Page 16 of Beyond the Red Carpet

Kate watched as Vanessa’s composure cracked. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she pushed back from the kitchen counter.

“I need to get dressed.” Vanessa turned toward the stairs, her bare feet silent against the floor.

Kate was left alone with Elliot in the sun-drenched kitchen. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Well?” His smile stretched wide. “How does it feel? You’re officially out, darling. And what a splash you’ve made.”

Kate’s fingers drummed against the marble countertop. The weight of the moment pressed down on her, everything she’d wanted, wrapped in a package she hadn’t expected.

“I mean, Vanessa Prescott?” Elliot leaned in close. “When I pitched this, I hoped for good publicity. But those photos?” He placed a hand over his heart. “The passion? The chemistry? It’s beyond what I could have dreamed. You two look like you’re actually-”

“Elliot.” Kate cut him off.

“Right, right.” He straightened his designer jacket. “But you’re happy about this, aren’t you? This is what you wanted. To come out on your own terms?”

Kate slid her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. The notification count had climbed past five hundred. Text messages, emails, social media mentions. Her Instagram following had jumped by forty thousand overnight.

“My terms would have been different.” Kate put her phone away. “I always thought I’d just post something.”

“A social media post?” Elliot’s nose wrinkled. “That’s so... pedestrian. This?” He gestured at the tabloid headlines. “This is memorable. This is a story people will talk about.”

“I wanted it to be simple.” Kate’s voice dropped. “Just... me. Being honest. Not this whole production.”

“Oh Kate, everything in this town is a production.” Elliot gave her a sad smile. “And you’re center stage now. It’s perfect.”

Perfect wasn’t the word Kate would use. Complex? Messy? Real. It had felt real despite everything about it being fake. The memory of Vanessa’s lips against hers hadn’t faded. Neither had the way Vanessa’s fingers had gripped her waist, pulling her closer in that alley. None of that had been fake, not for her anyway.

“You should be happy.” Elliot’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “There are worse ways to come out than letting the world think you’re dating Vanessa Prescott.”

Kate bit the inside of her cheek.

“She’s the most sought-after woman in Hollywood right now.” Elliot gathered up the tabloids into a neat stack. “Every lesbian’s dream. Hell, every straight woman’s dream too. The amount of DMs she’s gotten since Lauren-” He stopped himself. “Well, let’s just say you’ve skipped the line, darling.”

The memory of Vanessa’s fingers threading through her hair, the heat of her breath against Kate’s lips, flooded back. Kate pushed it away.

“Look at you, all serious.” Elliot reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “This is good news. The press loves you two together. The photos are stunning. And Vanessa?” He glanced toward the stairs. “She needs this just as much as you do. Trust me. She needs to forget about Lauren, and you’re going to help her do that. After this fake relationship runs its course… I’mthinking two months, maybe three. Then you two will have the most civilized break up Hollywood has ever seen. No drama, no scandal. Just two successful women who realized they work better as friends. And then Vanessa should be ready to put herself out there again.”

Kate stared blankly at the tabloid headlines, her stomach churning with a mix of dread and jealousy. The thought of Vanessa dating someone else made her feel sick. She barely heard Elliot’s words as he rambled on about the benefits of their fake relationship and how it would be good for both of them.

Her mind drifted back to the alleyway, to the way Vanessa’s lips had felt against hers, the way her fingers had dug into Kate’s waist.

How had she let this happen? Why had she agreed to this?

Elliot’s voice pulled her away from her thoughts. “Everyone wins here. You get your coming out story, Vanessa gets her redemption arc, and the public gets their new power couple.”

The click of heels made Kate turn. Vanessa came into the kitchen in a cream silk blouse tucked into high-waisted black slacks that accentuated her long legs. Her dark hair was swept up in an elegant twist, exposing the graceful line of her neck. A few loose strands framed her face, softening the polished look.

Kate’s mouth went dry. Even in casual home attire, Vanessa commanded attention with the way she carried herself, the subtle power in each step. The morning light streaming through the windows caught the delicate gold chain around her neck, drawing Kate’s eyes to her collarbone.

“So, Elliot,” Vanessa said as she joined them again. “What’s our next move?”

The question hung in the air as Kate tried to tear her gaze away from Vanessa’s hazel brown eyes, from the slight shimmer of her nude lipstick, from the sharp angles of her jawline. Every detail about her was a study in elegance and restraint.

Everything Kate wasn’t feeling right now.

9

Vanessa leaned against the bar, watching Kate across the room. Their performance at the award show had been impeccable. The gentle touches, the shared glances, the way Kate’s hand had rested on her lower back as they walked the red carpet. The cameras devoured every moment.

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