Row A was the first row, right next to the stage. Wow. At least I wouldn’t have to climb over anyone. I wondered if someone had been stuck in traffic. Why else would they be late to their front-row seats?

It wasn’t just seat nineteen that needed to be filled. Seat twenty was empty, too. It reminded me so strongly of the last awards show and Noah that I had to take a deep breath. I wondered if Allan’s little smirk had been because he was going to send Shelby to keep me company until the seats’ owners arrived.

A very pregnant and very pretty blonde was seated in the chair to my right. She looked vaguely familiar, although I couldn’t place her. She caught my eye as I walked to my maroon-covered seat and she said, “Hello.”

“Hi.” She was wearing what looked like a very expensive pair of silver-sequined high heels, and I wondered how she managed not to fall over, given how big her belly was. “I like your shoes.”

“Oh, thank you. But look at yours! I love them.”

I displayed my pink Converse proudly. “Thanks. So do I.” I felt vindicated. Noah Douglas was full of crap.

“Much more practical than mine.” She rested her hands on top of her stomach. “I feel like I’m pregnant every time I’m at one of these things.”

“Congratulations. Do you know what you’re having?”

She smiled at me. “A little girl. Just one this time, thankfully. Your name doesn’t happen to start with an O, does it?”

That was kind of a weird question. “No. I’m Juliet.”

She offered me her right hand, and I shook it. “I’m Zoe. Juliet? As in Romeo and?”

“Yep, Shakespeare.”

“Huh. A Shakespeare name. That was something I hadn’t considered but would make sense, given my husband’s line of work.”

I wanted to ask who her husband was, but it seemed nosy. “The only O Shakespeare name I can think of is Othello. And that doesn’t seem like a good name for a little girl. Wait! What about Ophelia? She goes a tad crazy, but she does have a pretty name.”

She let out a laugh. “I like it! You probably think I’m so strange. It’s a family tradition to give our kids names starting with O.”

Then Chase Covington walked over and kissed Zoe before taking the seat on her right side. “Chase, this is my new friend, Juliet. She suggested the name Ophelia. What do you think?”

“I like it better than Opal.” He reached over to shake my hand, and I was nearly blinded by his megawatt smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Wow, was he handsome. “Yeah. You too.”

“And you’re here with Douglas?” he asked. His tone sounded a little disapproving.