Page 143 of Blood Stone

Kate looked at them, alarmed. “Lightisan issue?” she whispered.

“Harsh, direct sunlight or its equivalent, yes,” Garrett murmured. He nodded his head toward the strobing, massive lights just ahead. “That could be.”

“We’ll handle what we can. Then we might have to bail, Kate. Don’t worry, we’ll make it look normal,” Roman said.

She bit her lip.

“Don’t,” Garrett told her, touching under her chin. “You’ll ruin your makeup. We’ll be fine.”

“Until you’re not.”

“Hey, we’ve survived this long,” Roman said. He picked up her hand. “Let’s do this.”

Garrett took her purse and handed her stole to Roman. He took her free hand in his. “Let’s really give them something to talk about.”

They moved slowly toward the sun-bright bathed section of the press gallery. Kate could feel her heart picking up speed and starting to slam around inside her chest. This part of the Hollywood tradition was never her favourite to begin with. Tonight was a thousand times worse.

But it was made infinitely better because of Garrett and Roman by her side. Sides.

She smiled at her own pathetically small joke and that was when a camera flashed in her face.

“Kate! Kate!”

She halted and turned to look into the lights, still smiling. It had begun.

Garrett and Roman stepped in close next to her. Neither of them let go of her hands.

The first few questions were routine. Who did her hair? Her make-up. Her dress. Where was her jewellery from? Who was she supporting tonight? She was pleased to be able to mention Elizabeth Bentley and her role in her movie and also to mention the role Elizabeth had taken in the television show that had snagged her the nomination tonight.

There were a few repeats of the basic questions as Kate drifted gently up the length of the gallery and for a moment, she thought they were going to get away without having to answer any point-blank personal questions.

“Kate! Is it true the Academy invited you and both your boyfriends on the same invitation?”

Her smile froze in place. Garrett’s hand tightened around hers.

“‘Boyfriend’ is such a juvenile world, don’t you think?” she shot back.

“You have a better word?”

“What’s wrong with ‘lover’?” she asked.

There was a stunned silence, where nothing but the sound of shutters and electronic whirring could be heard.

Kate glanced quickly from the corner of her eye at Roman. He was smiling hugely. He was enjoying himself, although his eyes were half-shut against the toxic light.

Another voice emerged from the wall of light. A female voice. “Kate, are you living with both your lovers? Are you, in fact, living in a ménage with them?”

“Who’s asking?” Kate asked. “I feel like I know the voice, but I can’t quite…”

“It’s Sue Myers, Kate.Hollywood Flipside.”

“Oh, hi, Sue. I can’t answer your question for the simple reason that I’ve been living in a trailer for the last ten weeks, while I’ve been filmingWarrior King. EvenIhaven’t been living with me. But if Iwasgoing to live in a ménage arrangement, I couldn’t think of two better men to do it with. Thanks, everyone.”

As the cameras fired off another staccato, she tugged Roman and Garrett into motion and moved the last few feet, out of the press gallery lights, into the cooler, shaded carpet area.

Roman and Garrett closed in around her, blinking and rubbing their eyes. “Not a moment too soon,” Roman murmured.

“I smell a rat,” Garrett said. “That Sue who tossed you that perfect opening. I’ve never heard of aHollywood Flipsideand I’ve been reading all the movie trades for weeks now.”