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Twenty-Nine
“Jen’s dress is hideous.”Bree curled her leg under her, her eyes never leaving the flat screen TV on thewall.
Maddie kicked her flip-flops off and stretched her own legs out on Bree’s couch. “She’s just lost too much weight.” Unlike Maddie who watched movie awards shows because she loved film, Bree watched to see what the stars were wearing.
Maddie squinted at the television. “She’s almost as skinny as you now, Bree.”
“Shut up.” Bree pretended she didn’t love to hear how thin shewas.
“She won best supporting actress, right?”
“Yeah.”
Maddie marked the box on her makeshift ballot. She had made predictions earlier in the day while she’d run on the treadmill at the gym. This one she’d gotten wrong. Usually she was pretty good at guessing, but her heart really wasn’t in it this year. The only actor that permeated her thoughts was Micah Preston. And he wasn’t up for any awards.
“Oh my God, Christian looks h-o-thot!”
“Where?” Maddie looked toward the screen.
“No, don’t look now. They just scanned over Micah. And he looks super hot too. Sorry.”
Too late. Maddie had already seen him. He did look super hot. As always. Dammit, she had hoped moving on wouldn’t be as hard as it was turning out to be. Stupid, broken heart.
“At least he looks like he didn’t bring a date. He’s sitting in between twoguys.”
This comforted Maddie. Unless the two guys were merely placeholders. Award shows did that, had paid models available to take the seat of anyone who left their seat for any reason. It made the theater look full. What if one of the guys sitting next to Micah was simply filling in for some hot blonde that had to pee? “Why do we have to watch the America’s Choice Awards again, Bree?”
“Because if Beaumont wins Best Director, he’s going to immediately get a million phone calls and crap, and I have to be ready to handlethem.”
Ah, yes, I’m watching this stupid award show because of Beaumont. It figures. “It seems like you should be therethen.”
Bree didn’t detect the bitterness in Maddie’s voice. “It does seem that way. But no, I have to be here instead of dressed up all pretty surrounded by yummy, yummy hot stars.” Bree had her own bitterness. She squeezed Maddie’s leg. “I mean, I’d totally rather be here withyou.”
“Of course you would.”
“Tell you what, when you get nominated for best director or screenwriter or cinematographer, I expect an invite.”
“Deal,” Maddie said. And finally, for the first time in her life, she saw being nominated for an award as a possibility. She actually had a shot, now she that was being funded by Three Spot. Three Spot and Micah. How had Micah managed to make her biggest dreams a reality and then completely break her heart all in the sameday?
Nope. Stop. Don’t think about it tonight. Focus on why you’re here. Oh, yeah, Beaumont.Maddie groaned. “I’m sorry, Bree, but I’m seriously hoping Beaumont loses.”
“Frankly, I am too.” If Beaumont won, the rest of Bree’s night would be spent working. “And must I remind you that you don’t have to behere?”
Maddie sighed. “I didn’t want to be alone. I’d end up not only watching Micah, but rewinding his segment over and over.” She had done that with a million YouTube videos already that week. “And then I’d cry.” She’d done that too. “A lot. I’m tired of crying.”
Bree wagged her finger at her friend. “No more crying. Your eyes are going to turn perma-puffy.”
“Are my eyes puffy right now?” Maddie thought she had put on enough foundation to hidethat.
“Don’t think about it baby, you’re gorgeous.” Bree grabbed two Oreos out of the package on the coffee table. “You don’t have this set to DVR doyou?”
Maddie took a cookie from Bree. “No.” She took a bite. “Maybe.”
“Madalyn!”
“I’ll only watch it if I’m desperate.” When she’d set the record option, she had told herself she was doing so in case she ended up leaving Bree’s early. She wouldn’t want to miss any of the big awards. Not that she couldn’t find any of that info on the Internet.
Maddie leaned her head back against the armrest of the couch and swiveled toward the TV. The best supporting actor, announced while Maddie and Bree were talking, finished his acceptance speech and the voice-over came on. “Coming up after the break. Best Actor and Actress presented by last year’s winners Natalia Lowen and Micah Preston.”
