Page 81 of Is This for Real?
We hang up, and I bite my nails. I don’t think I’m revealing any of Rory’s secrets. The male protagonist is a commitment-phobe because I needed to give the male partner some issues, but that’s a common enough trope in romance books. I don’t think Rory has commitment issues.
I thought about asking him to read it, but he’s been working nonstop on this campaign. It’s not like he had time. I return to proofreading my manuscript for the final time.
I press send. It’s now in the hands of Strawbundle Publishing. I also send it to the developmental editor I hired to review it concurrently.
I order flowers for Esther because I am so grateful for all the help that she’s been giving me. I can’t believe how much of herself she’s given to this manuscript. She even took a day off from work.
Me to Zelda:I sent it.
Zelda:Woohoo! Congratulations! I’m so excited for you!
Me:Should I try to seduce him tonight?
Zelda:Yes, JUST DO IT.
Me:But plane trip back.
Zelda:Forced proximity will be good if it doesn’t work. Have to get back to normal relationship.
I frown. It will be a long plane ride back if we don’t.
I should bask in this feeling of accomplishment and walk around London, but I take a nap instead.
At 5 p.m., Rory texts:Have to meet you there. Still editing. Team wants to continue working.
My heart falls. What if he can’t make it? Getting this commercial right is critical for his career. Obviously, a Secret Cinema night can’t compete with his career. Booking it on a work night was risky, but it was the only night available. These tickets aren’t easy to procure.
Me:No worries.
A few hours remain before it starts.
I eat an early dinner by myself at a small, casual Italian restaurant a few blocks away and people-watch. It doesn’t sound like it’s a good idea to try to kiss him tonight, if he’s all wrapped up in work. There will be opportunities when we get back, although he won’t need a fake girlfriend once this is over. A chill runs through me.
The streets of London are buzzing with that Friday, end-of-the-week energy. People are spilling out of pubs, beers in hand, milling around tables set up outside under heaters. I change into my costume—a tailored 1940s suit bought long ago in a vintage thrift shop—that I hope channels the vibe of Ilsa, the love interest inCasablanca, and take the Tube there. I hope that Rory makes it.
We agreed to meet outside by the entrance, but already a big crowd has gathered. A person in a uniform hands me a plastic bag and tells me I have to put my phone away before I go inside. I nod.
My phone beeps.
Rory:At the corner.
A feeling of buzzing lightness sweeps through me. It’s on.
“Hey, Ilsa.” He hugs me. “This looks great. I’m impressed you were able to get tickets.”
Julia knew someone who works for Secret Cinema and was able to procure tickets that they reserve for VIPs and the press.
“How was post-production?” I’m learning the advertising lingo.
“Going well. They’re still there. I said I had tickets to Secret Cinema with you, and it’s probably better if I let them do their thing anyway without me hanging over them.”
We put our phones in the plastic bags and walk into the large warehouse. It’s a maze of corridors. Costumes are available for rent in one area. I think my 1940s suit suffices for a costume, but Rory decides to dress up. We choose costumes for him to try on. Military uniforms, loose robes, fez hats, white and tan suits like Humphrey Bogart’s are among the choices.
We enter a dressing room together, which is really just an area with small, square, curtained-off modules. I model a white hat like the one Ingrid Bergman wore. It looks good, but based on the brunch experience, a hat seems like a barrier, and I want to be approachable.
I sit on a small stool as Rory strips to his white shirt and boxers. He tries on the white suit first.
“What do you think?”
