Free Red Carpet Romance by Jean C. Joachim

in his highchair and mixed a bottle of
formula.
    “I guess that means you’re standing
in.” He sat back, grinning at her.
    “What?” She whirled around to look
at him.
    A lazy smile made its way across his
lips. “You heard me. I need you to go in her place.”
    “Why? She took a box of cereal down
from the cabinet.
    “Because I don’t attend premieres
stag. Bad for my image.”
    “What image? As a playboy or an
actor?” She mixed the cereal with formula and put a bib on Junior.
    “I’m not a playboy. I prefer to look
like a guy who can get chicks. Women. Beautiful women. Even if it’s not true.
You know. Doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with them…”
    “Think you’ll look like a loser if
you don’t have a woman on your arm?” Her gaze rested on his bare chest. Her
fingers twitched at the thought of touching his skin. The baby gurgled at
Quinn, who put his finger within the tyke’s reach. “Are you really that
shallow? I didn’t think so.”
    “Hey if it was any other event, I
wouldn’t care. This is all about image. Very important in Hollywood.”
    “Who’ll look after Junior?”
    “Damn! Forgot about that. My
producer. I’ll call Josh. He’ll get a babysitter.”
    “And I don’t have any formal
clothes.”
    “Aha! Right. Hmm. Let me think.” He
stood up from his chair and began to pace. He snapped his fingers. “Penny!
Chaz’s sister-in-law.”
    “Who?”
    “Penny…she’s a…a fashionista , I think is the term. She
used to live out here and knows the best stores on Rodeo Drive. We won’t waste
time. I’ll call Chaz and get her number.”
    Susanna sat quietly, feeding Junior
and talking in a low voice to the baby while Quinn heated up his phone with
call after call. She heard bits of his conversations, the funniest being when
he was trying to get her a dress. He had to describe Susanna’s body.
    “Her breasts are…well…sort of.”
    She peeked out to spy him holding a
cupped hand in front of his chest. Unsuccessful at stifling giggles, she
clamped her hand over her mouth.
    “I can hear you in there…laughing,”
he called out.
    “Do you want my dress size?” She
asked.
    “Might make this easier.”
    She left the baby gumming his
strained fruit to mouth “size eight” to Quinn in the living room. When he
finished, he returned to the kitchen.
    “She said we should be able to find
the right dress in your size at La Maria, Jean Louis Designs, or Rossini
Boulevard on Rodeo Drive.” With a look of satisfaction on his face, the actor
rested his foot on a chair seat and pointed one finger at the sky. “Dress
shopping at noon. Babysitter arrives at five.” He added another finger, one for
each point he made. “Limo at five thirty. Red carpet at six thirty. Brief
interview. Movie at seven. Tons of cringing when I see myself up there. After
party at nine thirty. Home by midnight.”
    “You did all that just now?”
    He nodded. “I had help. Josh, Penny,
Fran…they all have contacts here.”
    “Guess I’m going to the premiere.
But what about being seen in public with you? Holding hands and all?” She put
down the baby’s spoon.
    “This is a date. Formal date.
Holding hands is okay. Being seen on the street wheeling a baby and holding
hands is not.”
    “Guess you’ve got your reasons.” She
added more fruit to Junior’s cereal.
    “Trust me.”
    Why
am I finding that so hard? “I’m taking Jaden’s place?”
    “You’re going because I want you to
be my date. She asked me…caught me off guard. I didn’t have a good excuse.”
    Susanna stopped, holding the utensil
in midair. He wants to take me, wants to
date me?
    “Isn’t that okay?” For the first
time, a frown of worry creased his handsome brow.
    “It’s more than okay,” she smiled at
him. “You’re not married, are you?”
    He burst out laughing. “No. Why are
you asking?”
    “You’ve got a child, his mother is
coming, and you’re not dating anyone that I can see.”
    “I’m single. Believe