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“No, don’t bother Adalyn. It’s her night off, and she’s already gone. I can figure something out.”
“You don’t need to figure anything out. I was the one who invited you at the last minute, so leave it to me. I’ll pick you up at your room at eight.”
My heart raced. “Only if you’re sure it won’t make Karina mad. I know you’re just friends, but—”
“She can’t get mad about who I bring or don’t bring. My connection with her is only for publicity. She’ll still be the one on my arm.”
If she was publicity, then what was I? I didn’t ask him, and I ignored the heaviness that accompanied his words.She’ll still be the one on my arm. Yuck. That did not have a nice ring to it. But it was no matter. I was only going as his friend, and attending this event sounded like way more fun than a bath and takeout.
I gathered my things and opened the door to find a man and a broom waiting there. “Oh, thank you.” I let him into the room, and Rhett smiled at him.
“There was a mess?” the man asked.
“I got a haircut,” Rhett said with his charismatic smile. “I’ll show you where it is.” He looked up and caught my eye. “And I’ll see you soon.”
I only had about twenty-five minutes, so it was a good thing I was so well-practiced in styling. I applied my makeup quickly—sticking with neutrals since I didn’t know the color of my gown—and pulled out some pins to put my hair up. I dialed Charlie’s number and put my phone on the counter while I leaned in to roll my hair into a chignon.
Charlie answered. “Well, hello there, Jetsetter.”
“We’re in New York City now,” I said, my voice garbled with all the pins in my teeth. “I’m feeling a weird sense of déjà vu.”
“Why?”
“Remember that whole situation where you acted as a buffer for Liam at a gala and then fell madly in love with him?”
“Vaguely,” she said dryly.
“Well, fortune has smiled upon me, because I am in that exact same situation tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
I relayed the whole story to her about the date with Karina in Boston and how she was also showing up tonight. “I’m pretty sure that’s why he invited me to go with him, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“Yes, because you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”
“Well, give me some credit. He’s going on a date with another woman tonight. I’m not a total idiot.”
“Just so long as you’re not getting your hopes up,” she said carefully.
“That Rhett might be into me?” I shoved the last of the pins into my hair and pulled a few strands out to frame my face. “I don’t know what to think. He pays me attention. He texted me, so I have his personal number, and according to his assistant, he never does that. And despite his weird publicity thing with Karina, he asked me to come tonight. On some level, that makes me his secret date, right?”
She was silent—no doubt working through the situation and deciding what to say.
I felt a compulsion to make her agree with me, to have my best friend tell me I wasn’t crazy for reading into Rhett’s actions. “The man asked me out, Charlie. Even if it’s just as a friend, he didn’t have to do that. This ishuge.”
“You haven’t known him for very long.”
“I’ve crushed on Rhett for years.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said carefully, “but you haven’tknownhim for very long. Memorizing every detail about someone’s life and watching them in countless movies is not the same as knowing who they are. His character. His integrity. What makes him tick.”
I’d already been separating his public persona from the man I was coming to know. When I said I’d loved him, I hadn’t meant real, everlasting love. It was more like an obsession. But Charlie knew that. “I realize I’m still getting to know him, but that’s what dating is for.” Besides, the amount of time I’d invested in following him over the years did make me feel like I knew him a little.
“I don’t want you to get hurt. Liam told me about some of the things Rhett has been going through, and I’m worried. You need to be careful.”
That made me pause. “Because he’s a player? Do you think he’ll play me?”
“No, not that. He has a lot on his mind, and I’m not sure he can commit to a relationship right now.”
