Red Carpet Romance by Jean C. Joachim Page A

the camera following him, the
man stepped closer to her but directed his questions to Quinn. “Wish I had
friends who looked like her. Friend with benefits?”
    The actor chuckled. “Just friends,
Tony.”
    “Congratulations on your new movie
and on being with this lovely lady. Hey, who do I see down there? Looks like
his leading lady, Margo Fredericks.”
    The guy with the mic moved on down
the red carpet. Quinn pulled on her hand and whispered, “Let’s get outta here.”
Susanna moved up next to him, and they strolled the rest of the red carpet,
waving to the crowd, before entering the theater. She let out a breath when
they turned the corner.
    “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
    She shook her head. “No problem. But
I’ve never been in the middle of this.”
    “I thought your dad was in these
kinds of things all the time.”
    “He was, but not me. I was always on
the sidelines.”
    “Not anymore,” he chuckled.
    “This is a one-time thing, right?”
    “Maybe. Let’s go in and get good
seats. The real stress starts when the lights go down.” They sat in the sixth
row, on the aisle. An usher asked them if they wanted popcorn and soda, and
they declined. “I get too nervous to eat anything at a premiere.”
    Susanna noticed a bit of sweat on
his forehead. Quinn whipped out a handkerchief and mopped his brow. They laced
fingers and sat quietly until the lights went down. He lifted her hand to his
lips. “For luck,” he whispered. She smiled at him and cupped his cheek before
squeezing his fingers. He rested their joined hands on his knee. She scooted
down in the seat to a comfortable position.
    When he came on the screen, her
pulse kicked up. So handsome, so sexy, so
talented. And here with me. Pinch yourself, it’ll never happen again. She
glanced at him from time to time then back at the screen. Yes, that amazing man is sitting right next to me, holding my hand. She
could hardly catch her breath.
    The tense look on Quinn’s face
melted with the sound of the hearty round of applause following the movie. The
studio bigwigs stopped by to congratulate him on their way out, shaking his
hand and appearing relieved. Susanna let out a breath and grinned, mouthing the
words, “another hit.”
    “I hope so!” He said with
enthusiasm. “Now the party.”
    “Will they have food?”
    “A few classy hors d’oeuvres , tons of booze.” He took her hand again, and they
left the theater. Quinn spent time signing autographs while they waited for
their limo. It wasn’t long before the car pulled up, and Quinn waved to the
fans who hung around to watch him leave.
    They pulled up to a large
restaurant, attempting to look swanky. Quinn and Susanna went inside and were
ushered into a large, back room. Josh, the executive producer, greeted them.
    “So this is the lady who had your
baby and needed all that stuff?” His gaze traveled her length, stopping at
every curve.
    “No, no. She’s a friend. It’s a long
story, Josh.”
    “You’re taking in homeless infants?”
    “Trust me, when I can tell you, I
will. Where’s the food?”
    Josh pointed to the back of the
room, “Next to the bar.”
    “I need a drink,” Quinn uttered to
her as he maneuvered them through the throng.

 
    * * * *

 
    Relief flooded through Quinn’s
veins. Don’t know if it’s a hit yet, but
I doubt it’s a flop. Thank God. Drink in hand, a smile crossed his lips as
member after member of the cast and crew sought him out to congratulate him. He
kept Susanna close by his side, afraid some smooth-talking shark would steal
her away. She’s handling this like a pro. He noticed her make chitchat with important and unimportant people alike.
    “I’m starved. You hungry?” she
asked.
    The thought of food tempted his
empty stomach. “Yeah.”
    “I’ll make a plate to share.” Before
he could stop her, she was threading her way through the crowd.
    Josh interrupted the star’s focus on
Susanna. “Great flick, Quinn. Next one starts