Winter's Role, page 8
Stephanie looked over at Jessie, and she nodded silently at her, letting her know that she could give him the news. Turning back to Mr. Mason, she said, “Yes, there is something else. Jessie and I are getting ready to go public with our relationship. Before we do that, we wanted to warn you in advance.”
“Warn me? I’m afraid I…” he began.
“Mr. Mason…” Stephanie said, “Because the show’s about to go to air, there’s bound to be publicity about our relationship. We wanted to let you know because there’s every possibility that the press could show up here…Looking for Jessie,” she clarified.
“Ah…I see,” he said, nodding now in understanding. “And you’re concerned that this would adversely affect her job here at Mason, Carnes and Foster?”
“Well, that’s one concern, but we were actually more concerned with how it might affect the firm itself,” Jessie said. “I don’t want to cause any trouble, Mr. Mason. That’s the last thing I’d want to do.”
“Jessie, after all the years you’ve put in here, and all you’ve done to help me, personally,” Mr. Mason began, looking at her significantly, “I’m sure this shouldn’t be a problem. David and Joseph are aware of you and your….orientation. As you know, that’s never been a problem. I’ll speak to them and let them know what’s about to happen. They won’t be very happy, but at least this way, we can be prepared.”
“Thank you, Mr. Mason. We appreciate this more than you know,” Jessie said.
“Don’t thank me yet, Jessie,” the man said, taking another drink of his Scotch. “The hard part’s about to begin.” He stood up and moved back over to the bar. “Now, both of you join me in a drink. I think you’ll both need it.”
When they left Mr. Mason’s office fifteen minutes later, they left hand in hand. Now that they’d talked to him about their relationship, they had agreed to not even bother trying to hide it, anymore. By the time they reached Jessie’s office ten minutes later, the rumor mill had already beaten them to the punch. As they walked through the office, everyone seemed to stop and congratulate them.
Theresa looked up when they walked into the office, holding hands like teenagers. “You two look happy,” she said. “Mr. Mason must have taken the news pretty well.”
Jessie flopped down in her office chair. “He was all right with it, actually,” she said, surprised by the man’s reaction to their news. Then again, it wasn’t exactly a surprise.
Stephanie pulled up a chair. “I’m glad he wasn’t upset. I just hope the other partners take it as well as he did.”
“Well, I guess we’ll all find out together, huh?” Theresa said, turning around so she could look at both of them. “So what did you tell him, anyway? About how you two got together?”
Stephanie’s face turned serious. “I just told him that I came in here, stripped down to my underwear and seduced Jessie. Being sleazy is what I’m known for, after all.”
The look on Theresa’s face was priceless as she struggled for something appropriate to say. “Uh…And what did he say to that?”
“He told me he wished he could have seen the look on Jessie’s face when I did it,” Stephanie said, finally falling over laughing when she looked over at Jessie, who was sitting in her chair with her mouth hanging open.
“What?” she said to Jessie. “It is a lot of work being sleazy all the time.”
Jessie shook her head and sighed. “You are so sick.”
“You love it, and you know it. Besides, I haven’t heard you complaining,” Stephanie teased. “I was under the impression that you like it when I’m sleazy?”
“I never said I didn’t,” Jessie answered, grinning lopsidedly at her.
Stephanie stood up and went around the desk. Bending down, she kissed Jessie full on the mouth. “I’ll be here to pick you up at five.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Jessie said breathlessly, watching as she left the office and walked down the hall.
When she was gone, Theresa turned back to look at Jessie. “So, Mr. Mason really wasn’t upset?”
Jessie shook her head. “No. But, he actually knew the morning after the attack. He didn’t say anything then, because he didn’t want any trouble for the firm.”
Theresa nodded. “I can see that. But, I still thought he’d be upset because you were basically dating another employee?”
“For some reason, I think he cut me some slack. If it hadn’t been Stephanie, I think I’d probably be fired, right now,” Jessie said, picking up her pen and pulling a file toward her. As she did, she caught herself wondering briefly if perhaps Mr. Mason had purposely put them together. He’d known for years that Jessie was gay. If he’d had any idea at all about Stephanie…
“Mmm, maybe. So…are you really ready to be an instant celebrity?”
“I don’t think the focus is going to be on me,” Jessie answered. “Everyone’s going to be surprised that Stephanie Winters finally confirmed the rumor that she’s gay. They won’t care about me.”
“I don’t know, Jess. People will want to know who the woman is that managed to turn her head and capture her heart,” Theresa said, turning back to her own paperwork. For some reason, she had a feeling Jessie didn’t realize what was about to happen.
* * * *
Two nights later, Jessie was on stage with the band at The Blue Rose. They’d just started their second set of the night, when she saw Alex in the crowd and groaned to herself. Damn! Why did she have to show up tonight? It had only been two days, and she was already missing Steph terribly. Seeing Alex just wasn’t going to help things. On the other hand, she did need to talk to Alex about what she and Stephanie were planning.
By the time they’d finished the set, Jessie had decided that she was glad Alex was there. She hadn’t spoken to her since June, when Stephanie had walked in on them and assumed the worst. It hadn’t been true, of course, and they’d had a terrible fight. Now, Jessie couldn’t believe how nauseous she felt. After taking a fortifying drink, she forced herself to leave the backstage area. Making her way through the crowd, she managed to arrive at the table Theresa had saved for the band earlier, with a minimum of difficulty.
“Hey, Jessie,” Alex said in greeting when she arrived at the table.
“Hi, Alex,” Jessie answered reservedly. She noticed right away that the woman kept her distance and didn’t offer her customary greeting of a hug, kiss on the cheek, and a ‘Hi, Beautiful.’ She also noticed that she didn’t miss it.
“So…” Alex said, obviously a little nervous, “it’s been a while. How’s Stephanie?” she asked, attempting to keep the conversation normal. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to talking to Jessie, either. Not since the incident in June. She liked Stephanie and didn’t want the actress upset with her.
“She’s really good. I’ll tell her you asked about her,” Jessie said, picking up her glass and taking a drink. As she did, she glanced at Theresa. She knew what was going on in the woman’s head, just by looking at her. Theresa was watching both of them with interest, probably worried that she was going to go right back to her old ways and take Alex home with her. Mentally shaking her head, she sighed. That would never happen again. She was through with Alex…through with sleeping around…and nothing would change that. Still, considering her reputation, she could understand why Theresa might be worried.
After taking another drink, she sucked up her courage and looked Alex directly in the eye. “Actually Alex, I have something that I need to discuss with you. If you wouldn’t mind, that is?”
“Sure, what’s up?” She set her bottle of Bud down on the table and looked expectantly at the singer. To be honest, she was expecting Jessie to tell her the band was breaking up and they wouldn’t need her services anymore. It wouldn’t surprise her at all, really.
“Um, well…Stephanie and I are getting ready to uh…”
“Oh, for crying out loud, Jess,” Theresa said, huffing dramatically. “Just tell her that you two are getting ready to announce your relationship to the world!”
“What!” Alex looked at Jessie more closely in the dim light of the nightclub. “Stephanie’s actually going to come out? I can’t believe it. That’s so great!”
“Yeah, it is,” she agreed. “But, there’s a downside, too.”
“A downside? I’m not sure I know what you mean?” She picked up her beer and took another drink.
“Well, she’s not just coming out. She’s also planning on letting everyone know that we’re dating. When she does, there’s every chance that reporters will be hanging around, asking questions and being nosy. Stephanie’s agent asked me to…”
“Talk to me and make sure that I don’t go blabbing to the press?” Alex asked, hitting the proverbial nail on the head. “She afraid I’ll ruin your stellar reputation?”
Jessie nodded. “Something like that, yeah.”
Alex fell silent for a minute, looking at Jessie. Finally deciding what she wanted to say and how, she said, “Jessie…We’ve been a lot of things to each other over the years. Despite that, we’re still friends. I would never say or do anything to hurt you or Stephanie.”
“I know. Sorry I even had to bring it up,” Jessie said, truly regretting that she’d made Alex feel like they didn’t trust her.
Alex smiled. “I’m in advertising. I understand what can happen with a little publicity.”
Jessie blew out a breath, grateful that Alex understood. “Thanks. I know, with everything…what I did to you…” trailing off, she shook her head, frustrated with herself.
Alex knew where Jessie was going with this, and she didn’t think she could handle it tonight. She hadn’t really intended to even see Jessie, let alone talk to her. And dammit all to Hell, anyway! Stephanie had told Jessie that she, Alex Fagin, was in love with her! Trying to keep her emotions under control, she shook her head at the singer. “Jessie…don’t go there. I’m sorry Stephanie told you that. She shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, she should have.” She stared right into the other woman’s eyes. “You should have told me, yourself.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference,” she almost whispered, feeling her control slip just a little.
Jessie shrugged. “Maybe not, but at least I would have known. Maybe I wouldn’t have hurt you so bad. I certainly didn’t mean to.”
“I know that.” She took another drink of her beer. “You love her. You always have, and I’ve always known it. If I got hurt, it was my fault for allowing myself to hope.”
Mike came over and tapped Jessie on the shoulder. Turning her head to see him tapping his watch, she nodded and then turned back to Alex within moments. “There’s nothing wrong with hope. I’m just sorry that I hurt you.”
Stuffing her emotions deep down inside, Alex bit back what she wanted to say and opted for, “You’d better get going. They’re going to start without you.”
Nodding, Jessie turned to head back toward the stage. After two steps, she turned around and came back. Surprising Alex, she pulled her into a hug. “This is from both of us. Thank you.”
As Jessie walked away through the crowd, Alex whispered, “You’re welcome.”
Theresa, having sat in silence through the entire conversation, finally felt compelled to say, “You’re a good friend, Alex. I’m really sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted.”
“Thanks, Theresa,” Alex said, hugging her briefly before saying, “I think I should get going. I’m not really in much of a party mood right now. I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah…bye Alex,” Theresa said, watching her as she headed for the exit, her shoulders slumped in defeat. As she watched, she couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She’d known that Alex was in love with Jessie. In fact, pretty much everyone around them did. Alex may never have said anything, but it was pretty clear if you were paying attention. It made her wonder how Jessie had never figured it out.
Chapter 7
On Friday, July 15th, Jessie flew out to LA for the world premiere of ‘Lonesome Moon.’ She’d gone shopping with Stephanie weeks ago, in anticipation of this weekend and now, Saturday evening, she was nervously getting ready for the big event.
“Hey,” Stephanie said quietly, stopping in the bedroom doorway to watch. When Jessie glanced at her in the mirror, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Jessie’s waist. “You look fantastic, Jess.”
Jessie was dressed in a pair of black Oscar De Laurenta dress pants with a matching black wrap around jacket, white camisole top and black pumps. She grinned at Stephanie in the mirror. “Thank you. You’re looking pretty hot yourself,” she said, staring at the black dress slacks, maroon colored fitted silk blouse and black high heeled boots, she was wearing. She turned in her arms and kissed her. “I love this color on you,” she said, fingering the lapel of the blouse. “It looks great with the lighter color of your hair.”
“Thanks, I was hoping you’d like it.” Stephanie had lightened her hair only a few days ago at the request of the director of ‘Green’s Conviction.’ She had told Jessie about it, but she’d still been nervous, afraid that she wouldn’t like it.
“Steph, I’d like the way you look even if you shaved your head,” she said, running her hand through the strawberry blond tresses. “Not that I want you to do that. But, you know what I mean.”
“I do. And, just for the record…I don’t want to shave my head, either.” She smiled and slid out of Jessie’s arms. Opening a drawer on the dresser, she reached in and pulled out two small boxes.
Jessie watched curiously as Steph stepped back over to her. “What’cha got?”
Stephanie looked at her shyly as she opened each of the boxes and showed her the contents. “Matching earrings. If we’re introducing you to the world tonight, I want everyone to know we’re serious.”
“Oh God, Steph…They’re gorgeous,” Jessie said, taking the box Stephanie offered her and looking more closely at the contents. Inside, was a pair of exquisite ¼ carat hoop diamond earrings. Removing them, she put them on as Stephanie did the same with her matching pair. When they were both done, she pulled Stephanie to her again. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“They don’t outshine you, though,” Stephanie whispered, leaning in and kissing her.
Jessie crooked an eyebrow. “Somehow I think you’re biased.”
“Just a little.” She was still smiling as she dropped her hand to grab Jessie’s. Leading her toward the door, she said, “We’d better get downstairs. Joanie will be here soon.”
“I forgot to ask you. Who was on the phone?”
Stephanie shrugged. “Nobody. When I answered, there was just silence. Then, whoever it was hung up.”
“You should get rid of the landline. These calls are becoming more frequent and they’re not just hang-ups anymore.”
“That’s what Joanie keeps telling me.”
Jessie sighed quietly at the mention of Stephanie’s agent. The woman had made no secret of the fact that she didn’t trust Jessie. Ever since Stephanie had told the overbearing woman about her, she’d made it her mission in life to ride Steph about her at every turn. She certainly wasn’t happy about the fact that Stephanie was ready to make their relationship public. Still, Joanie had finally agreed to accompany them to the movie premiere tonight, if for no other reason than to run interference for them with the paparazzi.
Thirty minutes later, their limo pulled up to the front of the theater. Stephanie, sitting next to Jessie and holding her hand, squeezed it tightly. Looking into her eyes, she said, “Well, here we are. You ready for this?”
Jessie squeezed back, never looking away from those amazing green eyes. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Stephanie smiled and kissed her. Taking a deep breath as the car door opened, she said, “Well, here we go.” Plastering a smile on her face, she climbed out of the limo, pulling Jessie with her. Joanie and her husband Carson, who’d ridden in the limo with them, followed.
Jessie clung to Stephanie’s hand as they stepped out onto the red carpet. She’d believed herself prepared for the cacophony of sounds and the flashing of cameras. She quickly found out, however, that she wasn’t as prepared as she’d thought. Stephanie, sensing her discomfort, held tightly to her hand, keeping her close to her side.
“Just keep smiling, Sweetheart. We just have to make it inside,” Stephanie whispered out of the side of her mouth. At that moment, they stopped in order for the photographers to snap some pictures in front of the studio backdrop. Ahead, Jessie could see the correspondent from the TV show ‘Entertainment America,’ interviewing another celebrity.
“When we get up there,” Joanie whispered, leaning forward and indicating the correspondent, “Let Steph answer the questions. Don’t say anything. She already knows what to say and what not to say. Trust me. We want this to go smoothly.”
Jessie nodded and swallowed hard, trying to keep calm and relaxed. She couldn’t remember being so nervous; not even her first day in court had been this nerve wracking. Still, for Stephanie, she could do this. Just keep smiling, she kept reminding herself.
Four more steps and they were in front of the correspondent. As Stephanie stopped to answer his questions, she pulled Jessie a little closer. Jessie could tell she was nervous too, because she kept squeezing her hand. Steph never stopped smiling though, even when the microphone was shoved in front of her face.
“And here we have Stephanie Winters, star of LAW Network’s upcoming series ‘Green’s Conviction.’ Stephanie, what do you have to say about the new show? What’s your character’s name? When’s the premiere?” He shoved the microphone toward her, waiting for her answer.
“It’s gonna be great, Bob!” Stephanie gushed. “I play Sara Green, a young, up-and-coming attorney. The series premiere is August 17th, 9pm!”
“Can’t wait to see it, Stephanie,” he said enthusiastically.
Stephanie started moving slowly to her left, but he wasn’t finished with her yet, apparently. Glancing to her right, he noticed the way she was holding on to Jessie’s hand. Taking a chance, he asked, “Stephanie, rumor has it that you’re dating someone new. Care to make a comment?” The microphone swiveled back toward her again.
“Warn me? I’m afraid I…” he began.
“Mr. Mason…” Stephanie said, “Because the show’s about to go to air, there’s bound to be publicity about our relationship. We wanted to let you know because there’s every possibility that the press could show up here…Looking for Jessie,” she clarified.
“Ah…I see,” he said, nodding now in understanding. “And you’re concerned that this would adversely affect her job here at Mason, Carnes and Foster?”
“Well, that’s one concern, but we were actually more concerned with how it might affect the firm itself,” Jessie said. “I don’t want to cause any trouble, Mr. Mason. That’s the last thing I’d want to do.”
“Jessie, after all the years you’ve put in here, and all you’ve done to help me, personally,” Mr. Mason began, looking at her significantly, “I’m sure this shouldn’t be a problem. David and Joseph are aware of you and your….orientation. As you know, that’s never been a problem. I’ll speak to them and let them know what’s about to happen. They won’t be very happy, but at least this way, we can be prepared.”
“Thank you, Mr. Mason. We appreciate this more than you know,” Jessie said.
“Don’t thank me yet, Jessie,” the man said, taking another drink of his Scotch. “The hard part’s about to begin.” He stood up and moved back over to the bar. “Now, both of you join me in a drink. I think you’ll both need it.”
When they left Mr. Mason’s office fifteen minutes later, they left hand in hand. Now that they’d talked to him about their relationship, they had agreed to not even bother trying to hide it, anymore. By the time they reached Jessie’s office ten minutes later, the rumor mill had already beaten them to the punch. As they walked through the office, everyone seemed to stop and congratulate them.
Theresa looked up when they walked into the office, holding hands like teenagers. “You two look happy,” she said. “Mr. Mason must have taken the news pretty well.”
Jessie flopped down in her office chair. “He was all right with it, actually,” she said, surprised by the man’s reaction to their news. Then again, it wasn’t exactly a surprise.
Stephanie pulled up a chair. “I’m glad he wasn’t upset. I just hope the other partners take it as well as he did.”
“Well, I guess we’ll all find out together, huh?” Theresa said, turning around so she could look at both of them. “So what did you tell him, anyway? About how you two got together?”
Stephanie’s face turned serious. “I just told him that I came in here, stripped down to my underwear and seduced Jessie. Being sleazy is what I’m known for, after all.”
The look on Theresa’s face was priceless as she struggled for something appropriate to say. “Uh…And what did he say to that?”
“He told me he wished he could have seen the look on Jessie’s face when I did it,” Stephanie said, finally falling over laughing when she looked over at Jessie, who was sitting in her chair with her mouth hanging open.
“What?” she said to Jessie. “It is a lot of work being sleazy all the time.”
Jessie shook her head and sighed. “You are so sick.”
“You love it, and you know it. Besides, I haven’t heard you complaining,” Stephanie teased. “I was under the impression that you like it when I’m sleazy?”
“I never said I didn’t,” Jessie answered, grinning lopsidedly at her.
Stephanie stood up and went around the desk. Bending down, she kissed Jessie full on the mouth. “I’ll be here to pick you up at five.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Jessie said breathlessly, watching as she left the office and walked down the hall.
When she was gone, Theresa turned back to look at Jessie. “So, Mr. Mason really wasn’t upset?”
Jessie shook her head. “No. But, he actually knew the morning after the attack. He didn’t say anything then, because he didn’t want any trouble for the firm.”
Theresa nodded. “I can see that. But, I still thought he’d be upset because you were basically dating another employee?”
“For some reason, I think he cut me some slack. If it hadn’t been Stephanie, I think I’d probably be fired, right now,” Jessie said, picking up her pen and pulling a file toward her. As she did, she caught herself wondering briefly if perhaps Mr. Mason had purposely put them together. He’d known for years that Jessie was gay. If he’d had any idea at all about Stephanie…
“Mmm, maybe. So…are you really ready to be an instant celebrity?”
“I don’t think the focus is going to be on me,” Jessie answered. “Everyone’s going to be surprised that Stephanie Winters finally confirmed the rumor that she’s gay. They won’t care about me.”
“I don’t know, Jess. People will want to know who the woman is that managed to turn her head and capture her heart,” Theresa said, turning back to her own paperwork. For some reason, she had a feeling Jessie didn’t realize what was about to happen.
* * * *
Two nights later, Jessie was on stage with the band at The Blue Rose. They’d just started their second set of the night, when she saw Alex in the crowd and groaned to herself. Damn! Why did she have to show up tonight? It had only been two days, and she was already missing Steph terribly. Seeing Alex just wasn’t going to help things. On the other hand, she did need to talk to Alex about what she and Stephanie were planning.
By the time they’d finished the set, Jessie had decided that she was glad Alex was there. She hadn’t spoken to her since June, when Stephanie had walked in on them and assumed the worst. It hadn’t been true, of course, and they’d had a terrible fight. Now, Jessie couldn’t believe how nauseous she felt. After taking a fortifying drink, she forced herself to leave the backstage area. Making her way through the crowd, she managed to arrive at the table Theresa had saved for the band earlier, with a minimum of difficulty.
“Hey, Jessie,” Alex said in greeting when she arrived at the table.
“Hi, Alex,” Jessie answered reservedly. She noticed right away that the woman kept her distance and didn’t offer her customary greeting of a hug, kiss on the cheek, and a ‘Hi, Beautiful.’ She also noticed that she didn’t miss it.
“So…” Alex said, obviously a little nervous, “it’s been a while. How’s Stephanie?” she asked, attempting to keep the conversation normal. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to talking to Jessie, either. Not since the incident in June. She liked Stephanie and didn’t want the actress upset with her.
“She’s really good. I’ll tell her you asked about her,” Jessie said, picking up her glass and taking a drink. As she did, she glanced at Theresa. She knew what was going on in the woman’s head, just by looking at her. Theresa was watching both of them with interest, probably worried that she was going to go right back to her old ways and take Alex home with her. Mentally shaking her head, she sighed. That would never happen again. She was through with Alex…through with sleeping around…and nothing would change that. Still, considering her reputation, she could understand why Theresa might be worried.
After taking another drink, she sucked up her courage and looked Alex directly in the eye. “Actually Alex, I have something that I need to discuss with you. If you wouldn’t mind, that is?”
“Sure, what’s up?” She set her bottle of Bud down on the table and looked expectantly at the singer. To be honest, she was expecting Jessie to tell her the band was breaking up and they wouldn’t need her services anymore. It wouldn’t surprise her at all, really.
“Um, well…Stephanie and I are getting ready to uh…”
“Oh, for crying out loud, Jess,” Theresa said, huffing dramatically. “Just tell her that you two are getting ready to announce your relationship to the world!”
“What!” Alex looked at Jessie more closely in the dim light of the nightclub. “Stephanie’s actually going to come out? I can’t believe it. That’s so great!”
“Yeah, it is,” she agreed. “But, there’s a downside, too.”
“A downside? I’m not sure I know what you mean?” She picked up her beer and took another drink.
“Well, she’s not just coming out. She’s also planning on letting everyone know that we’re dating. When she does, there’s every chance that reporters will be hanging around, asking questions and being nosy. Stephanie’s agent asked me to…”
“Talk to me and make sure that I don’t go blabbing to the press?” Alex asked, hitting the proverbial nail on the head. “She afraid I’ll ruin your stellar reputation?”
Jessie nodded. “Something like that, yeah.”
Alex fell silent for a minute, looking at Jessie. Finally deciding what she wanted to say and how, she said, “Jessie…We’ve been a lot of things to each other over the years. Despite that, we’re still friends. I would never say or do anything to hurt you or Stephanie.”
“I know. Sorry I even had to bring it up,” Jessie said, truly regretting that she’d made Alex feel like they didn’t trust her.
Alex smiled. “I’m in advertising. I understand what can happen with a little publicity.”
Jessie blew out a breath, grateful that Alex understood. “Thanks. I know, with everything…what I did to you…” trailing off, she shook her head, frustrated with herself.
Alex knew where Jessie was going with this, and she didn’t think she could handle it tonight. She hadn’t really intended to even see Jessie, let alone talk to her. And dammit all to Hell, anyway! Stephanie had told Jessie that she, Alex Fagin, was in love with her! Trying to keep her emotions under control, she shook her head at the singer. “Jessie…don’t go there. I’m sorry Stephanie told you that. She shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, she should have.” She stared right into the other woman’s eyes. “You should have told me, yourself.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference,” she almost whispered, feeling her control slip just a little.
Jessie shrugged. “Maybe not, but at least I would have known. Maybe I wouldn’t have hurt you so bad. I certainly didn’t mean to.”
“I know that.” She took another drink of her beer. “You love her. You always have, and I’ve always known it. If I got hurt, it was my fault for allowing myself to hope.”
Mike came over and tapped Jessie on the shoulder. Turning her head to see him tapping his watch, she nodded and then turned back to Alex within moments. “There’s nothing wrong with hope. I’m just sorry that I hurt you.”
Stuffing her emotions deep down inside, Alex bit back what she wanted to say and opted for, “You’d better get going. They’re going to start without you.”
Nodding, Jessie turned to head back toward the stage. After two steps, she turned around and came back. Surprising Alex, she pulled her into a hug. “This is from both of us. Thank you.”
As Jessie walked away through the crowd, Alex whispered, “You’re welcome.”
Theresa, having sat in silence through the entire conversation, finally felt compelled to say, “You’re a good friend, Alex. I’m really sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted.”
“Thanks, Theresa,” Alex said, hugging her briefly before saying, “I think I should get going. I’m not really in much of a party mood right now. I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah…bye Alex,” Theresa said, watching her as she headed for the exit, her shoulders slumped in defeat. As she watched, she couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She’d known that Alex was in love with Jessie. In fact, pretty much everyone around them did. Alex may never have said anything, but it was pretty clear if you were paying attention. It made her wonder how Jessie had never figured it out.
Chapter 7
On Friday, July 15th, Jessie flew out to LA for the world premiere of ‘Lonesome Moon.’ She’d gone shopping with Stephanie weeks ago, in anticipation of this weekend and now, Saturday evening, she was nervously getting ready for the big event.
“Hey,” Stephanie said quietly, stopping in the bedroom doorway to watch. When Jessie glanced at her in the mirror, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Jessie’s waist. “You look fantastic, Jess.”
Jessie was dressed in a pair of black Oscar De Laurenta dress pants with a matching black wrap around jacket, white camisole top and black pumps. She grinned at Stephanie in the mirror. “Thank you. You’re looking pretty hot yourself,” she said, staring at the black dress slacks, maroon colored fitted silk blouse and black high heeled boots, she was wearing. She turned in her arms and kissed her. “I love this color on you,” she said, fingering the lapel of the blouse. “It looks great with the lighter color of your hair.”
“Thanks, I was hoping you’d like it.” Stephanie had lightened her hair only a few days ago at the request of the director of ‘Green’s Conviction.’ She had told Jessie about it, but she’d still been nervous, afraid that she wouldn’t like it.
“Steph, I’d like the way you look even if you shaved your head,” she said, running her hand through the strawberry blond tresses. “Not that I want you to do that. But, you know what I mean.”
“I do. And, just for the record…I don’t want to shave my head, either.” She smiled and slid out of Jessie’s arms. Opening a drawer on the dresser, she reached in and pulled out two small boxes.
Jessie watched curiously as Steph stepped back over to her. “What’cha got?”
Stephanie looked at her shyly as she opened each of the boxes and showed her the contents. “Matching earrings. If we’re introducing you to the world tonight, I want everyone to know we’re serious.”
“Oh God, Steph…They’re gorgeous,” Jessie said, taking the box Stephanie offered her and looking more closely at the contents. Inside, was a pair of exquisite ¼ carat hoop diamond earrings. Removing them, she put them on as Stephanie did the same with her matching pair. When they were both done, she pulled Stephanie to her again. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“They don’t outshine you, though,” Stephanie whispered, leaning in and kissing her.
Jessie crooked an eyebrow. “Somehow I think you’re biased.”
“Just a little.” She was still smiling as she dropped her hand to grab Jessie’s. Leading her toward the door, she said, “We’d better get downstairs. Joanie will be here soon.”
“I forgot to ask you. Who was on the phone?”
Stephanie shrugged. “Nobody. When I answered, there was just silence. Then, whoever it was hung up.”
“You should get rid of the landline. These calls are becoming more frequent and they’re not just hang-ups anymore.”
“That’s what Joanie keeps telling me.”
Jessie sighed quietly at the mention of Stephanie’s agent. The woman had made no secret of the fact that she didn’t trust Jessie. Ever since Stephanie had told the overbearing woman about her, she’d made it her mission in life to ride Steph about her at every turn. She certainly wasn’t happy about the fact that Stephanie was ready to make their relationship public. Still, Joanie had finally agreed to accompany them to the movie premiere tonight, if for no other reason than to run interference for them with the paparazzi.
Thirty minutes later, their limo pulled up to the front of the theater. Stephanie, sitting next to Jessie and holding her hand, squeezed it tightly. Looking into her eyes, she said, “Well, here we are. You ready for this?”
Jessie squeezed back, never looking away from those amazing green eyes. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Stephanie smiled and kissed her. Taking a deep breath as the car door opened, she said, “Well, here we go.” Plastering a smile on her face, she climbed out of the limo, pulling Jessie with her. Joanie and her husband Carson, who’d ridden in the limo with them, followed.
Jessie clung to Stephanie’s hand as they stepped out onto the red carpet. She’d believed herself prepared for the cacophony of sounds and the flashing of cameras. She quickly found out, however, that she wasn’t as prepared as she’d thought. Stephanie, sensing her discomfort, held tightly to her hand, keeping her close to her side.
“Just keep smiling, Sweetheart. We just have to make it inside,” Stephanie whispered out of the side of her mouth. At that moment, they stopped in order for the photographers to snap some pictures in front of the studio backdrop. Ahead, Jessie could see the correspondent from the TV show ‘Entertainment America,’ interviewing another celebrity.
“When we get up there,” Joanie whispered, leaning forward and indicating the correspondent, “Let Steph answer the questions. Don’t say anything. She already knows what to say and what not to say. Trust me. We want this to go smoothly.”
Jessie nodded and swallowed hard, trying to keep calm and relaxed. She couldn’t remember being so nervous; not even her first day in court had been this nerve wracking. Still, for Stephanie, she could do this. Just keep smiling, she kept reminding herself.
Four more steps and they were in front of the correspondent. As Stephanie stopped to answer his questions, she pulled Jessie a little closer. Jessie could tell she was nervous too, because she kept squeezing her hand. Steph never stopped smiling though, even when the microphone was shoved in front of her face.
“And here we have Stephanie Winters, star of LAW Network’s upcoming series ‘Green’s Conviction.’ Stephanie, what do you have to say about the new show? What’s your character’s name? When’s the premiere?” He shoved the microphone toward her, waiting for her answer.
“It’s gonna be great, Bob!” Stephanie gushed. “I play Sara Green, a young, up-and-coming attorney. The series premiere is August 17th, 9pm!”
“Can’t wait to see it, Stephanie,” he said enthusiastically.
Stephanie started moving slowly to her left, but he wasn’t finished with her yet, apparently. Glancing to her right, he noticed the way she was holding on to Jessie’s hand. Taking a chance, he asked, “Stephanie, rumor has it that you’re dating someone new. Care to make a comment?” The microphone swiveled back toward her again.
