Page 111 of One Wrong Move

When the movie ends, everyone applauds. People rise, and I quickly do the same. I brush my palm over my cheek to wipe away the tear that slipped out during the conclusion. Elinor’s response to Edward at the end of the story always makes me emotional.

“You loved it,” Nate murmurs at my side.

I nod quickly. “Yes. They’d… they’d captured the essence so well. Cut some scenes of course, but they really got the two love stories down.”

There’s an after-party, held in an adjoining ballroom. The walls are beautifully ornate in a way that only old European buildings can be. Intricate chandeliers and soft candlelight set the room aglow, and the same smiling waiters come by, offering more refreshments. I spot a singer I regularly listen to during my workouts. And a director who made my mom’s favorite movie.

We’re chatting with a few other couples about the movie when Nate spots someone he knows and is drawn away. Even left on my own for a few minutes, I find myself enjoying the conversation with these fabulous unnamed people. I bask in all of it—the atmosphere, the company—and even as I’m doing it, I remind myself of what an incredible life I’m living. How happy I am to be here, in this city, and to have a friend as good as Nate.

How happy I am to be my own woman again.

“Oh, there you are,” one of the women addresses the newcomer to our group. My eyes widen when I see who it is. I try to hide my shock, but it’s hard, unexpectedly coming face-to-face with the world-renowned action movie star.

He’s not some B-lister. Not “sort of famous.” He’s literally one of the world’s biggest celebrities, and even if his movies aren’t to my personal taste, I still feel awestruck by suddenly seeing him in person.

And somehow he ends up standing right next to me.

Talking to me. Asking me what I do for a living.

“So you’re an art expert,” he says in a voice familiar to me from countless movies and commercials I’ve seen since I was a little girl. “Tell me about your favorite painting.”

The question makes me blink. What? But I do my best to answer, and he nods, listening to every word with a lazy smile on his lips. He looks older in person than he does on screen. Thinner, too, and shorter, just like the other actors here. It feels like I’m having an out of body experience.

He’s so close, I smell his aftershave.

“I’m shooting at Pinewood for a few months.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. We should meet up. I could show you around,” he says, and the wide smile gets even wider. His teeth are all perfectly even, and so white, they’re dazzling. I wonder if he has veneers, and the real teeth hidden behind the custom-made shells are filed to sharp vampire points.

“Uh, yeah. Maybe,” I say. “That might be fun.”

I give him my number in a daze, and then he’s off with another wide smile in my direction. I’m left with a glass of champagne and a feeling of what just happened? while watching Nate make his approach through the crowd. He looks tall and broad, just as I’ve always seen him, and not shrunken down like the others.

His eyebrows are drawn together. “Was that Austin Silver?”

“Yes.”

“Jeez.”

“Yeah, I know. He asked for my number, to hang out sometime,” I say with a laugh. The entire thing still feels surreal. “Can you imagine?”

Nate’s eyes sharpen. “He did what?”

“I think I just got hit on.” I shake my head while giggling. “Wow. I don’t know who he thinks he is, at his age… Well, to be fair, I know exactly who he is. And clearly he does, too.”

“You’re going out with Austin Silver?” Nate asks. His voice sounds tense.

I laugh. “Good God, no! Never. He’s ancient, and he’s my stepdad’s favorite actor. I saw his first action movie when I was… what? Nine? Absolutely not.”

Nate’s mouth softens into a reluctant smirk. “He’s ancient?”

“Yes.”

His voice becomes dangerous. “I believe he’s only seven years older than me.”

Oh.

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