“Well, duh. You and Katie are going to try to Runaway Bride this as soon as you can. Rome, be honest, are you the getaway transportation?”
Rome just shrugged, staying quiet but smirking the whole time.
The limo inched forward more and then stopped. Someone tapped on the top of it as if to signal we were next. Jay eyes twinkled at all of us. “Third premiere, and I get to share it with all of you. Vick, you ready to be on my arm?”
“I was made for it,” she responded like a true entertainer.
Then he looked at us, a twinkle in his eyes. “You guys got this?”
Did I have it? Could I face a mob of cameras like I had at his last premiere? I loathed the feeling of stepping back into the brightness after it felt like I was hiding. I hated that every camera strobe seemed to glimpse into the deepest, darkest parts of me. Did they remember who I was? Did they want my story?
Did it matter? The answer was always no.
Jay was my rock and my very best friend. My family.
I loved Katie, Vick, and Rome. They were my family too, but Jay was always number one. I’d do anything for him, even if I didn’t want to.
“Let’s do this with a smile on our faces, all right?” I said, slapping him on the shoulder.
The dimples finally showed on his face, a signal that he’d relaxed and the last of his hesitation fled. His strong jawline and baby-blue eyes paired with dark hair spiked in a crew cut had even me sighing. If there was an eligible bachelor look, he wore it without any flaws.
Beautiful wasn’t a word to describe him or any of the other Stonewood brothers. Not even Jay’s father could take on that word. These men were hard, fierce, and downright sexy. Every woman vied for their attention. I knew because I’d read, and got to see firsthand, story after story of Jay’s reckless behavior with them.
I smoothed the tight red dress down. Versace did form fitting and sparkle like nothing else I’d ever seen. Vick had taken my measurements, Jay opened his wallet, and I ended up in this thing. It didn’t fit like his eligible bachelor look fit him. I didn’t reek of perfection or class like him either, but it would do.
The limo door swung open. The cameras blinded everyone.
I knew I’d lock up if we didn’t keep moving.
My heart jumped with each flash. My limbs started to freeze.
But my mind worked overtime.
Would they bring up my past? Would they want to know details? Would they remember?
As my heart jumped with each flash, I searched deep, deep down for my little old friend, Control.
Katie shoved Vick out first. Like a true diva, she lapped up the attention.
The flashes went wild as Jay smiled down at her and she swooned like the actress she was made to play.
Katie mumbled, “What attention whores.”
Rome whispered to me, “It’s now or never.”
Rome slid out of the limo and reached in for me.
I rolled my lips between my teeth, took a deep breath, and stepped out.
No flashes went off.
No one screamed at me.
Katie slid out after me and said, “We look like the reject groupie friends of Jay.”
“Fine by me,” I whispered as we started to sneak past Jay who smiled so genuinely at the cameras, they practically kissed him when they went off.
When I passed behind him though, his arm shot out. He whispered something in Vick’s ear. Then somehow, I was standing in her place. Jay pinned me to his waist and leaned down to whisper into my hair, “Smile, Sass Pot.”