Gemma had just settled into her glam chair with her everything bagel from craft services, thick with cream cheese, when her phone vibrated in her lap.
Darbie:Hey! Checking in to see how my favorite New Yorker is doing.
Gemma and Darbie had kept in touch after high school, visiting each other occasionally throughout college. After graduation, Darbie moved back to New Hope to be near her family and eventually opened an art studio for local children. Sometimes she would pop into New York to see Gemma on a free weekend, and they always made an effort to see each other whenever Gemma visited her parents in Pennsylvania.
Gemma:Hey! Oh, you know, getting ready to see Caitlin.
Darbie:Oh my God. Did my time machine work? Are we sixteen again?
At that, Gemma let out an audible laugh.
Gemma:I have sooo much to fill you in on. Let's have a FaceTime wine night soon. I miss you.
Darbie:ASAP, please. You're leaving my on the edge of my seat over here! I miss you too. If you have a day off this weekend, let me know.
She replied with a heart emoji and began rehearsing her lines for today—Sarah and Kate were about to meet for the first time.
Sarah, played by Gemma, was an aspiring Broadway dancer. The scene opened within a Broadway theater, where Sarah was auditioning for a new play. After messing up a line, her entire routine is thrown off, causing the producer to dismiss her unceremoniously. Sarah ran off the stage and out of the theater in tears, stumbling into the busy streets of New York City and straight into another woman.
“Oh my God,” Sarah said between sobs. “I’m so sorry.” She looked up to find a tall, beautiful woman wrapped in a long white fur coat and dripping in diamonds.
An uninvited memory flashed through Gemma’s mind. It had been another collision, thirteen years earlier, only with a lot fewer jewels. She hoped that the sadness in her voice, drawn from the familiar ache, was lending to her performance.
“Not to worry, darling,” Kate responded eloquently, straightening her fur.
Kate, played by Caitlin, lived on the Upper East Side with her husband, whose family wealth stretched back forgenerations.
“Are you alright?” Kate asked, taking in Sarah’s appearance. She noted the waterworks falling down the woman’s face, splattering her old worn-in jacket and ballet leotard.
Sarah wiped under her eyes with the back of her hand as she tried to catch her breath.
“Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee? My treat.” Kate didn’t wait for an answer, confidently striding toward a nearby café, willing Sarah to follow her.
She did.
While sitting across from each other at a small round table, Kate respectfully avoided the topic of Sarah’s tears, making Sarah feel safe enough to share what had caused them. Soon, the women were chatting easily, as if they were long-time friends.
Mrs. Ryan seemed impressed by Caitlin and Gemma as the morning progressed smoothly, their past remaining securely hidden. However, the parallels between the movie and reality were becoming eerie.
Gemma finished the rest of her afternoon without seeing Caitlin again. Logically, she should have been relieved, but now Gemma was wishing for an excuse to talk to her.
As Gemma was heading home for the day, Caitlin suddenly appeared beside her on the sidewalk.
“Have fun on your date last night?”
Was Gemma sensing a little jealousy in Caitlin’s tone? Maybe her move had worked after all.
“It wassomuch fun. What’d you think of my girlfriend?” For whatever reason, the lie rolled right off her tongue. Maybe Gemma had thought that hurting Caitlin would lessen her own pain. It didn’t.
“Girlfriend?” Caitlin asked, suspiciously, as they walked together. “What’s her name?”
“That’s none of your business.” Gemma refused to look at Caitlin, focusing instead on her feet as they moved toward her apartment. “Is it so hard for you to believe that someone would want to be with me?”
Caitlin grabbed Gemma’s forearm and pulled her to a stop. When they paused on the sidewalk, finally facing each other, Gemma looked down to where Caitlin’s fingers were wrapped around her arm. Caitlin quickly yanked her hand away, as if Gemma’s skin had scalded her.
Gemma crossed her arms at her chest, hating the absence that Caitlin’s hand had left behind.
“Gemma, I didn’t mean it that way. It just didn’t look like you two were that serious, that’s all.”
