“You know it, Gwen,” I said with the warm smile Denise had once made me practice for an hour straight before a key interview. I didn’tlikesmiling on cue, like a seal balancing a ball on his nose, but it was a tool I knew how to use when the situation called for it. “I think we’re going to have a great night.”
“Perfect!” Ryan responded. “That’swhat I wanna hear. See you out there.”
As is always the case with TV appearances, we went from twiddling our thumbs backstage to being rushed into the wings.
“Hold on, let me do a quick check,” Gwen said. She went up on her tip toes and examined my face.
She was so worried about making sure I didn’t have anything caught in my nose or teeth that she didn’t seem to notice she was just inches away from me. Given her proximity and the dim light backstage, it felt like we were about to kiss.
Which wouldn’t be the worst thing.
“Whoops, the makeup artists didn’t blend you,” she said under her breath.
Gwen smoothed her fingers along the side of my face, and I fought the urge to shiver at her touch. She smiled to herself as she rubbed my jawline over and over. Gwen was totally focused on getting the job done, butmyawareness was on how intimate the move felt.
“There! Perfect. You look amazing,” she grinned at me. “You’ve got this.”
Have I got you? That’s what I want.
But no. Of course I didn’t have her. And if I had any sense, I’d put the idea out of my head completely.
“IknowI do,” I shot back at her, and she flinched a bit at my clipped tone.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “Just some pre-show jitters.”
It wasn’t my nerves. I needed to fully admit to myself that I still wasn’t able to get past my attraction to the woman.
Falling for Gwen wasnotan option.
“Mr. Ashford, this way please,” a woman in a headset said, using her clipboard like an aircraft marshaller. “We need you right at the edge of the set now.”
I glanced at Gwen, and she looked like she was afraid to wish me luck.
“Thank you,” I said to her before following the woman. “For getting me to this point. I appreciate all the work you’ve done.”
She relaxed a little and gave me a genuine smile. “Teamwork! Now go make me proud.”
Her words made me pause. Yeah, deep down, beneath all my concerns about shareholder value and saving face, Ididwant to make this petite force of nature proud of me. I straightened my back and got ready for the performance of a lifetime.
“Thank you, Gwen.”
I watched Ryan do his thing from my spot in the wings, and then before I even heard him say my name, I was being directed to head on stage.
Normally, when guests walked out the big red door and onto the dais, the crowd cheered like crazy, helped by the many light-upapplausesigns in the studio.
But for me? Nothing but a few limp claps, and I could’ve sworn I heard someone boo.
Yeah, that was pretty much the welcome I was expecting.
I turned on the charm anyway and smiled my way to Ryan. He slapped me on the back like an old friend, and I was on.
Ryan gave me the opportunity to explain my version of what went wrong during Scarlet’s ill-fated voyage with Ashford Jets. Of course, I took care not to throw her people under the bus for being late for their reservation. Then I worked my way through as much of the courthouse story as I felt comfortable telling.
I watched the audience’s reaction as I spoke, and I could see the sentiment shifting. Angry expressions softened, and people actually laughed at my attempts at self-deprecation. I could see Gwen in the wings with her hands clasped beneath her chin, nodding and grinning, there with me every step of the way.
I was nailing it. But there was still one more reveal waiting to come out once Scarlet joined me on stage.
“Folks, what do you say we bring out the woman of the hour?” Ryan said. “Shall we?”
