Page 11

Kat

This date was going to be terrible. Kat was going to make sure ofit.

When she’d walked out of the bar the night before, Kat had been determined to never see Jude again.

But halfway through her walk home, she had realized her mistake.

She’d promised Jocelyn that she’d bring a date to the gala tomorrow.

And once you promised something to Jocelyn, you did not let her down.

Kat had wandered around Chelsea for a while, trying to think of another option. Any other option. But short of getting on Tinder and inviting a complete stranger to go with her, she had nothing. And she really didn’t want to mess up Jocelyn’s whole sexuality-reveal timeline.

So she’d messaged Jude. But this time, Kat wouldn’t embarrass herself.

In the car on the way over, she went over the rules in her head: No flirting.

No witty banter. No gushing about gay books.

And absolutely no sharing of personal details.

Kat would be professional and aloof. They would show up together, start a few rumors, get their photo taken, then leave and never see each other again.

When she got out of the car in front of the upscale midtown hotel where the Stars for Sound charity gala was being held, Jude was waiting on the sidewalk, wearing a navy suit with a crisp white button-down and a gray tie with a matching pocket square.

She had combed her hair and the clean line of her part somehow emphasized her strong jawline even more than usual.

Her lips pulled up into that small sideways smile as Kat walked over.

This date is fake, she told herself desperately. This person isn’t actually into you. She’s just hot!

But she was very hot.

“Hi.” Jude ducked her head slightly as she smiled, like a shy little kid.

Professional and aloof, Kat reminded herself.

“Hi,” she said, without stopping, striding for the hotel doors. Jude hurried after her.

“How are you?” Jude said.

“Fine. You?”

“Um.” Jude held the gilded door open for her. “Also fine, I guess.”

“Great.” Kat walked a little faster, heading toward the flower arch decorating the entrance to the ballroom across the lobby. The quicker they got this over with, the better.

But when she reached the door, Kat paused.

When she walked into that ballroom with Jude, she would be confirming all the rumors.

She would essentially be coming out as gay.

Or bi. Or pan. Or whatever she was. Wasn’t it ridiculous to come out before she even knew what she was coming out as? Was she making a huge mistake?

It didn’t matter. Her career needed this. And without an acting career, who was Katrina Kelly?

Absolutely nobody.

Kat reached out and took Jude’s hand. Jude looked surprised, but she didn’t pull away. Then Kat pushed open the door to the ballroom and led Jude inside.

As she’d predicted, the entire room turned to look.

At events like this, everyone had one eye on the door, watching to see if anyone interesting would come in.

A hundred gazes lingered on their joined hands, and Kat’s stomach burned like she’d just taken a shot of whiskey, but she kept moving, leading Jude toward the bar.

When they got there, Kat leaned up and whispered in Jude’s ear, “What do you want to drink?”

Jude looked a little confused, but she leaned down and whispered her drink order back, the way Kat had suspected she would. To anyone watching, it would look like they were exchanging intimate private words.

“Damn. This place is fancy,” Jude said once they’d accepted their glasses of wine and moved to the side. “Do you go to a lot of events like this?”

“Yes.”

Jude waited, but Kat didn’t elaborate. The less she said to Jude tonight, the better. Instead, she surveyed the crowd until she spotted a producer, one of the six people Jocelyn had told her to network with tonight. She headed toward him, leaving Jude to trail awkwardly behind her.

“Evan!” she cooed, adding a tone of surprised delight to her voice. “So good to see you!”

They exchanged kisses on the cheek, and Evan had just started updating her on his two daughters when Kat glanced toward the door at the exact moment Madelyn entered the ballroom.

Kat tried to stay engaged in her conversation, but it was impossible.

Her eyes kept returning to the front of the room.

Madelyn had shaved one side of her long blond hair into an undercut, and she was wearing tight white pants and a strappy black shirt that showed off her stomach, along with heavy black eyeliner and high-heeled boots.

Kat bounced her eyes back to Evan. This shouldn’t matter.

No, it didn’t matter. Kat had seen Madelyn at dozens of parties since P.R.O.M.

had stopped filming. She’d known that Madelyn lived in New York between filming seasons of The Qties.

Seeing her tonight was perfectly natural, and it shouldn’t throw Kat off her game at all.

Still, it seemed like a bad omen that during her very first public appearance as a queer person, she was being confronted with the first girl she’d ever kissed.

No. Kat couldn’t think of her like that. She shouldn’t remember the kiss. She should remember that Madelyn had ruined Kat’s entire career.

The next time Kat glanced over at Madelyn, they locked eyes. And then Madelyn started walking over.

Kat hurriedly refocused on the conversation, nodding along fervently at whatever Evan had just said. Still, she could feel Madelyn’s presence behind her a second before a hand tapped her shoulder.

“Kat! Hi!”

“M aaa delyn!” Kat’s voice took on an odd singsong croon as she turned around. “How are you?”

“I’m great. Just finished up filming season three.” Madelyn smiled, and Kat bit down on the inside of her cheek. She knew exactly what Madelyn was doing—flaunting the fact that she had managed to grow her career while Kat’s had sputtered to a flaming halt. “Are you living in New York now?”

“Just moved here.” Kat gave her the fakest smile she could.

“We should get together, then.” She let her eyes linger on Jude. “It seems like there are a lot of…changes for you to catch me up on.”

“Definitely. Text me! We’ll get lunch!”

“Seriously,” Madelyn said, her voice dropping into earnestness. “I’d really like to see you. I think it’s time we put what happened behind us, don’t you?”

For a second, Kat forgot to keep her performative smile on. Whatever expression was on her face, it made Madelyn take a step back.

“Okay.” Madelyn lingered for a second. “Well. Maybe I’ll see you soon.”

With difficulty, Kat forced her face back into pleasant neutrality. “Ta-ta!” She fluttered her fingers in a dismissive wave, and Madelyn walked off.

“Excuse us one minute,” Kat said to Evan. She took Jude by the elbow. “Come on. Let’s get our picture taken.”

“Oh. Sure.” Jude followed her over to the step-and-repeat. “Um, are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’ve barely said anything to me,” Jude said. “And you seem a little upset.”

“Of course I’m not upset,” Kat said. “I’m just working.”

She stepped in front of the banner and wrapped her arm around Jude’s waist. Jude hesitated for a second.

Then she put her arm around Kat’s shoulder, pressing their sides together.

Kat could feel the warmth of Jude’s body against hers.

It made her want to lean in and discover the shape of that body, to press her nose to the crease of Jude’s neck and inhale the warm cedar-and-cinnamon scent of her cologne.

She nearly forgot to smile as the photographer lifted the camera. As soon as the shutter clicked, Kat stepped away, putting a safe distance between her and Jude.

Just then, Tony-nominated Broadway actor Jonathan Costello swooped out of the crowd with his arms raised.

“There you are, Katrina! Oh, I’ve missed you so much! It’s been far too long!”

He wrapped Kat up in a hug, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

She had met Jonathan once, two days before, at the CTA offices.

But pretending to be Kat’s biggest fan was part of the deal Jocelyn had struck with his agent.

Jonathan was a Broadway star hoping to get into film.

Kat was a movie star hoping to get into theater.

There was a lot they could offer each other.

Based on the performance he was giving now, Kat didn’t quite believe that Jonathan would make it in Hollywood.

But that didn’t matter as long as he introduced her to Richard Gottlieb, the writer and director of Philosophies of Desire.

Kat needed to meet him tonight and make a good impression. Her entire career depended on it.

“I have some people you must meet,” Jonathan said. His accent had become slightly British, in what Kat assumed was a failed attempt to act natural.

Kat rolled her shoulders back, trying to shake off the encounter with Madelyn. Go time.

She took Jude’s hand and let Jonathan lead them over toward Richard Gottlieb.

She recognized him from the headshot Jocelyn had given her.

He was tall and white with dark curly hair and a short, fussy goatee, wearing a black suit with a black shirt.

He was standing next to his husband, Ashton, a muscular blond whose headshot Kat had also been given.

“Richard! Hi!” Jonathan called, bouncing over. “It’s so good to see you.”

Richard turned, looking Jonathan over with a blank expression. “Hi.” His tone was not warm. Jonathan raised his arms for a hug, but Richard stepped backward. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”

Kat felt her stomach tense. Jonathan’s cheeks started to flush. “I auditioned for your show. Expositions. ”

“Ah.” Richard flicked his eyes up and down Jonathan’s body. “Did you make it to callbacks?”

“Uh.” The red spots on Jonathan’s cheeks flushed a deeper color, and he flashed a small, guilty look at Kat. “No, I didn’t.”

“Well.” Richard took a sip from his wineglass. “That would explain it, then.”