Page 55 of The Starlet

One Year Later

Bradleyand I have been living together for the past year. After about two months, he sold his place and moved in permanently. He’s been out of state filming a new Western movie, and he flew in today for the premiere ofKeep Her Safe.

We have exactly twenty minutes to spend time together, and that equates to him eating me until I come then fucking me over the couch until we come together. All while I’m in my gown for the evening.

“You look gorgeous,” Brad says, his eyes twinkling.

I flatten out a few wrinkles from my dress. I’m in a long blush, chiffon dress with a strapless, beaded bodice and sweetheart neckline. “You’re just lucky you didn’t ruin my hair or makeup. The studio would kill me if I showed up to the premiere disheveled. What would they think?”

“That you had the best fucking of your life?” he quips as he zippers his suit pants again.

I pick my panties up off the floor, and he tsks at me, holding his hand out. One corner of my lips turns up, and I hand them over. He proceeds to stuff them in his pocket and smiles.

“You’re going to carry those with you tonight?” I cross my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow in his direction.

“Consider it foreplay. You’ll be thinking of it all night, and it will drive you crazy.”

I look around the room for my purse but don’t see it. I walk into the bedroom as the doorbell rings. It must be the driver. Brad answers the door, and I hear him say it will be another minute.

Where the hell did I put that thing?

I open the door to the closet and pick Brad’s clothes up off the chair in search of the dreaded thing. A small box falls out of his pocket, and I pause. It’s hard to misconstrue a small black velvet box for anything else but a ring. My heart beats out of control as I bend to pick up the item.

Put it back. Don’t open it.

“Babe, we’ve gotta go. What did you forget?” he calls from the living room.

I notice my purse on the chair and pick it up, placing it under my arm. The box is staring at me like a giant neon sign that says“open me!”One peak can’t hurt anyone.

I close my eyes, grasp the box in my hand, and flip the top back as my heart beats out of control. I peek through one eye, my breath caught in my throat as I see a big, fat nothing.What the hell?

“Elena, come on,” he calls again. I put the box back in his pants and hurry out of the room.Don’t say anything and he’ll never know. I put a smile on, pushing the empty box to the back of my mind, and we’re whisked away to the movie premiere.

I look up toward the theater and spot Caleb and Quinn. Both of them are in the middle of interviews. She tries to stand behind him and out of view of the camera, but Caleb won’t allow it. He puts his arm around her waist and holds her close. The three-carat solitaire diamond ring on her left hand dances under the flashing lights. Of course, I’m sure that’s the talk of tonight.

I’m so happy for the two of them. Quinn is exactly the type of woman Caleb needs, and I’m excited for their wedding next year. When they came over the night after he proposed, she couldn’t stop beaming.

He took her to Boston for a long weekend and popped the question during a game at Fenway Park. Right as she said yes, the Red Sox hit a home run, and the crowd went crazy. She told me she knows it’s because they won the game, but she couldn’t help feeling some of the hoopla was for her and Caleb. Apparently, he’d been threatening to do it for months. She turned him down every time he brought it up, but she admitted she wanted to say yes each time. Just like Quinn to keep him on his toes.

She looks out over the crowd and spots us. I give her a wave, and she whispers in Caleb’s ear, pointing in our direction. His eyes light up, and he cocks his head toward the theater. I know we’ll catch up in there, so I nod and continue making my way through the interviews and photographs. Bradley takes my hand, and I smile up at him.

It’s public news we’re dating, so we don’t have to worry about hiding anything anymore. I love how I can gush over my boyfriend in public now. We are one of the lucky couples in Hollywood. Each of us has lived through some traumatic experiences that we can relate to one another. He keeps me safe and sane, and I know I do the same for him.

“Hey, man, how’s it going?” Tait slaps Brad on the shoulder and squeezes him in a friendly gesture.

Brad smiles and raises his hand for the typical bro handshake. Sam stands a few feet to the side, allowing them to have their moment together for the cameras. He turns his head and extends his hand for her. She slips hers in, and he brings it up to his lips for a kiss. These two are so sweet in front of the cameras. He’s so different than he used to be.

“Hi, Sam, you look lovely tonight. Great to see you again,” I say as we hug one another.

She returns the compliment, and we talk about upcoming projects for her. Tait has really tried to thrust her into the spotlight, and it seems to be working. Sam has been working with Alfonso Rivera, one of the most sought-after directors right now, and her directing debut will be out in theaters in the next six months.

They seemed to have a rocky beginning, but Sam has been good for Tait. Even he and Caleb are getting along, and I never thought I’d see that day. Looks like Tait needed someone to pull on his reins. I know he wants to ask her to marry him, but he wants to wait for her movie to come out first. He still talks with Quinn on a regular basis, and she couldn’t contain her excitement and had to tell me.

We finish with the press, all of us cast members pose for a few group shots, and then we’re free to leave the red carpet. We six find solace in the theater, waiting for the movie to begin.

Brad leans over in his seat and whispers in my ear, “If you can be a good girl through this movie, I have a surprise for you when we get home.”

“You can’t tease me like that, Brad! Now, my mind will be focused on a surprise and you calling me a good girl. You know what that does to me,” I whisper yell back.