor girl has put me through? The lies she’s told, the damage she’s done?”

  Although true, her words were venomous and Elle regretted them the second she finished uttering them. She was backing herself in a corner with Troy, forcing him to learn more than she wanted him to know about her failed relationship with Luke.

  “Still,” Troy said, shaking his head, “she didn’t deserve that.”

  “She’ll dry off and be fine. But the damage she’s done . . . it’s so much more than a ruined gown. Trust me.”

  “I guess I’ll have to,” Troy replied with a furrowed brow. “Because I know almost nothing about your life, Rigby. I’m on a need-to-know basis, I guess.”

  Elle turned on her heel and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Excuse me?”

  “Listen.” He ran his hands through his hair before placing his hand behind her back and leading her to a quiet spot near the dance floor. “I realized tonight I know almost nothing about your life, and that sucks.”

  “That’s what happens when you disappear for ten years.”

  Troy flinched. She’d finally said it. Finally said what she had been dying to say for months. Conflicted relief flooded her body. The words, albeit satisfying, were weapons, aimed to inflict pain. She knew it, as did he.

  “Let’s not do this here, Eleanor.”

  Elle rolled her eyes. “Don’t say my name as if you’re scolding me.”

  “I’m not calling you Elle.”

  “And why not? What would be the harm?”

  “Because that’s not who you are—it’s who you want all of them to think you are.”

  Enraged, Elle’s eyes widened. “And what is that, exactly? A success? A Golden Globe–winning show runner? Is it so difficult for you to see me as anything but the bitch who broke your heart?”

  “No.” Troy looked up at the darkened sky. “Look, I didn’t mean that, I just . . . why do I feel like we always veer off course? We’re fine one minute, bickering the next. I hate it.”

  “I hate it, too.”

  “All night long, I’ve watched you. I’ve watched you and Kingston—and don’t even get me started on your little disappearing act.”

  “Nothing happened. I wouldn’t do that to you, Troy. Never.”

  “But you wanted to, didn’t you?”

  Elle had no response. The truth would be too painful. Troy was slipping through her fingers and their fight was heading in such a speed, she was powerless to stop it. She just had to hold on, take her lumps, and do her best to survive it.

  “For God’s sake, Rigby, just tell the truth. What do you want?”

  “I don’t know!”

  “Let me rephrase. Who do you want, Rigby? Who?”

  Elle closed her eyes tight. “Luke,” she whispered, unable to look Troy in the eye. “I want Luke.”

  “I knew it.” Troy’s voice cracked.

  “I was falling in love with him before you resurfaced in my life. And that love . . . it won’t go away, no matter how much I try. It consumes me.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Troy bared his teeth before pressing his lips together tightly. His eyes avoided hers as they stood in the moonlight.

  “I’m so sorry, Troy. So very sorry I dragged you into this.”

  “Was this some sort of revenge or something?”

  Elle shook her head, quickly, back and forth, back and forth. Shocked by the question. For months, she’d wondered the same thing about Troy’s intentions—never, for even one minute, did she consider he might question her motives.

  “Absolutely not. I promise you with all that I am.”

  “Then what?” Troy’s face fell, his eyes soft and pleading. “What do you want from me?”

  Elle hesitated as she thought the question through. “I want to be forgiven.”

  Troy said nothing. He turned and walked in the opposite direction. Elle gasped,
wondering if those would be the last words she’d ever say to him. Her eyes grew wet as he walked to the DJ’s booth. Confused, Elle watched as he leaned in and spoke into the DJ’s ear. The young man behind the booth nodded and Troy shook his hand.

  Troy returned to Elle and they stood in awkward silence for a moment before he offered her his hand. Elle was confused, at first, but placed her fingertips in the palm of his hand and followed him to the dance floor. The familiar notes of “Here, There and Everywhere” filled the air. She stared at Troy in wonder.

  “One last dance, Rigby?”

  Slowly, they swayed as their song filled the air. A lump formed in Elle’s throat as she tried to imagine what else to say to Troy. Her mind was swirling and her heart was racing. She knew she was, ultimately, saying good-bye to one of the most important people in her life. The possibility of them remaining friends after reopening so many wounds was unlikely and she knew it. But, she was desperate for his forgiveness. As they danced in silence, she looked up at Troy, waiting for him to break the silence. Finally, he did.

  “I forgive you,” Troy murmured, pulling Elle closer. “But only if you’ll forgive me.”

  Elle pulled back, her eyes meeting his with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  “You’ve always been the girl who was just out of my reach.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Just hear me out,” Troy insisted. “I knew it at the campsite, and the bar when we finally got together. Hell, I knew it when you walked down the aisle.”

  “How could you think I didn’t love you?”

  “That’s not what I mean.” Troy shook his head. “I know you loved me. But it wasn’t the same. Even today, I felt it . . .” His words trailed off.

  “What do you mean?”

  “All night, I watched you, even when you didn’t know I was paying attention. I saw the way you look at Kingston. You never looked at me like that, Rigby. Never.”

  Elle’s eyes filled with tears. “I never meant—I mean . . . I just . . .”

  “It’s okay.” Troy smoothed her hair down before pressing his forehead to hers. Together, still swaying to the music, they cried below the stars. “But I need you to forgive me. At every stage of our lives, I pushed you. At the time, I thought I was doing it for your own good, to make you realize how much you loved me and that we belonged together. But I get it now. I was fooling myself and doing my best to fool you, too.”