If Milo notices my weird behavior, he doesn’t mention it. He slides his phone across the bed to me. “Have you seen the comments?”
“No.” I close my eyes and shake my head. “I don’t want to see them either.”
Sensing my anxiety, he retrieves his phone and says, “Well, I’ll read you two of my favorites. Here’s the first one: ‘Is that even Evie? Doesn’t look like her. Either way, her hair is cute. Love the bob.’ And here’s the second: ‘He’s hot. Good for Evie!’” He looks at me and grins. “Good for you.”
I roll my eyes and fight the urge to smile. Then I bite my lip and add, “I’m sorry they name-dropped you in the article.”
“It’s kind of helped,” he says, shrugging. “The band’s Instagram page has over five hundred new followers already.”
“Wow,” I say. “Good for you. I’m sure Raf is thrilled.”
“Oh, definitely. He keeps joking that’s the reason the A&R guy called back this morning and said he’ll see us play tonight.”
“Tonight?”
He nods. “Adrian helped me convince the owner of The Goose’s Egg to fit us in, so all we need is for the A&R guy to actually show up this time.” He sighs and adds, “I think my parents will be there too.”
“Really?” Now my eyes are bugging out.
“Yeah. Checking in to see if it’s time to lay down the law. Summer’s almost over. They’re gonna want me to sign up for some classes. At least three. Which means less time for work and, more important, less time for music.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you,” I say.
Clearly, my positivity shocks us both, because Milo blinks. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
I wait for him to get up and leave for work, but he doesn’t. He spreads his palm over my comforter and relaxes a little.
“Will you come to the show tonight?” he asks.
“Probably not,” I say. I’m more focused on getting in touch with James. Speaking of that, I should probably call Kerri back because I bet she’ll be able to find out James’s schedule today.
Milo looks down and nods. Is he disappointed? I’m a little surprised. I can’t remember the last time someone wanted me to be somewhere for them.
“I have to find a way to get in touch with James,” I say. “That’s all I can really think about right now.”
“Yeah, of course. Let me know if your plans change. We all want you there.”
“Okay,” I say.
His gaze drifts down to my lips, and I wonder if he’s thinking about our kiss from last night just like I am. He leans forward, and I don’t move, because I’m curious to see what he’ll do. That curiosity lasts for a good two seconds before the sirens go off in my head.
Too close! Retreat! Retreat!
Abruptly, I scooch back so that I’m basically glued to my headboard. “I have to call Kerri.”
He blinks and moves away just as quickly. “Right. I, uh, have to go to work.”
“Okay,” I say, clearing my throat. “Did you feed the cats?”
“Yep, all fed.” His movements are jerky and awkward as he makes his way out of my room. He pauses in the doorway. “See you later?”
I nod, and then he disappears, followed by the sound of his feet pounding down the stairs.
That was close. Literally. I’ve decided Milo is an okay human being, but I can’t let myself get distracted like last night.
I grab my phone to call Kerri and see what she can tell me about where James will be today. Because the only thing that matters is finding Gigi.
Chapter Sixteen
It took some finessing, but Kerri, who can do anything she puts her mind to, learned that there’s an outdoor screening of Every Time We Meet later tonight at Bryant Park and that James is scheduled to do a Q&A beforehand. Of course, when Kerri asked why I needed this information, I told her that it was for Gigi. She didn’t ask any more questions after that.
Gigi loved going to outdoor movies when I was a kid. It was her favorite summer pastime. She’d wrap a silk scarf around her head, tie it underneath her chin, and complete the look with a hat and sunglasses. She’d also let me wear one of her scarves, and then she’d make James wear a hat, just so that he wasn’t left out. We’d go to the drive-in and park way in the back. It didn’t really matter what movie was playing, because Gigi barely paid attention. She was more interested in watching the people around her, how the audience reacted to the actors on-screen. She said she felt like she was jumping out of the fishbowl and into the ocean.
James would buy me all the snacks I wanted, and I’d sit in the back seat of his Cadillac, stuffing my face with popcorn and licorice. He had a way of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Back when he and Gigi were married, I’d go days without seeing him, even though I knew he was in the house, and then he’d randomly show up in the kitchen one morning, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.
“Evie Marie,” he’d say, smiling at me. “Long time no see.”
Or he’d show up at the perfect moment, like when Gigi was ready to go to the movies. If the situation were different, I’m sure she would have enjoyed sneaking out to see Every Time We Meet in the park today.
It’s dusk now, and I’m ready to leave, just wearing my baseball cap and sunglasses this time. After Us Weekly posted those pictures, there’s no point in wearing the wig anymore. But I wonder if there might be some truth to what Milo said this morning. Not all of the comments underneath the article were terrible. Maybe everyone doesn’t hate me anymore?
Milo already fed Mark Antony and Cleo, but I’m standing in the kitchen wondering if I should give them a little extra before I go. That’s when the doorbell rings.
Gigi wouldn’t ring her own doorbell. And Milo has keys … Who could that be?
Hesitantly, I walk to the door, with Mark Antony and Cleo following behind at a safe and curious distance. When I peek through the peephole, I gasp so loudly both cats scurry back down the hallway.
In disbelief, I open the door.
“Evie Marie,” James Jenkins says, his smile full of charm. “Long time no see.”
All I can do is stare at him as he slides past me into the foyer. He’s dressed in a tan suit, and he looks cool even though it’s sweltering outside. He still has a full head of hair, but it’s mostly gray now. I haven’t seen him up close and in person since I was ten years old. This is so bizarre.
He takes in his surroundings and finally focuses on me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, still not sure that this is actually happening. Suddenly, I’m afraid that he’s here to take back his offer. I couldn’t coordinate the meeting with Gigi, so he’s handling it himself. And I didn’t hold up my end of the deal, so I don’t have the role.
He takes a step back and looks me over. His smile is a little sad. “It’s been some years, hasn’t it?”
I’m eighteen, but standing here now, I feel like a little kid again, running into James in the hallway at Gigi’s old house.
“I saw you at Candice’s event,” he says. “You were wearing your grandmother’s dress.”
When I blink in surprise, he adds, “I was married to her three times. I know her wardrobe. And last night, you came to my party and ran from photographers.”
I don’t even try to deny it. “I wanted to talk to you because I thought you might know where Gigi went.”
“What do you mean?” He tilts his head, looking at me thoughtfully. Then he pauses. “Well, she hasn’t appeared to yell at me, so I’m going to guess she’s not here?”
“She hasn’t been here since Thursday,” I say. “So you don’t know where she is, then?”
He raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. “Why would I?”
“Because you were one of the last people she talked to before she left. And you wrote her a note.” I pull his note to Gigi out of my back pocket and hand it to him. “You said you knew her feelings hadn’t changed since the last time you spoke, which I’m guessing was Wednesday night whe
n you called her. Did you tell her about the remake?”
He blinks. “Of course not. I thought we agreed it was a conversation that you would handle?”
“We did,” I say, sighing in relief. “I am handling it. But if you didn’t talk to Gigi about the remake, then why’d you call her?”
Slowly, James places the note in his jacket pocket. He starts to answer my question, then pauses as if he’s thought better of it. “Some things are just better left between an ex-husband and wife.”
I don’t know what to say to that. The conversation lulls for a moment. Then he turns and opens the front door, holding out his hand. “Come with me. Let’s take a little drive.”
“Wait, what?” I say, but he’s already walking down the steps toward his car. His driver, George, waves at me as he opens the door for James. “A drive to where?”
James glances back at me. “We’re just going to Bryant Park. They’re showing Every Time We Meet tonight. I’d like to continue our conversation, and as much as I enjoy standing in Peg’s hallway, I am running a little late to my Q&A.”
He doesn’t know where Gigi is. I don’t need to go with him. But now I’m intrigued that he wants to be in my company, so I hurry to sit beside him in the back seat of his car.
Once George begins driving, James turns to me and asks, “How are you, Evie Marie? Really?”
I shrug a little, glancing out the window as we drive through the city. I’m unsure of how to answer his question. “I’m trying my best.”
“I hope you haven’t let all that Paul Christopher stuff truly get you down.”
“My career was about to take off, really take off,” I say, frustrated, “and then that stupid video leaked, and suddenly I became public enemy number one. I’m Evelyn Conaway’s granddaughter. The daughter of Andrew and Marie Jones. I can’t go down in history as the bad egg who screwed with the legacy. My parents are disappointed, and Gigi seems like she’s not bothered by what happened, but how could she not be? Now she’s gone, and I have no idea where to find her. I just want to make everything right again.”
“Is that why you finally decided to accept my call?” he asks.
Again, I don’t try to deny the truth. I nod. “But I think the better question is why you offered the role to me in the first place.”
“What do you mean?” He genuinely looks confused. “I’m a producer too. I have talent scouts on my roster just like everyone else. I specifically sent a few to your school, and they confirmed that you were quite special. I’ve had this remake in the works for a few years, and it only made sense that you’d play Diane. It just wasn’t easy to get ahold of you.”
I look away, thinking about how I’d purposely told Kerri not to accept any meetings from James or his team. It took me being desperate with no other options to finally answer.
“I don’t blame you, of course,” he says, and I turn to him again. “Your loyalty is to Peg. I understand that.”
“She doesn’t know about our deal,” I say. “We don’t have her blessing. She left before I could even tell her, all because we had a stupid argument.” I look down at my hands and bite my lip. “Are you going to give the role to someone else now?”
He’s quiet for a beat. “Let’s just wait and see” is all he says, which isn’t that reassuring. “It might take Peg some time to come around to the idea of it, but she’ll support you.”
His words should make me feel better, but Gigi’s disapproval isn’t the only thing eating away at me. “What if no one else wants to see me play Diane?” I say. “What if you make a mistake by casting me?”
“Why do you want to act?” he asks suddenly. “It’s not just because you want to be like your grandmother or because you want to be a part of some legacy. What is it that’s making you fight so hard right now?”
I blink and try to think of an eloquent, profound answer. But I decide to go with the basic truth. “I love performing,” I say. “I love turning into someone else and entertaining people. It makes me happy, more than anything else.”
He gets that thoughtful look on his face again and doesn’t say anything for such a long time that I wonder if he’s going to respond at all.
“Let me tell you something,” he finally says, “and I want you to listen good. I’ve thought that my career was over plenty of times. When I was addicted to drugs. When I went to rehab and thought I couldn’t trust myself to be around people in this industry ever again. I thought I should just give up and try something else. What was the point? Everyone already had their opinions about me, and I didn’t have the strength to prove them wrong. But underneath all that, I still wanted to act. It’s what I love and what I’ve always loved. I had to realize my own worth. Nobody else could do that for me. And nobody else can do that for you, you understand?”
“Yes,” I say quietly.
“Good.” He looks me over again. “I’m sure you hear this all the time, but you look just like her. Especially with all of your disguises.”
People have been comparing me to Gigi my whole life, but for the first time, hearing James say this, I feel like one day maybe I’ll actually live up to the comparison.
We arrive at Bryant Park, and a team of people who must be the event organizers approach the car. James leans forward and says to George, “Tell them to give me a minute, will you, please?”
“Yes, sir.” George smoothly gets out of the car and intercepts the crew.
To me, James says, “Your grandmother loved going to outdoor movies, remember?” I nod. “I came by to invite her to the Q&A because I thought there might be a small chance she’d put our differences aside and enjoy watching our first movie together, fifty years later.”
I stare at his open yet solemn expression. It’s the same expression Henry wears while standing in Penn Station, when he thinks he’s lost Diane forever.
Unable to help myself, I ask, “What did you do that hurt her so badly? Why did you even have to do it?”
I feel like I’m repeating myself, and I realize it’s because I just had a very similar conversation with Simone last night about my own life.
“I was a selfish man,” he says. “Your grandmother helped me through the toughest years of my life, and I owe everything to her. I made a decision because I wanted to be back on top, and that decision broke her heart. There’s no excuse.” More quietly, almost to himself, he adds, “We all deserve a little forgiveness.”
I’m not really sure what to say, because I honestly don’t know if I agree with him. Maybe everyone doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. But I don’t have to respond because he’s already getting out of the car.
“Now come and listen in on this Q&A,” he says, holding open the door for me. “See how an old pro does it.”
The field is covered with people camped out on blankets, ready to watch the movie. James and I are flanked by security as we walk through the crowd, and I hide behind my baseball cap and sunglasses, careful not to make eye contact with anyone. But then a girl passes us, wearing a T-shirt with an old picture of Gigi when she was younger, at least in her early twenties. EVELYN CONAWAY FOREVER is written at the bottom in bright-white letters. I figure the girl probably made the shirt herself, but as we approach the stage, I see that more people in the crowd are wearing the shirt too. If only Gigi could be here to witness this.
James walks onto the stage to begin the Q&A with a writer from FilmBuzz.com. Most of the Q&A consists of James answering questions about what it was like to film Every Time We Meet and to see the cult following it’s garnered over the last fifty years. When the Q&A is wrapping up, the interviewer tells James how excited she is for Gigi to receive the lifetime achievement award tomorrow night at the FCC ceremony.
Little does she know, there’s a chance that Gigi might not show up at all. Kerri and my parents will be here tomorrow morning, and they’ll want answers. Just like the thousands of people who will watch the FCCs and question Gigi’s whereabouts.
“I’m excited for Evelyn to be honored a
s well,” James says. Then, somehow, he glances back, finding me among his team, and smiles.
After the Q&A, they dim the park lights before the movie starts. I turn to George, ready to tell him that I’m not staying for the movie and won’t need a ride, and that’s when I spot her.
A woman who is making her way through the front of the crowd, near the screen. She’s wearing a floppy, wide-brimmed white hat, a white T-shirt, and blue jeans. She walks just like Gigi, that easy, confident stride.
Frantically, I run off the stage and down to the field, trying to catch her. I knew I’d find her. I just knew it. People start throwing popcorn at me for getting in the way of the screen. One guy shouts, “Sit the hell down!” And then I trip over someone’s outstretched foot and fall forward onto my face.
“Sorry,” a girl says, helping me back up.
I stand quickly, brushing off my clothes, but it’s too late. The wide-brimmed hat is gone, and I’ve lost Gigi.
Crap. Of course, the one time I don’t have Milo with me is when I could’ve used him and his ridiculous height the most.
Maybe there’s a chance it wasn’t her. But who else could that have been? I have to find out for sure.
Chapter Seventeen
When I burst through Gigi’s front door, I hear the sweetest sound I’ve heard in days: Gigi’s voice.
“Gigi!” I shout. But as I move farther into the house, I don’t see her.
“… call you back as soon as I’m able.” Her voice is followed by a loud beep. And then it hits me: Gigi isn’t actually here; that’s just the sound of her answering machine. Whoever called doesn’t bother to leave a message.
I slump against the wall, feeling tired to my core. The brief euphoria of thinking that Gigi had finally come home leaves me with an aching heart. Once again I wonder if I’ve messed up so badly that Gigi may never want to speak to me again. The silence in this house is so overwhelming I can’t stand it.
Then Mark Antony and Cleo appear at the bottom of the staircase, and Cleo meows long and loud. It lets me know that she misses Gigi just as much as I do. When I walk toward them and reach down to pet their heads, they don’t move away like usual. Sheesh. They must really miss her if they’re letting me pet them.
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