“Have fun tonight, and good luck with the critics!” she said as Jack steered us back down the red carpet.

“Hey, you’re a natural!” he said with a grin as we passed more reporters and photographers.

“Oh yeah, I could do this all day,” I said, fake-smiling so much my jaw hurt.

He laughed. “Well, I think you’re pretty much in the clear now.”

“Good. Now what?”

“Now we go in and get a seat and hang out with everyone else until the movie starts.”

“Ugh … hang out with everyone else, eh?”

“Yep. Want popcorn or anything?”

I shook my head. “Don’t think I should eat. Too nervous.”

He laughed. “You’re nervous? Your first romantic comedy isn’t about to be unveiled to the merciless critics. Try that sometime and then talk to me about nerves.” He winked at me as an usher opened the door for us, and we entered the theatre.

Once inside I felt less threatened. There weren’t any reporters in here who might put my incoherent sentences into print, so all I had to worry about was not making a fool of myself and Jack in front of countless other famous people. If the drive with Jack had been that uncomfortable, what would it be like with them? Then a question popped into my head.

“What are you going to tell people when they ask how we met?” I whispered as we entered the dimly lit theatre and moved toward the seats.

He chuckled. “She ran into me one day down in Orange County.”

I laughed. “Are you serious?”

He shrugged. “Sure, why not? And if they press the issue, I’ll just say you made an impression.”

I groaned. “That’s a terrible, terrible joke. And a gross understatement. Didn’t I total your car?”

“Well … yeah, but they don’t need to know that.” He smiled. “I’m just messing with you. If they ask, I’ll tell them what happened. Are you comfortable with that?”

I nodded. “Sure. Easier than trying to be coy all evening. I’m not good at that.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, coy doesn’t seem like you.”

“So … tell me, what exactly did happen? I mean, car accidents and large expensive gifts and invitations to movie premieres don’t usually go hand in hand.”