“Yeah, she said she’d be happy to talk about your relationship on TV.”
My insides squirmed. What did Amelia plan to say?
“So if you can make time tomorrow—”
“Yeah, I can do it,” I said quickly.
“Perfect! So you need to be at the Stars Tonight studio at noon tomorrow.”
“Yup, I’ve done it all before, I know the drill.”
“This is gonna be huge!” she beamed through the phone.
“Yeah,” I agreed, feeling sick as I hung up.
What would tomorrow have in store for us?
***
I'd never been so nervous in my life as I stood backstage, blinded by the studio lights pouring off the set of Stars Tonight as I waited to be called on stage. I kept glancing around for Amelia, but apparently she was still in makeup. Maybe she wouldn’t even show. I'd been too scared to call her at first, and when I finally worked up the nerve, she hadn't answered. Our relationship was a mess and I had no idea what was going to happen when we got on stage.
I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned suddenly, but the person standing in front of me wasn't Amelia. The woman was even taller than me, and strikingly beautiful, but with a shy affect. She seemed embarrassed to be approaching me, so I guessed she must be a fan.
“Hey,” she said, clearing her throat. “I hope you don't mind me coming up to you like this.” She extended her hand. “El.”
“Not at all.” I tried to smile for her and shook her hand.
“I just wanted to say thanks for making Real Love.” She seemed to grow even more bashful, glancing down at her feet as she said, “I had a hard time coming out and I want you to know that this movie really means a lot to people like me.”
For one moment, I forgot about the mess I was in and a real smile spread across my face. I pulled the woman into a hug. There was no way she knew how badly I needed to hear that.
I pulled away to see another woman who I vaguely recognized standing behind us. I was pretty sure I'd seen her on the news, and she was some kind of CEO or something. Though it was hard to be sure when I looked at is shirt and saw that it read, “Sorry I'm late. I didn't want to be here.” Would a CEO wear something like that?
“El, quit hitting on Jessica Black.” She snorted a giggle. “We have to go back to the dressing rooms for makeup.”
“We're not pretty enough already?” El's grin turned crooked.
“That's what I said!” The other girl threw her hands up like she'd been arguing the fact to death.
“Thanks again,” El said to me.
“No, thank you. Really.”
“Enough flirting.” The other woman grabbed El by the hand and dragged her away. I couldn't help laughing. They seemed so happy together. It actually made part of me sad, because I'd thought I'd had that too.
I'd been so distracted that I almost hadn't heard the host of the show call my name. Just as I was stepping out onto the stage, I saw her. Amelia. I felt her name on my lips as she walked past me out onto the stage. The cinnamon smell of her perfume hit me and I desperately wanted to pull her into my arms, whisper in her hair, and tell her the truth: I was in love with her.
But what would be the point? Telling her I loved her when she didn't feel the same way would only make her uncomfortable.
I plastered a smile on my face as I followed her out onto the stage and took a chair next to her. The host was a gorgeous dark-haired woman, Tabatha Ashton. I'd met her when I'd been on the show before and she greeted me with a familiar smile.
“So glad to have you back on the show, Jessica.”
“Thank you for having me.”
“And yo
u, Amelia Earhart—is that your real name?”