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“Anytime. That’s what I’m here for.”
Jihae replaced the receiver with a smile on her face. Excitement for the partnership bubbled up inside her. Best Placed Bets was the first romantic comedy that she would be working on, and she loved the humor, love and heartache the story held. She couldn’t wait to see it come together as a feature film—a larger-than-life realization of Jeannie Choi’s love story between two Asian-American characters.
Having the honor to work on Best Placed Bets came with the heavy responsibility of making a film worthy of bringing the spotlight on the importance of representation. It had to capture the hearts of the viewers and convince Hollywood that they wanted—no, needed—more diversity in the industry. She would work with Colin to make Best Placed Bets a long stride in the right direction for his cause, and create momentum for more Asian-American films to come.
Jihae was up for the challenge. So, yes. She’d made the right decision for Rotelle Entertainment and herself. All she could do was hope for their attraction to fizzle out. And soon. Keeping herself in check was only going to get harder the more time she spent with Colin.
Jihae wore a white jumpsuit with elegant silver embroidery across the bodice and on the hem of her pants. Colin stood at her side in a sharp, blue suit with a slim white tie as they smiled and posed for the cameras. They were at an awards ceremony to support Charity Banning’s nomination for best adapted screenplay for Never Again Maybe, as well as utilize the ceremony to publicize Rotelle Entertainment and CS Productions’s partnership.
It was Jihae’s first time attending this casual, laid-back awards ceremony held on a beautiful stretch of Santa Monica beach. This was one of the things she liked about working in the United States. It wasn’t all about glamour and glitz, but sometimes about down-to-earth fun where the celebrities connected with their fans in a closer, more intimate setting.
After smiling until their cheeks cramped, Jihae and Colin retreated to the huge tent where the ceremonies were being held. She was acquainted with many of the beautiful people, but there were plenty she hadn’t been introduced to. It would be unbecoming of Princess Jihae to fangirl over her favorite actors and actresses, but that didn’t mean Jihae wasn’t sorely tempted to.
“This isn’t the kind of awards ceremony that you’re used to, right?” Colin asked, leaning close so he could be heard in the crowded venue.
“Everyone seems so much more approachable and relaxed. I feel like I could walk up to just about anyone and talk to them.”
“Then do it.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jihae said with a small smile. “We’ll say hello to the people we need to and possibly make some advantageous connections as necessary. Remember, I’m the great Chairman Park’s daughter. I’m not allowed to gush over stars. That would be undignified.”
“That must suck sometimes.” Colin looked steadily at her. “Including nights like this.”
“It’s hardly an inconvenience. I’m quite used to it.”
Jihae was surprised and grateful for his empathy, but she didn’t let it show on her face. She refused to act the part of the poor little rich girl. “But feel free to mingle. Don’t hold back on my account.”
“I won’t,” he said, but he made no move to leave her side.
She was embarrassed at how glad she was that he stayed with her. She needed to stop acting like a fool. Jihae reminded herself that he might be involved with someone else.
“Is Sandy Lim attending tonight?” she asked.
“Sandy?” Colin cocked his head, wearing a quizzical frown. “I have no idea.”
“Oh?” Her heart skipped to a happy beat against her will. She didn’t care whether he was with Sandy Lim or not. “I saw some speculations about you being her new boyfriend.”
“Oh...that.” Colin scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “She’s a good friend. She needed help keeping her real boyfriend—well, actually her fiancé now—a secret until they were ready to make their engagement public. I was what you would call her decoy arm candy.”
“Decoy arm candy?” Jihae laughed. “Well, congratulations on your performance. You obviously did a good job of distracting the public. How long will she need you to play the part?”
“Well, she just walked in with her forever arm candy on her arm, so I guess I’m free of my decoy duties.”
“They must be making things public tonight.” Jihae turned around to see the beautiful actress walking into the tent with a handsome, glowing man beside her. “They look so happy together.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy,” Colin said. “They deserve each other.”
He almost sounded wistful, as though he was envious of their happiness. Just as she was. Jihae really needed to get herself under control before she built a fairy-tale story for her and Colin.
He didn’t have to stay beside Jihae like her bodyguard. It was obvious she was perfectly comfortable in her environment. She greeted her acquaintances with grace and warmth, and introduced herself to new people with poise and confidence. It wasn’t because she needed him, but because Colin wanted to stay by her side. It was as though he was caught in her gravitational pull.
Just as at the movies, he found himself spending more time watching her than the awards ceremony. In the darkened theater, he’d been able to enjoy all her changing emotions without effort. Tonight, out in the open, her serene face hardly changed at all. But he could see the subtle differences in the light of her eyes and the curve of her lips. The ever-changing, dynamic current under the calm surface of her demeanor held him captive.
“Charity Banning.”
He heard the presenter intone as though from far away, but when he saw Jihae bounce ever so slightly in her seat, he realized what had just happened.
“Yeah, Charity,” he yelled, clapping furiously for the talented screenwriter.
