“Marnie, come on. We don't want to…” the words “be late,” slammed back into his throat as Marnie stepped out of her room. The pale green dress graced her curves like a glove. It accentuated her shapely hips and waist. A pleasant warmth spread across his chest. This was the first time he could ever remember having his breath taken away.
“Um.” Too used to seeing her in oversized shirts and jeans, he forgot about her toned legs and the swell of her breasts that looked so full and supple. Her nude lips stirred a passion he'd spent a year trying to extinguish. He thought again about whether she was a giggler or not.
Why did I listen to Jessica? The last thing he needed to do was spend the night being tempted by something he couldn't have.
Her lips spread into a smile, which brought a spark to her violet eyes. “Is something wrong?”
He loosened his tie, taking note of how quickly the room had warmed. How could one look unravel him?
He bent his arm toward her. “Shall we go?”
As they exited the elevator, the doorman gave a low whistle. When the limousine pulled in, he caught their reflection staring back at them.
Damn. We look good. Her pale green dress paired nicely with his steel gray suit.
As she stepped into the limousine, he caught her scent. He leaned through the car desperate for another whiff.
“Are you coming?” A quizzical expression appeared on her face.
He stepped back, cheeks flushed at being caught.
She held her breath as he entered the car. His trustworthiness—still an issue. Although it pained him, he chose to sit across from her.
“What kind of perfume is that?”
She rolled her eyes. “Soap and water.”
“It's divine.”
He shrugged, and they burst into laughter.
After confirming the directions with the driver, they sat quietly, taking in the kaleidoscope of the night time neon lights. A few minutes later they arrived at the hotel hosting the pre- ceremony party for the MTV Movie Awards.
“Ready?” He held his hand out to her.
“You want us to walk out together?” She frowned.
It was quite the opposite of what he told Jessica earlier. He was fast losing his head, and he imagined Robert chewing him a new one in the morning. But tonight, he wanted her by his side. No more hiding.
“Just remember to smile, and we'll be fine.”
They stepped onto the red carpet and welcomed a tunnel of camera flashes.
Slowly they walked through the throng, pausing here and there as photographers called his name. Once they were safely inside the hotel, a hostess showed them to the ballroom. They found a table off to the side of the stage. It wasn't long before fellow performers flocked to their table in greeting.
Nia sidled up to them and gave him a warm hug. Her gold dress shimmered under the chandelier, setting off the tumble of blonde curls, framing her face. She raised a seductive eyebrow, which Danny pointedly ignored. He turned his attention to Marnie. To his dismay, Nia pulled a chair next to him.
Off to the side, a man in a rich mocha tuxedo was chatting Marnie up. Or rather, her breasts. His eyes traveled to her eyes before returning to linger on the swell of her chest. All of this noticed by her. She looked bored of him, but politely tittered at his jokes.
As the evening drew on, his friends left one after the other to perform on stage. After Nia sung a lively country ballad, his name was screamed through the speakers.
“Get your butt up on the stage, Danny Roland.”
The crowd around him clapped and chanted his name. He threw his hands up in polite protest, but the crowd refused to cease. He tapped Marnie on the arm. “Do you mind?”
Her soft violet eyes glanced at the crowd. Please say yes. Tonight he didn't want to perform. He didn't want to leave her side.
A smile graced her full lips. “No, go ahead.”
He released the breath he didn't know he was holding and headed to the stage.
He was surprised to see her shoo away the man who'd been chatting her up, as she turned and placed both elbows on the table, looking intently at him. He sang a bluesy rendition of ‘Summertime'. A hush fell upon the audience as he summoned forth every ounce of passion to mix with each swell and bottom of the melody. Twisting the words until tears began to fall among the women and men shook their heads in approval. He thought of the last three years. Of Emily, his sister, and finally, as he held the last note, of Marnie. Out poured passion and delight. He silenced the mass applause at the song's end as he transitioned into a happy pop tune from his new album. A few girls joined him on stage. As he spun around, he glanced at their table, still surrounded by friends, but empty of the one set of eyes he was looking for. Where did she go?