---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from Istockphoto.com . ~Sephrena

Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

Comments and suggestions are also welcome at the above email address.

*  *  *

Chapter 17 - The Red Carpet

When the limo came to a stop outside of the theater hosting the Tween Awards, I thought my heart would jump right out of my chest.

"It'll be okay," Josh told me and squeezed my hand. "I'll be right there with you. I won't let anything bad happen."

While we may not have hit it off back at the restaurant, it was nice to know that Josh Holliday was not my enemy. He truly seemed to care about my well-being this evening, and I was grateful for that. I didn't think we were going to be friends after this, but I did think we both could settle for being good acquaintances.

The door was opened from the outside, and Josh moved to get out.

"Thank you," I told him before he could get very far. He turned to look at me, a smile on his face. He nodded, and I immediately felt safer than I had moments before.

Josh continued to exit the car, and I slid across the seat toward the open door. I was nervous. Heck, I was scared to death! But I knew that this was something I needed to do.

I took Josh's hand when he had finished getting out and turned back toward me. I swung my legs out of the car together to prevent any accidental exposure and let him pull me to my feet. I returned the smile he was giving me, feeling truly happy for the first time that evening.

There were quite a few more camera flashes here than there were at the restaurant. But I guess that was to be expected when the press is ready for you to be somewhere. Josh pulled me close to him and we posed for a few shots before starting down the carpet.

I'd always wondered what it would be like to walk down the red carpet at a big event like this. Now that it was actually happening, I wasn't as eager to find out.

The area where we exited the car was about 100 yards away from the entrance to the theater. Between us and the entrance were more cameras and press than I had ever seen in one place at one time! It was truly intimidating.

The only thing I could do as we walked was to keep a smile on my face and try to enjoy the experience.

We stopped and posed at a few spots along the way that were marked for the media. When we reached the halfway point we met the first red carpet interviewer.

I recognized her from some show, but I couldn't remember which one. She waved at Josh as we approached, and he nodded at her before turning us in her direction. Every step we took closer to her made my heart race that much faster.

"Thank you for speaking with us, Josh," she said when we got closer. I noticed the red light on the camera was on, which didn't help my anxiety.

"Anytime, Michelle," Josh replied. The name helped me recognize her from some MTV show. I still wasn't sure which one, but I could at least place her now. Surprisingly, that information seemed to help me relax.

"You've been nominated for Best Male Artist again this year," she wasted no time in getting to the interview. "Do you think this will finally be the year?"

I thought it was a tacky question, but Josh kept a smile on his face as he answered.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I hoped so," he said with a small chuckle. "But just being nominated is an honor."

"With four top ten songs during the past year, you've definitely given everyone a reason to look."

He continued to smile. There was no question, and I don't think either of us really knew how to respond. Luckily, she kept going to avoid any awkward silence.

"Who's your date tonight?" Michelle asked, turning her attention to me. Somehow, I managed to keep myself from blushing.

"This is Sarah Carerra," he said, and I tried to smile more for the camera. "Her first single is supposed to be released next week. After hearing it, I think she'll be up for her own award next year."

I smiled at his lie. It was good publicity, but I hoped nobody asked him about the song.

"It's always nice to meet new talent," Michelle said. "What's your new single about?"

It took me a second to realize the question was for me, and I hoped and prayed that I hadn't been standing there silent for too long before answering.

"It's called Intuition," I told her. "It's about feelings, and trying to understand yourself within today's messed up world."

Dad and Max had come up with that answer, which made it a lot easier than having to come up with something on the spot.

"Thank you both for taking the time to speak with us," Michelle said. We both said our goodbyes and we were on our way down the red carpet again.

We stopped five more times before we reached the theater entrance to do the same thing. Each interview was similar, but the interviews definitely got better the closer we got to the door.

By the time we reached the entrance, we had talked to more people and had our pictures taken more times than the rest of my life combined! Josh had my arm in his while we walked up the three steps to the theater entrance and into the lobby.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Josh asked me once we were safely inside and away from the cameras.

"No," I replied truthfully. It hadn't been bad at all. Each interview continued to get better, and by the end I was actually enjoying myself. "Thank you for everything you said out there."

"It was my pleasure," he said. His tone indicated that he was wishing more was going to come of this evening than a simple business arrangement again. "I meant it, you know?"

"Meant what?" I asked him, not sure what he was referring to.

"You really are a good singer, and your song is beautiful."

"You've heard my song?" I gasped. I thought he had just been saying that for the publicity!

"Of course," he said as if I should have known his answer. "I wouldn't have said what I did out there without hearing it."

"Where did you hear it?" I asked him, truly amazed at the sincerity he was showing.

"Don had me listen to it before I agreed to bring you this evening," he replied.

"Oh," was all I was able to manage.

Before he could say anything else we reached the other side of the lobby. An usher confirmed our names and handed us off to another who led us down to our seats. We were seated in the middle of the theater, five rows from the front!

The awards show turned out to be much like the ones I had seen on TV. It was still boring in person, but seemed to be slightly more bearable because I was actually there.

Em, Ethan, and I had often watched the awards to make fun of people walking the red carpet. We'd even make fun of the speeches that winners would give. It was the only way we could watch them.

Oh my gosh! What if Emily or Ethan had watched Josh and I walk down the red carpet? They may know my secret!

If they did know, they were going to be very mad at me!

"Are you okay?" Josh asked me out of the blue. I guess my frantic realization had been noticed.

"I'm fine," I told him with a smile and he went back to enjoying the awards show. I didn't think anyone enjoyed these things, but Josh apparently did. Although I think being nominated for an award would make me enjoy the show more too.

---

"And the winner for Best Male Artist is..." The presenter gave a dramatic pause. "Josh Holliday!"

Josh looked shocked when I turned toward him to congratulate him. I don't think he was expecting to win!

He looked over at me, his eyes wide, unable to move. I knew that he needed to get up and walk to the stage to accept his award, but he seemed to be frozen in place.

Conscious of the fact that every camera in the place was probably on us, I leaned into him and whispered in his ear. "Congratulations, you really deserve it!"

I then surprised myself by giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Even if we hadn't clicked as a couple, he had been a gentleman since dinner. He truly deserved that award too!

The kiss seemed to break him out of whatever he was feeling. He looked at me, shocked for a moment before he managed to stand up and walk toward the stage. It had to have only been seconds for this interaction to occur, but I got the feeling that it might have been the pivotal moment of the night.

Eventually he made it to the stage, where he was handed his Tweeny (No lie! That's what it was called!). He then stepped up to the podium to give his acceptance speech.

"This is a real honor," he said with the same shocked expression on his face that he'd had before I kissed him. "I honestly didn't expect to win tonight."

There was soft laughter throughout the hall before he continued. "There are so many people I want to thank. First I have to thank my mom and dad; I wouldn't be here without their love and support. Second, I have to thank my agent Don Campbell and the good people at Platinum Records for the opportunity they've given me to share my songs with all of you."

He paused for a second, looking at the Tweeny. "There are so many people that I want to thank, and I know that I don't have the time to name them all. Thank you to everyone that has helped me to get to where I am tonight.

"But there is one person I especially have to thank. Sarah Carerra," he said while he looked right at me. I felt myself start blushing again. "I wouldn't be up here without you."

There was louder laughter after that comment, which only served to deepen my blush. I guess everyone had seen the kiss.

"That kiss might not have been much, but it was like an electric shock that restarted my dead battery," he said with a smile, even if it was a bad metaphor. "I wish you the best in your new career and I'm glad to call you my friend."

Music started playing, and I watched as he was escorted off the stage.

"You're a lucky girl," the lady sitting next to me said, startling me. "He's quite the catch."

---

The red carpet after the show wasn't nearly as bad. Outside, the drop-off area had been expanded and there was limo after limo parked next to the curb, awaiting their occupants' return. Josh said our limo hadn't arrived yet because he couldn't see our driver. I wasn't so sure that I would have been able to pick him out of a crowd.

While we were waiting we did pose for a few more pictures, but thankfully there were no post-win interviewers waiting for Josh to step outside. We waited patiently for about 15 minutes before Josh saw our driver.

"Come on," he said and gently pulled me toward one of the non-descript black limousines. "He's over there."

We were able to quickly move in the direction of the car and within five minutes we were on our way home.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" Josh asked me.

"Yeah," I said and turned to look at him. He had that look again, the one that hoped we could be more than just friends. He was beginning to make me wonder too. "I had a wonderful time."

The smile on his face was bright enough to light up the interior of the limo. I don't think I've ever seen someone get so happy at something I had said before.

"Good," he said, but he couldn't seem to stop staring at me. I must admit, I was having trouble looking away also.

Josh Holliday had his faults. I'd learned plenty about them tonight. But every once in a while I would see a true human being poking around in that big head of his. His shock at winning the Tweeny even when he was favored to win was surprising. His caring tone after dinner and his attention to me, at least most of the time, didn't go unnoticed either.

If this was going to happen, if we were going to be more than just friends, he was going to have to change. And heaven knows how hard it is to get a guy to change. But I was surprised to find that the door that I had slammed shut earlier this evening was now cracked open. Something in the way Josh had acted since dinner had changed my opinion of him.

I was even more surprised to learn that I was considering having a relationship with Josh Holliday. I mean, I'd only been a girl for a week! Even worse, I couldn't even tell him about Megan, let alone Brett. He'd probably try to kill me if he found out the truth about me.

I think he saw the change in my face. His smile turned into a frown, and I did not like seeing him look that way.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," he said a moment later. "I know you don't want to take this beyond a friendship, despite how I feel about you."

Now I truly felt bad. He couldn't possibly understand the feelings and emotions that were washing over me at the time. He could only interpret it in one way.

"Josh," I said to him before sighing. "My life is pretty complicated right now. There is more going on than starting a new career, and I can't talk about it. Just believe me when I say that it isn't completely about you. There are things I need to work out in my life before I'm ready for a relationship like this."

His frown turned slightly upside down. I had given him some hope for the future. I just didn't know if that was the right thing to do. I wasn't even sure if a relationship with Josh is something I would want, even if I was a complete girl.

"What do you want to do then?" he asked me.

I sat there for a few moments, gazing into the deep brown of his eyes. I'd heard people talk about getting lost in someone's eyes before, but I didn't understand it until then. Josh had his faults, but there was still something there. Something I didn't know what to do with.

"I don't know," I told him truthfully. "There are many things about you, Josh, that I despise. Your lack of care for Don's money, and the way you acted at the restaurant, are just two of them. But there's something else there too. The caring manner that you thanked your parents, and the same way you thanked Don…I'm not sure what to believe anymore."

It looked like he was going to object to what I said, but I put my finger to his mouth and he stopped.

"I like you, Josh, that much I know," I told him. "But like I said, this is a difficult time for me to start something. I don't even think I'm ready."

"Okay," he replied. "How about we take it easy and start as friends?"

I smiled at him. He couldn't have said anything better.

"Friends it is."

*  *  *