The limo stopped in the driveway of the familiar gated residence in the suburbs.

"I'll be back in ten," I said to the driver.

"Take your time, Sir."

I got out of the vehicle, not letting the driver assist me. As soon as my feet stepped on the asphalt and I made a couple of steps toward the modern lodge, the front door opened wide, revealing Riley in a shimmering golden dress.

I gave her a once-over. "Wow."

Riley laughed, throwing her head back. "Come on in."

I walked up to her and brushed my lips across her cheek. "I meant what I said."

"Don't you always, charmer?" Riley nudged my bicep with her fist.

I followed her into the spacious, beautiful home and glanced around, looking for something that changed since the last time I'd been here. Riley loved design and would add small touches to the decoration of the rooms whenever inspiration struck.

"If you're looking for anything new, let me disappoint you. Nothing's changed. We've hardly been at home."

I wiggled my brows. "Where's my man?"

Noah's chuckle made me turn my head toward the family room doorway. He was leaning against the door jamb, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a Marvel tee, with his brown hair slightly tousled and a gaming headset around his neck.

"I'm here, O'Brien. Whatcha doin', looking all fancy and shit?"

I grinned, pulling the guy into a half-hug. "I'd rather lounge on my couch in a pair of sweats like yours than wear this tux."

"Lounge on the couch, or try out my new baby." Noah smirked.

My mouth fell open. "No shit. Is it ready?"

"Almost," Noah said. "I'm working on the final version before the beta-testing begins, but I'm happy with the results so far."

"I'll gladly beta test the game for you after my arena show."

"That show's gonna be insane, dude. Can't wait." Noah stretched, folding his arms behind his head. A yawn escaped his mouth. I wished I stayed at home and got some much-needed sleep instead of going to the charity dinner, but I promised I would attend it. Besides, I genuinely believed in the cause they were raising money for. Among all the commitments I had on my agenda, this one wasn't the worst.

"I know. We're a bit jittery, not gonna lie," I said to Noah.

"We've got to go, Jim." Riley stood next to me, already wearing a coat over her dress, and tapped her watch with her manicured finger. "If we hit the traffic, we'll be the last to arrive, and you know how much I hate that."

Noah pushed off the doorframe and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, giving her a sound kiss on the lips.

"Noah, the lipstick." Riley flattened her palms over his chest, giggling.

"Keep an eye on her, O'Brien. I trust you." Noah squinted at me.

"Then you should probably tell your girl to get changed, dude. Everyone will be staring at her boobs in this dress; I just know it," I said, looking at him.

"Oh my God, you did not." Riley gasped and punched my side.

"What? That's the truth." I rubbed my ribs, trying not to laugh.

"And that's why you're not gonna leave her side, superstar, unless you want to never touch any of my games again," said Noah.

I fist-bumped my friend. "You know I was kidding. She's safe and will be home before the curfew."

Noah gave Riley a wink. "You heard him."

Riley rolled her eyes and exited the house, tugging at my sleeve for me to follow her.

I gave Noah an apologetic shrug and went after Riley. The driver opened the limo door for her, and she slid down the leather seat to the end. I sat on the wrap-around couch, adjusting the tux so that it wouldn't crease.

The limo pulled into traffic. Riley said nothing, just stared at the neon glow the track lighting cast on the floor.

"You okay?" I asked.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. I just wish we could be like any other normal couple, you know? I love you, as a friend, don't get too excited, but I just..."

"You want to be riding in the limo with your man. Or riding your man in the limo."

"Jim!" Riley hissed, her eyes widening.

I found the button for the tinted privacy divider and pressed it, chuckling. "Better now. So, no chances of going public?"

Riley shook her head. "You know that Noah is a private person. He's famous in his geek circle, but it's not our kind of fame. Besides, my PR people would rather let everyone believe I am screwing you than allow me to show my boyfriend to the world. Noah's cool with it, but what if he grows tired of being hidden?"

"It was a mutual decision, Riles. It's better for your career at this point, and you do have some privacy with your guy, thanks to being off the radar. You can use me as your fake boy toy for as long as you want. Well, until..."

Riley's brows scrunched up. "Until..."

"Until I disclose my true identity to the girl I'm dating."

"No way!" Riley stared at me. "How come you said nothing to us?"

"It's recent. I've been seeing her since January. We met at the hospital of all places. She bought me a cup of coffee and knocked me off my feet."

"What's she like?"

I smiled, looking out of the window at the cars whizzing past us. "Kind. Smart. Creative. Shy. Innocent."

"And the caveman Jim sniffed the air and sensed his true match."

"The caveman Jim sniffs her hair when we go to bed and thinks if he doesn't wake up in the morning, at least he got some of that smell before kicking the bucket."

Laughter erupted from Riley's red lips. "Noah does that, too. The hair sniffing. Pray she doesn't catch you."

"I don't think she realizes how fucking smitten I am with her. This taking it slow thing, this lying thing is killing me, but I don't have a choice right now—not when less than a month is left until our biggest show, and Wyatt has me by the balls."

The limo slowed down next to Palazzo, a luxurious hotel downtown, and the driver opened my door for me. I helped Riley get out of the vehicle, and she looped her arm through mine as we strolled to the entrance. Flashes of several cameras made me blink and clench my jaw, but a smile replaced my expression of discomfort fast. There were eyes everywhere.

Riley and I made our way into the opulent hotel lobby, already swarming with invitees. Perfumes mixed with colognes, tuxes with evening gowns, and high heels with polished oxfords. We handed our coats to the coatroom employee and stood in the middle of the lobby, glancing around.

"I'm starving, not gonna lie," Riley said, nodding toward the hotel restaurant where the dinner would take place.

"And they say guys are always hungry." I shook my head, letting out a deep sigh.

"I was busy reading the script for my next movie, and Noah couldn't tear his eyes away from the monitor because of the new game of his. Nobody cooked."

I put my hand on the small of Riley's back and nudged her forward. "Let's find our table."

Round tables covered in white tablecloths took up the center of the room. The wait staff dressed in black and white uniforms carried the trays with champagne flutes. I snatched one and handed it to Riley.

"For you."

"Thank you. This is our table." She pointed at the name cards with Jim O'Brien and Riley White written on them in golden letters.

Seeing that the guests started to take their seats, Riley and I did the same. The welcome speech of the organizer happened shortly after. The guy spoke about the importance of raising funds to research cancer treatments and thanked the invitees for their donations.

The worries and lack of sleep of the last few days made me zone out. I stared at the small stage bleakly. Then, my gaze roamed the room. A familiar face caught my eye. Dr. Morris's eyes met mine, and he gave me a small nod accompanied by a smile.

An hour, a couple of speeches and some scallops and fillet mignon later, Riley patted her stomach. "I'm full and happy. Time to mingle."

"See you later," I said. "I want to say hi to someone I know as well."

Riley squeezed my shoulder and rose to her feet to join a group of actors huddled by the entrance.

I stood up and approached Dr. Morris's table. His companion wasn't there, and I nodded toward the display of bottles on the glass shelves behind the bar. "A drink?"

Dr. Morris smiled. "Please."

I walked up to the bar with the doctor closely behind me. "Whiskey on the rocks," I said to the bartender.

"Same," Dr. Morris said. "Great minds think alike."

"Drink alike, too. Thank you," I took my tumbler when the drink was ready and nodded my head in thanks.

"It's too crowded here," said Dr. Morris. "Let's find somewhere quiet."

I accompanied him to a vacant sitting area. We made ourselves comfortable on a dark brown leather couch.

"Wanna swap the drinks?" the doc asked me.

I smiled, looking at the amber liquid in my glass. "They wouldn't dare."

"Not with your girl watching." Dr. Morris winked at me.

"I wish I were here with my girl. Riley's a friend."

Dr. Morris raised his brows as he took a small sip.

"I have to tell her who I am first," I said after a moment of brief hesitation. "I know it's gonna backfire, so I'm enjoying our last quiet month together because I will come clean after my arena show. I'm scared shitless. Is there a pill for that?"

"I wish there were one, Jim," Dr. Morris said. "The woman you saw sitting next to me isn't the one I wanted to invite. Hell, she's not even a friend, just a colleague."

"So, why not be here with the one you want to be?"

The doc leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, staring at the half-thawed ice cubes floating in his whiskey. "Fear, Jim. Fear of getting burned, not measuring up, not deserving the happiness. Ironic, isn't it? I'm confident in the OR and a chicken out of it."

"Same. Not the OR but the stage, you know? I'm scared she's gonna see everything but the real me. And by everything, I mean the gossip, the rumors, the fans."

"Your donations and the way you always help good causes, and I know it's not the band; it's you. The way you're there for your friends. Your sense of humor and kindness."

"I do what I consider important. It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Dr. Morris smirked. "That's a huge, unfair understatement."

"I guess I can only hope the time we spent together would be enough for her to look past my fame. I have everything planned, but..."

"A big gesture?"

I gulped down my whiskey. "Just the truth and a whole lot of begging."

"What man hasn't had to grovel at least once in his life, right?" Dr. Morris said. Having downed his liquor, he jumped to his feet. "Let's join our companions. No rest for the wicked."

The corners of my mouth lifted. "You stole my favorite line."

Dr. Morris gave me a broad grin. "What did you say earlier? Great minds—"

"Drink alike." I waggled my brows, waving my empty tumbler in the air.