Page 31 of Toni and Addie Go Viral

Addie

Addie knew that Marcela Gibson, the power who had made the show happen, was basically her boss.

This was her show, and every detail seemed to cross her desk—even things that were not strictly her purview.

More than a few people thought she was a micromanager, but Addie thought she was brilliant.

They’d clicked, though, in part because of Marcela’s almost maternal protectiveness.

“Are you all set for the weekend then?” Marcela asked from the doorway of the room.

She kept her distance, never being in a closed room with the young star of the show.

There were fewer powerful women in the industry than men, but sometimes Addie thought that being a powerful woman made Marcela more of a target.

And if Addie was right about Marcela’s private life, she was doubly likely to be targeted by people who wanted to see her fail.

Actors could be bisexual or lesbians and still build a flourishing career, although admittedly it was still sometimes a delicate path to walk.

For people on the production or directing side, there was still more of an old-boys thing going on.

“I’m nervous,” Addie admitted, looking over the dresses hanging on the rack in front of her.

“About the event? You’ve handled everything gracefully so far.”

“This is different. You aren’t there, the show writers won’t be—”

“The writer is there, though,” Marcela corrected with a pointed look.

Addie smiled. “Yes, the novelist, but none of the show people. It’s just weird.”

“The event wants the character and her creator.” Marcela shook her head. “We’re working with the publishing team on this one. They’re keen to have you there.”

“The character, you mean, not me.” Addie looked at the dresses again. She had selected several dresses from the show, after Marcela and the costumer, Frederick, had narrowed her options down to a dozen gowns. “I worry about spilling something or ripping something or—”

“It’s a work event, Adelaine.” Marcela shook her head.

“You aren’t borrowing clothes for a date.

You will dress in character, and act in character, and the press that’s present will eat it up.

You’re good in your role, and the costume is part of that.

If the dresses have a mishap, we’ll have them fixed. ”

Her pointed pause made Addie not look away from the dresses she’d selected: three day dresses, two evening dresses, and two ball gowns.

Publicity had a list of the events and had made arrangements for travel, and costuming had taken care of the necessary adjustments so Addie could dress without help.

She had a corset that hooked in the front, and she would be going corset-free in the ball gowns.

She had a bustier that made her breasts somehow larger, but there was no help for it.

Toni would like it. Not that it matters, but…

“Should I worry about your past with the author?” Marcela finally asked bluntly, interrupting Addie’s thoughts about the author. “Because even though we haven’t discussed it, I saw the interplay between you when she was on set.”

“We’re friends. ” Addie met Marcela’s gaze. “Off the record, we met at a bar in Scotland, and we hit it off. We… decided to be friends, though. I respect her.”

Marcela said nothing at first. Then she walked closer, looking at the gowns Addie had selected. “If any of my friends looked at me the way Toni Darbyshire looks at you, I’d go with this dress instead.”

“It’s not like that,” Addie protested as she brushed a hand over the jewel-toned silk. “This is a promo event for the show and therefore for her book. I’m just a prop, for the book, for the show. I’m not there as anything else, no matter what I might want. This is work.”

Marcela didn’t argue, and for that, Addie was grateful.

Then Marcela stepped into the room, pitched her voice low, and warned, “Just be careful, Adelaine. Your reputation is still a blank slate, but you have talent and drive. Some people will want to quash that. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how Philip looked at you when Darbyshire rebuffed him.

She didn’t want to talk to the two costars.

She only wanted to talk to you, and Philip noticed it. ”

“He wasn’t officially cast yet,” Addie said weakly. “Toni just—”

“Wanted to talk to you. Everyone noticed. Philip intimated that he thought you seduced her for the role.”

“Me? Seduced her ?” Addie’s mouth gaped open briefly. “I was the person you cast in the role before she even knew I was auditioning. You chose me!”

“I know. So does he, I’m sure. Maybe he’s just power-driven, or maybe it’s homophobia. I can’t say. I’d think the former, since the story and the author and the lead actor are all lesbian. If he was a homoph—”

“We dated. Briefly. Philip and me. I thought it was nothing, but Philip says I embarrassed him by ending it. I think he just doesn’t like me much after I left him, and now he probably saw the sparks with Toni,” Addie said, pointing out the very obvious truth.

He’d been a jackass when they met again, and he continued to seem determined to belittle her in any way he could.

“You should have disclosed that. Both of you.” Marcela paused. “Any other relationships to disclose?”

Addie sighed. “Toni and I… we… we met in Scotland. I said that. We aren’t dating. I spent two nights with her, but that was more significant than a month or so dating Philip. He and I barely kissed.”

“I see. Well, I’ve spoken to his manager about his tawdry remarks on set,” Marcela said mildly.

She glanced over at the still-open door.

“He’s a talented actor, and you spark animosity with him, so the conflict between you sizzles.

The camera captures that… but Philip saw this as a breakout role.

He expected to get the attention, and he wants to be the bigger star. ”

“It’s a book about Adelaine Wight.” Addie stared at her boss in confusion.

“Oh, Addie! You and I know that, but Philip wants to be the heartthrob, the star who gets the attention, and use the show to launch into bigger roles. Just watch your back with him, and… be careful with Darbyshire. I had my team do a deep dive into her life. She’s had exactly no relationships to the best of my knowledge. ”

“I know,” Addie said quietly. “I have no expectation of being the person to change that. I just like her. I didn’t mean to, and when we met, I wasn’t in her show and she hadn’t sold the book.”

“If I knew that you and Philip had a prior relationship, I wouldn’t have gone with him for the role,” Marcela said with a sigh.

“It was less than a month of casual dates, not a relationship or even a hookup, for goodness sakes! I didn’t think it mattered. It wasn’t like I had sex with him,” Addie blurted out.

Marcela cracked a smile at that. She nodded at the dresses Addie had chosen. Then she walked over and slid the rich blue dress next to them. “Might as well add an extra dress. You’ll photograph well in this. There’ll be some promo shots of you and Toni.”

“Okay.”

“Addie, she couldn’t take her eyes off you. Just be careful, please. There aren’t many shows about our sort of women, and I don’t want this one to get mired down in bad press. Try to make nice with Philip, and keep whatever is going on with the author discreet.”

“We aren’t dating.” Addie wasn’t sure what else to say. She rather desperately wished that there was something still going on, but Toni hadn’t so much as texted or called once.

“So you say.” Marcela paused for an extra beat. “There’s a lot that isn’t ‘dating’ that can create bad press, too, and whatever you do or don’t do, keep it away from your costar. He’s cast now, but his anger over not being sent to this event was… pointed.”

“Does it get easier to be in this business as a lesbian? Or even as a woman?” Addie asked softly.

“It will. Maybe not for us, but for the next generation of women, I hope. That will happen only if we continue to push boundaries.” Marcela gave Addie a sad sort of smile.

“There have been a lot of years with a lot of closed doors for us. We had Dorothy Arzner directing films in 1927. The first lesbian book, The Price of Salt, with a somewhat good ending was in 1952. Even in sports, where we think of a larger out population, things are recent. There were a few scattered players who came out like New York Liberty’s Sue Wicks in 2002, Sheryl Swoopes in 2005, and Brittney Griner in 2013. ”

Addie felt unsure, realizing her own sense of history was thin. I bet Toni knew all of that, though. I bet she knows more, too. She is a history professor.

“You and me? We’re a result of the progress they all made possible, and doing this show is about making more progress,” Marcela declared. “What we do now is always about moving forward or giving them an excuse to push us back.”

“I’ll do a great job. I swear,” Addie said.

“Of course you will. This show. This book. Those are steps forward. Remember that when you feel self-doubt.” Then Marcela turned and left.

Addie was still standing there when one of the costuming staff came in with Marcela’s assistant. They had clearly been waiting in the hallway. Marcela was cautious like that, keeping her people nearby so there was never even a hint that there had been a moment where something improper could happen.

“I’ll pack up some costume jewelry, shoes, and hats for each dress,” the first woman said. “I’ll check the bible for options.”

The bible, in this case, was the costume director’s binder.

“Great,” Addie managed, overwhelmed by the sense of history she hadn’t really considered and by the importance of her role in the show and, under it all, by the desire to do right by the woman she couldn’t stop thinking about despite the way they’d left things.

After she left the room, she found herself walking around the set.

It was starting to feel like home in a way that Addie couldn’t quite explain.

She was walking around a Victorian manor, detailed as much as Toni’s book.

She was in her character’s study, where she would be pouring over ledgers and trying to find out who was behind the theft soon.

She heard a noise and turned. “Hello? Who’s here? Hello…?” She looked around, realizing that the set was mostly deserted. If anyone was here, they ought to be a member of the team.

Which means they ought to answer.

Unless they’re wearing earbuds…?

Addie felt uncommonly vulnerable. Then she heard footsteps. Marcela walked in. She startled, looking at Addie.

“Were you in here a minute ago?” Addie asked.

“No. Why?”

Feeling foolish, Addie shrugged. “I thought I heard someone, but no one answered. Maybe I’m getting too into character.” She laughed nervously.

Marcela frowned. “Well, just to be safe, make sure you let someone know if you’re coming onto set.

Being careful needs to become second nature, Adelaine.

The show is poised to make you recognizable.

Sometimes, fans or antifans can be dangerous, especially in a show that’s already getting some pushback from conservative corners. ”

“Sorry. I started out with Method acting, so I wanted to walk around fake-Addie’s space to get into the mindset before I fly.” Addie looked around the set again before shaking it off. “I guess I got too into character.”

Marcela jabbed something into her phone. “I’ll have security do a sweep just to be sure.” She smiled at Addie. “And you, my dear girl, need to get home. Tomorrow’s your flight, correct?”

“It is.”

“Why don’t you take the new episode’s script to the author, since you’ll see her?” Marcela motioned for Addie to follow her. “I know she’ll frown at a few liberties, but maybe if you read some of your lines, she’ll be more receptive.”

“Sure.” Addie inwardly winced. She didn’t really want to be a go-between, but it would give her some excuse to have a private moment with Toni, and she wanted very much to have Toni away from curious ears when she asked her why she hadn’t called, especially since Addie left her out-of-office up to encourage Toni to reach out for real.

But Toni hadn’t called. She hadn’t even texted. Whatever her reason, Toni had withdrawn almost completely, and Addie was not sure if she wanted to chase after her again.

Or wait.

I was patient for a year. Waiting. Hoping. And for what?