“Oh my God, did I seriously just wake you?”
“Yes,” she grumbled into the receiver, unable to focus her hazy eyes.
“Hurry up! Best Drama is next!”
Elle reached out her arm, still heavy with sleep, to grab the remote. Her nerves got the best of her and her fingers fumbled with the numbers.
“Oh my God,” Whitney grumbled on the other end of the line. “You’re going to miss it.”
Elle struggled to focus her eyes. “I’m doing the best I can. Don’t be a pain in the ass.”
Finally, Elle turned to the proper channel just as Follow the Sun was read from the list of nominees. She and Whitney sat in silence for a moment. She’d done it. They’d done it. Elle’s eyes filled with tears and she bit down on her bottom lip to prevent her emotions from spilling over.
“You did it,” Whitney whispered.
Elle took a deep breath to calm her pounding heartbeat, and swiped a tear from her cheek. She had to remember to keep things in perspective and not to get her hopes up. “It’s just a nomination.”
“Stop it. Don’t do that. Don’t you dare do that. You freaking did it! This is something to celebrate!”
“I know, I just—I’m overwhelmed.” Elle stared at the screen in awe.
“Just soak it in, my friend,” Whitney said. Elle could hear Whitney’s smile in her voice. “Soak it in.”
“I will, I promise.” Elle ran her fingers through her hair, finally allowing a satisfied smile to pull at the corners of her mouth.
“By the way, sleeping through the award nominations? So unlike you. I thought you’d be up hours ago, cleaning out your cabinets or something.” Whitney chuckled into the phone. Whenever Elle was nervous, she had to keep her mind busy. Cleaning, rearranging, organizing were some of the things she ran to when anxious. Because of this, her cabinets were extremely well organized.
“I know, I’m shocked myself. So what did I miss?”
“Nolan and Gina are up for Best Actor and Actress. And now Best Drama. Maybe we’ll grab it this year.”
Elle released a sigh, not even realizing she was holding her breath. This was their second nomination for the award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They’d lost the previous year to a stellar drama in its final season. They hadn’t stood a chance. But this year . . . well, this year they had a shot.
“This is . . . wow, this is phenomenal. Any tough contenders for the spot? I missed the other nominations.”
“Yeah, a couple. But I think we can take ’em, especially after last week’s Nielsens. Maybe Nolan will win this year, too. God, he’d be so happy.”
“Gina would, too.”
An uncomfortable pause passed over the phone. “Well, yeah.”
“Things still weird between you two?” Elle asked.
“She’s just a bitch on a mission to erase my existence from the planet. Seriously, she hasn’t made eye contact with me in months . . . even when I apologized. Whatever, I’m over it. But speaking of her crazy ass—do you mean to tell me she’s been nice to you?”
Elle chose not to share Gina’s antics regarding a proposed showmance with Luke. If she did, she knew how Whitney would react, and she wanted to hold on to her good feelings regarding the nominations. “Well, no, but she’s the star of my show. I have to try, no matter how much she pisses me off. The show comes first, you know that. We’re losing Nolan, there’s no way I’m losing her, too.”
“You’re a better person than I am, my dear.” Whitney laughed. “Enough about her. We should celebrate tonight. Drinks? Dinner? Dancing? All of the above?”
“I wish I could. But I’m actually seeing Troy tonight. He’s taking me to see a Beatles cover band at Levitt Pavilion.”
“Ah, Vegas is stepping it up, huh?”
Whitney didn’t sound impressed. Elle knew her best friend’s claws came out when it involved Troy. Yes, she finally understood his reasons for leaving Elle the way he did, but as time had gone by, she reminded Elle of his decade-long absence from her life, and that if she hadn’t walked into his restaurant, who knows how long that absence would have continued? Whitney didn’t trust him, but Elle felt she was simply showing her preference for Luke.
“Wearing your Team Luke shirt this early in the morning, huh?” Elle teased.
“You better believe it. Speaking of that sexy man, how does he feel about this date with your ex-husband?”
Elle sat up in her bed, wiping the sleep from her eyes. “He’s fine with it. In fact, he’s been so great about this whole thing—so patient.”
“Just don’t push it. He’s still a man.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Elle grimaced. She didn’t want to think about Luke growing tired of her or walking away from what they were building. The idea sent uncomfortable adrenaline into her empty belly.
“Men don’t share. He’s crazy about you and I know that’s the only reason he’s putting up with all of this.”
“I can’t help it, Whit. I have to know if something’s still there after all this time.”
“I know, I get it—closure, unfinished business, yada yada yada. Just . . . be careful, okay? I don’t want you to lose out on Kingston. I have a good feeling about him.”
If only things were that simple. She wished she could echo Whitney’s sentiment, but something in the pit of her stomach said the opposite. She knew the Hollywood bug had bitten him slightly, and she was hesitant to relax completely, not knowing what could be thrown their way. No matter her intense feelings toward the actor, her guard was still up, keeping him at a slight distance. Whitney made her wonder if, even without the complication of Troy, that distance could be their undoing. She pushed that thought down in her subconscious and quickly changed the subject.
“Speaking of good feelings, I keep meaning to ask you about last Wednesday.”
“What about it?” Whitney’s voice was unexpectedly sharp, defensive, very un-Whitney.
“Um”—Elle paused—“nothing, I just . . . it sounded like you were having a good time in your office and I . . .”
“Oh, that? That was nothing.”
Whitney was never one to hold back when it came to her dalliances. In fact, Whitney was never one to hold back in any aspect of her personal or professional life. Elle was taken aback, and unsure of what to say. So she let it go. If and when Whitney was ready to talk about it, Elle was confident she would. They said their awkward good-byes, and when they hung up, Elle turned on the television, hoping to catch the commentary from the anchors on the Today Show.
“A big day for Elle Riley and the cast of Follow the Sun, garnering three Golden Globe nominations,” the smiling male anchor with deep-set dimples said to his coanchor.
“I’m crazy about that show,” his coanchor said, her eyes wide. “The tension is insane.”
“My wife loves it too.” The handsome anchor smirked. “She takes complete control of the television every week. If I make a noise I’m in trouble.”
The female anchor laughed with exuberance. “Looks like it’s the one to beat.”
Elle sat on the edge of the bed, smiling from ear to ear. She could only hope their predictions were correct.
“What a perfect night for this.”
The sun had already set when they arrived at MacArthur Park. In his hands, Troy carried a steaming hot pizza fresh from the oven of Anthony’s Pub. Over her shoulder, Elle carried a tote bag with two bottles of merlot, a blanket, and everything else they needed for their dinner. At Troy’s suggestion, they arrived early. The cover band was gaining in popularity, and since all shows at Levitt Pavilion were free of charge, it would be a crowded Thursday evening. As they approached the pavilion, couples, families, and other large groups of people seemed to have the same idea. The show wouldn’t start for an hour, and it was already crowded. By the time the band took the stage, it would be packed.