“Thanks for the drinks, Caitlin. You didn’t have to pick up the bill.” Hayley’s voice held an edge of true uneasiness.
“You’re welcome. I wanted to.” She meant it.
Outside, Gemma crossed the small stretch of sidewalk and hugged Caitlin. “Thank you. I’ll see you at work, okay? Get back safe.”
They all said goodnight, paired off, and headed in opposite directions.
Maddie slid an arm around Caitlin’s waist and said gently, “Let’s get you out of here.”
Caitlin rested her head on Maddie’s shoulder as they drove back to their hotel.
Once they had reached their floor, Maddie pulled Caitlin to a stop. “Before you leave, can we talk about Hayley for a second? She’s got this sexy, mean-girl thing going on, don’t you think? It’s hot.”
Caitlin laughed and nudged Maddie toward her own suite door. “Goodnight, Mads.”
“Night. Call me if you need anything. Oh, and send me Hayley’s number—please?” Maddie called after her as Caitlin turned down the hallway.
FIVE O’CLOCK CAME EARLY THEnext morning, and Caitlin was hardly awake for her call time with Maddie and Brad forGood Morning America. The segment moved steadily as the three spoke aboutTicket to Rio’s upcoming release, answering audience questions and sharing official behind-the-scenes footage.
After grabbing a quick bite, they were transported to SoHo for the filming of their next promotional episode of Watch What Happens Live. Which went about as smoothly as Caitlin had expected.
They had started with a similar interview to the last, discussing release dates and another look at the sneak peek footage.
Caitlin had learned to sidestep the most common question—“Tell us, Caitlin, whydidyou break up with poor Brad?”—with a well-rehearsed line about creative differences.
Never satisfied, the host and fans pressed on, and the interview began to feel like an interrogation.
The follow-up question pointed out the impressive on-screen chemistry between Caitlin and Brad, asking if Caitlin had ever been that fiercely in love in real life, allowing her to channel the emotion so easily.
Caitlin surprised herself by answering more honestly than she typically would. “I have, actually. I still am, to be quite frank,” she said steadily. “I think that I ruined my chance there, but I still picture her in every scene.”
Her.
The truth had come out so freely, and Caitlin was feeling too jaded to fight it. While never specifically hiding her sexuality, Caitlin had always done her best to avoid highlighting it. She wanted to be known for her talent, not who she took to bed. But suddenly, she couldn’t care less.
Tucked under the sheets that night, yet unable to sleep, Caitlin was surprised to see Michelle’s name pop up on her phone as it rang quietly.
“Hey Michelle.”
It must have been almost midnight in LA, and aside from a few texts, she hadn’t spoken to Michelle in nearly three weeks.
“Hi,” Michelle stated, devoid of emotion.
“I’ve been meaning to call you. I’m sorry I haven’t reached out sooner. How have you been?”
“I’ve been okay.” Michelle sounded distant. “I hope I’m not interrupting you. I know it’s late there, but I wanted to talk.”
“No, you’re not.” Caitlin could guess where the conversation was headed. “Is everything alright?”
“Not really… Look, I don’t know if I even have a place to say anything, but I like you, Caitlin, and I really thought we’d have a chance to see where this goes when you’re finished in New York.” Michelle paused, taking a deep breath. “I sawWatch What Happens Live.”
Shit.
She hadn’t even considered that Michelle might watch it.
“You were talking about her, weren’t you? Your ex—Gemma?”
Caitlin’s silence served as an answer while she tried to come up with her next words.
