Goss & Go, Hollywood News and Views
Sitcom star Bryn Boone, whose performance in the Cannes-bound indieSay My Name Twiceis generating awards-season buzz, says she’s only dating noncelebrities from now on.
“Look at Adriana Asebedo. I saw her out with her new man, and you could tell he was there for her, not the cameras. It’s so smart getting a guy who isn’t using you to launch his career. And obviously he’s also super unselfish in the bedroom, which yes please! More of that.”
Chapter 20
It was official: Charlie was a fool.
Not only because of his outfit, though that was enough to make anyone question his sanity. Fringe looked great on Jean, but it made Charlie feel ridiculous. Especially the thick white variety currently bristling from every seam of his clothing. And he didn’t care what his mother said about “red” suiting his complexion. This shirt was dark pink. A color better suited to a prom dress or raw meat. Charlie would bet his hat (white, too tight, suspiciously shiny) that a real cowboy wouldn’t be caught dead in this thing.
It was too late to go back in time and tell his parents to choose a different theme. Not that they would have listened to him when apparently Smithson was the hero of the hour. Besides, there was a bigger worry circling his head like a swarm of gnats.
What if he’d already blown it? Instead of using their alone time to hopefully, maybe, walk things back to how they’d been before, Charlie had the distinct feeling he’d made Jean mad. Even more than she was to begin with.
Had he overplayed his hand? Tried to rush things? Jean once told Charlie he had a bad habit of telegraphing his move before he laid down a card. Should he have tried harder to bluff?
I have to change too, he could have said.Into a humiliating outfit I wish you weren’t going to see. Except I’d rather see you in the outfit than not see you at all. Unless we were both not wearing outfits, if you know what I mean.
Even imaginary Charlie was terrible at acting suave.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder and Charlie took ahopping leap sideways before turning. “Mugsy! Where have you been? You’re not going to believe what happened!”
“Someone got maimed in a freak square-dancing incident?”
“No! She’s here, Mugsy!”
“You know?”
It was a gratifyingly dramatic response, especially by Mugsy standards. Charlie had been afraid he’d need to convince her it was a big deal. “Yes! I saw her at the house.”
“She—oh. You mean Emma Koenig. She seems cool.”
Like a glacier,in Charlie’s humble opinion. Before he could explain that he wasn’t talking about Emma, they heard a loud, “Hey, hey!”
Smithson was strutting in their direction.
Mugsy sighed like she’d taken a sip of spoiled milk. “If he asks me to take a memo or fetch him a snack, there will be blood,” she warned.
“He’s bad news,” Charlie agreed. “Do you think we could get him to leave?”
Mugsy shook her head. “He’s so far up your dad’s butt he could count his fillings.”
Charlie shifted uneasily, and not just because of the disgusting image Mugsy had conjured. “Why is he looking at me like that?”
“Sizing you up,” Mugsy replied. “I’ve got you. Don’t worry.”
“Is this our guy?” The booming bray was worse at close range, especially when Smithson wrapped Charlie in a bone-crushing hug. “About time you got here, brother. You almost missed all the fun.”
He pulled back far enough to grasp Charlie’s hand.
“Smithson Oliver Barrett,” Charlie ground out.
“Been reading up on me, Chuck?” The pressure around Charlie’s knuckles increased. “I’ve been reading about you too.” His smugness was almost as potent as his cologne. “You and Adriana, huh?” He laughed like it was a punchline.
Mugsy made a noise, but Charlie didn’t need her to fight this battle for him. Grimly, he returned Smithson’s viselike handshake. Charlie knew a thing or two about constrictors and their prey.
“There’s Emma,” Mugsy said. “Let’s go say hi.”
