Summer lifted a shoulder. “They were sympathetic, albeit confused. I think the interview will help smooth over any ill feelings, once it’s posted.”
April gripped the back of a nearby chair, knees literally weak with relief.
“And... what did he say about me?” It was nearly a whisper, because the con organizer was coming closer, but she wasn’t sure she could have spoken louder under any circumstances.
“You’reintelligent, talented, and gorgeous.” One by one, Summer ticked off the adjectives on her fingers. “Your relationship is real, and he’s proud to be with you.”
April closed her eyes then, willing the tears back into her sinuses.
“We’re already a minute late.” The organizer sounded harried. “Are you two ready?”
Eyes still closed, April nodded.
“Sure,” Summer said. “April?”
Then they were moving out onto the stage, squinting under the lights, and April was looking down at her notes and trying to concentrate on the job at hand. More people kept shuffling into the room, standing at the back as she introduced Summer to the audience, and she couldn’t help but wonder whether they too were coming straight from the full-cast panel, whether they’d heard what Marcus had said. About himself, about her. About them.
Can’t think about that now.
“Summer,” she said, angling herself in her chair to face the other woman more directly, “to start us off, can you explain what drew you to the character of Lavinia?”
The rest of the session was a blur, punctuated in places by Summer’s keen empathy for her character and the intelligence with which she answered questions about her work, the books that had inspired the series, and the experience of acting on a show with such a broad global reach. Through it all, April tried her best to remain clear and present and prepared for whatever might occur, but it all went smoothly, more smoothly than she’d even hoped.
Then, as planned, they had ten minutes left for questions and answers.
One of the con volunteers picked an audience member, someone April vaguely remembered joining the session moments after she’d introduced Summer.
Thetall, generously rounded girl, who couldn’t have been much older than twenty, smiled shyly as she looked at April. “Hi. I’m Leila, and I was hoping to ask a question.”
April smiled back, as encouragingly as she could. “Hi, Leila. Go ahead. Summer would be delighted to answer any question you might have.”
The girl’s brow crinkled. “No, I mean I was hoping to askyoua question.”
Oh.
Oh, shit.
In her peripheral vision, she could see Summer taking out a cell phone and feverishly thumbing away, which seemed odd and sort of rude under the circumstances, but April supposed no one in the audience was paying attention to the actor right now anyway.
No, they were all looking at her, and they all knew what this young woman wanted to ask about. Marcus. Of course, Marcus.
The con organizer was waving at her from the side of the stage, mouthing something.It’s up to you, if she was interpreting the man’s exaggerated lip movements correctly.
Her privacy was at stake here, but so was her pride.
So was her heart.
Marcus would eventually see this, she knew. At the very least, he’d hear about it, from Summer or someone else. And maybe she hadn’t thought the convention was the right place to have this conversation, and maybe she hadn’t intended to expose her heart to a hall full of strangers before speaking to him directly, but she wasn’t going to evade the question, whatever it was.
He loved her. Helovedher, and Marcus had already loved too many people who’d failed him. Who’d ignored his needs. Who’d refused to acknowledge him publicly.
Shewas proud of him and for him, and whatever happened between them next, he needed to know that.
After a shuddering breath, she mentally hiked up her big-girl panties and answered the young woman. “Sure. What’s your question?”
“At the cast panel—” Leila gestured vaguely toward the door. “You know, the one that happened right before this session?”
April tipped her head in acknowledgment.
