“Everyone seems so much more approachable and relaxed. I feel like I could walk up to just about anyone and talk to them.”
“Then do it.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jihae said with a small smile. “We’ll say hello to the people we need to and possibly make some advantageous connections as necessary. Remember, I’m the great Chairman Park’s daughter. I’m not allowed to gush over stars. That would be undignified.”
“That must suck sometimes.” Colin looked steadily at her. “Including nights like this.”
“It’s hardly an inconvenience. I’m quite used to it.”
Jihae was surprised and grateful for his empathy, but she didn’t let it show on her face. She refused to act the part of the poor little rich girl. “But feel free to mingle. Don’t hold back on my account.”
“I won’t,” he said, but he made no move to leave her side.
She was embarrassed at how glad she was that he stayed with her. She needed to stop acting like a fool. Jihae reminded herself that he might be involved with someone else.
“Is Sandy Lim attending tonight?” she asked.
“Sandy?” Colin cocked his head, wearing a quizzical frown. “I have no idea.”
“Oh?” Her heart skipped to a happy beat against her will. She didn’t care whether he was with Sandy Lim or not. “I saw some speculations about you being her new boyfriend.”
“Oh...that.” Colin scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “She’s a good friend. She needed help keeping her real boyfriend—well, actually her fiancé now—a secret until they were ready to make their engagement public. I was what you would call her decoy arm candy.”
“Decoy arm candy?” Jihae laughed. “Well, congratulations on your performance. You obviously did a good job of distracting the public. How long will she need you to play the part?”
“Well, she just walked in with her forever arm candy on her arm, so I guess I’m free of my decoy duties.”
“They must be making things public tonight.” Jihae turned around to see the beautiful actress walking into the tent with a handsome, glowing man beside her. “They look so happy together.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy,” Colin said. “They deserve each other.”
He almost sounded wistful, as though he was envious of their happiness. Just as she was. Jihae really needed to get herself under control before she built a fairy-tale story for her and Colin.
* * *
He didn’t have to stay beside Jihae like her bodyguard. It was obvious she was perfectly comfortable in her environment. She greeted her acquaintances with grace and warmth, and introduced herself to new people with poise and confidence. It wasn’t because she needed him, but because Colin wanted to stay by her side. It was as though he was caught in her gravitational pull.
Just as at the movies, he found himself spending more time watching her than the awards ceremony. In the darkened theater, he’d been able to enjoy all her changing emotions without effort. Tonight, out in the open, her serene face hardly changed at all. But he could see the subtle differences in the light of her eyes and the curve of her lips. The ever-changing, dynamic current under the calm surface of her demeanor held him captive.
“Charity Banning.”
He heard the presenter intone as though from far away, but when he saw Jihae bounce ever so slightly in her seat, he realized what had just happened.
“Yeah, Charity,” he yelled, clapping furiously for the talented screenwriter.
Jihae clapped beside him, her face as placid as ever, but he knew she was as excited as he was for Charity because she was sitting on the very edge of her seat. When the crowd quieted down, she leaned toward him and whispered, “So well-deserved.”
“Yes, and imagine what she can do for Best Placed Bets.”
“I know. I so hope she will decide to work with us.”
“We’re close,” he assured her.
Colin’s blood hummed with excitement. Charity Banning was a gem, and she was going to transform a beautifully told story into an addictively entertaining script. His and Jihae’s partnership was already proving to be an amazing match. And he was dying to pull her into his arms in a bear hug, but he didn’t think he could handle it.
The rest of the ceremony passed in fast-forward mode as many films received the recognition they deserved and others were passed over. Colin’s high remained until the end, and he couldn’t wait to brainstorm with Jihae about their joint project.
“Let’s go,” he said.
He tugged Jihae to her feet, hoping he could convince her to have dinner with him. Her hand felt so right in his that he held on to it for a second too long.
Jihae gave him a soft smile, gently freeing herself. “I feel like I could talk the whole night away.”
His eyes shot to hers. He wanted to kiss her so much in that moment that he couldn’t breathe. But more than that, he wanted to share his ideas and excitement for Best Placed Bets with her. He wanted to know what she was thinking and hoping for. He wanted to know her.
“You want to grab some food?” he asked in a voice much huskier than the question warranted.
“Yes, please,” she said, and glanced at her watch. “We need to find someplace that stays open late.”
“You’ve been to Pink’s, right?” he said as he got into his car.
“Nope. I’ve never been.” Jihae grinned at him from the passenger seat. “And I don’t want you to pass out or anything, but I’ve never even heard of them.”
“Seriously?” Colin shot her a sideways glance, his eyebrows hovering near his hairline. “How long have you been in LA?”
“Eight months or so.”
“You’ve been missing out. Pink’s is a Los Angeles institution and you can’t call yourself a true Angeleno until you’ve had a hot dog there.”
“Well, we can’t have that. Let’s go get some dawgs.”
They lucked out and snagged a parking spot right outside the hot-dog stand. He’d deliberately chosen the least romantic place he knew—he needed help to keep himself in check—but he didn’t want to make Jihae walk for miles in her heels.
“Oh, wow! Is that the line?” Her jaw dropped when she saw the line of people down the street and around the corner. “Must be some hot dog.”
Colin grinned at her wide-eyed wonder, proud he was responsible for it. Her excitement didn’t cease even after the forty-five-minute wait.