Page 17 of Beyond the Red Carpet

“Another gin and tonic?” The bartender raised his eyebrows.

“Please.”

Kate was across the room. surrounded by a group of young actors. Her presence commanded attention, drawing others into her orbit with an effortless charm.

The bartender slid the fresh drink across the polished wood. Vanessa lifted it to her lips, ice clinking against glass. She’d attended countless after-parties in this very room, but tonight felt different. The air hummed with an electric charge she couldn’t shake.

Kate’s laugh carried across the space, musical and genuine. Their eyes met briefly through the crowd. Kate’s smile softened before she returned to her conversation.

The evening had been exhausting. The hours of interviews, photographers shouting their names, entertainment reportersfishing for intimate details about their relationship. Vanessa had answered each question with practiced grace, being vague yet confident in her answers. Yet every time Kate’s fingers intertwined with hers, every shared whisper and gentle smile felt increasingly real.

Vanessa knew she should pull her gaze away, but she found herself transfixed, unable to look elsewhere. She sipped her drink, the crisp bite of gin cooling the rising heat in her chest. It was foolish, this undeniable pull she felt toward Kate.

This arrangement was meant to be temporary, a strategic move to salvage her public image after Lauren’s betrayal. And yet, as she watched Kate, the way her eyes sparkled with life, Vanessa felt a deep yearning that caught her off guard.

“You two look great together.”

Vanessa turned to find Evelyn Coleman at her side, a smile on her lips.

Vanessa felt a warm flush creep up her neck at Evelyn’s comment. She quickly looked away from Kate, focusing instead on the iconic actress standing beside her.

“Congratulations on your win,” Vanessa said.

“Thank you.” Evelyn turned to order a drink and a few moments later she was sipping her glass of champagne.

Vanessa studied Evelyn’s profile, weighing the prospect of confiding in her. They’d known each other for decades, shared countless late-night conversations.

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” Evelyn asked. “I was worried about you.”

“I wasn’t... I wasn’t ready to talk about it. About any of it.”

Evelyn met her gaze. “I was worried about you.”

The genuine concern in Evelyn’s voice made Vanessa’s chest ache. She glanced at Kate again, still deep in conversation across the room. The urge to reveal their arrangement intensified.

“What was Lauren thinking?” Evelyn shook her head. “You were the best thing that ever happened to her.”

The words struck deeper than Vanessa expected. She gripped her glass tighter. Ten years of memories threatened to surface. The holidays in the south of France, quiet mornings sharing coffee and scripts, building a life together piece by piece. All shattered.

“I keep wondering if there were signs I missed.” The admission slipped past Vanessa’s lips before she could stop it.

“Don’t do that to yourself.” Evelyn’s voice carried the weight of experience. “Lauren made her choice. She threw away something precious for a fling with someone half her age.” A wry laugh escaped Evelyn’s lips. “Though I suppose I’m not one to talk. My wife’s eighteen years younger than me. Anyway, enough about me. How did you two meet?” Evelyn’s eyes sparkled with interest. “I want the real story.”

The question knocked the air from Vanessa’s lungs. On the red carpet, the lies had rolled off her tongue with practiced ease: a chance meeting at an industry event, an invitation to dinner, an instant connection. But lying to Evelyn wasn’t as easy.

“Kate and I...” She paused, the weight of truth and lies tangling on her tongue. Across the room, Kate caught her eye again. Something in that gaze made Vanessa’s heart stumble. “I wasn’t looking for this.” The confession emerged as barely more than a whisper. “After Lauren, I thought...”

“That you were done?” Evelyn’s hand settled on her arm. “Life has a way of surprising us, especially when we’re not looking for it.”

Vanessa watched as Kate excused herself from her group and started moving through the crowd toward them. Each step closer made Vanessa’s pulse quicken, her skin prickling with awareness.

Evelyn continued. “There’s an old Irish proverb that I love.What’s meant for you won’t pass you by.”

Vanessa swallowed, her throat tight as Kate glided through the crowd, Evelyn’s words echoing in her mind. As she walked, the black evening gown clung to Kate’s curves, the slit revealing tantalizing glimpses of leg with each step.

“Ms. Coleman, it’s an honor.” Kate’s voice carried that hint of awe she reserved for industry veterans.

“Please, call me Evelyn.” A knowing smile played at the corners of Evelyn’s mouth. “I was just telling Vanessa how lovely you two look together.”

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