The Role

by A. B. Wilson

  If ever I wasn’t in the mood…

  What is wrong with you? Now? How am I going to lead this show? People are gonna freak the F out.

  Five agonizing minutes went by before Markus finally responded, trying to reassure me.

  I know, I know. I promise it will be alright. We’ll figure this out.

  But I couldn’t help feeling that this was definitely not going to be okay and that the Premiere was destined for disaster now that Michael had had his way with us.

  * * * *

  Texting back and forth with Markus about our inability to get Michael on the phone was such a wind-up. Especially when he started to integrate such overtly sexual suggestions in an effort to take my mind off of things. I was ready to jump out of my skin from the sheer lust and stress of it all by the time Candace arrived to help me with hair and makeup. She was already done up and looked amazing, her dark skin glowing, natural hair big, bold and gorgeous, and the reddest lip I’d ever seen. I couldn’t wait to have her work her magic on me.

  “Candace! You look amazing!”

  “Girl, you’re going to look even better by the time I get done with you. You nervous?”

  I sighed with no little amount of regret and we headed to my bathroom, where she plopped me down on the closed toilet to start working on me. “Definitely. I’ve never done the red-carpet thing and it totally freaks me out. I’m worried about being there with Markus too. I know we’re kind of half-assed dating, but it feels uncertain, and you know how I get about uncertain things. On one hand, I don’t really give a flying fuck what people think but, on another, ugh…all those eyes on me.”

  “Mmmhmm,” she muttered around a hairpin. “It might get a little hairy, with all of those rumors about Kate and him still flying. I wouldn’t worry too much, though. It’s Southern Gods, not the next MCU movie. Now, deep breaths. Hair is done, on to makeup, give me a second.”

  “Totally, totally. You’re right.” I got up and started pacing in circles, rubbing my index fingers against my thumbs. I’d painted my nails that morning and they actually looked good for once, so biting them off was out of the question.

  “Come back here. Sit.” Candace pushed me back down and gripped my shoulders while she met my eyes in the mirror. She squeezed and rolled them out for me. “You’re so stiff, you’ve got to chill. It’s going to be all right. Now, where’s your dress? Love your nails, by the way, we need to match them.”

  “My dress is over there.” I gestured at the garment hanging from my shower rod.

  She looked over and whistled. “Red is a bold choice. Love it. I’ve got the perfect lip stain for this.”

  We chatted about random things while she worked, and she made me laugh at my own nervousness. “Want a shot? I think I’ve got some airplane bottles of tequila in my kit somewhere,” she teased as she started cleaning up her brushes.

  “Uh, no. I can hang. You’re done already?” She nodded and I turned and looked in the mirror.

  Candace had outdone herself. My skin looked flawless, the contouring was amazing and my eye makeup was super dramatic. Hair was gorgeous. I looked like a femme fatale straight out of a Bond movie. “Oh my god, thank you. This is amazing, I look fucking hot.”

  She handed me a tissue to blot my lips and brushed me off and smiled. “I know. Genius, right? Look, we’re going to have a blast tonight, okay? You’ll have Markus with you and the two of you can take on Michael. It’s going to be fine, keep your head up!”

  We hugged and she headed out. I pulled the dress off the hanger and drew it on carefully. The dress was fire-engine red, and the silhouette was pure, silky classic siren with a slit up to my hip and a short train. It was a halter, tied with a loopy bow at the neck, and the plunging neckline draped in such a way that my cleavage could be classified as ‘racy, yet classy’.

  I tore through my closet and dug out my shoes—a pair of sky-high gold gladiator sandals that Candace had given me from a previous set. They were going to be super wobbly, but the gold straps that wound up my legs were visible through the slit in my dress and made me feel like a badass superhero about to go knock down the patriarchy.

  My doorbell rang and I quickly threw on a pair of gold geometric ear cuffs that straddled the classic yet edgy look Candace had constructed. The walk down the stairs to the door suddenly felt like a death march in my towering heels, but Markus was waiting, and the awestruck, lustful look on his face as he watched me step outside made everything worth it. He opened and closed his mouth a few times like a goldfish before managing a strangled, “Shall we go?”

  I smiled smugly at him. “Of course.”

  He stayed rooted to the spot as he rubbed his chin a few times before finally extending his arm to me. “Mmm, your dress. Are you sure you’re comfortable?” He couldn’t stop staring as I posed with one hip cocked, his eyes traveling avidly up to my nearly exposed hipbone. I watched in delight as he swallowed hard and licked his lips.

  I batted my fake eyelashes at him. Perhaps ‘ingenue’ would be a good role to try out in preparation for our rehearsals. “Oh, it’s fine, maybe a little drafty. Can you help me into the car?”

  He struggled for a second, trying to say something, before blowing out a big breath and meeting my eyes as he guided me into the car. “You look absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to see everyone’s face when you step onto the carpet.”

  “Thanks. Candace really should get the credit, though.”

  “Sure, her work is flawless, but she had exquisite raw material. Here,” he said as he handed me a jewelry case. “I saw these in a store yesterday and had to buy them. I think they were meant for you.”

  I frowned at him but opened the case slowly to find three gleaming gold bangles with a piece of paper set delicately on top. After reading the note about their provenance, I looked up at him. “Are you kidding me? Why is Barbra Streisand giving up her jewelry?”

  “Alina, look at the inside. They were meant for you. Regardless of the previous owner, they’re perfect.”

  I turned them over to read the messages and started laughing. “No fucks to give, right? I’ll keep it in mind the next time I’m dealing with Michael. Thank you, Markus. These are fantastic. Help me with them?” I handed him the custom screwdriver that came with the bracelets in the case and he carefully loosened them and slid them over my hand one by one.

  The heat of his palm holding mine and the weight of the smooth, old gold sliding up my forearm made me shiver as he tightened the screws. God, he was so handsome in his old-school black tux and skinny tie. And the bracelets, the thoughtfulness of the gift, took my breath away. I focused on the other cars traveling beside us to avoid the inevitable, “but what does it all mean?” comment that was burning the tip of my tongue.

  * * * *

  Far more reporters than were typically at these types of premieres lined the sidewalk with flashing lights and clamoring voices as we pulled up to the line-up outside the theater a few minutes later.

  Markus groaned. “Shit, Michael must have leaked something. I bet word got out that I’m staying on.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. Southern Gods was an established series, sure, but nowhere near the level that resulted in this type of turnout. “How do we do this? Are we going public with our dating now?”

  His brow wrinkled in concern as he considered how we should play it. “I’m so sorry, this puts you front and center and we’re only getting started. We should have come separately. I’m an idiot.” He frowned and his shoulders bunched up beneath his tailored coat. “Two options—one of us goes in first alone, David drives around for a while, then the other goes in separately a bit later. Or we go in together. What do you want to do?”

  It wasn’t like I’d blissfully convinced myself that dating him would go completely unnoticed by the general public, his adoring fan club, or even the average teenager with a sweet cell phone camera. I’d thought that we’d have more time to ourselves before having to go public like this, though. My fingers pleated
the hem of my dress and I tugged nervously on the bow that tied behind my neck, making sure it was secure. I closed my eyes, counted to ten, deep breath in and out, and said, “Let’s do this together. If you’re okay with it, I’m okay with it.”

  He beamed at me. “All right, let’s do it. Do you want to follow my lead? I think if we do the walk and only talk to one or two reporters, we’ll be fine. We’ll smile at the cameras and keep moving.”

  I nodded nervously.

  “Ready?” he asked with his hand on the handle as our car pulled up to the front.

  I took another deep breath and pasted on my best fake smile. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Without further ado, he opened the door and stepped out, turning back with his hand out to help me as I awkwardly unfolded to the sidewalk in my rented dress and gifted shoes and jewelry. Our eyes met and something ineffable passed between us as I grasped his hand. An affirmation that we were not in this alone.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Markus

  We stepped onto the carpet and were bombarded by camera flashes and reporters yelling at us for a comment. We both smiled—her beatifically, me more grimly—and paused for a photo, ignoring requests for individual shots. Farther down the line, I spotted a journalist I knew from one of the European gossip rags. She respected my reticence and was a genuinely good reporter who wouldn’t spin everything that came out of my mouth. As spots from the numerous flashes burned across my vision, I led Alina through the gauntlet to stand in front of her. My palm burned from contact with her bare skin, displayed to such perfection by the open back of her dress.

  “Susana, good to see you. You have a question?”

  She must heard the ‘a’ quite clearly, given the cheeky grin she shot my way “No. I have two. Will that work?”

  “It will. Hurry, though. We need to get in.”

  “Fine, fine. Thanks for speaking with me.” Other reporters were crowding around her, sticking phones and recorders at us. Susana cleared her throat. “First, about the Premiere. Did you enjoy your stint on the show, and will you be back for upcoming seasons?”

  She was far more sneaky than I remembered. Already two questions deep, she would no doubt work in at least one more. I glanced over at Alina, willing her to be ready for what would follow. She simply smiled reassuringly at me, a mysterious beauty who was driving the rest of the media mad. There were more flashes as photographers tried to claim the moment between us.

  “Yes, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Michael is a fantastic director and the entire cast and crew were very welcoming to a new addition. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when Michael asked me to consider returning for future seasons, I accepted.”

  There, it was out there, and it was enough that she likely wouldn’t ask for more details. Her glances at Alina indicated that she was salivating over this unknown woman and why we remained physically attached to one another.

  “And who is your lovely companion this evening?” Susana didn’t beat around the bush.

  “Ah, this is Alina. We met on set and she’s quite involved with the show, as well.”

  I turned away, indicating the interview was over. A chorus of ‘boos’ from the reporters and frantic follow-up questions about whether we were together, who she was and what our joint appearance might mean for the show followed in our wake. We got to the door and paused. As if we’d choreographed it, we turned toward each other, smiled secretively, then glanced back to wave toward the media with the hands that weren’t glued to each other.

  Once inside, Alina turned to me and squeezed my hand tightly. She reached up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, “Thank you for helping me through this.”

  I grinned at her. The adrenaline from walking the carpet had me wanting to drag her into a coat closet or bathroom and drop to my knees to worship her with my mouth. I tried to shake it off, but little bursts of energy kept zinging through my body.

  Alina continued to press her palm to mine, leaning closer still as if to maintain every possible inch of contact between us. “Should I go grab some drinks? I kind of want to find Candace.”

  “Sure. I’ll go find a table for us.”

  She nodded and carefully unwound our fingers before disappearing into the crowd, while I headed toward the theater doors. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rory and Ethan strolling toward me.

  “Markus, congratulations are in order.” Rory clapped me on the back so hard that I almost staggered into a server. “Only a bit part, hmm?”

  I frowned and my shoulders hunched in embarrassment. “I don’t know what to say. Alina and I are trying to talk Michael down from this. It’s not fair to anyone and it’s going to mess up every dynamic with the cast.”

  Ethan raised his eyebrows and said, “Dude, it’s cool. I still get paid the same amount, regardless of the size of my part, and I’m grateful I get to stay on. I totally thought Michael would drop me when I heard about you.”

  Rory was less convinced. “Eh. I mean, not everyone in the cast knows about this yet. Some of them are going to be seriously pissed. Vanessa’s shit talk is really stirring up some anti-Alina feelings. Especially since the word is going around about that hook-up she had right when she was starting with Southern Gods.”

  Before I could ask about the hook-up that was now forcing my hands into fists, I saw Alina heading toward us with Candace in tow and two drinks in her hands.

  “Here you go,” she said, handing me a drink.

  “So…” Candace drawled. “People are finding out about y’all and rumors are flying about what’s happening next season. That story about you and You-Know-Who is getting some play again too, Alina. How are you guys holding up?” She gave me a measured up-and-down look, as if evaluating my worthiness to be with her friend. “Markus, you better be protecting my girl here or I will cut you with my stiletto.”

  “I-I-I…can’t believe word is getting out so quickly. How? And what do people know—or maybe what do people think they know?” Alina’s voice was hoarse with uncertainty.

  “They think the worst, of course, it’s human nature,” Ethan said kindly. “Michael was ‘overheard’ on a call with the screenwriters talking about you two and your ‘on-fire’ chemistry. That it will be the main focus for next season and that it’s ‘fire’ because it’s real.”

  Alina’s face crumpled. “It’s not like that at all.”

  “I know.” Rory put an arm around her and hugged her in commiseration. “It’s going to be rough for a while, but, honestly, they’ll get over it.”

  “Yeah, we could probably neutralize all of this nonsense by starting some other rumors…” Candace offered.

  “Like what?” asked Alina suspiciously. “You three going to release a sex tape? Are we going to drop the news about Terrance and Vanessa being deviant assholes?”

  “Hmm, the sex tape idea has merits,” murmured Rory. Both Candace and Ethan, without missing a beat, turned and punched him hard in the arm. As he doubled over he cried out, “I’m kidding, kidding! Jesus, you people have no sense of humor.”

  Alina turned to me with a hand on her hip, trying to recover some swagger. “Do you care? It’s one thing to make an appearance here that’s suggestive, but coming out as a couple—especially with the show news and so soon after the word dropped on you and Kate—is going to be a whole different ball game.” She was trying to act tough, but her voice was high-pitched and still a little shaky.

  “No, I absolutely do not care if we’re linked together. If you do, I understand, but I’m not ashamed of us,” I said as emphatically as I could, and the anxiety racing across her face seemed to slow.

  “Fine,” she said and gave me a decisive nod. “Let’s do it. Seriously, fuck them all.”

  The lights flickered down and up, indicating that it was time to start the show, and I placed my hand on the small of her back again as we entered the theater flanked by Candace, Rory and Ethan. As we walked through the crowd, people automatically stepped aside to let us pass, and I
could hear the murmurs and feel the veiled glances.

  As the lights flickered a second time to indicate that everyone should take their seats before the show started, I leaned over to whisper in Alina’s ear, “Do you want to leave before the end of this? No one said we had to stay and Michael seems to be avoiding us.”

  She nodded then leaned into me to whisper back, her breath tickling my ear, “Yes, please.”

  I pulled out my phone and texted David to meet us around the back by the staff entrance in fifteen minutes. Leaning over again, I murmured, “This is all going to pass, hang in there. You’re doing great. And you say you’re not an actor.” I dug my fingers into the knots at the back of her neck as she rolled her eyes at me.

  “Come on. He’s here,” I whispered, pulling her up from her chair when my phone buzzed a few minutes later. While almost everyone was fixated on the screen, a few people looked up with narrowed eyes as we slid out of our seats and tiptoed out the doors. Alina kicked off her heels and knotted the ankle ties so she could wrap them around her wrist, and we raced through the empty hallways, finally able to breathe deeply, before diving into the car.

  As David drove off, her breathing got ragged as the full impact of our decisions and her colleagues’ reactions hit home.

  “Come here,” I said as David pulled away from the curb to join the nighttime rush of L.A. traffic. She slid onto my lap and I tightened my arms around her while she tucked her head beneath my chin.

  I flattened my palm against her back and rubbed slow circles around her shoulder blades while she worried. “This is going to be far worse than I thought. Why did I even consider this acting business? I don’t know if I can do this publicity thing, who knows if I can even actually act. Fuck, my head is killing me.”

  I hummed something sympathetic and the circles I was making expanded down to the velvety soft skin of her lower back as she continued to fret. “Yeah, it’s not going to be much fun at first, but we’ve got each other, and Rory, Candace and Ethan. The hype will blow over. Think about your endgame. What you’re getting out of this.”