Page 129 of Heavy Shot

“I’m thinking about it.” She looked back to Kline. “I’ve got this season to finish, though, and I don’t want to leave the team in the lurch. Honestly, that whole group has been fantastic with me through my own drama, you know? Two photo scandals in under a year?”

“Proves you’re a hot commodity on the wrong side of the camera,” Kline said. “The camera loves you, baby.”

They stood chatting amiably until the orchestra started, and then Kline shook hands and hugged his way around their table, offering luck until Thad reappeared and they shared their own man-hug. “Break a leg,” Thad told him. “I’m rooting for you.” He sat down, dateless Kline noticed, with Rhiannon and Rick beside him.

Striding back to his own table, he found Jill already seated, chatting casually with Kara’s date. Kara was on the other side, so the directors had decided to focus on Kline and Jill, not on trying to make a threesome happen. “Hey, babe,” he greeted, sitting down next to her and reaching across to introduce himself to the date. He kissed Jill’s cheek and murmured, “Did Thad find you?”

She nodded and leaned into his side as a camera panned and said back through a painted-on dreamy smile. “Mm hmm. I just got a nice little ass-chewing about how much I’d hurt Rhiannon.”

“What?”

“Mm hmm. But he did say I looked nice.”

“You look better than nice. You okay?”

The orchestra swell was rising, and she shrugged slightly. “I really liked him, and I thought that he really liked me, but you know what they say. Fast fires flame out fast. Not that it matters, Daddy.”

He felt himself actually blush and gave her another squeeze. It was a long night, and he was antsy, waiting for his category, which came late in the show. He watched Jill pick her way across the room to lean down and speak to Rhiannon at a break, and then he made small talk with the seat filler who took her place. When Jill hadn’t returned after the next break, he started to worry, but she reappeared looking only a little pink around the edges just before he had to take the stage to present an award, so her seat filler just moved on over.

From his vantage point onstage, he flirted with the crowd and acted out his banter with Kara Viceroy, his co-presenter, and after they’d announced the winner, he stepped back to wait for the speech. He caught sight of Thad and his table. Rhiannon was back, too, under Rick’s arm. She looked the same as always, caught somewhere between a wry smile and boredom, he thought, and he wondered what had gone on between the two women.

He was back in his seat by the middle of the next break and asked Jill what had happened. She shrugged and said, “Thad gave me hell for hurting Rhiannon, then Rhiannon gave me hell for hurting Thad. I’ve taken my lumps, now I get on with it. Granted, it was a cowardly move to try to talk to her during a break, but it’s done. I’ve done it. I’ve apologized to both of them in person.”

“It’ll be okay,” Kline promised, hoping it would, since Thad was one of his oldest friends.

“If it isn’t, I’ll pretend it is, and so will they. So, in a way, it will be. What’s the next category?”

“Thad’s and then the show.”

“If he wins, I’m not clapping.”

“You could just go to the loo.”

“Oh! I could. You’re a genius!” She kissed his cheek and disappeared without another word, returning only after Thad and the cast and writing team for Simon Says had both collected their awards. Then, she was in adoring girlfriend mode through the last segment of the evening, kissing Kline with a happy passion when his name was announced as the winner for his category.

He took the stage steps by twos and held his award high over his head, pumping it in the air. “I know it’s uncool to be this excited,” he said, leaning into the microphone, “but I am this excited! It’s amazing to win this award.” He took a moment to gaze at the little statue in disbelief. Acting. He’d earned that paperweight! “I cannot thank you enough for recognizing this movie and my work in this movie.” He rattled off the list of names he needed to thank, then paused just long enough for the camera to pick up the look of love he had called up around his eyes. “Jilly? Babe… Thank you!”

The orchestra swelled, the crowd cheered, out of the corner of his eye he saw that the monitor had picked up Jill blowing him a kiss with both hands, and he walked into the wings, still holding his award high over his head, before having to hand it to the PA, who would run it back to another presenter to reuse. His real award would come in the mail.

The Knight team was right back up after sweeping their big categories, Kara winning for her role, and the movie winning as well. By the time he finally made it back out to Jill, his whole face hurt from smiling. She met him with genuine happiness and played her part as his adoring partner through the night into morning as they made the rounds to various parties, then crashed out in his bed without even taking off her dress.

But, by the time he woke midday, she had already gotten up and gone back to her own house, leaving him a note that said, “Have a great day, Winner.” Winner. He liked the sound of that.

CHAPTERTEN

Jill Parker

Jill left Kline sleeping and drove the half block back to her own home, surprised to find paparazzi at her gate. She rolled down her window, waved at them and yelled, “Don’t you guys ever sleep? That was a long night!”

One called back, “Where’s Kline?”

“He’s snuggling his trophy. There isn’t room in bed for me with all the trophies!”

“Picture?” Another one called.

“Give me thirty minutes to wash my face and I’ll come give you something if you’ll leave me alone. My head is splitting!”

They agreed, so she drove into her garage, making sure the gate shut behind her and only her, and then went into the house. She felt like garbage, but she washed her face, piled her hair up in a messy bun that was actually kind of cute given how all the curl had held, then put on her tiniest satin robe and prepared to walk down to the gate. First, she hit the intercom. “I’m going to come out and go to my mailbox,” she told the photographers. “You’re getting me without makeup, so be nice!”

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