And that’s when she realized: she no longer needed a champion.
AJ’s heels dug into the stage as she said, “Geoff, can art not be cerebral and hot?”
A frisson traveled down the table. AJ looked up to see Toni giving her a small nod.
Geoff Chandler sniffed. “There is a line between sexy and sexual. Art is on one side. Sensationalism is on the other,” he drawled. “That clip went viral for a reason. Ana is anarchetypalvirgin—‘No’ completely taints the character.”
AJ chewed her lip. “No” sure had tainted Ana for AJ. She hadn’t been able to take an ounce of pride in the character because of it.
Which was a real shame.
“I don’t think Ana can be reduced to a single moment,” said AJ evenly. “I mean, I assume that clip was included to empower women, not objectify them. Right?”
She stared down the table, and Ian and Em both jumped.
“Yes. Right,” said Ian quickly.
“I love girl power,” said Em. “It’s in all my shows.”
AJ leaned forward, speaking to the audience directly. “Any of you have a problem with ‘No’?”
Giggles rang around the auditorium. It took AJ a moment to realize that it was because Noah had placed his arm on the back of her chair.
AJ laughed softly. “Oh, right, you guys just want me to mount him.”
A deafening silence fell.
Then came the biggest laugh of AJ’s life. The room detonated like a frenzied, shrieking warhead.
Nothing is funnier than the truth,Ezell had written inLaughter & Death.
AJ’s castmates were wheezing. Ian and Em guffawed as if their lives depended on it. The sour look on Geoff Chandler’s face was sublime. AJ shrugged at him innocently.
Then she glanced at Noah, who looked so handsome and irritated and…smitten. He was probably just playing along, but AJ couldn’tlook away. She held his gaze and said shyly, “Gotta save something for the reboot, right?”
If she’d wanted to shut down the panel in one line, that was it.
It took ten minutes for the hysteria to ebb, after which Geoff Chandler fired off a few more self-serious questions in Em’s direction. Then the panelists stood for three ovations, and it was over.
As they trooped off, AJ felt Noah’s hand at her elbow. “That,” he said low, “was sofucking—”
“AJ Graves,” said Dave, jumping between them. “Way. To. Go. That guy was a fuckingtroll.”
Noah’s hand dropped to his side as Xiaobo chimed in from behind. “Theworst.”
AJ laughed, mostly to hide that she was about to murder Dave for talking over Noah.
“Seriously, though, you really were good out there,” said Toni, taking Dave’s spot beside her. Then she added quietly, “You always were. I never should have said otherwise.”
AJ’s eyes instantly filled. “Water under the bridge.”
Toni gave AJ’s arm a squeeze, then headed to the rear of the pack. AJ exhaled, blinking rapidly.
Dave nudged her arm. “See?” he whispered. “The cons reallyaremagic.”
As a staffer shuffled them toward their signing, AJ found herself back in step with Noah. She glanced up at him. “What were you saying before?”
Noah shrugged as if he couldn’t remember. Whatever impulse he’d had, he’d shelved it. Were his symptoms increasing? AJ pushed the thought aside as he said, “Looks like Ian and Em took off.”
