Riding Into Love. Nicki Night

looked at her watch. Cadence and Blake were right on time. Ever since Cadence had told her about the evening’s plans, Alana had been overcome with giddy merriment. She had stopped by her favorite boutique on the way home from the office to pick up the perfect outfit. Tilting left and then right, she now assessed her attire in her dressing-room mirror. Satisfied, she trotted down the steps in her spacious townhome, grabbed a full-length mink from the front closet and threw it across her arm as she headed out the door. She was so excited she barely felt the cold. It was as if her strapless jumpsuit were enough to shield her from the frigid air.

      Alana could hardly believe she was on her way to a movie premiere and exclusive after-party. The lead was played by Christian Jacobs, her all-time-favorite actor, whom she thoroughly enjoyed fawning over. She knew he was married but wondered if his wife would allow her to give him a kiss if she got close enough. Alana laughed aloud at herself as she headed up the walk.

      Alana whistled as the driver walked around and opened the door for her.

      “We’re traveling fancy tonight,” she said as she ducked her head inside.

      Her next words caught in her throat when her eyes landed on Drew reaching a hand in her direction to help her in. She hadn’t thought to ask if Drew would be joining them when Cadence had invited her to the premiere. Nervous bursts of energy erupted in her stomach.

      Alana cleared her throat and fixed a smile on her face. “Hey, Drew. How are you, Blake?” Her smile faded. “Cadence.” She greeted her friend stiffly, upset that she hadn’t given her prior notice—even a text—about Drew. Alana gave Cadence the eye, a look that was code for we’ll talk about this later.

      Cadence sunk into her shoulders just a little and smiled guiltily.

      Drew. Alana took a breath and feigned another smile in his direction as the driver took off. Wasting no time, Drew slid over next to Alana.

      “I know you received my many messages.” He stressed the word many. She’d left all his calls and texts unanswered since the day he showed up at her door.

      “I’ve been really busy.” Though the interior of the car was already dim, Alana averted her eyes as she spoke.

      “All lies!” Drew exclaimed.

      Alana whipped her head in his direction. She couldn’t believe he called her a liar—even if she did just tell a blatant untruth. Drew sported a wide Cheshire grin. Alana shook her head, glad that he was teasing.

      “What’s wrong? Do my good looks and charming personality make you uncomfortable?”

      “Oh please!” She rolled her eyes. Both Blake and Cadence snickered.

      “So why are you avoiding me?”

      “I’m not avoiding you, Drew,” she lied again. “I’m a busy girl.” Another excuse. The night he showed up at her door, she’d told him that she wasn’t feeling well in order to get him to leave. It worked. When he left, she’d laughed, tickled by how baffled he was at her refusal to go out with him. Drew was so unaccustomed to rejection that he couldn’t comprehend the reality of that situation. He had still looked confused as he walked away that night.

      “Okay. I’ll accept that...this time.”

      Alana took a deep breath and turned to Blake. “Thanks so much for inviting me. This is so exciting. I don’t think I’ve actually been in the midst of celebrities before.”

      Before Blake could respond, Drew jumped in. “You’re welcome, but you’ve been around me thousands of times so what would be different about tonight?”

      “Wait! This wasn’t Blake’s doing?”

      Donning a proud smile, Drew shook his head. “I invited all of you. This is what I called you for, but you wouldn’t answer.”

      “Well, then, thank you, Drew.” Alana stopped there. She didn’t want to make a big deal about her excitement now that she knew that this was Drew’s doing. His ego was big enough without her efforts.

      “Is anyone else joining us tonight?” Alana asked. She felt like she’d been duped into a double date. She noticed how unusually quiet Blake was. It was obvious that she was the last to know all the details about the evening’s festivities and she was more than a little annoyed.

      When the car pulled up in front of the theater on Broadway in the heart of the theater district, Alana was the first to get out. She didn’t even wait for the driver to open the door. She stood to the side until all the others climbed out of the car and then hung back to walk behind them at a distance. Alana was determined not to look like she was on a date with Drew. But, gentleman that he was, Drew gestured for her to walk ahead of him. Taking quick steps, she was on Blake’s heels, creating as much space as possible between her and Drew. Excited spectators stood behind stanchions, screaming and snapping pictures with everything from high-quality cameras to cell phones. Alana was too busy focusing on how far she was from Drew to enjoy the celebrity treatment. She assumed those onlookers would end up deleting their pictures of her once they realized they didn’t know who she was.

      Under the bright lights inside the theater’s lobby, Alana noticed how ruggedly handsome Drew looked in his well-fitting tuxedo. She also noticed how women stole glances, smiled coyly or winked at him. He took it all in stride with the charm of a skilled player.

      A stunning gentleman with sharp facial features and long, dusty blond hair spotted Drew, raced over and swallowed him up in a bear hug. Drew introduced the fellow as his friend and new Delgado team member. He was also the brother-in-law of one of the actors in the film, and the person who had invited Drew to the evening’s festivities.

      “Follow me,” Sean said, leading them inside the theater. His French accent made it hard to understand what he said at first.

      Drew and Sean chatted cheerfully as they walked down the aisle. Sean waved them into a row of seats near the front. Excitement bubbled inside of Alana as she recognized all the celebrities around her, mingling, talking and finding seats. She felt like a little girl on her first trip to Disney World. People whom she’d watched on big and little screens for years smiled, nodded and even waved as she made her way to their seats. She forgot about avoiding Drew until he plopped into the seat next to her.

      The lights flickered, indicating that the movie was about to start. The cast entered the theater from the stage doors on either side of the screen. People cheered. Alana actually held her breath to keep from screaming when Christian Jacobs entered, made eye contact, smiled and nodded before being seated with his cast members along the front row. He had been within twenty feet of her. She wanted to fall into her chair but had too much poise to allow that to happen.

      The lights went out. The screen lit up and music filled the theater. Alana put her hand to her chest and exhaled. This was certainly a night she’d never forget.

      When the movie was over, they were ushered to their limos and taken to the private after-party at an enclosed rooftop venue overlooking Lexington Avenue. Alana was a born and bred New Yorker with a few well-established corporate connections, but she had never heard of or seen this place before. Alana looked around in awe at the all-white walls, furniture and carpet. As the place filled up, she wondered how the floor stayed clean. Several crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and sparkled in their reflection against the wall of windows that boasted a magnificent view of New York City’s famous, glistening skyline. Servers in black bottoms, white shirts and white gloves passed champagne and canapés throughout the room.

      Blake, Drew, Cadence and Alana found a comfortable spot to sit, eat the canapés and sip their champagne as they took in views of the skyline. They talked about how great the movie was and how lucky they were to have been able to see it before it hit theaters the next day. Music flowed and Alana was finally relaxed enough to really begin to enjoy herself. She still worked to keep her distance from Drew no matter how many times he parked himself by her side. She made sure her body language clearly told him to stand back.

      Applause started as a low rumble and expanded until everyone in the room stood, clapped and cheered while the cast