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“Are you nervous?”
Abby tore her gaze away from the tinted window of the limousine at the sound of his voice. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer to him, tilting her chin up with one hand.
“Yes,” she said honestly, her voice a breathy whisper. “Incredibly. Can you believe how many people are here?”
“I expected more, honestly,” he shrugged. “Didn’t they get the announcement? Abigail Griffin is going to be at the Emmys. All of Los Angeles should have shown up.”
Abby laughed and rested her head on his shoulder, almost forgetting about the hours spent carefully styling her hair in her search for his familiar comfort. His fingertips trailed lightly across her shoulder blades, left bare by her strapless gown. She shivered lightly at the pleasurable sensation.
“Don’t be nervous, love.” His voice was quiet and soothing. Her eyes closed and she breathed deeply, willing herself to relax. “You’re going to shine tonight. And in just a couple hours, you’ll be holding that little gold statue in your hand. Think how good that’ll feel.”
“You’d better knock on wood for that, Kane!” she said warningly.
Marcus rapped on the door of the car, muttering, “There’s got to be wood somewhere in this damned thing. Or some kind of tree by product.”
“I’m not going to get my hopes up. I’m just praying we make it down the red carpet alive. I’ll count that as a win in my book,” Abby muttered, her gaze straying towards the window again. They were moving slowly in the long procession of limousines, drawing ever nearer to their destination. A new flutter of nerves took over her stomach until Marcus put his finger beneath her chin and made her look at him again.
“You’ll make it through, Abby. All you’ve got to do is smile and you’ll win everyone over.” He kissed her cheek lightly, then pressed their foreheads together, his eyes staring intently into hers. “What are you most nervous about? The award? Or is it… us?”
Abby hesitated, glancing away for a moment before looking back at him. “Both. But mostly us. This is the first time we’re inviting people to look at us as a couple. The first time we’re letting them take pictures of us. People are going to ask questions. Make judgments.”
“You’re still insecure.” It wasn’t a question, and the intensity of his gaze made it impossible for her to deny it.
“You’re Marcus Kane.” Her voice had dropped, could barely be considered a whisper anymore. She wasn’t looking at his eyes anymore but seemed to be studying the knot of his tie. “You’ve had millions of fans for years. I’m not- I don’t think people expected it. I don’t know if they’ll accept it.”
“Fuck them,” Marcus said casually, making her eyes widen in surprise. He shrugged again, looking entirely unaffected. “I’ve never given a damn what the press think of me, especially not about my personal life. My real fans can appreciate that you make me happy. The others… who cares? They can’t touch us.”
The limo was slowly rolling to a stop. Marcus put his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him for a moment.
“I love you, Abby. Anyone who can’t accept that isn’t worth my time.” Rather than risk messing up her lipstick, he dropped his head and trailed kisses along her collarbone and up her neck.
“I love you too, Marcus,” Abby sighed, feeling a sense of calm come over her. After a few seconds, she laughed and gently pushed him away. “Save it ‘till we get back to the hotel.”
A security guard was standing at their car door. Marcus grinned at her and murmured, “I’ll hold you to that,” just before the door opened. As soon as he stepped out the crowd erupted in deafening screams. A thousand flashbulbs seemed to be going off at once, and Abby had to blink a few times until she could see straight.
“Tonight’s about you, Abigail,” she could hear Marcus saying. He offered his hand to her and helped her out of the limo, lacing their fingers together before turning to wave at the fans. Upon seeing her, the crowd’s volume only seemed to increase, and Abby fought to replace the awestruck look on her face with a genuine smile.
He offered his arm, which she took, and together they began winding their way down the red carpet.
“I wish we could skip all the press junk,” Abby murmured to Marcus while they stood and posed for the hundreds of flashing cameras. Interviewers from every imaginable television station or magazine were calling to them, cameras and tape recorders already rolling in anticipation. “Where do you want to go first?”
“Not yet. Make them wait.” Marcus smiled at her, placing his hand on the small of her back and steering her towards the barriers that kept the fans at bay. “Keeps them interested.”
“Are we playing hard to get with the paparazzi?” Abby asked with a small laugh. He grinned and winked, saying nothing before he turned to sign an autograph for a young girl.
Although Abby would have much preferred to stay with the fans until the show began, within a few minutes red carpet personnel were trying to urge them to move on, and they had no choice but to obey.
They went through interview after interview until Abby completely lost count. Even though Marcus assured her she’d kept a professional appearance and hadn’t made any grave errors, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d somehow screwed up their first public appearance. She’d had enough nightmares in the past few days to make her paranoid, and she kept glancing down at herself to confirm that yes, she was still wearing the dress, she hadn’t shown up to the red carpet stark naked.
(That horrifying vision had visited her dreams three times in the last week.)
“You’re absolutely gorgeous,” Marcus murmured, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his side while they stopped one last time for photographers. “I told you everything would be fine.”
“Give her a kiss!” One of the photographers yelled suddenly, which only set off a chain reaction.
“Yeah, c’mon!
“Lay one on her!”
Abby blushed and tensed slightly, unsure if she wanted anyone else to witness something like that.
“If those fuckers think their yelling is going to make me do something that would make you uncomfortable, they’re worse than I thought,” Marcus mumbled softly in her ear, though his smile never faded. “One more minute and then we’re leaving. Have to make sure we’ve got the best possible seats, right?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are due to begin in fifteen minutes,” a voice announced over the loudspeaker system. “Guests are urged to take their seats quickly so we can begin on time.”
Marcus’s hand sought hers and he squeezed it reassuringly, turning to give her an excited smile. “That’s our cue, I suppose. Have you thought about what you’re going to say when you’re presented with Best Lead Actress?”
Abby laughed. “Marcus, I’m not even nominated in that category!”
“Now that’s a crying shame,” he said, shaking his head. They both turned to wave at the fans once more and were rewarded with cheers and applause.
Just before they started towards the theatre’s main entrance, Abby turned to Marcus and tugged his tie lightly, pulling him in so she could press a brief kiss to his lips. In one small gesture, so quick it could hardly be called a PDA, she let him know that the insecurities she’d come here with had been left behind in the limo. Without saying a word, she’d just told him that it no longer mattered to her what the critics might say.
Marcus grinned, saying nothing but squeezing her hand again. They were shown their seats, and a few minutes after they sat, the lights lowered in preparation for the start of the ceremony.
“I’m not joking, Abby. It’s an absolute crime you aren’t up for Best Lead Actress,” Marcus whispered, leaning in so his lips brushed her ear. “If it didn’t mean missing the opportunity to see you in this dress, I would have boycotted the event altogether.”
Abby was glad for the darkness when a faint blush tinged her cheeks. Shushing him, she turned her attention to the stage, hiding a grin when he nuzzled her cheek.
---
A knock on the door the following morning drew Abby and Marcus out of sleep. Somehow, they untangled themselves from each other and the bed sheets, scrambled around to find clothes, and made their way to the door of their hotel suite.
On the bedside table, a polished Emmy practically seemed to be glowing with golden light.
“Who the hell is knocking so early?” Marcus mumbled sleepily, reaching for the door handle.
Sitting in the hallway was a room service cart with a covered tray on top. Marcus looked up and down the hallway but saw no other signs of life. It was as though the food had delivered itself to their room.
“Apparently someone’s ordered us breakfast,” he told Abby, rolling the cart into the room. He pulled the metal cover away to reveal a platter with croissants, fruit, and two glasses of orange juice. To the side of the plate was a stack of magazines. Frowning in confusion, Marcus picked them up to look through them. They were all tabloids, and some of them were already open and folded back to reveal pictures of Marcus and Abby on the red carpet.
“Who sent these?” Abby wondered, stifling a yawn.
Marcus shrugged, laughing quietly. “I don’t know. Raven, maybe? Seems like something she would do. Let’s go back to bed and look through them, yeah?”
He handed the magazines to Abby and picked up the plate of food, carrying it back into the bedroom. They cuddled together on the king-sized bed, nibbling on their breakfast and looking through the various magazines. They were mentioned in nearly every article about the Emmys, and a few of the magazines had devoted pages or spreads to them alone.
“Look at this one. Griffin laughed off rumors that she and Kane were starting a family, but admitted that she did hope to get married someday. We’re hoping for an invite to the Kane-Griffin ceremony within a few weeks.” Abby laughed and shook her head. “Getting ahead of themselves a bit, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” Marcus said with a short laugh. “Ah, look here. Abigail Griffin was stunning in her dress, but it was the man on her arm that really made heads turn. Who would have thought Abigail and Marcus Kane would look so breathtaking together? See, Abby, I told you. They love us. All of them.”
He grinned and kissed her shoulder, offering a bite of a buttered croissant. They were both quiet for a few moments, each absorbed in reading the various articles. Marcus absentmindedly chewed his thumbnail and glanced at Abby every few seconds, then down at the tabloids again.
“They really get detailed, don’t they?” Abby said, interrupting the silence. He looked at her questioningly and she motioned to the article she was reading. “They notice everything. Not just about us, I mean. They know who designed whose dress, who did whose hair, what kind of floss so-and-so uses…” she laughed. “You can’t get anything past them.”
Marcus smiled and didn’t answer for a moment. He downed the last of his orange juice.
“Yeah, you’re right. That’s why I’m so surprised they didn’t notice the ring,” he said casually, glancing at her over the top of the tabloid.
“Hmm?” She frowned in confusion. “What ring?”
“Ah, yeah, that’s right!” He put his hand against the forehead, as though he’d just remembered something important. “No wonder they didn’t notice it. I haven’t even given it to you yet.” He scrambled off the bed and opened a drawer in the bedside table, taking something out and closing his fist around it.
“What are you talking about, Marcus?” Abby asked, laughing. “You’re finally losing it, aren’t you?”
Marcus knelt down on one knee beside the bed.
Abby gasped.
“Abigail Griffin, I love you.” He grinned and popped open the black velvet box, revealing a white gold engagement ring. The light from the window caught on the diamond, making it shimmer and shine. “I know your life is complete. You’ve got a job and a home and you’re successful… hell, you won an Emmy last night. You don’t need anything else. But I need you. I- I can’t be complete without you.” His voice caught and he realized his vision was a bit misty. “Will you marry me, Abby?”
He’d lain awake all night rehearsing this in his head, and somehow he still managed to forget everything he’d prepared and just babbled.
Abby slid off the bed, kneeling beside him on the floor, not even aware of the tears that had gathered in her eyes. She took his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his in a searing kiss.
“I thought I was supposed to be the insecure one in this relationship,” she whispered against his lips, a smile spreading across her features. “Don’t you know by now that I need you just as much? I can’t imagine being without you. Yes, Marcus. Yes. I’ll marry you. Of course I’ll marry you!”
The ring slid easily onto her finger. A perfect fit. Laughing and crying at the same time, Abby flung her arms around his neck and practically threw herself at him, kissing him deeply. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, and only broke away from her mouth when he absolutely had to take a breath.
“Can I expect something like this after every awards show?” Abby teased breathlessly, looking over his shoulder to admire her engagement ring.
“Just wait ‘till the Oscars, love.”