Nino waved him over. “Hey, Ash. You coming to the summit tonight?”

Ashton shot Jasmine a puzzled look. “What summit?”

“The Latinx in the Arts Summit,” she told him. “It’s a new group, and they’re having their first big event tonight.”

“The three of us are being honored together as part of their ‘30 Under 30’ in the performing arts category,” Lily explained.

“I’m technically already thirty,” Jasmine admitted. “Do you think they’ll drag me off the stage if they find out?”

“It’s okay, vieja,” Lily said with a grin. “If we average all three of our ages, we come out somewhere in our late twenties.”

“Thanks to me,” Nino scoffed. “So, Ash, you want to come with us? We have VIP tickets, which means open bar!”

Jasmine caught Ashton’s eye. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want,” she said quietly. “I know it’s not really your thing.”

It wasn’t his thing at all, but supporting Jasmine had quickly become his thing. And in his view, you showed support by showing up, like his parents had done all those years for him.

“Sure, I’ll go,” he said.

“Really?” Jasmine’s eyes went round.

“Awesome.” Nino grinned. “I’m bringing my mom, and she can’t wait to meet you. She loved El duque de amor.”

A sinking feeling dragged at Ashton’s stomach, like a premonition, but it was just anxiety. Then he saw Jasmine’s grateful smile, and knew he could endure the discomfort for her happiness.

The summit was held at an event space near Hudson Yards. After they were done shooting for the day, they all went back to the Hutton Court to change, and Ashton shared a taxi cross-town with Jasmine.

“I’m surprised you’re not bringing anyone from your family,” he said, lacing his fingers with hers on the seat between them and relishing in the private moment where he could touch her without worrying.

She shrugged and gazed out the window at the city passing by. “It was late notice. Ava’s babysitting and Michelle is working on a big design project.”

“What about your parents, or your brother or sister?”

She turned back to him with an incredulous laugh. “Are you kidding me? It would just stress me out to have any of them there.”

He didn’t say anything, but he hoped he got to meet her parents someday, so he could tell them how amazing their daughter was. They were missing out on knowing her.

“I appreciate that you’re coming with me, especially since you don’t like big events.” She squeezed his hand. “I would have asked, you know. But I didn’t want to put you on the spot.”

Ashton brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “You still could have asked.”

The look in her eyes was so hopeful, it made his chest ache. “Now I know.”

As the car pulled up near the event space, Ashton released her hand. They’d agreed to keep this—whatever it was—secret. Ashton didn’t know how long they could keep it up, but he couldn’t deny that he was feeling lighter and happier than he had in a long time. He entered the summit at Jasmine’s side, riding a wave of optimism.

It took less than an hour to bring him back down to reality.

He hated events like this.

The crush of people was packed into an open space, hemmed in by a stage at one end and a bar at the other. The format was loose—more party than conference—and Ashton felt completely exposed and far too easily recognized. Everywhere he turned, someone saw his face and gasped, and then he had to make nice and pose for pictures until he could politely get away. Then someone else recognized him, and he had to do the whole thing all over.

He drank three gin and tonics during the first hour in an attempt to calm his nerves, but he was still ready to climb out a window. The party was on the ground floor, so it would probably work. Then he could hail a taxi, go back to the hotel, and—

Someone grabbed his elbow and he jumped, nearly spilling his fourth G&T. It was Tanya Onai, the ScreenFlix publicist assigned to Carmen. She was a pretty young woman, tall with dark brown skin and long box braids.

She was also the one with the power to make him do interviews, so he’d studiously avoided her thus far. But now she had him cornered.

He sipped his drink to clear his throat, then muttered a hello.

Tanya released his arm and gave him a bland smile. “You look like you’re planning an escape.”

“That obvious?”

She shook her head at him, sending her braids sliding over her shoulders. “I have a sense for when my actors are about to make a run for it. Also, you’re getting drunk in a corner, staring longingly at the windows. Yes, it’s obvious.”

He set the drink aside, because she was right, and mumbled, “I don’t like big crowds.”

“They’ll be on stage soon,” she promised. “Stick it out a little longer. We’ll clap, take some pictures, and then all of us can go home and start our weekends.”

He nodded and accepted the carton of water she handed him. It was fine. He’d done this before, and he’d have to do it again. He was okay.

But that didn’t stop him from looking over his shoulder or feeling better when his back was to the wall.

The best moment of the night was when Jasmine, Lily, and Nino were on stage. They were interviewed as a group by a Mexican American poet, who asked great questions about the ways personal identity and cultural history played into creative work.

Ashton nearly burst with pride every time Jasmine spoke. She captivated the audience in a way that had nothing to do with being an actor and everything to do with being her. Her smile, her humor, and her ability to share vulnerably had the room hanging on her every word.

Lily and Nino also shared moving stories about their own paths to becoming actors, about the struggles and triumphs, and Ashton felt honored to be working on Carmen with them too.

He clapped loudly at the end of their segment, but was interrupted by someone asking for a photo.

“Stop scowling,” Tanya murmured when the person walked away. “Can’t you at least act like you’re enjoying yourself? You might as well get used to it. You have a press tour coming up. ScreenFlix wants to send you and Jasmine everywhere to drum up interest in the show.”

Ashton attempted to relax his facial muscles. “Double-check my contract. I think you’ll see there are limitations to the amount of press work I’m required to do.”

Tanya’s amused grin was as sharp as a blade. “We’ll see about that.”

Ominous. But Ashton didn’t have a chance to dwell on it, since Jasmine, Nino, and Lily were leaving the stage and coming over to join them.

Jasmine took one look at his face and feigned a yawn. Ashton knew it was fake, because when she yawned for real, it was nowhere near as dainty.

“I’m super tired,” she told the others. “I think I’ll go back to the hotel.”

Ashton narrowed his eyes and gave a barely perceptible shake of his head. He knew what she was doing, and he wouldn’t let her leave early on his account.

Even though all he wanted to do was leave. And the thought of cuddling with her before heading back to his own room held a lot of appeal.