The Redhead Plays Her Hand Page 21

  “Can’t wait to see you on that stage, Grace. You look stunning,” he replied, kissing me square on the lips.

  “She’s gonna kill you.” I laughed as Holly came running over.

  “Ack! You smudged her lipstick! And you, with a big kiss mark on your cheek? It’s like you people have no idea what I’m trying to do here.” She fussed over both of us, surprising Jack when she licked her fingers and started rubbing his face.

  “Ew!” he exclaimed.

  Laughing out loud, I let Michael lead me away from the room and down to the limo.

  Which is where I now sat, moments away from walking the red carpet with my very good friend, who had written something so amazing it actually led to my being here. This was as much an acknowledgment for him and his work as it was for me.

  My phone buzzed again, another text from Jack.

  Not nervous. Just wish it was later tonight. When I have you all to myself again.

  My tummy whooshed, going silly once more at his devil words. If the world only knew—seconds before stepping out on a red carpet—the dirty texts that were flying back and forth.

  My face grew hot, and I glanced up at Michael, who was texting as well.

  “Holly?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Yep. They just got here, probably twenty cars behind us in line.” He put his phone away and inclined his head toward the car door. “Looks like it’s our turn.”

  I took a deep breath, or as deep as I could in my green skin suit, as he opened the door. Stepping out first, he turned to take my hand and help me out of the car as the sounds of the crowd broke over me.

  Wow.

  A smile I didn’t have to fake spread across my face as I looked down the red runner that cut through the beautiful chaos. As my dress swirled around me, caught in a sudden breeze, I saw flashbulbs pop everywhere. Me! They were taking pictures of me.

  I could hear my name being called from all directions, and I turned to see the stands of fans, people who had come to watch and cheer on their favorite stars. They said my name! They were screaming for me, for me.

  I felt the energy wash over me, tugging from all directions. It was heady. Feeling Michael’s hand at my back, friendly and grounding, I willed myself forward and we made our way through the crowd. I smiled at faces I recognized—faces I realized I recognized only because they were famous! Holy shit! Everywhere I looked I saw someone I knew. Either I grew up with them on television, or I watched them on my favorite shows now.

  I took Michael’s arm, squeezing it, trying to keep my face in check and resisting the wild urge I had to jump up and down, dance and twirl and shout, “Christ on a crutch, how is this my life?”

  He totally seemed to get it, and he squeezed back, enjoying this moment with me, totally on the same wavelength. I think we handled it well. We mingled and met, stopping periodically for pictures with some of the biggest names in entertainment.

  Handlers ushered me on to the step and repeat to pose for pictures. I stood there, the light from hundreds of cameras popping and snapping from every direction, and relished in the feel of silk whispering against my skin. I felt good, I looked pretty, and I was out of my mind happy.

  Once I took my turn, I stepped back into line with Michael, who accompanied me farther down the red carpet. It was like a sparkly but well-oiled machine, with reporters and cameramen lined up and waiting to talk to everyone as they made their way inside.

  Taking a deep breath, I stepped up to the first reporter.

  “Grace Sheridan, so nice to see you tonight!” she oozed. “You look fabulous. Who are you wearing?”

  I smiled and nodded and played the game. I answered questions about my dress, my jewelry, the weather, who I was excited to see tonight, what award I was presenting, what was coming up on the next season of Mabel’s Unstable?, who I was here with. Who was I here with? That was the question they asked as craftily as possible. One even went as far as to ask, “We see that Jack Hamilton is also presenting tonight. Anything you want to say about that?”

  I smiled big, showing my teeth. “I’m excited to see all the stars here tonight. The more the merrier.”

  I was getting really good at this.

  Michael moved with me down the line, some reporters asking him a few questions when they realized he was the writer behind Mabel’s Unstable? We were almost done when he stepped away from me to take a call. One last reporter in the line, and then I was free and clear to head inside. But just as I stepped in front of her, I heard the crowd roar louder than they had all night. I turned around and saw him.

  In front of his limo, there was Jack Hamilton. He waved to the crowd, and the orchestrated chaos became like a sonic boom. Girls screamed and yelled, bounced and shimmied, and those who had signs for him waved them frantically. He laughed, and the photographers went ballistic, flashes popping as he sauntered over to sign some autographs. Alone.

  No Holly.

  I turned to where Michael had gone, and when I caught his eye, I raised my eyebrow. He came back to my side, still on the phone.

  “Sweetie, it’s fine. No, really, it’s fine. They’ll be okay. It’s not like you have any control over it,” he said into the phone, then covered it to lean over to me. “She got sick in the limo right before they pulled up, so she had to stay in the car.”

  “Oh no. Is she okay?” I said, wrinkling my nose at the thought. Getting sick in a formal dress? I bet she was not very comfortable.

  “She’s fine. She’s more pissed than anything, but what are you gonna do? Leave it to my girl to get morning sickness only in the afternoon.” He grinned and returned to his phone conversation with Holly. “Yep, there are saltines in your purse. I put them in there just in case . . .”

  If you were watching at home that night, here’s what my interview sounded like, seventeen seconds after getting this news:

  “We’ve got Grace Sheridan here with us tonight, star of the new hit Mabel’s Unstable? Grace, how are you?”

  “Um, what?”

  “Grace, how are you tonight? You look great. Excited to be here?”

  “Excited? Wait, what?”

  “Um, yes, well, you look excited. Overwhelmed even a bit, maybe? Happens to the best of us, right? So, who designed your dress?”

  “What? Oh, they’re from Van Cleef and Arpels.”

  “Okay, that was Grace Sheridan. Go ahead and head on inside. Grace Sheridan, everybody!”

  I stumbled off the pedestal and back over to Michael, where he was just hanging up the phone. “Holly’s pregnant?” I asked. My mouth was still hanging open, so it came out in a slur.

  He stopped in his tracks. “Dammit, I thought she told you! She told me she was going to tell you. Oh, I’m dead.” He shook his head as a giant grin split his sweet face in two.

  I could feel tears burning as a lump formed in my throat. “She’s going to have a baby?” I could feel my own grin springing up. A baby?

  “Well, yeah, we are.” He nodded. Proud papa already.

  Oh my. Before I could say anything else, a woman with a clipboard approached and began ushering me toward the entrance. “This way, Ms. Sheridan.”

  A baby. And look how happy Michael was. He was with the one he loved.

  The world narrowed, focused down. The crowd quieted to a dull roar in my ears. I saw Michael’s face, still smiling. I saw the woman with the clipboard waving me forward. But I spun, catching sight of Jack at the other end of the red carpet. There were countless people between us: handlers, stars, reporters, cameramen, awards-show staff with their clipboards, but through them all, I could see Jack.

  With a reporter. He was only in profile, but I could see him. His jaw was clenched, and he was running his hand through his hair repeatedly, worrying it. He looked flushed, on edge.

  Holly wasn’t with him. No one was running interference.

  The reporter leaned in, a vapid grin on her face. Her body language was predatory, eager. Every reporter after her was also looking at him, jockeying for p
osition. Jack moved on to the next stop, smiling nervously, but almost immediately he looked defensive again. He crossed his arms over his chest and rubbed at his face.

  What the hell were they asking him? He looked miserable.

  I looked back at Michael, glowing at having let the cat out of the bag, happiness oozing out of every pore. The look on his face was every bit as dazzling as all the borrowed bling on this red carpet. I looked back to Jack, unglued and under attack.

  I took off, my feet carrying me as fast as they could move in my fancy shoes, dodging famous faces and hungry hangers-on. I could see photographers take notice, and several began moving along with me as I got closer. I was close enough to hear the reporter ask, “So, Jack, we’ve heard about the drinking, the gambling, the wild nights out on the town, and now you’ve been hit with numerous lawsuits. What’s going on? What can you tell us?”

  Just as he flinched, his entire posture tightening as he fought between fight and flight, I reached his side. I placed my hand on his shoulder, then ran it down his arm. As I reaching the crook of his elbow, I turned him toward me ever so slightly. When he realized it was me, his eyes widened, eyebrows raising in surprise. Taking the opportunity, I slid my hand farther down his arm to thread my fingers with his, and I grasped his hand firmly. Dropping my gaze from his for only a second, I smiled at the reporter. She seemed to be just now realizing who I was and what she’d gotten on tape.

  Stifling a laugh, I looked back at Jack, who was now biting down on his lower lip, his entire face lit up. I winked at him, tugged on his hand, and led him away.

  We walked down the red carpet together, and the fans in the stands lost their minds. As the cameras whirled and photographers almost fell over one another, I looked up at him, grinning as he relaxed and squeezed my hand. We stopped in front and let the press get their shot.

  “Grace! Jack! Jack and Grace, look over here! Over here!”

  For three solid minutes, I saw nothing but flashes—except when I looked to my left and saw Jack. And each time we looked at each other and smiled, the photographers went even more crazy. Their shouts growing even more frenzied. I laughed as Jack tucked me in to his side. The smile on his face bloomed even wider as his arm went around my waist. In public.

  He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Do you have any idea what you just did, Crazy?”

  I grinned as he brushed a curl behind my ear. “Pretty quick thinking for a girl who isn’t even wearing panties.”

  The shot on the cover of almost every magazine for the next week was me laughing, with Jack’s mouth hanging wide open.

  twenty one

  Entertainment Tonight

  The stars were out in Hollywood last night at the annual Emmy Awards show, but it was one couple in particular who stole the night. Perennial are-they-or-aren’t-they couple, megastar Jack Hamilton and newcomer television actress Grace Sheridan, silenced all questions about the status of their relationship last night when they walked the red carpet together, surprising everyone as they acknowledged themselves as a couple for the first time anywhere.

  So how did this happen? Let’s break this down for you.

  Grace arrived before Jack, walking the carpet with Michael O’Connell, the head writer and creator of her hit TV show Mabel’s Unstable?, which is now in production on its second season. Scheduled to present an award, the seating chart showed Grace sitting several rows behind Jack, who was also scheduled to present. On an earlier broadcast we were able to show you where he would be sitting, which was to be in the front row next to his manager, Holly Newman, who happens to be Grace Sheridan’s manager as well.

  Cut to last night when Jack Hamilton arrived just before the show began. Speculation had been that he would do just that—arrive close to the beginning of the show so he could skip most of the press line, avoiding questions about his recent legal troubles. But when he arrived, he arrived solo, signed a few autographs, and was ushered into the press line.

  And shortly after that is when Grace suddenly appeared at his side and the two of them posed for pictures. Holding hands, whispering to each other, after that moment the two appeared to be very much a couple. They smiled for photographers as they walked inside, and Grace sat next to Jack in the front row for the entire show.

  Even as the show began, the couple remained the topic on everyone’s lips. The evening’s host even remarked that it was great to see Jack back out on the town, and with such a sexy redhead. The two each presented an award and stayed close together the entire evening. The pair were later spotted heading into an after-party accompanied by O’Connell and their shared manager, Holly Newman, who turned heads of her own by wearing a white oxford over what appeared to be a designer red sequined gown.

  So, ladies, your Super Sexy Scientist Guy seems to be spoken for . . . what say you?

  Hamiltoned.com

  He’s back! He’s back! He’s back! After being out of the limelight and off the radar for weeks now, last night we got to see our favorite boy, Jack Hamilton, and even got to see him being sweet with his now finally confirmed girlfriend, Grace Sheridan.

  Jack looked amazing in a black suit and black tie. He’s still handsome as ever. He can never go away for that long again! And even hotter was his arm around Grace. We think we got a shot where you can see him alllmost touch her butt! OMG!

  We love . . .

  JackedOff.com

  Once again, Grace Sheridan has made sure she is all over our boy, just when he was trying to talk about what’s been going on! After being gone for, like, ever, our sexy Englishman showed up at the Emmys last night, and that cow made it all about her, again!

  She was all over him, holding his hand, draping his arm around her. He looked so uncomfortable. You could totally tell he was just trying to be nice.

  Let it be known, now and forever, that we will never buy it. He could never love someone like her. And even if they are together, which we don’t believe for a second, it would never last. What could he possibly have in common with a woman so much older than him?

  Glad you’re back, Jacky boy, but lose the redhead. Seriously.

  Fashionwatch.com

  As you knew we would, we have your annual best and worst fashions from the Emmy Awards, and making her first appearance on this year’s Best Dressed list is actress Grace Sheridan. Sure, everyone was talking about who she was with, but we were just as interested in what she was wearing! Stunning in green silk, her curves slinked down the red carpet. Her hourglass figure is an inspiration.

  TMZ

  After stunning everyone at last month’s Emmy Awards, Jack Hamilton and Grace Sheridan have been spotted everywhere in Los Angeles, and we mean everywhere. Our cameras have captured them at Whole Foods, Fatburger, Century City Mall, the movie theater—they’ve been everywhere. Whether holding hands or snuggling over ice cream at Top of the Glen, the formerly shy couple suddenly has no problem showing their affection for each other.

  Jack is set to start work on the newest Time film on location in both Vancouver and Berlin, while Grace is wrapping up production on the second season of Mabel’s Unstable? here in L.A. We’ll see how long they can make it as a couple once they have to start traveling for work. Will they be a long-distance love?

  CurvyGirlGuide.com

  Starting this month, Grace Sheridan will be hosting monthly chats with readers of BodyChange magazine, a new magazine aimed at curvy women who want to live a healthier life. Bolstered by the interest in her own struggle, Grace has partnered with the magazine in an effort to illuminate the struggles women have with self-image, confidence, their sexuality, and everything else facing a modern woman. We couldn’t be happier to continue to support organizations who elevate the discussion about health in America and what healthy looks like.

  CelebTracker.com

  Adam Kasen was fired from the set of action movie Private Dick after weeks of tension between cast and crew. The production company said only “We needed to go in another direction.”

 
Once more I found myself on a beach, beside an ocean, without a top on.

  Laying back in the warm sand, I let my fingers sift through, centering down to the thin edge of a shell. I plucked it from the grains and examined it in the strong sunlight. It was swirled through with gray and iridescent pink and spiraled down in circles thin enough to see through. Over my shoulder, a shadow took shape on the sand.

  “You can’t take every shell home with you. I hardly have any room in my suitcase as it is with all the stuff you bought for the baby.”

  “Hey, that kid’s gonna need everything I bought,” I protested as he flopped down next to me.

  “You don’t think Holly’s going to buy everything under the sun for her? As soon as she found out it was a girl, there was nothing pink left in any baby store this side of Mulholland! Michael said it was like a pink explosion at their place.” He laughed.

  “Good point.” I grinned as he peeked under my big, floppy hat.

  Jack’s sun-freckled nose presented itself first, then those sweet lips. I kissed those very lips, and they kissed me back. I fell back onto the towel, pulling him with me. Sticky with sweat and salt, our skin stuck together, hot and twisted. Hungry lips met mine again and again, halting only when I heard a telltale motor.

  “They’re close,” I warned, reaching for my bikini top.

  “So was I,” he sighed, reluctantly tying me up and hiding my boobies—from him and the cameras.

  On vacation again in the Seychelles, we learned quickly that things had changed since the last time we were here. We could no longer frolic naked on a beach in the Indian Ocean without a care in the world. Well, we could, but then my boobies would be splashed across every gossip rag in the Western world, and Jack wasn’t quite so ready to share them.

  Luckily, our island was isolated enough that they could only approach from the water, and we could hear them coming.