All That Lies Within (14 page)

“This is probably where you ask me a question,” Dara offered helpfully.

“Can I just say, thank God you’re here to help me out. I don’t know how I’ve made it all these years, just bumbling along without you. If the actress thing doesn’t work out, I’d absolutely give you a job as my sidekick.”

“Good to know I have a Plan B to fall back on.”

“Ah, yeah.” Letterman paused for effect. “Alrighty, then. Where was I?”

“You were about to ask me something deep and probing.”

“Well, when you put it that way…”

The audience cracked up as Letterman blushed. “Are you sure you don’t want to rephrase that?”

“Are you sure you want me to?” Dara asked. Her voice was a throaty purr that reached all the way to Rebecca’s gut and below. She crossed her legs and shifted in her chair. Suddenly the air seemed a little warmer.

Letterman wagged his finger at his guest. “You. You’re trouble, you know that?”

“As a matter of fact, I did. But apparently you didn’t get the memo.”

“Apparently.” Letterman cleared his throat, picked up his index cards, and pretended to study them. “I know. I know what I wanted to ask. Here it is, right here.” He indicated one of the cards.

“Good that you wrote it down. I wouldn’t want you to forget.”

“Shh. Let me get this out before the rest of my brain leaks out my ears.”

Dara folded her hands in her lap and affected a demure pose.

“You’ve played all kinds of roles. Obviously, you’re not someone who wants to be typecast. So what’s the one role or type of role you haven’t played that you’d really like to sink your teeth into?”

Rebecca could’ve sworn she saw Dara’s eyes light up.

“As it happens, I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lately. I really love complicated characters, women who have depth and passion. There’s a rumor that casting is going to get underway soon for the screen adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winner,
On the Wings of Angels
.”

Dave nodded, although Rebecca barely noticed. She was too shocked to discover that Dara Thomas was familiar with Constance Darrow’s work. What might’ve started as a crush for Rebecca was quickly ramping up to pure adoration.

“I’ve read the book,” Letterman said.

Dara looked surprised. “You have?”

“Well, yes. I’m not a complete dolt, you know. I do know how to read.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, yes.” Dave waved Dara off. “Anyway, you were saying?”

“The main character in the book is Celeste. She’s this layered woman who is non-religious and yet has an abiding faith in miracles, angels, and ascended masters.”

“And that appeals to you?” Dave asked.

Rebecca leaned forward in her seat, anxious to hear what Dara would say.

“I think it would be incredibly arrogant to think that we’re the most evolved beings in the universe, don’t you? There is plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise. So, even for a non-religious person, it makes sense that there’s something else out there affecting our fate. I’d love the challenge of bringing the nuance of that to life onscreen.”

If Dara said anything else, Rebecca didn’t hear it. Her ears were buzzing and she felt lightheaded. It didn’t make any sense. Or did it? How could Dara Thomas, Hollywood star, use exactly the same words that Constance had used in supporting Rebecca’s understanding of Celeste. Unless… No, it couldn’t be.

“Fair enough. I hope you get the part. Heck, I’d give you the part,” Dave was saying. “When we come back, we’re going to talk about Ms. Thomas’s most embarrassing on-set moment. You won’t want to miss this, folks. We’ll be back in a minute.”

The band started playing, indicating that they’d gone to a commercial break. Rebecca sat completely still, her eyes focused solely on the woman sitting in the guest chair as her mind continued to whirl.

“Rick called,” Carolyn said as Dara changed out of the dress and into a pair of low-slung jeans, a designer T-shirt, and boots.

“I bet he did. Let me guess, he wasn’t pleased that I overtly campaigned for the role of Celeste.”

“That would be an understatement. I believe his exact quote was, ‘What the fuck does she think she’s doing? That’s not done. Totally uncool. Now Colin and I have got to figure out how to walk that back. Fuck!’”

“My, wasn’t he colorful?” Dara emerged from behind the partition carrying the dress in a garment bag.

“I’ll take that.” Carolyn relieved Dara of the garment bag. “He might’ve been right. Has that occurred to you?”

Dara paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at Carolyn. Her expression was no longer glib. “Do you think he was?”

Carolyn knew that Dara didn’t want to be coddled. “Since you’re asking me, and you know I’ll always tell you the truth, I think it was risky.” She rushed on before Dara could interrupt. “Not necessarily for the same reasons that Rick is freaking out. On that front, I think if Hollywood’s top box office draw comes out and says she wants a role, then she gets the role.”

“But?”

“I’m more worried about Dara Thomas being too closely allied with Constance Darrow. Have you considered that someone might make the connection?”

“Why would they?”

“Well, for one thing, you know you’re going to inhabit that role in a way that nobody else can.”

“That’s the point. Don’t you see? I’m the only one who can truly understand Celeste. I’m the only one who knows with certainty how she feels, what drives her—”

“And if you were to slip up on set and say something if the director wanted you to take the character in a different direction?”

Dara opened and closed her mouth, apparently rethinking what she was about to say. “We’d talk through it. Surely you trust me to stay professional.”

“It isn’t a matter of professionalism. It’s a question of you getting carried away in the heat of the moment and saying something that tips your hand.”

“It won’t happen.”

Carolyn was less certain. “You’d better hope not.”

“Does that mean you think I’ll get the part?”

Carolyn shook her head in wonder. “How can you ask me that? Can you imagine the backlash now if they cast anyone else after you said publicly that you wanted the role?”

Dara smirked. “They’d be pretty stupid, huh?”

“Total idiots,” Carolyn agreed. “C’mon. Let’s blow this pop stand and go get dinner.”

They exited the dressing room and walked down the corridor toward the building’s stage door. “You think there’ll still be anyone out there waiting for autographs?” Dara asked.

“Is the Pope Catholic?”

“Good point.”

“I suppose you’re going to stop and sign.”

“Don’t I always?”

“Yes. Despite the objections of everyone who cares about you and your safety.”

“There’ll be security with me.” Dara pointed to the burly guy in uniform standing underneath the Exit sign twenty feet ahead of them. “And the limo is out there, right?”

“Yes. I confirmed with the driver that he’s idling at the curb.”

“So there’s nothing to worry about.”

“That’s what you always say,” Carolyn said.

“And I’m always right.”

“Except when you’re not.”

“Hey. I’m not going to be some arrogant snob. That’s not who I am.”

“I know. But I still worry. It’s not safe.”

They reached the security guard. Dara gave him her best, engaging smile and glimpsed his nametag. “You’ll keep me safe, Charles, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“See? I’m safe.”

“Just so you know, ma’am, there are a lot of folks out there waiting for you.”

Dara nodded. “That’s okay. I’m good with you staying nearby, but please don’t interfere unless you can see that I’m truly in trouble. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you see this beautiful woman here?” Carolyn blushed and squirmed as Dara pointed at her. “Please keep the big bad wolves away from her too.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Dara threw her shoulders back and ran her fingers through her hair one last time. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

The security officer opened the door and a surge of humanity strained at the barricades that had been put up to keep them corralled in one area.

Carolyn saw Dara hesitate at the top step. She knew it wasn’t that her friend was afraid; it was more that, despite her success, Dara never understood what all the fuss was about.

As Dara descended the stairs and waved to the crowd, Carolyn moved to the side, trying her hardest to be inconspicuous. She watched as Dara made eye contact with each of her fans to let them know that they were seen. Then she signed whatever was thrust in front of her.

Almost everybody had a camera or a cell phone with which to take pictures. Never once did Dara’s smile falter. And then Dara came to the last person in line and she became very still. Too still, Carolyn thought. Something wasn’t right.

Carolyn maneuvered closer. When she did, she got a good look at the fan standing directly in front of Dara.
Oh, my God.
It was the professor. Carolyn recognized her from the lecture footage and her photo on the college’s website.

Carolyn didn’t know what to do. She could see that Dara’s posture was stiff and tense. Surely Dara wasn’t in any danger from Rebecca. Not any physical danger, anyway. Carolyn skirted around the barricade so that she could get close to Rebecca and hear what she was saying.

“I don’t need you to sign anything, Ms. Thomas. I just want to say, in my opinion, I can’t imagine anyone more qualified or appropriate to play the role of Celeste in
On the Wings of Angels
. It would be inspired casting, to be sure.”

Carolyn swallowed hard. Although she hadn’t said anything explicit yet, Rebecca left no doubt that she’d made the connection between Dara and Constance. This was a disaster.

To her credit, Carolyn noted, Dara didn’t retreat and she never stopped smiling. Anyone who didn’t know Dara the way she did might never figure out that anything was amiss. But Carolyn knew.

“I appreciate your support,” Dara said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go.”

“I didn’t…”

Rebecca’s shoulders slumped as Dara hustled away toward the limousine and Carolyn could see the confusion and despair in the professor’s eyes.

Carolyn felt sorry for her. She seemed so deflated. But Carolyn’s allegiance was to Dara, so she slipped away without a word and joined her friend, who by now was seated in the back of the limo.

Dara’s hands were shaking. “You know who that was, right? That was Rebecca.”

“I know.”

“Did you hear the conversation?”

“I did.”

 “Of all the stupid, jackass, idiotic mistakes I could’ve made…”

Carolyn put an arm around her shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

“You don’t know that.” Dara’s hands trembled and she clasped them together.

“Driver, get us out of here, will you?” Carolyn gave him the address for the restaurant where they had reservations for dinner.

She waited until they were safely away and then turned on the seat to face Dara. “Listen. She could’ve given you away and she didn’t. She was very circumspect. She made sure she was at the end of the line, and she kept her voice low so that no one around could hear.”

“She knows.”

“Yes. She does.” Carolyn didn’t see any sense in denying the obvious. “But—”

“But, nothing. No one was ever supposed to know.”

After a few minutes of silence, Dara said, “It’s my fault.”

“How so?”

“I allowed the correspondence to go on. I got sloppy.”

“You’re human and you were enjoying the interaction. There’s no crime in that.”

“I should’ve answered her once and been done with it.”

“You can’t wall yourself off from all of humanity.”

“I’d be better off if I did.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

Dara sat back and looked out the window, a sure sign to Carolyn that they were done talking for now. She thought about how crestfallen Rebecca seemed.
What a mess.

“What were you thinking? Did you think she’d just say, ‘Congratulations. You got me. Brava?’”

Rebecca pivoted and paced in the opposite direction. The hotel room wasn’t large, so it only took her six strides to reach the door before she had to turn around and head back toward the window.