“You’re the most beautiful woman here,” Don said into my ear as I stood next to him. But I already knew he thought I was the most gorgeous woman there. I knew, very acutely, that if he did not believe that, he would not have been with me.
Men were almost never with me for my personality.
I’m not suggesting that charming girls should take pity on the pretty ones. I’m just saying it’s not so great being loved for something you didn’t do.
The photographers started calling our names as we all walked in. My head was a jumble of words being thrown in my direction. “Ruby! Joy! Celia! Evelyn!” “Mr. and Mrs. Adler! Over here!”
I could barely hear myself think over the din of cameras snapping and the crowd buzzing. But, as I had long ago trained myself to do, I pretended as if I felt perfectly calm inside, as if being treated like a tiger at the zoo was my most comfortable situation.
Don and I held hands and smiled for every flashing bulb. At the end of the red carpet stood a few men with microphones. Ruby was speaking to one. Joy and Celia were speaking to another. The third put his mic in my face.
He was a short guy with small eyes and a bulbous, gin-blossomed nose. A face made for radio, as they say.
“Miss Hugo, are you excited for this picture to come out?”
I laughed as kindly as I could to disguise what a stupid question he was asking. “I’ve waited my whole life to play Jo March. I’m incredibly excited for tonight.”
“And you seem to have made a good friend during filming,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“You and Celia St. James. You seem like you’re great friends.”
“She’s wonderful. And wonderful in the film. Absolutely.”
“She and Robert Logan seem to be getting hot and heavy.”
“Oh, you’d have to ask them about that. I don’t know.”
“But didn’t you set them up?”
Don stepped in. “I think that’s all for questions,” he said.
“Don, when are you and the Mrs. going to start a family?”
“I said it was enough, friend. And it’s enough. Thank you.”
Don pushed me forward.
We got to the doors, and I watched as Ruby and her date, followed by Joy and hers, walked through.
Don opened the door in front of us, waiting for me. Robert held the one on the other side for Celia.
And I got an idea.
I took Celia’s hand and turned us around.
“Wave to the crowd,” I said, smiling. “Like we’re the goddamn queens of England.”
Celia smiled brightly and did exactly as I did. We stood there, in black and green, redhead and blonde, one of us all ass and the other all tits, waving to the crowd as if we ruled them.
Ruby and Joy were nowhere to be seen. And the crowd roared for us.
We turned around and headed into the theater. We made our way to our seats.
“Big moment,” Don said.
“I know.”