I didn’t have long to daydream about being comfortable since Allie was busy fidgeting next to me. She was normally unflappable, so her nervousness worried me.
I leaned in closer to her so we wouldn’t be overheard. “What’s up with you? You’re being weird.”
She bit her lip and blushed as she shook her head. “It . . . um . . . there are a lot of famous people around.”
I raised my brows and gave her a look of disbelief. Allie wasn’t easily impressed by fame. Even when she met Ryan Reynolds, her longtime celebrity crush, she hadn’t batted an eyelash.
“I have to let it go because the show’s about to start, but don’t think I’m not going to dig to the bottom of this later,” I whispered.
“I swear I’m fine,” she hissed. “I’m nervous for you, okay? I really think you’re going to win this thing.”
“If you say it again, I’m going to barf from nerves,” I admitted.
She didn’t get a chance to respond because we were being given the sign that the show was about to start. As it went on—and on, as award shows tended to do—I calmed down. Mostly, I just kept thinking about how much I wished Gage was sitting next to me. I knew it was driving him nuts as well. I’d talked to him a bunch earlier in the day, but then he’d gone off the grid to work, which sucked. I wouldn’t be caught dead checking my phone during the actual show, but every time it threw to commercial, I checked to see if I had a message from him. My disappointment grew each time I found no message. He’d told me he’d be watching, but with no messages coming through, I had a sinking feeling that he was stuck on set.
I was positive the highlight of my night was the moment that Gloria won the Oscar for best director. I choked up when I saw Dane wipe away a tear as he watched his mother walk up the stairs to the podium. The entire auditorium rose to their feet and gave Gloria a much-deserved standing ovation as she took her Oscar from Ben Affleck and turned to face us.
My smile probably could have lit up the entire theater. It was a perfect moment—one I knew I’d never forget. What a great night for a movie that so many studios had passed on. I was so happy that I felt like I was floating on air. The only thing that would’ve made it better was if Gage was there.
During the commercial break before the best actress category was announced, I looked at my phone again. I frowned as my thumbs flew across the screen as I composed a text to Gage asking if he was okay. When I put the phone down, Dane was studying me.
“Are you okay?”
Embarrassed that I’d been caught basically pouting at my phone wishing Gage would text, I put my game face on.
“I’m good.”
“Nervous?” he pressed.
“I don’t know what I am right now. I’m somewhere between going over a speech in my head and preparing my smile and clap when they announce someone else’s name.”
“I’d forego worrying about the smile and clap. You’re about to take this thing.”
No sooner did he say that than we were given the signal that the show was coming back from commercial. I swallowed nervously and looked back to the stage.
When they announced the presenter for the Best Actress category, I stopped breathing. It was supposed to be Christian Bale, but I swore they’d said Gage Ryan instead. Had I heard that right? A quick glance at Allie confirmed that I had. I could tell because she looked shocked. I turned back to the stage, wondering if there’d been a mix-up. When I saw Gage step out onto the stage, a giddy feeling rushed through me. He was there. Somehow, some way, he’d made it back from Georgia. I nibbled at my lower lip as I got lost looking him over. It had only been a week since I’d last seen him, but it felt like an eternity. I fell into an almost trance-like state as I studied just how good he looked in his tux. God, he was sexy.
“This year’s nominees are . . .”
I startled and blinked rapidly when Allie elbowed me in the side, a reminder that the cameras would be on me at any moment. I forced myself to stop drooling and focus on the moment at hand.
After each of the five of the names in the category were announced, I watched his face as he opened the envelope. I felt the smile on his face like it was a caress against my naked skin.
“The Oscar goes to Morgan Kelly for Dimming Her Light.”
All I knew in that moment was that Gage was watching me, so it took a second to register that I’d won. Dane, Gloria, Garrett, and Shaelyn were on their feet applauding as Allie hugged me.