Chapter 28 Red Carpet Rollout
RED CARPET ROLLOUT
ARTEMIS
“Stop moving,” Jules commanded, wielding a curling iron like a weapon. “You're going to make me burn your ear off.”
I tensed every muscle to hold still because ear mutilation did not go with this dress. “I'm not moving.”
“You're literally vibrating with nervous energy.”
She wasn't wrong. The premiere of Rookie Rising was in two hours, and I was trying not to think about the fact that millions of people were about to watch the most vulnerable months of our lives play out on screen.
“There,” Jules stepped back, admiring her work. “Now for the dress.”
The dress was a deep purple number that hugged every curve before flowing into a dramatic train. The neckline plunged just enough to be daring, and the back was completely open except for delicate crystal chains. When I'd tried this on in Rose Vond's boutique, I'd felt like a warrior goddess.
“Holy shit,” Jules breathed when I emerged from the bathroom. “Gryff is going to swallow his tongue.”
“It's not about Gryff.”
“Sure it's not.” She smirked. “That's why you're showing so much sexy, hottie-liscious skin.”
Before I could protest, we heard voices from the living room. Flynn and Tempest had arrived, which meant everyone was ready to go and we really were going to walk a red carpet with photographers and everything. Nobody ever said being friends with the Kingmans was going to be boring or normal.
“You ready?” Gryff called. “The car will be here in—“
He stopped mid-sentence when I walked into the living room. The glass of water in his hand tilted dangerously.
“You... I... words. Forgot how to word.”
Flynn caught the glass before it could spill. “Smooth, brother.”
But Gryff wasn't listening. He was staring at me like he'd never seen me before, his mouth slightly open, eyes traveling from my face to the dress, over every inch of skin, and all my curves, the soft parts and the strong ones, and back again.
“You look...” he started, then stopped. “There aren't words. You broke words.”
“Very articulate,” Tempest laughed, stunning in her own silver gown. “Really showing off that college education.”
Vincent bleated from his pen, seeming to say I looked pretty. Though he was probably just hungry.
“Even the goat is more eloquent,” Flynn added.
Gryff finally found his voice. “You look beautiful. Like, stop traffic, start wars, write songs about you beautiful.”
“Mixing your metaphors there,” I said, but my face was warm.
“Don't care. Still true.”
The ride to the premiere was surreal. The documentary had gotten huge buzz.
The behind-the-scenes look at League rookies during their first season was a popular show in the past, but FlixNChill had really upped their game following Kendra's takeover.
After Sloane's dramatic exit, she had turned it into something special.
Just the previews looked more interesting than previous seasons of the show.
“There's already a red carpet,” Flynn said, peering out the limo window. “Like, an actual red carpet.”
“That's generally how red carpet premieres work,” Tempest said, grinning. “I hope we get to do one like this for when my show comes out.”
“Of course they will, babe. You're famous. It's just weird that this one is for us.”
The car stopped, and suddenly we were stepping into chaos. Cameras flashed from every direction, people were shouting our names, and someone with a headset was directing us where to stand.
“Gryff, Artemis. Over here.”
“Flynn, can we get you with Ms. Milan?”
“Jules, Jules. To your left.”
Jules was eating it up, posing like she'd been doing this her whole life. Then she grabbed my arm.
“Oh my god,” she hissed. “Fox Daws. Twelve o'clock.”
I looked. Fox Daws, movie star and college football player, was indeed walking the carpet ahead of us. We'd heard he was back in LA to film his next movie, Fresh Out Of Fox during the off-season and summer.
“Go say hi,” I encouraged.
“I can't just—“
But Fox had spotted us. He waved at the guys, then his eyes landed on Jules. He winked—actually winked—and called out, “Looking forward to seeing the Kingman Queens up on the big screen.”
Jules made a sound I'd never heard before, somewhere between a squeak and a giggle.
“Did he just—“ she started.
“He definitely did,” Tempest confirmed. “And you're definitely blushing.”
“I don't blush.”
“You're the color of a bright pink peony.”
We moved through the interviews, Flynn and Gryff charming reporters with their brotherly dynamic. Someone asked if Gryff and I were together, and he smoothly deflected with, “We're here to celebrate all the rookies tonight.”
Inside the theater, Kendra found us immediately.
“You all look incredible,” she said, giving air kisses. “I think you're going to love what we've done with the show.”
“Nothing too embarrassing?” Flynn asked.
“Oh, there's definitely embarrassing stuff. But it's the endearing kind.”
She took the stage to introduce the first episode, thanking everyone involved and notably making no mention of Sloane.
“This show is about more than football,” she said. “It's about friendship, family, dreams, and yes, even a little romance.”
The lights dimmed, and the episode began.
It opened with Flynn and Gryff at rookie camp, both trying to act tough while clearly being overwhelmed. The scene where Flynn called Tempest after the first day, nearly in tears from exhaustion, had everyone laughing and going “aww” simultaneously.
“I forgot they filmed that,” Flynn muttered, sinking lower in his seat.
But it was the way Kendra had edited Gryff's and my scenes that made my chest tight. Every glance, every casual touch, every moment of us just existing in the same space. She'd woven it all into an obvious love story.
There was the scene of Gryff and me at home, his face soft with something that was definitely not platonic friendship. There was fussing over his bruises while he smiled at me like I was the sun.
“We were really that obvious?” I whispered.
“Apparently,” Gryff whispered back, his hand finding mine in the dark.
The episode followed multiple storylines brilliantly.
Xander's journey from being wary and clearly unhappy and the obvious hints at him finding his confidence again.
Jay, struggling with homesickness, Jamie trying to find his place in a team he'd grown up watching.
The brotherhood that developed between all of them.
But it kept coming back to us. To the way we moved around each other like binary stars, always in each other's orbit.
When the episode ended, the theater erupted in applause. Kendra had done something special. She'd taken what could have been a standard sports documentary and turned it into something deeply human.
“That was beautiful,” someone behind us said. “When do Gryff and Artie get together?”
“Oh, you'll just have to watch and see,” Kendra said with a grin.
The after party was a blur of congratulations and conversations. Fox Daws found his way over to our group, ostensibly to talk to the guys about their rookie seasons, but his eyes kept drifting to Jules.
“You're at UCLA, right?” he asked her.
“Yeah, studying psychology and sport science,” she said, trying to play it cool.
“Great campus. We filmed a movie there last year. Maybe I'll see you around.”
“Maybe,” Jules managed.
After he walked away, she grabbed my arm so tight I'd probably have bruises. “Did that just happen?”
“Jules, he was clearly flirting with you,” Tempest confirmed.
“But he's like, famous famous.”
“So?” I said. “You're Jules Kingman. That's pretty famous in its own right.”
A few days later, we were on a plane headed for the Big Bowl.
The Mustangs had made it all the way and were facing off against the Miami Sharks.
Chris, Declan, Hayes, Everett, and their cousin Levi who was new to the team this year, were all playing.
The Bandits hadn't even made the playoffs, so Gryff and Flynn were here as slightly disgruntled fans.
At least until the nacho bar was wheeled into the VIP suite.
“I can't believe you flew out for the game,” Sara Jayne said, wide-eyed at how beautiful, glowing, and looking so ready to pop at any moment Penelope was.
“I brought my doctor along, and I wasn't going to miss Everett's big game.” Penelope lowered herself onto a couch, though she winced as she said that.
She was due in two weeks but had insisted on coming to the game. Kelsey had flown everyone out on her jet, including Penelope's OB/GYN, Dr. Paula Patel, who was currently eating nachos and watching the pregame like this was totally normal.
“Are you sure you're okay?” Trixie asked Penelope for the tenth time.
“Just Braxton-Hicks,” Penelope said, though she was gripping the couch arm pretty tightly. “I've been having them all morning.”
Dr. Patel glanced over but didn't seem concerned, so we all tried to relax.
The first half was insane. Xander, playing for the Sharks, was absolutely destroying our offensive line. He looked like a completely different player from the stressed-out rookie who'd been dealing with Sloane's blackmail.
“He's playing angry,” Flynn observed. “But, like, the good kind of angry.”
“Therapeutic angry,” Tempest agreed.
Chris was having the game of his life, threading impossible passes through Miami's defense. Declan had already caused two fumbles. Hayes had run for over a hundred yards. Everett had caught three passes, one for a touchdown.
Penelope whoop-whooped and said, “See, that's why I had to be here.” But every few minutes, she'd go very still, breathing carefully through her nose.
“Pen?” I said quietly during a commercial break. “You sure you're okay?”
She looked at me, then at the game clock showing two minutes left in the half, then at Everett on the field. “Yep. Right as rain. Can't wait to watch the halftime show. You know, we've been in talks for Kelsey to be the headliner in one of the upcoming years.”