Take Two

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“Jen’s dress is hideous.” Bree curled her leg under her, her eyes never leaving the flat screen TV on the wall.

Maddie kicked her flip-flops off and stretched out her own legs on Bree’s couch. “She’s just lost too much weight.” Unlike Maddie, who watched movie awards shows because she loved film, Bree watched to see what the stars were wearing.

Maddie squinted at the television. “She’s almost as skinny as you now, Bree.”

“Shut up.” Bree pretended she didn’t love to hear how thin she was.

“She won best supporting actress, right?”

“Yeah.”

Maddie marked the box on her makeshift ballot. She had made predictions earlier in the day while she’d run on the treadmill at the gym. This one she’d gotten wrong. Usually she was pretty good at guessing, but her heart really wasn’t in it this year. The only actor that permeated her thoughts was Micah Preston. And he wasn’t up for any awards.

“Oh my God, Christian looks h-o-t hot.”

“Where?” Maddie looked toward the screen.

“No, don’t look now. They just scanned over Micah. And he looks super hot too. Sorry.”

Too late. Maddie had already seen him. He did look super hot. As always. Dammit, she had hoped moving on wouldn’t be as hard as it was turning out to be. Stupid broken heart.

“At least he looks like he didn’t bring a date. He’s sitting in between two guys.”

This comforted Maddie. Unless the two guys were merely place holders. Award shows did that—had paid models available to take the seat of anyone who got up for any reason. It made the theater full. What if one of the guys sitting next to Micah was simply filling in for some hot blonde that had to pee? “Why do we have to watch America’s Choice Awards again, Bree?”

“Because if Beaumont wins Best Director, he’s going to immediately get a million phone calls and crap, and I have to be ready to handle them.”

Ah, yes, I’m watching this stupid award show because of Beaumont. It figures. “It seems like you should be there then.”

Bree didn’t detect the bitterness in Maddie’s voice. “It does seem that way. But no, I have to be here instead of dressed up all pretty surrounded by yummy, yummy hot stars.” Bree had her own bitterness. She squeezed Maddie’s leg. “I mean, I’d totally rather be here with you.”

“Of course you would.”

“Tell you what, when you get nominated for best director or screenwriter or cinematographer, I expect an invite.”

“Deal,” Maddie said. And finally, for the first time in her life, she saw being nominated for an award as a possibility. She actually had a shot now that she was being funded by Three Spot. Three Spot and Micah. How had Micah managed to make her biggest dreams a reality and then completely break her heart all in the same day?

Nope. Stop. Don’t think about it tonight. Focus on why you’re here. Oh, yeah, Beaumont. Maddie groaned. “I’m sorry, Bree, but I’m seriously hoping Beaumont loses.”

“Frankly, I am too.” If Beaumont won, the rest of Bree’s night would be spent working. “And must I remind you that you don’t have to be here?”

Maddie sighed. “I didn’t want to be alone. I’d end up not only watching Micah, but rewinding his segment over and over.” She had done that with a million YouTube videos already that week. “And then I’d cry.” She’d done that too. “A lot. I’m tired of crying.”

Bree wagged her finger at her friend. “No more crying. Your eyes are going to turn perma-puffy.”

“Are my eyes puffy right now?” Maddie thought she had put on enough foundation to hide that.

“Don’t think about it, baby, you’re gorgeous.” Bree grabbed two Oreos out of the package on the coffee table. “You don’t have this set to DVR, do you?”

Maddie took a cookie from Bree. “No.” She took a bite. “Maybe.”

“Madalyn!”

“I’ll only watch it if I’m desperate.” When she set the record option, she had told herself she was doing so in case she ended up leaving Bree’s early. She wouldn’t want to miss any of the big awards. Not that she couldn’t find any of that info on the internet.

Maddie leaned her head back on the armrest of the couch and swiveled toward the TV. The best supporting actor, announced while Maddie and Bree were talking, finished his acceptance speech and the voice-over came on. “Coming up after the break. Best Actor and Actress presented by last year’s winners, Natalia Lowen and Micah Preston.”

Bree gave Maddie a sideways glance. “You can close your eyes and plug your ears when he gets on-screen.”

“I can watch him.” She better be able to watch him. He was everywhere, after all. If she couldn’t make it through an award show, she’d never make it past the magazines in the checkout stand at the grocery store. Realizing that she knew exactly what he was doing at that moment, though. That made her heart extra lonely. “You better pass over the ice cream.” Yeah, good idea. Eat all the calories I burned off today at the gym.

Bree passed over the container of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy. “Be careful, it’s kind of melty.”

Maddie took the carton, a drop of chocolate oozing onto her white jersey dress. “Uh, no kidding.” She pulled the fabric to her mouth and licked the spot off her dress, leaving a brown smudge in its place. “Good thing I’m not going anywhere.”

Bree nodded toward the television. “He’s up.”

Dishing up a giant spoonful of ice cream, Maddie turned her attention to the screen as the announcer’s voice boomed. “Presenting our next awards, last year’s Best Actor and Best Actress, Micah Preston and Natalia Lowen.”

And there he was looking gorgeous, and more than a bit nervous, in his fitted black tux with a non-traditional black button-down shirt. Seeing him sent a stab to her chest while simultaneously causing her lower belly to clench. He looked so hot she knew that later, when she was alone, she’d fantasize about taking him out of those clothes. Probably while she was in the shower so she could employ her showerhead nozzle to erase her pent-up horniness.

Christ, would he ever stop having this effect on her?

Maddie fixed on Natalia, trying to pretend she was alone on-screen. “Micah, we’ve worked together so you know how I love gossip.”

With nervous charm—Maddie had never seen him so anxious—Micah gave his best smile. “This is true. You’re a gossip queen.”

Natalia fidgeted with her long, red gown. “Gossip princess, thank you. But anyway. I’ve heard various rumors about your relationship status. Can you clear that up for us right now? Are you or are you not available?”

Maddie stiffened. Was this seriously the only thing people cared about where Micah was concerned? She couldn’t bear to hear this again.

On cue, Bree patted around for the remote. “You don’t have to listen, I’m muting.”

She found the remote as Micah said, “Nat, I am totally unavaila—”

The TV went silent as Bree hit the mute button and threw the remote down.

Unavailable? Maddie dropped her spoon. “Wait! What did he just say?” She must have heard wrong.

“I don’t know.”

“Unmute.” Maddie leaned forward and watched the soundless screen, trying without success to decipher the dialogue. “Unmute!”

Bree twisted around on the couch. “Where’s the remote?”

Maddie ignored the ice cream melting down her arm. She needed to hear what Micah had said. “You just had it!”

“I know, but I threw—oh, there it is.”

The sound returned. “You’ve broken the hearts of a million women across the world,” Natalia said.

“He’s broken hearts.” Maddie’s pulse quickened. “Why are there broken hearts? Rewind, rewind!”

Bree sounded just as frantic as Maddie felt. “I am!”

Keeping her eyes glued to the TV as the show rewound, Maddie instructed Bree when to stop. The show picked up in the middle of Natalia’s sentence. “…princess, thank you. But anyway. I’ve heard various rumors about your relationship status. Can you clear that up for us right now? Are you or are you not available?”

Maddie set down the melting carton of ice cream, all focus on Micah.

“Nat, I am totally unavailable.” He stressed the un. “I’ve fallen in love with an amazing woman.”

“Oh my God.” Maddie gripped the edge of the couch with her fingernails. Fallen in love. He said he’d fallen in love.

Natalia tossed her black hair. “Wow. I never thought I’d see the day, Micah Preston. Tell us more?”

The camera closed in on Super Hot Micah. “Well, she thinks I’m a total douchebag—can I say douchebag on air?”

“I think you can.”

“Good, because she’s right. I am a douchebag.” He turned to look directly into the camera. “But I love you, Maddie Bauers”—Maddie sucked in her breath—“and, I should have told you earlier, and I didn’t. So if this is what it takes to get you back, then fine. I’ll say it as many times as you need me to.” His voice softened. “Because I choose you, Maddie.”

Maddie felt faint. “Oh my God.”

The actress winked at Micah. “Who could still think you were a douchebag after you’ve just declared your love on national television? You know you’ve broken the hearts of a million women across the world.”

Micah shrugged, not seeming to be bothered in the least about breaking the hearts of women across the world. And why would he be? He was in love—in love with Maddie. Her throat tightened.

The camera turned its focus to Natalia. “Are you ready to break four more hearts? Because we have five nominees for best actress and only one of them can be the winner.”

Bree turned down the volume again. Or else Maddie’s head zoned it out, because she never heard the names of the nominees. “Maddie, you have to go there.”

But Maddie couldn’t move. Micah Preston loved her. He loved her. “Oh. My. God.”

Alarm entered Bree’s voice. “Are you okay that he just outed you on national television?”

“I totally am.” He chooses me. “Oh my God.”

“Maddie!” Bree shook her arm excitedly. “Do you still love him?”

“Yes!” Yes, she did. More than anything. Maybe she always had, since they first met seven years ago in the backyard of that party. She had wished and longed that he would love her back, but in her wildest dreams she never could have imagined he loved her enough to tell the world on live television. Oh, Micah.

She stood up. “I have to see him.”

Bree nodded vigorously. “Yes. Go.”

Panic set in as Maddie looked down at her chocolate-stained white jersey. “I’m not dressed—”

“You can borrow something from me.”

Maddie chortled. Bree’s waist was thinner than her thigh. “Yeah, right.”

Bree looked Maddie over. “Just go like you are.” She paused, dabbing at the chocolate stain between Maddie’s boobs. Giving up, she said, “You’re fine. He won’t care.”

“But I’m…” Maddie didn’t have time to change. She needed to get to Micah. “Okay, okay. Whatever.” In a daze, she looked around for her purse and spotted it on the kitchen table. She picked it up and slung it over her shoulder, then turned back. “How will I get in?”

Bree bit her knuckle. “Um, who’s there that we know?”

A name surfaced through the haze of Maddie’s mind. “Fudge. Fudge’s there. Micah’s, um, sorta-bodyguard. I’ll call him.” She opened her purse and rummaged for her phone.

“Call him on the way.” Bree pushed Maddie toward the door. “It’s going to take you forever to find parking.”

Maddie nodded. Parking could be a bitch. Good thing Bree’s Echo Park apartment was close to the Nokia Theater. It would only be a ten-minute drive.

Taking one more deep breath, Maddie crossed to the door. She trembled as her sweaty palms turned the knob.

“Oh, and, Maddie?” Bree gave her two thumbs up. “Yay!”

“Yay” didn’t begin to describe how Maddie felt inside, but it would have to do since there were no words for the grand, earth-shattering emotions that consumed her as she walked to her car. Her horrible sadness had been, in a matter of seconds, completely diffused in the same way shadows disappeared at the switch of a light. She loved Micah, a fact she had thought would remained buried inside her for the rest of her life. But now she was on her way to see him, to tell him how much she adored him and wanted him and yearned for him.

Tears rushed her eyes. Micah Preston loved her.