Chapter 3
RIGBY
The tux fitting was as boring as I’d expected, and I nearly broke a tooth holding back my desire to tell the prattling man to shut the hell up.
At least the pre-luncheon would have food, I told myself.
I forgot that it was a bunch of celebrities who lived on fad diets and kale, though.
I was a healthy guy, but that didn’t mean I was a fucking rabbit.
I needed more than lettuce to sustain me.
Instead, I had to nibble on a plate of veggies while I listened to mostly shallow, self-absorbed people waxing on about what they’d done and who they knew.
Luckily, the press conference was catered, and the reporters cared more about sustenance than their waistlines.
So while Natalie and her team answered questions, I filled my stomach.
It was a good thing, because I probably wouldn’t have made it through the rest of the night if I’d been hungry and aggravated.
By the time Natalie and I arrived at the awards ceremony, I was exhausted and reaching the limit of my tolerance for stupid people.
“Would you stop looking like somebody just insulted the Nighthawks and kicked you in the balls?” Natalie whispered, elbowing me in the side.
“Ouch,” I mumbled, then mentally grinned when—despite all the cameras—she turned her head to roll her eyes at me before facing forward once more.
They were doing a musical number on the stage, but I barely noticed. My mind replayed my interaction with Cleo—as it had been all day—and I planned on what I would say when I called to make our date.
When the number ended, the host came back to the microphone and introduced the next presenter. The category was Natalie’s final nomination—Best Performance by an Actress. She sat ramrod straight in her seat, and I put my arm around her, giving her a gentle hug to show my support.
Her show had been nominated for Best TV Movie/Miniseries and Best Drama Series, one of which had gone to a show produced by a woman who was supremely less talented and well known for sleeping her way to the top.
The other had gone to a show directed by a man rumored to have bought every one of his nominations over the years.
I watched the large screen that zoomed in on the announcer. He made a joke, and the audience was riddled with laughter, causing the cameras to pan around the room.
My breath caught in my throat, and rage exploded inside my chest when I spotted a familiar head of pink hair. Her profile was to the camera and her hair fell forward, forming a curtain that hid her face as she leaned in to speak to the man in the seat beside her—Gustavo Duarte.
They looked intimate and cozy, and I prayed that I was mistaken. But then he grinned and said something that made her throw her head back and laugh. I watched in fury as Cleo smiled brightly at her companion before he bent his head to brush a kiss over her cheek, causing her to blush.
What the fuck?
It took all my strength not to jump out of my seat, run over there, and put my fist through pretty boy’s face before I dragged Cleo off to my lair like a fucking caveman.
A heavy blanket of disappointment also settled over me as I realized she was nothing like I’d thought.
I would never be interested in someone who would cheat.
I normally had pretty good judgment about people, and it irritated me that I hadn’t once suspected that she wasn’t as genuine as she’d seemed.
Clenching my fists so hard my knuckles cracked caught Natalie’s attention. She leaned in and whispered, “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head and gritted, “Nothing. Just nervous for you.”
Natalie’s expression turned soft, and she squeezed my arm before returning her gaze to the stage.
Five minutes later, Cleo was momentarily forgotten as I jumped to my feet and clapped like a madman while my sister slowly rose from her seat, her expression dazed. I laughed and caught her elbow, encouraging her to make her way to the aisle and up to the stage.
She accepted her award with humility and grace, but when she returned to her seat and the cameras were focused on the next nominees, she slapped her hands over her mouth and screamed. I chuckled and hugged her again. “Way to go, baby sis. I’m so proud of you.”
The excitement of her win began to ebb, and unfortunately, my mind returned to the pink-haired beauty.
I’d already been miserable enough sitting through this fucking show, but then I spent the rest of the night fuming over my poor judgment and the fact that despite knowing Cleo was with another man, I still wanted her.
When the ceremony ended, I took Natalie’s arm, and we walked up the aisle to the back of the room. Her agent came bustling over and grabbed her hand, dragging her away to talk to “influential people.”
I wandered off to the side and leaned against a wall, crossing my ankles and folding my arms over my chest. Ducking my head down, I kept my eyes on the ground. My body language clearly said “fuck off” so nobody would bother me while I waited for my sister to finish.
“Rigby?”
My whole body froze at the sound of the sweet, seductive voice I hadn’t been able to eradicate from my mind. I silently shouted at my cock to stand down, but the traitor didn’t give a shit about what my mind wanted.
Slowly, my eyes located a pair of silver shoes and then traveled up a floor-length, satiny black gown, pausing on the strapless top that showed off more cleavage than I was happy about until they reached sparkling green eyes.
Cleo smiled brightly and took a step closer, only to halt when she clocked the unwelcome expression on my face.
“Hi, neighbor…” she said softly, with a hopeful smile.
My eyes narrowed, and I canted my head to the side. “Neighbor?”
Cleo looked confused for a moment, then her shoulders drooped, and her expression turned sad. “You don’t remember me?”
I’d never been dishonest, and despite how angry I was, I wouldn’t lie to her. “I remember you, Cleo, but I obviously was mistaken about being neighbors. I’d like to think that neighbors would be honest with each other.”
She blinked a few times, her expression puzzled, as if trying to understand my meaning. It pricked my temper even further that she was a good enough actress to make it seem as though she had no idea what I was talking about.
“Cleo,” a masculine voice called, and we both turned our attention to the Brazilian actor who was dangerously close to a broken jaw. I curled my fingers into my palms and tucked my arms tighter against my body to keep from giving in to temptation.
He walked over and put a hand on Cleo’s arm, giving me a perfunctory nod before turning all of his attention to her. “Come. I have people to introduce you to.”
I didn’t wait for her response to the handsome star. I pushed off the wall and dropped my hands to my sides. “Good night,” I growled before stalking off, my eyes darting around the room until I spotted my sister's dark curls and purple dress.
She stood with her agent, a young couple, and two of the male actors from her show. As I approached, their discussion faded and Natalie glanced at me, her mouth curling down into a frown. “Do you think you could tone down the badass glare and try to appear at least a little pleasant?” she sighed.
It was as though she didn’t know me at all…
“Rigby Hunt?” I glanced at the young couple, and my brow furrowed at the excited expression on the man’s face. “I’m a huge fan.”
I grunted in acknowledgment, then focused on my sister. “Are you ready?”
Natalie rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically at the group. “I’m terribly sorry for my brother. He’s kind of a grouch when…” She trailed off, then shrugged. “Well, always.”
Laughter tittered through the cluster, and I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
“It’s freezing!” Natalie’s agent exclaimed as she set her hand on my arm. I shook it off, tossing her a warning glance.
Whenever I bumped into her with Natalie, she made it very clear that she was available, and I always did my best to dissuade her.
However, I didn’t want to ruin her relationship with my sister, so I hadn’t outright told her to back the fuck off.
Seeing as how I was already at the limit of my bullshit meter, her action pushed me over the line.
“Not interested,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “Not now, not ever. So have some self-respect and stop fucking throwing yourself at me.” Then I yanked my arm away and stomped out the door into the cold air.
Nice going, Hunt. Fuck. Natalie was going to be pissed.
Unfortunately, when I stepped out into the cold night, the wind whipping around me and sinking into my bones did nothing to put out the fire burning furiously inside me.