Page 67 of For One Night Only

“Yeah, are you?”

He grins. “I have a gorgeous woman on my arm. How could it not be a good night?”

I will never get tired of this man calling me gorgeous, and warmth blooms across my cheeks in a way that makes me think we could have gone lighter on the blush. If he keeps saying nice things about me all night, I’ll be glowing red for the cameras.

“Let’s go,” I say. Jane is arriving separately with the rest of theDragon Realmcreative team, so it’s just the four of us for now. This is her night, not ours.

We get the text that our limo has arrived, and the four remaining Glitter Bats head into the night using a back elevator. No photographers have shown up at the hotel—fortunately, tonight isn’t about the band, so they weren’t prepared—but we can’t miss the cell phone cameras hovering in the hands of a few of the hotel patrons as we cross through a lounge to the side door. Hopefully no one will reveal that we’re staying here, because that might complicate our lives for a couple more weeks.

But it’s nice that people notice us. I wonder if I took it for granted, the constant attention—it’s not like I enjoy having zero privacy, but there was something nice about being beloved instead of notorious. I like making headlines for my music, not who I’m kissing.

Maybe sensationalizing whatever this is with Caleb was a bad idea, but it’s too late to back out now.

We’re slated for an earlier red-carpet arrival, but there’s still plenty of activity when we arrive. Keeley decided on a creamy white jumpsuit, and Riker looks flawless in a burgundy tuxedo with his long hair tied back in a low knot. They go ahead of us, each taking their turn alone, smiling and smirking for the cameras before they hit the interviewers. But Caleb and I enter together like a couple, and even though it makes my palms sweat, I’m so glad I don’t have to walk in alone. I’ve done that too many times over the past few years.

But the journalists don’t miss the implications.

“CalErie, over here!” one shouts, and I bite down on my smile to keep from rolling my eyes.

“I hate that name,” I whisper to Caleb through gritted teeth, quiet enough to not be overheard through the clicking of the cameras. After just a few minutes walking in these teetering heels, I won’t let go of his arm for the rest of the night. I lean on him, just a little, just enough to feel like I won’t float away in the chaos.

“Me too,” Caleb admits, smoldering at the nearest camera. “But we’re stuck with it now.”

It’s not such a bad thing, being stuck with Caleb.

After we pose for photos, we have a few minutes to answer questions, which is my least favorite part of the evening—they could throw anything at us, and most of them are recording footage live for their various outlets.

Fortunately, the first question isn’t terrible.

“Caleb, what’s it like returning to the stage with the Glitter Bats?” a more seasoned reporter asks.

Caleb smiles and turns to them, leaning toward their purple microphone, but he pulls me a little closer. Maybe he needs to be steadied too. “Well, tonight is all aboutInto the Dragon Realm, and I haven’t returned to the stage yet.” He laughs good-naturedly. “In all seriousness, it’s great. The band is so talented, and I think everyone has just gotten better with time. It’s sure to be an incredible concert.”

I lean in, speaking into the microphone. “What Caleb isnotsaying is that he’s the best he’s ever been. The first thing we sang together was ‘Midnight Road Trip’ and he sounded so good, it brought me to tears.”

A half-truth—I cried for a lot of reasons that night—but I mean what I say about Caleb’s voice. It’s aged like fine wine.

Caleb smiles, but he’s looking at me. “Fans are not prepared for how great Valerie sounds either.”

“It sounds like there’s a lot of mutual…admiration here,” the reporter says.

“Absolutely,” we say in unison.

The reporter then switches topics, throwing out a question about Theo andFantastical Mysts. Before I can even blink, Caleb apologizes and gracefully moves us along to the next reporter.

“We might be here forInto the Dragon Realm, but I don’t thinkanyonemissed that the two of you walked in as a couple. Rumors of CalErie have been all over the internet since the concert was announced, and you’ve been spotted in public together a number of times—most recently, allegedly sharing a kiss on the beach. Are you two officially back together?”

My mind spins as I try to figure out how to play this. We had a plan, but it’s completely escaped my mind in the onslaught of flashbulbs and rapid-fire questions. I don’t know how to play it coy when I’ve completely forgotten how to speak.

There is so much riding on this moment.

To his credit, Caleb smirks at the camera as if on cue. It’s unfair how good he is at this. “Remind me—were we ever officially together in the first place?”

The reporter’s eyes widen, like they’ve just gotten the sound bite of the night. “Weren’t you?”

And…then I have an idea. We share a glance, and I look down at Caleb’s lips, then back up at his soulful eyes. He shrugs, almost imperceptibly, and I gently tug his tie to bring his lips to mine.

Live on the goddamn internet.

---