The limo crawled to a stop. Rhett slipped his hand around Cassie’s.
“Ready to run the gauntlet?”
She looked at him with unwavering love and confidence. Rhett thought he might burst with happiness. He finally understood what others had said before. It wasn’t about the win. Recognition through the nomination was enough. With Cassie by his side, he would always be a winner.
“Let’s do it,” Breck said and swung open the door.
Rhett glided from the limo, Cassie by his side. They stopped every few feet for the usual interviews. Everyone wanted to know about his big comeback.
“Like Travolta before me, I never went anywhere,” he told a reporter. “Success comes in waves in this town. Right now, I’m riding the Big Kahuna.”
He was pleased that Cassie shared in the limelight. He’d already read two other scripts she’d hammered out during the past year, one in tandem with Breck and the other a solo effort. He was glad they’d formed their own production company. One screenplay he would star in and the other Ken had agreed to do. Rhett would exec produce on that one.
He looked forward to working on both sides of the camera these days and it was all because of the woman by his side.
“When are you and Rhett tying the knot?” an entertainment reporter asked.
“We’ve been so busy, we haven’t had time,” Cassie admitted. “We plan to get through tonight and then take it from there.”
Rhett maneuvered them toward the doors. “It’s getting late. Let’s get inside and find our seats.”
Jolene’s category was the first of theirs to be announced. She lost but seemed matter-of-fact during the commercial break.
“I didn’t have as much screen time as most of the other women in my category. I knew that would hold me back with some voters.”
Rhett said, “Jennifer Lawrence shouldn’t have been in that group. Her performance should’ve gone into Best Actress instead.”
“It doesn’t matter, Rhett. You and Sandy gave me a wonderful opportunity. I never would’ve thought of acting until you two pressed me. It’s opened a whole new world.”
Cassie’s screenwriting category came up over ninety minutes later.
“Breck and I are not going to win,” she whispered to Rhett. “That mountain climber turned paraplegic script was a real tearjerker.”
“My money’s on you, babe.” He laced his fingers through hers as Christian Bale announced the names.
Cassie lost, just as she predicted. Rhett sensed her visibly relaxing.
“I didn’t want to win,” she confessed as the show went to commercial. “I hadn’t written an acceptance speech. Me—a writer—not writing anything down.” She beamed at him. “It’s up to you, Corrigan. We’re two strikes down. Hit one out of the park, okay?”
Cate Blanchett crossed the stage, envelope in hand. As last year’s Best Actress winner, she was ready to announce this year’s Best Actor.
As she read through the nominees, a calm descended over Rhett. It didn’t matter whose name Cate called. He was ready.
“And the Oscar goes to . . . Rhett Corrigan!” she exclaimed.
He turned to Cassie. “I love you,” and gave her a quick kiss. He kissed Jolene in the row behind them and hugged Breck and Sandy before he raced up the steps.
Only when he turned back to the audience did he see the standing ovation. It brought tears to his eyes.
The audience quieted as they seated themselves and Rhett tried to collect his thoughts. Like Cassie, he hadn’t put anything on paper, figuring that would be too presumptuous.
“I knew there was more to life than being known as a pretty face so I left modeling years ago, hungry for a new challenge. I got caught up in making money and not always looking for the best script, but I finally figured out there’s more to life than money.
“And that there was more to me.”
He paused, drawing in a deep breath and expelling it. “I’ll be honest. I felt abandoned by the Hollywood community in the last year, except for my good friends. Ken, Melanie, Chris, Darin, Leo—you stuck by me and didn’t let my tanking reputation change anything between us. For that, I’m grateful.”
He fell silent a moment, glancing out at the crowd, seeing so many familiar faces and knowing one who was no longer there to help him celebrate this moment.
“Another friend who always supported me isn’t here tonight. Zak Mercury was like a brother to me. I miss his razor-sharp wit. His talent and heart. His take no prisoners, all-in attitude. I think of Zak every day and how he pushed me to be more. Do more. Give more.”
Rhett gripped the podium as he looked out at the audience. “Breck, Jolene, we’ve become more than friends, more than colleagues. We’re family in the truest sense. Thanks also to my mom, Nadine, the coolest mom in the world, and my sisters Carreen, Scarlett, and Suellen.”
He found his director, their eyes meeting. “Sandy, you challenged me in ways I never dreamed and those dreams have now become reality. I can’t thank you enough.”
Sandy raised his hands and bowed his head, acknowledging Rhett’s words.
“I have someone who’s become my very life,” he continued. “My heart. My soul. My everything. She’s my workout partner, my best friend, my fiancée, the love of my life—and the biggest card shark in town. She knows my heart. None of this would ever have happened without her love, her patience, her encouragement, or her support.”
Rhett held his Oscar high. “This is for you, Cassie.”
He walked off-stage to thunderous applause.
Immediately, a wrangler tried to herd him to the backstage interview room.
“I’m sorry,” he told her, “I don’t have time to do any interviews.” As he hurried through the confusion, Kelly Ripa thrust a microphone in his face.
"Sorry, I can’t stop, Kelly.” Rhett couldn’t help the grin that escaped. “I’ve got a wedding to attend. Mine.” He pushed past the startled TV host and hurried through the wings.
Rhett went around to the back of the auditorium and spotted several seat fillers standing around. He caught the eyes of one and motioned him over.
“Hey, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, Mr. Corrigan, but your seat’s already filled. You’d probably do a better job kicking out the filler than I would.”
Rhett pulled an envelope and a hundred-dollar bill from his pocket. “I need you to get this to the woman I was sitting with. We’re on—”
“—the third row,” the guy grinned. “I can do that.” He pocketed the Franklin and paused.
“Would you maybe take a look at a screenplay I’ve done?” The guy smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“What’s your name?”
“Randy Barr. With two R’s.”
Rhett smiled. “Well, Randy Barr with two R’s, call me in two weeks. I’ll see what I can do. Got your cell?”
Randy pulled it from his pocket and Rhett programmed in his office number. After his Rohypnol disaster, he’d made sure he knew his numbers now. All of them.
“Remember—two weeks. Not a second before or all bets are off.”