Her will power unmatched.
Tzipi, on the other hand, chewed two gummy bears at a time, roaming the massive suite that was to be their home base for the entire Hanukkah holiday. Panoramic views of the glittering city from the windows, gallery installation-worthy art on the walls. She smiled when she caught sight of their childhood menorah on the small dining table. Kara had thought of everything.
And it appeared she had moved in: a dozen pairs of shoes of varying heights lined the walk-in closet floor, shimmering dresses of all lengths hung neatly. “Tell me why we didn’t just camp out at your place?”
Kara’s lip worked at the gummy bear on her tongue. “Staycation. Plus…Shel’s parents are in town until Friday, so…”
“So you’re hiding? I don’t get it. You’ve been dating forever, they know you live together. You’re not some shiksa they’d be ashamed of.”
Tzipi touch-tested the various fabrics and materials, closing her eyes and trying to guess what they were. Velvet, silk, glass beads, metal sequins, lace, leather. It reminded her of playing Hide and Seek with Kara in various dressing rooms and wardrobe trailers when they were little. So much down time spent on the set of Room to Bloom, and not nearly enough supervision.
“The problem is…the opposite of ashamed.” Kara lifted the snack bag to her nose and inhaled. “They would want to shout it from the roof tops, especially his grandmother, oy. Grandma Tilly is as yenta as they come. As much as we are ready…the timing is terrible, with the hype around Luminous Reckoning.”
“It’s not like you signed a morality clause or anything.”
Silence.
Tzipi turned. “Karmit. You didn’t.”
“Of course not.”
“Then why are you sitting there, huffing gummy bear fumes?”
“I think these really are champagne-infused.” Shockingly, her sister pinched one more out of the bag and licked it. “Prosecco, at least.”
“You’re still avoiding the why. Tell me you’re not breaking it off with Shel…”
“No! It’s the opposite there, too! I am crazy about him. But the franchise…” Kara beheaded a bear and chewed, stalling.
“My on-screen chemistry that’s been building with Hannon Kershaw’s Radian Prime character is such a selling point. If word were to get out about my actual love life before this release...”
“You’re worried about optics?”
“Our audience is ‘deeply invested’ in Radian and Vanta.’” She air-quoted with the headless gummy bear still between her thumb and forefinger. “Hannon and I have parasocial appeal.”
“You mean the last idiot standing?” Chemistry might be the only thing that guy had going for him, because it certainly wasn’t his line delivery. Maybe the big dick-swinging energy he brought helped…although Lorne had been his body double on an earlier film, and he’d confided in her that even that was an illusion when it came to Hannon Kershaw.
“Exactly. He’s the last thing standing between me and my solo project. As long as I stay in brand alignment through the press junket and first week’s box office reports…”
In other words, her sister’s personal life was being held hostage by the studio’s messaging for at least another nine months: the Hollywood gestation period for a blockbuster ego like Hannon Kershaw’s.
Yet that diamond ring on her left hand was sending a whole different message. If she even wore it in public, Tzipi surmised, and gloves were only a valid ruse in winter.
No wonder Kara was mainlining gummy bears now, shaking the sugary dregs from the bag into her mouth.
“Kara!” Tzipi was astonished. “You ate that whole bag?”
Her sister’s green eyes widened. “I’m in training. For my biggest role yet. And I’m hoping you’ll help me.”
Chapter Three
Tzipi woke the next morning to muted traffic far below the high floor of their hotel. Memories of last night came flooding back, and it wasn’t just the five-star over-indulgence of room service that sat heavy in the pit of her stomach. It was what her sister had asked of her that made Tzipi want to hightail it right back to the airport.
“Just say you’ll be me, and I can be you…it’s only for a few days. Please? Like the old days.”
Kara meant the Room to Bloom days.
“Rosie” had started out with both girls playing the young character, as so many identical twins did to stretch the hours on a set in accordance with child labor laws. In fact, those early shows had credited them both, under their given names.
