“I see. Well, I’ve spoken to his manager about his tawdry remarks on set,” Marcela said mildly. She glanced over at the still-open door. “He’s a talented actor, and you spark animosity with him, so the conflict between you sizzles. The camera captures that… but Philip saw this as a breakout role. He expected to get the attention, and hewantsto be the bigger star.”
“It’s a book about Adelaine Wight.” Addie stared at her boss in confusion.
“Oh, Addie! You and I know that, but Philip wants to be the heartthrob, the star who gets the attention, and use the show to launch into bigger roles. Just watch your back with him, and… be careful with Darbyshire. I had my team do a deep dive into her life. She’s had exactly no relationships to the best of my knowledge.”
“I know,” Addie said quietly. “I have no expectation of being the person to change that. I justlikeher. I didn’t mean to, and when we met, I wasn’t in her show and she hadn’t sold the book.”
“If I knew that you and Philip had a prior relationship, I wouldn’t have gone with him for the role,” Marcela said with a sigh.
“It was less than a month of casual dates, not a relationship or even a hookup, for goodness sakes! I didn’t think it mattered. It wasn’t like I had sex with him,” Addie blurted out.
Marcela cracked a smile at that. She nodded at the dresses Addie had chosen. Then she walked over and slid the rich blue dress next to them. “Might as well add an extra dress. You’ll photograph well in this. There’ll be some promo shots of you and Toni.”
“Okay.”
“Addie, she couldn’t take her eyes off you. Just be careful, please. There aren’t many shows about our sort of women, and I don’t want this one to get mired down in bad press. Try to make nice with Philip, and keep whatever is going on with the author discreet.”
“We aren’t dating.” Addie wasn’t sure what else to say. She rather desperately wished that therewassomething still going on, but Toni hadn’t so much as texted or called once.
“So you say.” Marcela paused for an extra beat. “There’s a lotthat isn’t ‘dating’ that can create bad press, too, and whatever you do or don’t do, keep it away from your costar. He’s cast now, but his anger over not being sent to this event was… pointed.”
“Does it get easier to be in this business as a lesbian? Or even as a woman?” Addie asked softly.
“It will. Maybe not for us, but for the next generation of women, I hope. That will happen only if we continue to push boundaries.” Marcela gave Addie a sad sort of smile. “There have been a lot of years with a lot of closed doors for us. We had Dorothy Arzner directing films in 1927. The first lesbian book,The Price of Salt,with a somewhat good ending was in 1952. Even in sports, where we think of a larger out population, things are recent. There were a few scattered players who came out like New York Liberty’s Sue Wicks in 2002, Sheryl Swoopes in 2005, and Brittney Griner in 2013.”
Addie felt unsure, realizing her own sense of history was thin.I bet Toni knew all of that, though. I bet she knows more, too. Sheisa history professor.
“You and me? We’re a result of the progress they all made possible, and doing this show is about makingmoreprogress,” Marcela declared. “What we do now is always about moving forward or giving them an excuse to push us back.”
“I’ll do a great job. I swear,” Addie said.
“Of course you will. This show. This book. Those are steps forward. Remember that when you feel self-doubt.” Then Marcela turned and left.
Addie was still standing there when one of the costuming staff came in with Marcela’s assistant. They had clearly been waiting in the hallway. Marcela was cautious like that, keeping her people nearby so there was never even a hint that there had been a moment where something impropercouldhappen.
“I’ll pack up some costume jewelry, shoes, and hats for each dress,” the first woman said. “I’ll check the bible for options.”
The bible, in this case, was the costume director’s binder.
“Great,” Addie managed, overwhelmed by the sense of historyshe hadn’t really considered and by the importance of her role in the show and, under it all, by the desire to do right by the woman she couldn’t stop thinking about despite the way they’d left things.
After she left the room, she found herself walking around the set. It was starting to feel like home in a way that Addie couldn’t quite explain. She was walking around a Victorian manor, detailed as much as Toni’s book. She was in her character’s study, where she would be pouring over ledgers and trying to find out who was behind the theft soon.
She heard a noise and turned. “Hello? Who’s here? Hello…?” She looked around, realizing that the set was mostly deserted. If anyone was here, they ought to be a member of the team.
Which means they ought to answer.
Unless they’re wearing earbuds…?
Addie felt uncommonly vulnerable. Then she heard footsteps. Marcela walked in. She startled, looking at Addie.
“Were you in here a minute ago?” Addie asked.
“No. Why?”
Feeling foolish, Addie shrugged. “I thought I heard someone, but no one answered. Maybe I’m gettingtoointo character.” She laughed nervously.
Marcela frowned. “Well, just to be safe, make sure you let someone know if you’re coming onto set. Being careful needs to become second nature, Adelaine. The show is poised to make you recognizable. Sometimes, fans or antifans can be dangerous, especially in a show that’s already getting some pushback from conservative corners.”
