Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(103)

“You’re ridiculous, but I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said before kissing her hair.

They weaved their way down the red carpet and finally made it out on the other side. They both took a breath, and Damon took her phone out of his suit pocket and handed it to her.

“It’s been going off like mad.”

Trihn checked it and saw texts from all her friends. All the girls were at home, glued to the TV, hoping to see her at the Grammys red carpet preshow. They’d all caught the plug for Clothes by Trihn on E! Live from the Red Carpet, and they were freaking out. She knew that it was killing Bryna not to be here, but tonight was really for Damon.

Trihn texted back to her friends to let them know that she wouldn’t be able to respond much after this.

Bryna’s response was instantaneous.

Have a great time, you lucky bitch, and tell Gates I said hi!

Trihn laughed.

Gates was apparently seeing someone new right now, and Bryna didn’t approve. But she and Eric were doing amazing, all things considered, so she couldn’t meddle—or at least she couldn’t openly meddle. Eric was trying to convince her to move in with him, and she claimed she needed her independence. Trihn had a feeling that she and Stacia would lose her to him next year, but it would be all right. Bryna was a better person with Eric.

Unlike everything going on in Stacia’s life.

Stacia had spent half of the football season torn between Marshall and Pace, and that was probably because the team had spent half of the year deciding which quarterback to use as their star. When Marshall was selected halfway through the season, Stacia had made her pick. She and Marshall were…something else. He was almost too nice for her. Bryna liked to see Pace pissed off, so she didn’t say anything about Stacia’s relationship with Marshall. When Pace started sleeping with Stacia’s friend from home who was a freshman cheerleader at LV State, even Trihn had let it go.

The football season had gone all right after that, but they hadn’t made it to the playoffs, leading to another year of disappointment. Marshall had elected to go to the NFL draft, ignoring the advice from the coaching staff. When even Eric had yelled at him, Trihn had known it was a dumb idea. Eric only yelled when it was directed at Bryna or when he was as pissed off as psychotic drunk Bryna. But the draft wasn’t for another couple of months, and Stacia was over the moon that she’d get to go with him to the draft in Chicago.

Luckily, Maya had gotten accepted to graduate school to get her masters in creative writing, so she and Drayton could continue dating without a long-distance relationship.

Trihn’s friends had diverse lives, but she loved being there for them through it every bit as much as they loved texting her while she was at the Grammys.

Damon and Trihn were escorted to their seats at the front of the room. They weren’t seated long before Chloe bounded over to them with her current man, some backup dancer she’d met on her last tour, who would also be in her performance tonight.

“Trihn!” Chloe said, pulling her in for a tight hug. “You look incredible.”

“Thank you.”

“And this dress! I’m jealous that I didn’t get that one-of-a-kind,” she said with a smile.

Trihn had designed Chloe’s dress, too. It was a fire engine–red lace creation that hugged her Latina body in all the right places. Trihn knew she had three other costume changes for the night for when she was announcing awards and performing, not to mention the after-party and the after-after-party. But Trihn was grateful to have created Chloe’s red carpet dress. It would help her blooming design career.

Her designs were consistently in New York boutiques right now, playing nice with the rich and trendy—something her mother had thought would never happen. Trihn’s third year of school in the fashion design major had been almost entirely upper-level seminars with Teena as they worked together to make her dreams of becoming a famous designer a reality. Teena wanted Trihn to open her own boutique in New York or Las Vegas, but Trihn wanted to establish herself more before sinking her investment into a store. Between her fashion line and trying to finish school, she was already incredibly busy. She didn’t think she could run her own boutique yet, too.

Chloe stuck around and chatted for a while and then took the seat next to them for the show.

Trihn glanced around at the packed room. She couldn’t believe how many famous people were all in one place. It was disorienting, knowing everyone in the vicinity and listening to their music and having them somehow know her, too. At this rate, she would be designing only for celebrities. She thought that would be an okay gig.

The lights dimmed, and the host came out to begin the show. Act after act went onstage, taking the crowd by storm, and doling out gold record players.

Chloe performed in a scandalously sheer number for her new song, “Naked.” And then she came back out onstage a half hour later in a conservative floor-length white dress that sparkled like the sun with none other than Gates Hartman in a tuxedo.

Trihn hadn’t seen Gates before this moment and was surprised that he was announcing with Chloe. As far as Trihn knew, they still didn’t talk to each other. Maybe things had improved since her rehab stint.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this year, we have the opportunity to announce the nominees for the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media,” Chloe said.

“As you know, Chloe and I have worked in film together and always applaud the amazing vocal melodies that bring our films to life,” Gates said. He turned to face Chloe with that dazzling smile.