"Hey, hey, hey." Kara pulled her into a hug, the kind they used to give each other as kids when one of them had a bad day on set. "Shel, honey. Go get the bags. Shhh, It’s all okay. Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay."
"I’m sorry, I fucked up. I fucked up so bad, Kar." Tzipi pulled back, swiping at her face. "I signed your name. To a contract. With Rob Levin."
Kara's expression didn't change. "Bobby Bloom? From the show?"
"He was on the boat. We caught up for a bit. And he had been talking up his start-up wellness company all night…trying to rope me, well…you, in somehow. And then after everything went sideways with Jonah—long story, but after I found out he wasn't really Max—I was upset and Rob found me and I was so frazzled, I was signing autographs blindly and?—"
"Tzipi. Breathe."
"I can't breathe! I potentially attached your name to a product that's full of shellfish and fake research and fraudulent kosher certification and you could've been sued and –"
"But I'm not going to be sued," Kara said calmly. "Am I?"
Tzipi blinked. "What?"
"You said 'could've been.' Past tense. Which sounds to me like you fixed it."
"Almost. I still have to meet Rob tomorrow morning and—" Kara was smiling. Tzipi stared at her sister. "You're not mad?"
"Oh, I'm definitely annoyed that Robby tried to pull this shit. But mad at you?" Kara shook her head. "Tiz, you covered for me so I could elope. You put your life on hold, got on a boat full of strangers, gave up your phone for fuck’s sake, and pretended to be me for eight hours, plus. Did you really think I'd be pissed that you made one mistake while doing that?"
"It was a really big mistake."
"And you fixed it. With your very smart, very handsome fake bodyguard?" Kara's smile turned sly. "I know, I know, you didn’t want to bother me on my wedding night. And I really did keep the phone on silent, mostly. But what happens on the Baller, doesn’t always stay on the Baller.” She winked.
"So you're telling me," Kara said, pouring them wine while Jonah got a tour from Shel of their enormous Tribeca apartment, "that you spent the entire night thinking he was Max. And he spent most of the night knowing you weren't me. And you still managed to fall for each other?"
"When you say it like that, it sounds insane."
"It is insane. It's also kind of beautiful." Kara handed her a glass. "Tiz, do you know how rare it is to find someone who sees you? Not the version you're performing, not the role you're playing, but actually you?"
Tzipi rolled her eyes. "He thought I was you for at least half the night."
"And then he figured it out and chose to protect you anyway. Without expecting anything in return. That's..." Kara paused. "That's what Shel did for me. When everyone else saw Kara Koff, action star, red carpet regular—he saw me. The girl who stress-bakes at 3 AM and can't parallel park and cries during Pixar movies."
"You do cry during Pixar movies."
"Every. Single. Time." Kara took a sip of wine. "My point is, you found someone real. Someone who knows the worst parts of what happened and is still there. Don't you dare let Rob Levin or this ChaiCycle crap or your guilt about signing my name make you lose that."
"I'm staying in New York," Tzipi blurted. "For a while. Avi Wolfson’s connecting me with his contacts to expand That's a Wrap, Folks! into the music industry. Here.”
Kara set down her glass. “Perfect! Yes!”
"…and I know you think it's probably too fast with Jonah and we barely know each other but – wait, yes?"
"Yes, stay. Please stay." Kara took both of Tzipi's hands. "Tiz, I have been begging you to move to New York for years. If it takes a fake bodyguard and a boat party to finally get you here, I'll take it."
"But what about my apartment in LA? My lease? My?—"
"Sublet it. Break the lease. Hell, keep it if you want. I’ll pay it. But stay here. With me. Be close to me for once." Kara's voice cracked slightly. "I missed you. I missed having my sister nearby. And if you've found someone who makes you happy? Someone who makes you want to take a chance and move across the country?" She squeezed Tzipi's hands. "Then I'm not letting you walk away from that. Plus now I don’t have to beg you to consider apartment-sitting while I go with Shel on his Doctors without Borders mission.”
“What? To Zambia? Back up! What about the press junket for Luminous Reckoning? The last idiot standing?”
“The studio is pushing the release back. Due to Hannon’s recovery. Did you know they hired an Entertainment Risk Consultant to come on board with him?”
“He said that guy was his ghostwriter, for a memoir!” Tzipi dug in her purse and found the card Rebecca had given her the night before. Sure enough, there was his title, right under his name: Jerry Greenwald, Senior Risk Analyst, Entertainment Division.
“That might’ve been the studio’s cover story, but I’m sure Hannon’s ego ran with it.” Kara rolled her eyes. Tzipi handed her the card.
