“Absolutely. I can’t wait for you all to hear the new album. The first single with Ed Sheeran should be releasing in the next week. He, I might add, is just the most amazing and talented person to work with,” Damon said.
“Ed is a great guy all-around,” Giuliana agreed.
“One last question before you have to go,” Ryan said. “How does it feel to be up for Best New Artist?”
“Incredible. It’s an absolute pleasure to even be nominated alongside such other talented artists. Everyone’s work truly speaks for itself. I can’t wait to get in there and see how it all pans out.”
“Thank you so much for your time,” Ryan said, shaking Damon’s hand.
“We’re all ready to see how it pans out, too. Best of luck,” Giuliana said.
Damon and Trihn both smiled and then walked out of the way as another couple came to take their places.
“I told you,” Damon whispered in her ear as he threaded them through the crowd.
“What?”
“That, one day, I’d be on the red carpet, and when someone asked what I was wearing, I’d tell them just Trihn.”
“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.