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After some time, I felt Scarlett melt into my side. Her rigid posture loosened, and her hand found mine. She smiled up at me while cameras clicked. Reporters lobbed questions, some of them directed toward her in the hopes she’d answer.Who was she? Was she the girl from The Breakers? The girl I’d posted pictures of on social media? How long had we been dating? Was it serious?
We stood together for one photographer, then another. Celeb Magazine and Celeb News. All of them flung questions at us like baseballs, but I merely smiled and inclined my head. Now was not the time for sloppy answers. But the way Scarlett stared up at me, like I held the world in my hands, confirmed we were a couple, even if words couldn’t.
Finally, we stepped away from some of the chaos toward the roped-off area designated for Entertainment Tonight. Charmaine Dufour, a sweetheart of a woman and one of the few entertainment journalists I actually enjoyed speaking with, smiled as she said goodbye to Falyn Briggs, an old costar from my Treemont High days, then beamed as she saw us waiting for her.
“Thorne Roberts, I knew you’d come to see me.”
I stepped forward and greeted her with two pretentious air kisses to the side of her face. “ Of course. You know I can’t walk a red carpet without visiting you.”
“And I see you brought a friend,” she said, setting her sights on Scarlett with glittering eyes. “Do we get an introduction?”
I laughed and slid my arm tighter around Scarlett’s waist. “This is Scarlett Rees. My girlfriend.” I grinned, then glanced down at Scarlett with a wink, pleased when she blushed.
“Oh, honey, aren’t you just the sweetest thing.” Charmaine flapped a hand at her, then shoved the mic under her face. “Tell me, how did you score the most wanted man in America? What’s the secret?”
I tensed as I waited to see how Scarlett would react. Panic drifted over her features, and a moment passed in silence.
I swallowed, preparing myself to swoop in and save her when she said, “Cannoli’s.”
“Cannoli’s?” Charmaine asked.
Scarlett’s cheeks burned brighter. “After writing to each other for a while, Thorne finally asked to meet me, and I wooed him with my family’s famous cannoli recipe.”
I blinked down at her in surprise. Though the answer was off the cuff, it worked, and I wonder if she got it from my mother raving about them on the way to the airport.
“Well, they do say food is the way to a man’s heart,” I quipped, playing along.
“So you two wrote letters? Not emails? I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”
“Regular letters, yes,” I said, mostly to save Scarlett from having to do the bulk of the acting. “It started as a fan letter to me.” I turned my adoring eyes to her. “But over time, it transformed into a lot more.”
“Talk about romantic.”
I nodded. “Then we met up while she was in New York, and we hit it off from there. We’ve been together ever since.” I dropped another kiss to the top of Scarlett’s head.
“Do you live on the west coast?” she asked Scarlett.
She shook her head. “No, but Thorne is filming close to my hometown, so we’re getting to spend plenty of time together.
“Lovely.” Charmaine arched a brow, and I wanted to reach down and pull Scarlett’s lips to mine, grateful for the segue because it was perfect. Exactly the thing to get her off of us and onto my movie.
“I assume this isThe Soldiers Within Us? I’m so excited about this one. Have they resumed filming yet?” Charmaine asked.
“Not yet. But I expect them to start back any day now,” I lied.
“There is a lot of buzz that the film might pull an Oscar. What do you think about that?”
I shook my head. “It’s mind-blowing. I’m just honored to be a part of it.” I grinned, because the more I spoke about the film and garnered positive press, the harder it would be for them to replace me.
“I assume this is your first red carpet event,” she said to Scarlett. “How does it feel?”
Scarlett glanced around her, allowing the awe she must feel to show on her face. “It’s incredible.”
“Just a smidge intimidating?”
“Maybe a little.” Scarlett laughed.
“Well, you’re doing just fine, darling. As I’m sure you know, Thorne is up for an award. Teens choice actor in a movie series. How do you feel about his nomination?”
