When the prom ended, Henry drove the Red Skull's car to take Gwen home.
He had only performed one song onstage and hadn't continued to hog Maroon 5's stage. However, after the band's performance ended, Henry still exchanged business cards with the members of Maroon 5.
It wasn't that he deliberately wanted to befriend them. It was mainly to deal with any potential copyright disputes afterward.
Metallica's music naturally wasn't owned by Maroon 5, and the prom performance also counted as a commercial performance.
Although Henry had requested the song and it hadn't been included on the set list submitted beforehand, if someone decided to pursue the copyright issue, Maroon 5 could potentially be sued as well.
In short, it was a matter that could be solved with money. Henry simply left the legal issues to Maroon 5 to handle. If there were any expenses, he could cover them afterward.
At times like this, pulling out the title of former CEO of Stark Industries was far more useful than the name Henry Brown.
Adam Levine also lived up to his reputation as a man who had led his bandmates through eight years of stumbling along together. He understood exactly how to handle the matter and took on the task of cleaning up afterward.
No one could say for certain whether they would ever have a use for the favor in the future, but the members of Maroon 5 had certainly had a great time. That was enough. Rock musicians were, for the most part, a bunch of reckless bad boys who didn't think too much once they got carried away.
To Henry, it was merely an unexpected little interlude. The benefits, however, were obvious. Those young men who had been targeting him everywhere stopped their little tricks.
Money alone couldn't intimidate these arrogant boys whose hearts were higher than the sky. But when someone possessed a different kind of ability—especially a talent that was respected within their own circle—the situation was completely different.
At least when Henry stepped down from the stage, he felt like a naked pig surrounded by a pack of hyenas, with every girl wanting to rush over and take a bite.
If some foolish boy still dared to provoke him at this point, the barrage of verbal abuse from the girls would probably drown him alive.
To fend off the various bold advances from the other girls, Henry naturally pushed Gwen forward as his shield. Far from regarding it as a troublesome chore, Gwen seemed to be enjoying herself.
The Prom King and Queen were awarded to a pair of graduating seniors. Gwen generously applauded and congratulated them, without showing the slightest sign of disappointment.
Everyone actually knew very well that from the moment Henry stepped onto the band's stage, it had become obvious who the biggest star of the evening was. But as an outsider who wasn't a student, he wasn't eligible to become Prom King. That honor belonged to the graduating students.
In any case, the prom had come to a satisfying conclusion. Henry had only one thing left to do: get the girl home safely.
Gwen was unexpectedly quiet on the way back. But her heartbeat and flushed cheeks made it clear that her mood was anything but calm.
The air in New York City was certainly not the cleanest. Sitting in the car and being blasted by the night air, Henry suddenly felt that driving a convertible wasn't such a good idea after all. No wonder convertibles had gradually disappeared from the market.
Should he install a roof on the Red Skull's car? Or perhaps make some sort of energy-field device to isolate the interior from the outside air, then add an air purifier to make up for this antique car's minor shortcomings?
Lost in thought, Henry unconsciously overlooked the awkward silence in the car. Gwen didn't find it particularly awkward either. She was still immersed in the excitement the prom had brought her. She remained lost in her thoughts until the car stopped.
"Gwen—"
"Henry!" the girl interrupted. "My graduation ceremony…"
"—We've arrived at your place. If you don't get out now, I think George, who's standing by the window and staring down at us with a terrifying expression, is about to go get a rifle, mount a scope on it, and put the crosshairs right between my eyes."
The girl stared in shock at the floor of her family's apartment. It was rather high up, so she couldn't see clearly. But there was unmistakably someone standing by the window. Surely that person hadn't simply happened to come over to visit and then stood there looking outside.
Although she couldn't make out her father's expression, Henry's description was entirely plausible.
Now she understood why she had been able to stick to her principles and not date anyone before college. George's oppressive presence was simply too strong. Any underage boys who hadn't been scared into wetting themselves could already be considered courageous. It didn't matter who she happened to like.
In theory, Henry was someone who couldn't be killed by bullets…
But it was still better not to take things that far.
Henry got out first and opened the car door for Gwen. After stepping out, the girl finally finished what she had wanted to say.
"Henry, can you come to my graduation ceremony?"
Henry smiled. "I'll have to check my schedule and see if I can make room for it. You know, I'm usually very busy. I have to take care of Kate and Kitty.
"Then Skye is always making trouble for me, creating messes for me to clean up. How come everyone around me has a K in their name? KKK. I guess that makes me a member of the KKK too."
Gwen gave a few dry laughs. "That's a terrible joke. You know it could cause you quite a bit of trouble if certain people heard you say that, right?"
"Can this be our little secret? I'll have to rely on you to keep it confidential."
"Hmm, that's a pretty good pickup line. If George weren't watching, I might reward you with a kiss."
"Let's put it in the bank and let it earn interest. Next time, I want two kisses. But you should go upstairs now, or George is going to come down himself."
"All right, bye-bye."
The girl started toward the entrance of her apartment building, then suddenly turned around and emphasized again, "My graduation ceremony!"
"Go, go." Henry waved her away with an annoyed expression. He neither agreed to go nor said he wouldn't.
Only after Gwen entered the apartment building and disappeared from sight did Henry lean against the car door and light a cigarette.
He always carried cigarettes and a lighter, but Henry rarely smoked. He might not even finish a pack in a month. It wasn't that he was having a post-event cigarette. He only lit one when his emotions became complicated and he needed some warm smoke to soothe his lungs.
Tonight's prom had certainly been fun, but it had also reminded Henry of something that had been erased from his life.
Once, there had been another lovely woman by his side, moving through parties that were even more extravagant—and even more filthy.
Over the years, Henry hadn't missed a single movie she appeared in. He had at least contributed the price of one movie ticket to the box office, whether she had been the lead or a supporting actress.
But that was all. He had only wanted to look up at the superstar on the screen. He had no ulterior thoughts.
Was it because he no longer loved her that he had been able to let go so cleanly?
Or was it because he had loved her too deeply that he had chosen to let her go?
For a moment, Henry couldn't even understand his own feelings.
He simply drew the warm smoke deep into his lungs, feeling every alveolus bathed in nicotine, feeling each of his cells struggle before becoming stronger.
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