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Jocelyn laid out the strategy. Kat’s name recognition would help her land an audition, but they couldn’t rely on that alone to lock down the part.

Kat would spend the six weeks until casting infiltrating Richard Gottlieb’s social circle.

She would go to opening nights, galas, private parties—any event he was attending that Jocelyn could pull strings to get Kat into.

In the meantime, Kat would read over his body of work, study all his favorite plays, research his influences, memorize the names of prominent Broadway stars, and study French impressionism—apparently Richard was a big fan of French impressionism.

She would win the director over on a personal level while showing him that she had influence in the theater world and the fan appeal to draw a crowd.

Pushing your way into a role using every trick in the book wasn’t exactly what people dreamed of when they imagined fame.

It was humiliating, really, but Kat didn’t care.

Because the alternative was being a washed-up, out-of-work former child star with no money and no career. Which was far more humiliating.

Katrina Kelly was making a comeback. No matter what it took.

“Am I brilliant or what?” Jocelyn said once she’d finished laying out the attack plan.

“You’re brilliant,” Kat said. Jocelyn had been her manager since she was ten, and she’d never been wrong yet.

Jocelyn leaned back in her chair and added, almost as an afterthought, “Obviously, we’ll need to move up the timeline on your sexuality reveal.”

“What? Why?”

“Gottlieb’s not going to cast you if he thinks you’ll negatively affect the highbrow reputation of his play. Right now, your brand is all wrong for his. We need to force him to take you seriously. Show him there’s more to you than just your ability to run into a cake.”

Kat sighed. You run into a giant cake in a movie one time …Jocelyn was right, though. Half the people who asked her for photos on the street just knew her as “that cake girl.” Which was exactly why she needed to change her image.

Two months ago, when Kat had told Jocelyn that she wasn’t straight, she had done it as more of an FYI.

The same way she would have told her manager if she’d been arrested for drunk driving—giving her all the information, just in case damage control was called for.

She had expected Jocelyn to feel the same way Kat did: that this was information better kept hidden from the public eye.

Instead, Jocelyn had recommended the opposite.

Being queer was trendy now. Coming out would make people look at Kat differently, see something besides the child star and talk about something besides P.R.O.M.

It would endear her to a brand-new, devoted audience.

Kat had nearly cried as Jocelyn told her that she deserved the chance to be her true self.

Three hours later, Jocelyn had devised the Katrina Kelly Queer Branding Shift.

That was why Kat had gone to The Next Chapter—the bookstore had a good social media presence with a strong queer brand.

Her visit and subsequent Instagram post were part of phase one.

She had also been photographed reading The Price of Salt.

She’d gone to an Indigo Girls concert. She had mentioned in an interview that Thelma and Louise was her favorite movie.

Nothing concrete, nothing official. Just tiny little hints, which fans could piece together if they so desired.

And they did. Already, there were subreddits and TikTok deep dives dedicated to debating whether Katrina Kelly was gay and trying to connect her to various female celebrities. It was the most public interest Kat had gotten in years.

But she was supposed to have months before she officially came out as queer.

Months to get used to her new identity and figure out what the hell she was doing.

She hadn’t even told her parents yet. Not that she told them anything these days, since that would require actually talking to them. But still.

“So…” Kat said, trying not to betray the panic she was currently feeling. “I just post on Instagram that I’m gay? Or bi, or whatever?”

“Of course not.” Jocelyn’s phone dinged and she picked it up to read whatever message she’d gotten. “Concrete labels are out. What you need is a girlfriend.”

Kat felt like she might choke. Damn that assistant for not bringing her water. “A girlfriend?”

“Some queer celebrity. Kristen Stewart or Cara Delevingne, except I don’t think either of them is single. But someone like them. Someone confirmed queer who you can be seen with.”

“I can’t just jump right into dating Cara Delevingne.” Kat’s panic was definitely audible now.

“You won’t.” Jocelyn frowned irritably at her. “I just told you she’s not single.” She squinted at Kat. “Wait, what about that girl from your show? Madelyn West?”

Kat’s teeth found the inside of her cheek and dug in. “Not her.”

Jocelyn peered up over her glasses, studying Kat. “Are you still mad about that whole thing?”

Kat shrugged and didn’t respond. Because yes. She was very much still mad about that whole thing.

Jocelyn clucked her tongue. “Okay, but Madelyn is in that queer show now. The Qties. She has a dedicated gay following. She could be just what you need to boost your image.”

Kat bit down a little harder. The fact that her former best friend had managed to transition into having an adult acting career was just another reason why Kat resented her. Particularly since Madelyn was a huge part of the reason Kat no longer had a career.

“I’ll have my assistant make a list of actresses who are single and gay. Maybe there’s someone else in The Qties you could date.”

Kat groaned.

“This is important,” Jocelyn said. “The queer rumors are catching on. If you don’t start confirming your sexuality soon, people are going to think you’re gay baiting them and start to turn on you.”

“This section of the rebrand is literally labeled Gay Bait Phase in your planner,” Kat said.

Jocelyn waved this detail away. “Remember when wearing skirts over jeans on the red carpet was a trend and I put my foot down? Was I right?”

Kat winced. “You were right.”

“I know I was. And I’m right this time, too. It’s time for you to deliver the goods. Let you be seen around town with some hot piece of ass with a boy’s haircut.”

Kat flushed. First of all, the goods ? Second, she knew Jocelyn had her best interests in mind, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready for all of this.

Kat had seen the Qties cast at events, and they all seemed so…

confidently gay. Moving in a group, laughing like they were best friends.

Wearing suits and sequins and floral vests and fedoras.

What if Kat committed some lesbian dating taboo and came off as a straight girl just fishing for attention?

What if she hooked up with someone on the show and humiliated herself in bed and then the entire Qties cast found out and from there the message spread to every sapphic-aligned celebrity in North America?

Kat would be the laughingstock of the celesbians.

No. She definitely couldn’t date a Qties star.

“What if…” Kat paused to swallow nervously. She almost never questioned Jocelyn’s plans. “What if I dated someone who wasn’t famous?”

Jocelyn narrowed her eyes and didn’t respond. Kat rushed to explain herself further.

“I mean, there are only so many queer celebrities who are famous enough, right? I don’t want to work my way through the pool too quickly.

And right now, no one even knows I’m queer, so why would the Kristen Stewarts bother with me?

Plus, I don’t even know what the queer cliques are, so what if I date the wrong celebrity and then Miley Cyrus hates me forever or something?

Whereas if I date someone normal, I kind of announce to the world that I’m queer and I can see if any celebrities step forward.

And I could also get some…some practice.

So it doesn’t seem like I don’t know what I’m doing with.

You know. With…” Katrina’s mind suddenly went blank. “Girl-dating.”

Jocelyn drummed her fingers against the table, which Kat knew meant she was at least considering the idea. Finally, she said, “You might have a point.”

Kat wanted to sigh in relief, but she held it in. She wouldn’t have to embarrass herself by trying to slide into Reneé Rapp’s DMs. At least, not yet.

“But we’d have to find the right normal person.

” Jocelyn said. “Someone who can give you a little credibility, but won’t cause any issues when you upgrade in a month or two to someone with status.

” Jocelyn rapped her fingers against the table once more, loudly and decisively.

“Okay! I like it. New plan: find some normal, attractive lesbian for you to date.”

Kat must have looked too happy, because Jocelyn gave her a knowing look. “You already have someone in mind, don’t you?”

Kat took a deep breath.

“Actually,” she said. “I do.”