Saddle up.

Chapter 13

As Jack walked Marcia over to meet me, I set my empty glass down and tried hard not to fidget. But I was a fidgeter from way back. Even Jack had noticed it, and he knew when I was nervous.

Upon arrival, he immediately took my hand and squeezed it. “Don’t fidget, Crazy. You look beautiful,” he whispered.

I smiled at him and turned to Marcia. She was still smiling brightly at me.

“Marcia, this is Grace,” he said, and my heart actually stopped when I heard him say her name. At one point he’d probably said it the way he said mine.

“Grace, I’m so happy to finally meet you. He talks about you all the time,” she said, and leaned into kiss both my cheeks.

Ah, shit. I don’t want to like this bitch.

Jack smiled. He was enjoying this.

I kissed her back and smiled.

“Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you recently as well,” I said, and she blushed a little.

“I know. Can you believe the rumors that get started?” she said.

Jack smirked as if to say “I told you so.” I gave him a sharp look, and he just rolled his eyes.

“I need to talk to you,” I whispered in a low voice, trying to convey urgency. I needed to tell him what had happened with the photographer.

“Oh, I already know what you want to talk about. That was the topic of conversation on the carpet out there,” he whispered back, arching an eyebrow and staring down at me.

“I don’t know what happened. I was just trying to get inside and—” I started, then Marcia interrupted me.

“Your dress is beautiful. Where’d your stylist find it?” she asked.

“Oh, I, uh, I found it myself. Bergdorf’s. New York. No stylist,” I stammered. This child was freaking me out, and I hated that. I wished I had another drink.

“Oh, that’s right. How are you enjoying Manhattan? It’s a wonderful place to live, isn’t it? Are you planning to sell your house here?” she asked, locking eyes with me.

Hmmm. She knew an awful lot about my plans.

“I don’t know yet what I’m going to do. It all depends on what happens with the show, doesn’t it, Sweet Nuts?” I asked, leaning further into his arm as he wrapped it around my waist.

“Sweet Nuts?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Private joke,” I said, kissing on Jack’s neck.

With radar as good as the military, Holly swooped in just at that moment and took Jack’s arm. “I need you for a few minutes before the film starts,” she said to Jack. “Come with me please? Ladies,” she said in parting, shooting me the hairy eyeball.

“Ladies, I’ll see you in there,” Jack echoed. “Grace, we’ll talk about this later. Don’t worry,” he said. He tried to lean to in to kiss me, but Holly Go-Cockblocker was right there.

“Please,” she said and pulled him away with a furious glance at me.

“I’m sorry,” I mouthed, then realized I was alone with Marcia.

“So,” I started, and she looked at me expectantly.

But the universe was kind and sent me an angel. I felt giant paw-like hands wrap around my waist and lift me into the air.

“I wondered if you’d make it back for this circus,” a sexy voice purred, and I turned to look into a pair of ice-blue eyes.

“Lane!” I cried and gave him a big hug.

“Fuck, you look hot, Grace,” he said, stepping back to give me the onceover.

“Thank you, dear. And you are always pretty.” I laughed.

Just then Lane noticed who I was standing with, and he choked back a laugh. “Well, this looks interesting. What’s the topic of conversation, girls?”

We laughed a little uncomfortably, and then Marcia spoke up. “You know, everyone expects we wouldn’t get along simply because of a media-created story, but I can tell I like you already, Grace.” She smiled warmly.

Again with the warmly.

And how the hell did all these twenty-somethings get so damn mature? When I was her age I was struggling with college math and trying to figure out how to buy a new Jeep Wrangler. They were like mini adults.

Lane burped.

Thank Christ. Now I smiled warmly.

“Marcia, I’m sure once we get to know each other we’ll get along just fine. Now I’m going to find my date—a g*y man since I can’t be seen in public with my real boyfriend. I should leave before someone takes our picture and writes a story about you with an unidentified redhead,” I said with a wicked grin.

“Ah, good idea. It was wonderful to meet you, Grace. You’re just as pretty as he said you were.” With a smile and a graceful turn, Marcia walked back through the crowd. Not a hair out of place, not a wrinkle on her dress.

I really didn’t want to like her, but I knew I would.

“Lane, Lane, Lane.” I sighed and leaned back against him. I motioned to the bartender for another.

“We gettin’ shitty tonight, Sheridan?” he asked, winking devilishly at me.

“Lane, I’m a grown-ass woman with a mortgage and a huge Bergdorf’s bill. I don’t get ‘shitty.’ But I am getting knee-walkin’ drunk.” I lifted my glass toward him. “You in?”

“Shall we drink to your newly outed relationship?”

“How the hell do you know about that?” I asked, eyes going all buggy.

“That’s all anyone is talking about out there. Three reporters asked me if I knew about you, and how long Jack had been with the older redhead,” he said.

“Great. I went from unidentified redhead to older redhead.”

Next thing you know you’ll be portly pepperpot redhead.

Shut it.

I sipped my drink and looked expectantly at him.

“Hell, yes. Let’s get it on!” He laughed and asked for a shot.

We joked and talked as he attempted to calm me down. He felt certain this would totally blow over.

“So, where’s that hottie friend of yours—Holly?” he asked.

Again with the freaking radar, Holly instantly appeared at my side, taking notice of my third cocktail. What she didn’t know was it was my third just since getting here.

“Breaking the two-drink rule tonight, are we?” she asked, then ordered for one herself.

“Holly, how are you?” Lane asked.

Holly’s eyes went wide as she noticed my drinking buddy. “Lane. Nice to see you again. I’m well, thank you. And you?” Her voice seemed a little quivery.

What the hell?

“I’m great. Nice shoes,” he murmured, looking down at her red heels. She blushed all the way to the roots of her hair, then turned back to me.

“Listen, Jack saved seats for you and Nick right behind him and his dad. You should go in before they do, though, so you aren’t walking in together. We’ll continue to deny this as long as we can, although you giving your name to the paparazzi was not too smart,” she admonished.

“I didn’t mean—” I started, but she shushed me.

“Let’s not talk about it tonight. We’ll play this off. I just need to think about how,” she said.

“Where are you sitting, Holly?” Lane asked.

“I’m sitting with my client,” she said and turned back to me. “Scoot. Nick’s waiting for you.” She gave me a little push.

I drained the rest from my glass and set it on the bar. I was starting to feel a little unsteady on my feet, but I kept it together—in exactly the way someone who’s been drinking thinks they’re fooling everyone. I heard Lane say something to Holly in a low voice, then Holly shot back, “Later!” But I couldn’t miss the excited flush to her skin when she said it.

This was a weird night.

I circled the room looking for Nick and found myself semi-hidden behind a potted palm. I noticed a well-dressed older man talking with Marcia, and as I heard his accent I realized he was likely Jack’s father. He was tall and very distinguished, and I caught a glimpse of Jack in thirty years or so. Classy. And here I was hiding behind a potted palm—again.

Jesus, could I get any more After School Special?

Nope.

He definitely knew Marcia, though. They were having quite a chat.

I totally listened. Their talk wasn’t so small.

“I like her. I think she’s good for him,” Marcia said. My chest burned.

“She is lovely, but I do wish he’d mentioned how much older she was.”

“Well, Jack’s kind of an old soul, and she seems to have a positive effect on him. I haven’t seen him this happy in a while,” Marcia said, suddenly my biggest fan.

I was an asshole…

“You haven’t met her yet?” Marcia continued, leaning in.

“No, not yet. I thought Jack might introduce her last night, but at the last minute he canceled our dinner and decided to eat with her instead. I suppose I’ll meet her later. I wonder if Jack will make it through the film, though. You know how he feels about watching himself onscreen.”

They both laughed.

I headed for the theater before I could hear anything else about me being an old bag, and I finally spied Nick by the door.

“Where the hell have you been? Holly’s ready to have a cow,” he said, hands on hips.

“Oh, would you settle down, please?” I said, listing slightly.

“Grace, you’re drunk,” he said, sniffing me.

Very nearly.

“No, no. But I am pleasantly lit, so back the f**k up, pretty boy,” I said, loudly enough to attract the attention of a few people walking in to take their seats.

“Oookay, let’s get you inside,” he said and took my arm.

We went down almost to the front, then slipped into the second row. I saw Rebecca talking to the director and waved exuberantly. She smiled and waved back, then whispered to him. I could tell she said the word “girlfriend,” and they turned to look at me.

Ah, well.

I saw Jack enter the theater with his father and Holly, and they all walked down to the front row. He winked at me as he passed and gestured me over. Nick helped me out of my chair, and I leaned across the back of the front row.

Jack stopped in front of me and went through the introductions with his father. This was now officially the most fucked-up night of my life. I was meeting my twenty-four-year-old boyfriend’s father at the Hollywood premiere of a movie in which he had the starring role. And I was also well on my way to public intoxication.

“So, I finally get to meet the mysterious Grace who has my son so thoroughly charmed,” Jack’s father said as he reached for my hand, which he quickly brought to his lips.

I was the one thoroughly charmed. “And I get to meet the man from whom Jack obviously got his good looks. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to meet you, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Alex. You must call me Alex. I must be on a first-name basis with any woman who has swept my son off his feet the way you have, yes? Although I dare say that if I’d met you first, my son would have had a little competition.” He chuckled, and Jack rolled his eyes.

“Well, Alex, I dare say that I’ve always had a thing for older men, especially those from across the pond,” I bantered back. Jack’s father was still holding my hand.

“Well, there’s something to be said for those of us who have a little more life experience, isn’t there? Something Jack will no doubt learn as he gets a little older as well.” He smiled again and released my hand to slap Jack on the back.

I might be more than a little tipsy, but I could still small talk with the best of them. At least, as far as I knew. According to my internal drunk-o-meter, I was cool as a cucumber and not at all showing the effects of my numerous cocktails. No effects at all…

The three of us chatted warmly for a few more minutes until the director headed up to the stage to make a little speech before the movie began. I accepted a kiss on the cheek from Alex before returning to my seat in the second row, behind Jack. He turned and leaned in just as I was about to sit down.

“I got this for you. I know you like a little snack while you watch a movie.” He smiled and handed me a box of Milk Duds.

“Candy!” I exclaimed, ripping the box out of his hands with a little too much enthusiasm. I heard Nick sigh next to me as I tried to open the box. Then Jack offered to help me.

“I got it, I got it!” I insisted. I finally wrenched the top off and spilled Milk Duds all over the place. I smiled to everyone sitting around us. “Sorry, I just thought you might all like some candy,” I joked, finding myself hilarious.

“Funny, I thought Grace never shared candy,” Jack said, looking at me more carefully.

“Nope, I just don’t share candy with you.” I laughed back loudly, and Holly turned from talking to Jack’s father.

“What the fuck?” she mouthed at me, and I dropped into my chair.

I saw her and Nick exchange glances, and that pissed me off. I wasn’t going to be handled. I started to stand up and say something to Holly to that very effect when the lights dimmed. The film was about to start.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked.

“Fine, love. I’m fine,” I said, shoving a Milk Dud in my mouth.

He glanced at Nick as well, and now I was really starting to get pissed. He sat down, directly in front of me.

I was sitting behind my boyfriend on the biggest night of his life. I couldn’t even hold his hand, whisper to him, or give him a congratulatory kiss—although apparently the entire entertainment news community now knew Jack Hamilton had a granny fetish.

I sighed loudly and slipped my shoes off.

Nick leaned over and whispered, “Are you sure you’re okay?”