“I’m fine, Em. Nothing to worry about,” Toni reassured her. These days she had to think about being a public figure, as a professor and a writer, and both meant that Toni was not doing anything to risk tarnishing her reputation.
Nothing will go wrong,Toni thought.Some publicity pictures, a little book-signing, and then I’ll have Addie alone. We’ll talk out whatever made her go silent, and if I’m lucky, she’ll be naked and in my arms again.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter 23Addie
Addie knew that Marcela Gibson, the power who had made the show happen, was basically her boss. This washershow, and every detail seemed to cross her desk—even things that were not strictly her purview. More than a few people thought she was a micromanager, but Addie thought she was brilliant. They’d clicked, though, in part because of Marcela’s almost maternal protectiveness.
“Are you all set for the weekend then?” Marcela asked from the doorway of the room. She kept her distance, never being in a closed room with the young star of the show. There were fewer powerful women in the industry than men, but sometimes Addie thought that being a powerful woman made Marcela more of a target.
And if Addie was right about Marcela’s private life, she was doubly likely to be targeted by people who wanted to see her fail. Actors could be bisexual or lesbians and still build a flourishing career, although admittedly it was still sometimes a delicate path to walk. For people on the production or directing side, there was still more of an old-boys thing going on.
“I’m nervous,” Addie admitted, looking over the dresses hanging on the rack in front of her.
“About the event? You’ve handled everything gracefully so far.”
“This is different. You aren’t there, the show writers won’t be—”
“The writer is there, though,” Marcela corrected with a pointed look.
Addie smiled. “Yes, the novelist, but none of the show people. It’s just weird.”
“The event wants the character and her creator.” Marcela shook her head. “We’re working with the publishing team on this one. They’re keen to have you there.”
“Thecharacter,you mean, not me.” Addie looked at the dresses again. She had selected several dresses from the show,afterMarcela and the costumer, Frederick, had narrowed her options down to a dozen gowns. “I worry about spilling something or ripping something or—”
“It’s a work event, Adelaine.” Marcela shook her head. “You aren’t borrowing clothes for a date. You will dress in character, and act in character, and the press that’s present will eat it up. You’re good in your role, and the costume is part of that. If the dresses have a mishap, we’ll have them fixed.”
Her pointed pause made Addie not look away from the dresses she’d selected: three day dresses, two evening dresses, and two ball gowns. Publicity had a list of the events and had made arrangements for travel, and costuming had taken care of the necessary adjustments so Addie could dress without help. She had a corset that hooked in the front, and she would be going corset-free in the ball gowns. She had a bustier that made her breasts somehow larger, but there was no help for it.
Toni would like it. Not that it matters, but…
“Should I worry about your past with the author?” Marcela finally asked bluntly, interrupting Addie’s thoughts about the author. “Because even though we haven’t discussed it, I saw the interplay between you when she was on set.”
“We’refriends.” Addie met Marcela’s gaze. “Off the record, we met at a bar in Scotland, and we hit it off. We… decided to be friends, though. I respect her.”
Marcela said nothing at first. Then she walked closer, looking atthe gowns Addie had selected. “If any of my friends looked at me the way Toni Darbyshire looks at you, I’d go with this dress instead.”
“It’s not like that,” Addie protested as she brushed a hand over the jewel-toned silk. “This is a promo event for the show and therefore for her book. I’m just a prop, for the book, for the show. I’m not there as anything else, no matter what I might want. This is work.”
Marcela didn’t argue, and for that, Addie was grateful.
Then Marcela stepped into the room, pitched her voice low, and warned, “Just be careful, Adelaine. Your reputation is still a blank slate, but you have talent and drive. Some people will want to quash that. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how Philip looked at you when Darbyshire rebuffed him. She didn’t want to talk to the two costars. She only wanted to talk to you, and Philip noticed it.”
“He wasn’t officially cast yet,” Addie said weakly. “Toni just—”
“Wanted to talk to you. Everyone noticed. Philip intimated that he thought you seduced her for the role.”
“Me? Seducedher?” Addie’s mouth gaped open briefly. “I was the personyoucast in the role before she even knew I was auditioning. You chose me!”
“I know. So does he, I’m sure. Maybe he’s just power-driven, or maybe it’s homophobia. I can’t say. I’d think the former, since the story and the author and the lead actor are all lesbian. If he was a homoph—”
“We dated. Briefly. Philip and me. I thought it was nothing, but Philip says I embarrassed him by ending it. I think he just doesn’t like me much after I left him, and now he probably saw the sparks with Toni,” Addie said, pointing out the very obvious truth. He’d been a jackass when they met again, and he continued to seem determined to belittle her in any way he could.
“You should have disclosed that. Both of you.” Marcela paused. “Any other relationships to disclose?”
Addie sighed. “Toni and I… we… wemetin Scotland. I said that. We aren’t dating. I spent two nights with her, but that was more significant than a month or so dating Philip. He and I barely kissed.”
