“Oh, you’re good. We aren’t going to have any trouble fooling people at all if I can get my act together.”
His eyebrows crinkle together. “Oh,” he says, putting his bottle on the table next to his plate. “We’re both actors, we can act, right? So…how about when we’re out in public, we just act like our characters are falling in love instead of acting like we’re falling in love. Does that make sense?”
Our livelihood is based on us being able to slip in and out of being someone else. I hadn’t really considered making public Skye a different character than private Skye, silly as that sounds. Being able to compartmentalize this will definitely make things easier.
“It does. Fake Skye loves long walks on the beach and breakfast in bed on mornings after,” I say, going full cliche in this character study. “She sings at the top of her lungs in the shower, and you record it sometimes and post it on Instagram to embarrass her.”
“That sounds like something Fake River would do. He tries to make you breakfast in bed but always fails spectacularly, then runs out and gets bacon and waffles from a brunch spot downtown. You pretend like you don’t know that’s what he’s doing.”
“Wow, I love that for us. We sound like a cute fake couple.”
He laughs. “We do.”
“We’ll really sell it.”
“We will,” he replies with a smile.
We talk for a little while longer, and I reveal my secret love for video games. He makes me show him my collection, and we play a few very competitive rounds of golf before I pull out this pre-release racing game a friend sent over. He beats my ass in every race but one, and I’m kind of suspect that he let me win that one. We take Gigi on a short walk, and he tells me about the time he tore his ACL when he fell off a motorcycle during filming.
He stays until the early morning hours, and when it’s time for him to go, I’m actually sad to see him leave. We talk in my driveway a little longer, and before he gets in his truck, he wraps me up in a tight hug.
It feels like exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Chapter Five
I’m so busy on the day of the premiere that I don’t have time to get too worried about what’s going to happen on the red carpet tonight. In a way this day-long preparation has always been a blessing to me, because I tend to get in my head too much and having something else to focus on helps me to not be worked up to eleven when it’s time to leave the house.
My hair and makeup people fuss over me, and my stylist’s favorite seamstress spends a good hour doing last-minute alterations on this gold and black embroidered dress that we picked out for me to wear. Once everyone leaves, I take a moment to really appreciate the work that they’ve done.
My waves are pushed back in a messy bun, and my strappy, flirty heels are the most comfortable ones I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting on my feet. My makeup is perfect in that way that it only ever is when I pay someone to do it. I’m ready to take on the world, and I feel like tonight’s gonna be a great night.
Kendall took Gigi for the night so that I didn’t have to worry about her getting underfoot, so the only warning I have that the limo has pulled up out front is the doorbell. I fuss with my hair a little more, then open the front door to see River looking jaw-droppingly handsome in a suit that looks like it was tailor-made for him. His tie has an intricate design on it that matches the one on my dress so perfectly that I can only assume Keith and Claudia put our stylists in touch with each other.
I haven’t seen him since the other night, but we have spoken on the phone and texted each other. Still, seeing him in person gives me this weird sense of relief, like some off-kilter part of my life has shifted into place.
“Wow,” he says. “You…you’re stunning. Gorgeous.” He takes a step forward and presses a kiss on my cheek. His stubble is deliciously scratchy, and I fight the urge to grab hold of his tie and hold him here for just a little longer because his warmth feels nice and he smells amazing.
“Thank you. You look great yourself,” I compliment him, reaching up and brushing some non-existent lint off of his lapel. Because I can’t help myself, I also straighten his already straight tie. I’m glad he took the initiative to dress up, because you never know about men when it comes to movie premieres. They show up dressed to the nines or looking like slobs; rarely is there an in-between.
We smile at each other longer than is probably normal, until Claudia yells from the back of the limo that we’re going to be late.
I grab my purse off the table to my left and lock up. When I turn, River offers me his hand, and I take it.
“Remember, you like long walks on the beach and breakfast in bed on mornings after,” he says, smiling at me, reminding me of the roles that we’re supposed to be playing.
“And you try to make me that breakfast in bed and fail so spectacularly that you have to go pick up bacon and waffles from a bunch spot downtown.”
He opens the door for me, and I slide in first, taking a seat across from Claudia and Keith.
“You guys look great,” Claudia says, looking up from something she’s doing on her phone. “The cameras are gonna love you.”
I look over at River, who offers me his best encouraging smile, and off we go.
“Remember,” Claudia says as we pull up outside the theater. “Act natural. Love each other, love the cameras,
