Plus One

Chapter Fifteen

The premiere of Jenna's new film, Dangerous Affair, was packed with the Hollywood It crowd. Instead of strutting down the red carpet with Ian, Sophie entered the theater through a side entrance and met him in the lobby. That hadn't been the original plan: originally, they were going to walk down the red carpet together. But that was before she saw the article online, the one she knew was going to change everything.

Pictures of her and Ian holding hands, kissing, laughing together. The people in the pictures had an undeniable intimacy. They looked like they were in love. The article speculated on who she was and if they were serious. When she'd shown it to Ian, he'd gone very still.

Fuck, he'd said. He stared at the pictures a long time, as though he were decoding them. Sophie died a little by his side—it was so obvious that she was in love with him. Undeniable proof.

I have to go, he said, his breakfast half finished.

And the way he said it was like a wake-up call. I have to go. I have to leave you. Sophie couldn't shake the idea that her heart was about to be smashed into smithereens. And it was her own damn fault. She should have stopped working with him as soon as she realized she'd fallen in love. But she hadn't been able to stay away.

They had gone to the theater separately—he hadn't seen her since the article came out that morning. They'd been planning on spending the day together, but he said something had come up. Avoiding her, that's what had come up.

"You look beautiful," Ian said when she found him by a potted plant against the wall. His words were sincere, but there was a hollowness to them, like their insides had been carved out.

She tried to smile. "Thanks."

Jenna spotted her and made a beeline for Sophie, ignoring the people around her.

"You made it!" she said, hugging her.

"You look gorgeous," Sophie said.

"So do you. Who are you wearing?"

"Dior," Sophie said with a smile. Laura had put her in enough dresses now to know that Dior was quickly becoming her favorite. This one was especially beautiful, a dark green confection that showed off her hips and chest.

"Ian, is she not the most beautiful woman here?" Jenna asked.

Sophie tensed, but Ian smiled. "She is. But you are a very close second Miss James."

Someone called Jenna's name and she gave Sophie one more hug.

"See?" Jenna whispered. "I told you."

"Stop it," Sophie said. Jenna still thought Sophie and Ian were secretly in love. She had no idea how screwed up everything had become. "Go have fun being famous and beautiful."

"And hungry," Jenna said with a wink. "Don't forget that."

"What secrets are you girls telling one another?" Ian asked.

"If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets, now would they?"

He shook his head ruefully and led her inside. They had great seats, close to where Jenna and the rest of the cast were. Several people came up to say hi to Ian and many of them remembered Sophie, as well. Because of it, she'd never felt more publicly like a couple, even though they weren't one and never would be.

Going to the premiere together was a mistake.

When the movie started, Ian reached over and took her hand, kissing her palm and the inside of her wrist before folding it into his. His first sign of affection all night, done in the dark when no one would see. He leaned close to her ear.