Page 39 of Something New

Wyatt walked back in the room in time to hear the last statement. “Sure. Grab your things. We can wait a few minutes.”

It didn’t take Brigid long to return and it appeared she’d come to some sort of decision. “Can we take a detour?”

Once she explained her plans, Anna and Wyatt were only too happy to help her and drive her Grady’s cottage. It appeared that Caroline’s matchmaking efforts were successful for everyone, at least for one night.

Chapter Eighteen

They ended up dropping Brigid at the cottage that Grady was renovating for Caroline and Matthew as a wedding present from Caroline’s father. They first helped her put together a food basket like the one they planned for Matthew and Caroline, so clearly Brigid had plans for Grady that night. It was doubtful that Ethan and Delaney were going to make it back from the mainland, since the storm was intensifying. Matthew had said Ethan had already planned on staying at his vineyard. Hopefully Delaney was smart and stayed with Ethan and didn’t split up, or else she’d be alone, defeating the purpose of Caroline’s matchmaking.

Anna and Wyatt had their own issues to work out, but first they headed for the Playhouse to help Karen with the kids and the sets. With the storm approaching, the school let out early. They had an early practice for the production to get the kids home before it got dangerous. Anna had a group around her, including Taylor, practicing one of the ensemble scenes. Anna was guiding them in their character work, trying to help them figure out how to work together. There was a different feel to this session, especially with Taylor. The girl was an active participant in the session, listening to Anna, asking questions and not just about her role, but how she could work with her fellow actors. Some questions bled over into her personal life—questions about her life in Hollywood, and Anna answered as candidly as she could.

“Ms. Costado, what did you mean when you said acting was lonely? You always seem to go out with all kinds of famous people, at club openings, at bars, at awards. I mean, you dated Derek Harper. That sounds awesome!” Taylor finally asked the question Anna had been expecting.

Anna sighed. She’d have to be delicate about her answer. She couldn’t afford to have the truth revealed, but she didn’t want to give them any false realities about life in the spotlight. The old springs were digging into her back and butt as she sat in the old theater seat. Wyatt glanced at her from the back of the stage, as if sensing her distress. He lifted an eyebrow as if wondering if he should wander over, but she subtly shook her head. The kids had arranged themselves on the floor around her in a semicircle, eyes riveted on her, waiting for her answer. This was so different from a studio audience or the fans who focused on her, screaming for attention, begging for autographs or a moment of her time. These kids were looking for something more from her, less about her fame and more about her knowledge and experiences, not to gather gossip but for their own information. It was refreshing.

“It’s not all parties and rubbing elbows with famous people. I’m up early working out, reading lines for the show that day, looking over business information. ForBlazing Passions, we work every day, and we have scripts daily. I don’t have weeks to learn a part, to rehearse it over and over. I have a couple of shots at it before we have to move on, so I have to get it right. I have interviews, promotional advertisements, and people I answer to. Any social time I have is often scripted for exposure and not for fun. That’s not to say that I don’t have fun, but that time is very limited. Remember, everywhere I go, the media is waiting for me. And if the media isn’t there, plenty of other people are waiting with their cell phones to catch me doing something, even if it’s innocent. Anything, and I mean anything, can be misconstrued.”

Taylor raised her hand, making Anna feel like she was a teacher in school. “Is that what happened last week at the restaurant?”

Anna cringed. “Something like that. I reacted badly, that’s true. I went back, apologized for it, and dealt with the situation as an adult. If that had happened to anyone else, it wouldn’t have been a blip on anyone’s radar. But anything exposes you to the media.”

“Why did you flip out?” Another girl asked.

Anna shook her head. “I won’t discuss it. It’s in the past.”

“But if you told everyone what happened, maybe they would understand!” Taylor said.

Anna smiled. “I wish that were true, but isn’t it more fun to believe something negative about people? We’re so quick to jump to conclusions, and once we find out the truth, we either don’t want to hear it, or we ignore it. Maybe it no longer matters, or it’s too late. You have to develop a thick skin and not let these things bother you. Nothing you say can change their mind.”

Taylor looked thoughtful, as if reconsidering some things. Then she said, “Is it worth it?”

Anna was rescued by her cell phone ringing. She glanced at the caller ID. Yvonne Margolis. Her heart pounded in her chest and the room tilted for a moment. This was it. The moment of truth. She glanced at Wyatt, panic flaring. He straightened from the backdrop of the house he was painting, concern reflected in his gaze, ready to come to her side in a moment. But his calm reassurance was all she needed and the butterflies in her stomach settled. She stood and nodded to the kids.

“I have to take this. I’ll be back.” She hurried out the back of the theater, answering the call as she speed-walked to the exit.

“Yvonne, I’ve been waiting for your call. Hang on while I get outside somewhere private.”

She headed outside and for the car. The sky was much darker now, rain falling. She didn’t want to be in the back of the theater and risk anyone listening in on the conversation. She feared she’d need complete privacy and maybe for the possible breakdown she might have if things didn’t go her way in the next five minutes.

She settled in the passenger seat and closed the door. “Thanks for waiting, Yvonne. What’s up?”

Yvonne sighed. “Anna, I’m sorry to tell you this, butBlazing Passionsis not renewing your contract. The producers said it was multiple reasons—plunging ratings, demographic changes, and other factors—all made them decide to go in another direction. They felt your diva attitude was great at the beginning and helped putBlazing Passionson the rating chart, but it’s gotten stale. They’re trying some new things.”

Ice spread from Anna’s heart throughout her body, numbing her from the inside. She swallowed convulsively past the lump in her throat. Her eyes burned with unshed tears at the death of her character, even as she had been preparing for this moment. She took a couple of deep breaths until she was sure she could speak in an even tone, betraying none of her emotion.

“So, that’s it, huh? They’re going with the sweet, on-set romance between Charles and Deirdre? The on-screen marriage turning into off-screen love? You know that’s complete bullshit, right?”

“But the fans love it, as much as they love Bianca’s bad-girl ways,” Yvonne said quietly. “They want you back for wrap-up filming next week, where your character will die in her coma. They need you for a couple of days, max. Then you’re free. We all agreed to keep this under wraps as long as possible, but once we film those scenes, the news will leak.”

Anna nodded, even though her agent couldn’t see her. She wiped her eyes, the wetness blurring her vision. “So, how do we get in front of this? What is our next move? Tell me you’ve heard from some of those auditions—the indie film, the other movie, the Broadway show?”

Yvonne only sighed. “Anna, it’s been silent on those fronts. They’re not returning my calls. Usually, that means they’re going in a different direction. I’ll keep trying. Maybe you could try to find some way to boost your image in a good way. You’re on Whitby, right? Maybe some pictures at the wedding? I could send a photographer. You used to act in that community theater out there. Do some work with them, and get it on camera. It would go a long way to looking good for you, Anna.”

Anna glanced at the Playhouse, anger burning deep inside, melting some of the ice. “Absolutely not. I won’t use my friends for a publicity stunt. I’m done staging things for attention. That’s how I got into this position in the first place. It happens organically, or it doesn’t.”

“Anna, you’re being naïve. You have to work the media, direct them the way you want them to be.”

“That worked so well for me, didn’t it?” Anna replied, sarcasm a bitter taste in her mouth. “Look, Yvonne. I know it made me a household name, but maybe it was for the wrong reasons. Now, no one wants to touch me. I want to be more than Bianca St. John. I want to be Anna Costado.”

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