Page 31 of Something New

Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “Really? That’s rich coming from you, since you enjoy tearing apart your coworkers both on and off the screen. Isn’t that why you’re being fired fromBlazing Passions?”

Anna could have sworn she heard someone say, “Oh no she didn’t!” But that was just the energy in the air. Everyone seemed to suck in a collective shocked breath and stared at her, a mixture of sympathy, surprise, and, in at least one person’s eyes, maliciousness.

Karen started forward, but Anna held up her hand. She advanced on Taylor, who held her ground but swallowed as if realizing she was no match for Anna, no matter her bravado. Anna smiled her best Bianca St. John smile and, judging by the way the girl blanched, well, it still had the power to devastate.

“You’re right. I might be fired. I might not be. Who knows? Decisions are made on shows for many reasons. Maybe it’s because I’m a bitch to my coworkers or maybe that rumor has been exaggerated. They might want to try something else because ratings are bad. Maybe my contract is up, and I don’t want to renew, so they’re beating me to the punch. There are plenty of reasons why I might not return toBlazing Passions.”

Anna took a deep breath, determined to lay it on the line for this girl who thought she knew everything. “Let me give you some advice. Never be a bitch to anyone, no matter what the reason. If someone tells you that you should be that way because your fans love that, still don’t do it. You know the kid on that HBO show got death threats? Was he an evil person in real life? No, but did it stop the fans? No. But sometimes, fans get caught up in our roles, and they only see the character; they don’t know us, who we really are. And, sometimes, we get caught up in that role too. Never do that or forget who you are. Because, at the end of the day, that’s all you really have, when you’re home alone at night.”

She glanced around at the suddenly silent stage. “Never forget your true friends or family. You won’t have many, and if you alienate them, then you’ll be all alone and it sucks.”

A noise at the back of the auditorium made her turn. Wyatt stood framed in the doorway.

* * *

Wyatt had wandered around the town, killing time. He didn’t want to go back to the house. They had finished at the hotel, and everyone had scattered. So, he was really just waiting for Anna. Despite his promise not to return until five, he loitered in the Playhouse's foyer when he heard Anna start her speech. Drawn to her like a drug addict to heroin, he opened the doors and heard the end of her speech, heard the underlying pain in the words, and it twisted in his gut. She had alluded to being alone, talked about not trusting anyone, but he wondered how deep those scars ran. He had to know the truth.

When her eyes had locked on his, he froze, caught by the flash of regret he thought he saw. After her monologue, he beat a hasty retreat out to the parking lot and sat on one of the boulders that lined the lot to wait for Anna and plan his strategy. They had a reckoning coming, and it was approaching faster than a linebacker charging the quarterback from the line of scrimmage. He needed to prepare because Anna wouldn’t appreciate the discussion. But this time, he was determined to have answers.

Could he have been guilty of the same charge—assuming Anna was the way she had been portrayed in the media or, worse yet, the way he thought of her, influenced by their past? Maybe it was time he heard the truth, no matter how painful it was for him.

The front doors opened, and the teenagers came streaming out in pockets of twos and threes, chatting and calling to one another. One of them came over to him, the girl he had seen Anna directing the main part of her speech to. She stopped in front of him.

“Wyatt Turner? Anna asked me to tell you she’ll be out shortly and to wait out here for her.”

He nodded. “Thank you. And good luck next week. I hope you listened to Anna. She’s a damn fine actress.”

The girl paused and cocked her head at him. “Do you think she meant what she said in there? About acting being a lonely business?”

He considered her words, thinking back on everything he had seen with Anna over the past couple of days. The nasty comments from the women on the ferry. The people snapping pictures and assuming they could say whatever they wanted. Anna’s genuine fear of bad publicity. He also thought about his own kids, the players he coached that went on to play pro football, and even his own abbreviated career, how the media often twisted events to suit a narrative.

He chose his words carefully. “I think Anna knows how challenging being in the spotlight can be. You’re always on, always worried about who might see you. And I think you have to be careful about what someone might say about you. I think she’d be the best one to tell you how life really is in the spotlight.”

The young girl nodded. “It seems so glamorous. The great dresses, the money, the fame.”

He smiled at her comment, feeling suddenly really old and wise. “I think it could be, but it’s only one aspect. It takes a lot of hard work, and not everyone makes it.”

She had a thoughtful look on her face, as if everything she had thought was being challenged, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. He jumped off the rock and patted her on the shoulder. “Look, Anna will be on the island a few more days. I’m sure if you wanted to talk to her some more, Mrs. York could arrange it.”

The relief and hope on the other woman’s face were swift. “You think? I want to be an actress, but my parents want me to go to college first.”

He shrugged. “Anna went to college first. It’s a great way to have a fallback. You don’t always get your dreams, and sometimes you have to adjust. Besides, you can learn a lot about acting in college. UT has an excellent program.”

She rolled her eyes. “Mom and dad have had their eye on UT for me since I was born. As if I could go anywhere else.”

“Talk to Anna or Mrs. York. Trust them. They won’t steer you wrong.”

She nodded, looking a little less lost. “Thank you. I’ll do that. She won’t be long, she said.”

“I can wait.” He’d been waiting five years already.

Chapter Fourteen

Anna helped Karen straighten up a few things, knowing she was just wasting time, that the real discussion was just waiting for the kids to be gone. Finally, the last noisy goodbye had been called, and the door had banged shut, leaving the auditorium silent. Karen sat heavily in the front row and arched a brow at Anna.

“Want to talk about it?”

Anna let out a breath and sat in the seat. “Not really. My life has gone to shit, and it’s all my fault. You warned me, and did I listen? No. I thought I knew better. I thought I could handle it. But I was turned by the bright lights and lure of fame. You were right.”

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