The rep from the network glared at him from several feet away. She quickly dragged two fingers across her neck, insisting he wrap it up. He’d never been more grateful for a gesture in all of his life. Without batting an eye, he shook the interviewer’s hand, saying, “You have a good evening.”

When he walked to the network rep, he had no idea what to say. He knew he was in trouble.

“I don’t know what the hell you were doing back there, but let’s hope it works in our favor.”

That response confused him. “What do you mean?”

“Love stories are good, but scandals are even better. Let’s hope for some headlines.”

Luke shook his head, holding his hand out abruptly. “Wait. That’s not why I did it.”

The rep raised an eyebrow and looked over her glasses at Luke. “I know that. But my job is to find the silver lining whenever any of you screw things up—so that’s exactly what I plan to do. You can go inside now, you’re done behind the microphone for tonight.”

Taking a rather large sigh of relief, Luke followed a crowd of other actors, producers, and directors into the lobby of the large theater. When he reached one of the many entrances to the auditorium, he was greeted by a man wearing a tuxedo and holding a clipboard.

“Hello, I’m with Follow the Sun, I—” Luke began.

“Mr. Kingston, of course,” the man said with a smile of recognition and deference. “You’re at table nineteen, which is at the back of the first level, right next to the half wall. Some of your fellow cast mates have already arrived.”

Luke still wasn’t used to people recognizing his face or name. It amazed him every time and he was grateful for that. “Thank you.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

Luke smiled and extended his hand. The man placed his clipboard between his arm and side and shook Luke’s hand with vigor before gesturing for Luke to enter the theater.

As he crossed the threshold, Luke took in the opulence of the theater. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and elegant velvet fabric lined the walls. He could hear the chatter of television and film stars meeting one another for the first time. His eyes caught a glimpse of the most famous couple in the world, sitting together at an empty table, enjoying a quiet moment. The actor brushed the brunette’s hair from her eyes and she kissed the top of his hand. As starstruck as he was, taking in that private moment between two A-list movie stars, his focus was finding Elle. He could only hope she was sitting alone, or with Whitney, at their table. He could ask her to join him in the hallway, to have a conversation and start over.

Three simple steps led to the main floor of the theater. Before he could even make out the small card with the number 19 on the table, he saw them.

Elle looked just as stunning as he’d imagined. She was dressed in a black strapless gown that hugged her body and accentuated her gorgeous breasts. Her lips were ruby red, her hair was pulled up tight in a bun. She nearly took his breath away. But the man sitting next to her was the one who succeeded in knocking the wind right out of Luke’s lungs. Her ex. The man who, Luke knew, didn’t deserve another shot with the woman he loved. Ten years? Who goes ten years without speaking to another person and then expects another chance? He could barely let ten days go by without speaking to Elle. The idea of ten years astounded him.

Unwilling to let Elle see the disappointment and sadness written all over his face, Luke took a second to transform into character. Tonight he would be the aloof ex-boyfriend who couldn’t be rattled. If he succeeded, it would be the performance of a lifetime.

If only he could have a moment alone with her.

“There he is.” Gina rose to her feet, a cocktail in hand and a slur to her speech. “I was waiting for you. Here, have a seat.”

The only empty seat at the table was squeezed between the obnoxious and clearly tipsy Gina and Whitney, the friendly casting director whom he always suspected was rooting for Elle and him to get together. Whitney placed her hand on Luke’s shoulder and leaned in. “She’s already bombed. Started drinking in the limo.”

Luke shook his head. “Lucky me.”

Whitney’s expression changed, making Luke curious. Her eyes darted toward Elle and her date before locking with Troy’s.

“Don’t give up,” she whispered so quietly her voice was imperceptible to anyone outside of their tiny bubble of conversation. Luke knew exactly what Whitney was telling him.

He smiled and placed a kiss on the top of her hand, like men used to do in the movies. He was touched she was clearly rooting for him. “I don’t plan to.”

Whitney’s eyes smiled in a secret response as she nodded and took her seat. Luke glanced around the table, giving everyone a curt hello before sitting next to Gina. Once he did, his eyes fixed on Elle. She was fidgeting with her purse, avoiding eye contact with him. He smirked, feeling the gaze of Elle’s ex upon him. Briefly, he made eye contact with Troy Saladino. Troy’s eyes were dark, concerned, and insecure. For a brief second, they shared a glance before Troy leaned in to whisper something into Elle’s ear. Whatever it was, Elle giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. Anger built within Luke, but he suppressed it, turning his attention back to the friendly woman to his left. Whitney smiled warmly.

“Quite the clusterfuck, huh?” She leaned in closer so only Luke could hear her comments. “I mean, this table is one tangled web of drama. Can I get you a cocktail or something? I’m headed to the bar. I’m too impatient to wait for the server.”

“I’ll join you.” Luke stood, offering Whitney his arm. If Elle could bring her ex to the Globes, knowing they’d be seated together, he could certainly turn on the charm with her best friend. All’s fair in love and war.

He glanced back just once before walking to the bar with Whitney. Elle was watching him, her chest rising and falling quickly and her cheeks turning a deep red. It was working.

Just you wait, he thought, knowing this was far from over.

After mingling with other stars from the network and polishing off his first cocktail, Luke escorted Whitney back to the table. Just as she reached her chair, she declared in a surprisingly less-than-subtle tone, “I’m not hanging up that t-shirt just yet.”

Luke had no idea what Whitney was talking about, but apparently Elle did. He turned to see her, eyes wide, glaring at Whitney. Luke chuckled, knowing it was some sort of message in his favor. He’d take any support he could get.

Nolan interrupted Luke’s enjoyment of the moment, tapping him on the shoulder. Luke never had any complaints regarding the man whom he was, for all intents and purposes, replacing on the show. In fact, he was grateful to the fellow actor for making his career happen.

“Can I have a word with you, Luke?”

“Um . . .” He glanced around the table, confused. “Sure?”

He walked with Nolan, who appeared frustrated and annoyed, to a relatively quiet spot near the bar.

“What’s up?”

“Leave her alone,” Nolan sneered.

Luke was at a loss. “Wait, hold up. Who are you talking about?”

If Elle had another man attempting to woo her, Luke would blow a freaking gasket. He could handle the ex, but Nolan too? What the hell?

“Whitney. I see how she’s looking at you.” Nolan’s nostrils flared as he looked back toward table 19.

“I’m not interested in Whitney. She’s just keeping me sane, dude.” Luke placed his hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “C’mon, let me get you a drink. You must be on edge tonight. Is this your first nomination?”

“Yeah. But man, I’m crazy about that girl. I didn’t realize it when we were just screwing around, but now? Now, it’s like . . . I’d do anything to get her back.”

“I feel your pain, man, I really do.” Luke looked back at Elle, who was leaning in, talking quietly with her ex. With every movement she made toward the restaurateur, Luke felt less confident, less empowered. He could only hope a little liquid courage would aid him in staying the course.