Breaking Character

by Lee Winter

  It wasn’t her fault. Whatever was going on with Summer was coincidental.

  Oh sure. You inform a woman who has been nothing but good to you that you plan to avoid her to further your own career, and she’s going to shrug that off like it’s nothing?

  She exhaled in annoyance.

  The problem was she’d left an apology too late. She should have done it immediately, but now too much time had passed and everything was strained and awkward. It wasn’t just the missed apology she regretted. If she could turn back the clock to three weeks ago, she’d take back the whole conversation.

  It was startling to notice how much she missed that wash of natural niceness whenever Summer was around. Elizabeth wasn’t alone in that. Finola had been bemoaning Summer’s absence with an increasing avalanche of sad clucks that made her sound like a disappointed chicken. Of course, she likely just missed the good mood Summer’s tea put Elizabeth in.

  It was hard to know what to make of this new Summer. Her detached expression was so empty, flat, and indifferent. Elizabeth hated it, and yet couldn’t take her eyes off her. She was on a constant, fruitless search to see the woman who’d been there before.

  Their scenes together now had a completely different feel to anything else on the show. There was a watchfulness to them. On her part, they noticeably lacked malice or bite. And on Summer’s part, they lacked the warmth that seeped into everything she did. All Carter’s scenes with Hunt were infused with a contradictory cocktail of wariness, faint teasing, speculative gazes, and a certain, loaded something else. There was a weight to the scenes now. And yet there was also the accompanying, slight uptick of lips that proved Joey never minded anything Chief Hunt said. It was baffling and hypnotic.

  Often, after Ravitz had called cut, Elizabeth froze, eying her co-star in confusion, wondering how much of it had been a deliberate acting choice and what emotion she’d been attempting to convey. Because whatever it was, Elizabeth couldn’t decipher it.

  Summer’s mood shift was so unusual it didn’t match the rest of her scenes. Joey Carter was bright and breezy one moment, introspective and subtle the next. And yet Ravitz said nothing. His expression, though, as he watched them, boded no good. Elizabeth wondered, not for the first time, whether Summer’s days were numbered.

  If that happened, she’d feel the lowest she ever had. Although, if she was being honest, she might feel a bit of relief, too. Scenes with Summer had become far too distracting. Elizabeth hated being distracted at work. It was unprofessional. She had standards, even if Choosing Hope didn’t. But it was odd. No one had ever shifted her focus from work before.

  This was as mystifying as the puzzle of a woman behind it.

  Going about her working day without Elizabeth in it was weird. By consciously removing the other woman from Summer’s brain, forcing herself not to wonder about her, what she was doing, thinking, wearing, at any given time, it became alarmingly clear how completely she had been focused on Elizabeth.

  Summer knew what that meant, even if it was unpalatable. Oh she’d dressed it up as respect and admiration, but it was pretty obvious she’d been emotionally invested in someone who had tolerated her and now didn’t want to know her at all.

  She ground her teeth. Not emotionally invested. What, was she part of a portfolio? With a sigh, Summer finally admitted the truth: She was in deep. What she felt was far more than just friendship, and the allure went well beyond Elizabeth’s acting. The woman was beautiful and smart and kind of funny if you dug a little. And she had those gray eyes that bored into you and seemed to know everything. The way she moved was languid and liquid, like silk. Then there was that voice. Could a voice get you pregnant? Summer was due any day if that were true.

  Hell. She really was pathetic.

  The worst part was that her inconvenient emotions made a mockery of her strict rules on matters of the heart. Years ago, Summer had decided three things:

  1) Never fall for a straight woman.

  2) No settling, ever. Never pine for someone who doesn’t care as much as you do.

  3) Never get involved with a fan, or vice versa, as the hero/fan balance is never equal.

  Summer had broken all three rules with Elizabeth…and, worse, she hadn’t even been conscious of it. Humiliation burned through her again.

  Judging by the indifferent way Elizabeth had dropped her icy little bombshell, there had been no loss on her part. Then again, they hadn’t been friends, had they? Aside from the tea deliveries, Summer had been nothing to Elizabeth. Easily discarded.

  She glanced about her on-set nook, just around the corner from the scene they were shooting. The tiny slice of peace allowed her to be close when she was needed but prevented her from having to talk to people…or see one in particular.

  It was unnecessary though. She wouldn’t see Elizabeth again. That is, not the version she’d thought she knew. Turned out that Elizabeth was an illusion. The real woman was like everyone else: flawed, career-hungry, and selfish. Hardly a shock in this town. It just hurt to have thought Elizabeth was better than she really was. But it wasn’t Elizabeth’s responsibility to live up to the image Summer had built up in her head.

  Ultimately, Summer was angriest with herself. She should have known better. She’d been immersed in this world from childhood. All of it was illusion. Everything that seemed real was massaged by actors’ people to be palatable to the masses. Everyone was out for themselves, and it was naive to pretend otherwise. But the reminder still hurt. She’d been foolish for not realizing sooner that she’d been swept up in a fantasy.

  Chloe had been right. “Oh hon, be careful. You’ll get your heart broken. There is nothing worse than meeting your idol.”

  Summer had done way worse than that. She straightened. No more of that. All she felt for Elizabeth Thornton now was anger. Would it have killed her to say sorry before slamming the door in Summer’s face for good?

  It had been three weeks since Elizabeth had discarded her without blinking. At first, rumors had swirled about what that photo had really meant, but things had since died down. Even so, nothing was the same. Summer was watched on set all the time. And she never felt deader inside than when she did a scene with Elizabeth.

  The scripts were peppered with snide comments to build up an angry energy between Hunt and Carter. But Summer just did her lines straight: zero sarcasm, often with a small smile as she turned the bitchy lines into teasing. They couldn’t have it both ways. Either her character was sweet or she wasn’t.

  To her surprise, Ravitz seemed to accept that Carter was incapable of being mean to anyone and simply sighed and called for the next scene.

  None of this, though, explained Elizabeth’s behavior. Despite what the script called for, there was little bite in her delivery. Often she would hold Summer’s gaze, a questioning, curious look in her eyes. Sometimes it was hard to know whether Hunt or Thornton was watching her.

  Each time they called cut, Elizabeth would linger, wearing an inscrutable expression, as though itching to say something to Summer. She never did. After the first few times, Summer stopped giving her the chance and just left the set immediately.

  Summer wondered what fans would make of these latest episodes when they aired. Attila the Hunt declawed around sweet Dr. Carter?

  “There you are!”

  Summer looked up to see Tori wearing an overly dramatic expression. She wasn’t quite a friend yet, but Summer appreciated their lunch chats.

  “Yes?” she asked.

  “Been trying to find you everywhere!” Tori handed her a paper plate. “Here, sustenance. You missed lunch. Again.”

  A large greasy muffin stared back at her. “I haven’t been too hungry lately.”

  “I’ve noticed. It’s been weeks, girl! It’s like you fell off the face of the earth. I thought I’d have to share a table with Thornton or something worse than death.” She laughed hea
rtily.

  Summer’s stomach clenched. “That’d suck.” She poked at the muffin, which looked like a failed diet plan on a plate.

  “So wassup? Why are you avoiding everyone, not eating, and all moody?” Tori paused. “Oh my God!” She lowered her voice. “Are you pregnant?”

  “What? No! I just had some stuff to deal with. But it’s almost over now. I hope.” She tried for a winning smile.

  “Hmm.” Tori’s look was skeptical. “Tell ya what, Saturday night, we’re hitting Residuals Tavern on Ventura. You will mix, mingle, get your ass sociable again. And Mateo’s going.” She grinned.

  “Not interested in Mateo.” Summer broke off a tiny corner of muffin and tossed it in her mouth. She chewed gingerly. It didn’t entirely suck.

  “Okay, that’s cool. It’ll break his gorgeous Latino heart, but okay.”

  “I’m sure he won’t be short of offers. Just tell him to flash his six-pack again. Or you could date him?”

  “Hmm. I think you’re trying to divert me. Sneaky.” She wagged a finger. “You think I haven’t noticed you’ve been bummed since those photos of you and the Brit came out?”

  Summer’s head shot up.

  “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry. No one thinks you’re tapping that. I’ve seen how you can trip over nothing at all, so I totally buy your story. But I get it. It’s a fucked-up rumor and it’s hard to think everyone’s talking about it.”

  To avoid replying, Summer shoved more muffin in her mouth.

  “So, this here’s your intervention. We all miss Happy Summer. So for your own good, I’m hauling you out Saturday and there’s nothing you can say about it.”

  “Pretty sure I can say no.”

  “But you won’t.”

  Summer lifted her eyebrow. “Why won’t I?”

  “Because it’s me asking. And I’m hella charming.”

  Summer laughed. “True.”

  “So how about it? See you at seven? Just you, me, and our fellow fictional medical residents. No brooding allowed.”

  Sighing, Summer considered the offer. It might be nice to get to know some people.

  “As long as you tell Mateo he’s got no chance, then I’m in.”

  “Sold.” Tori elbowed her in the ribs. “So if not Mateo, is there anyone you do like?”

  Summer’s heart sank all over again, and her gut squeezed tightly.

  “Oh shit!” Tori looked appalled. “Whoever busted your heart into bits, I’m really sorry.”

  Tears pricked her eyes. So much for being over Elizabeth.

  “How’s my favorite hospital boss, darling?”

  Elizabeth stared at the inky sky from her deck chair and muttered down the phone to Delvine, “Just peachy.” It beat the truth. A hated job, guilt over Summer’s transformation that had now stretched into a month, no decent tea, zero professional stimulation. She took a sip of gin and tonic.

  “Excellent. Notice I’m choosing to accept that answer at face value rather than ponder why you’re drowning your sorrows at home alone at ten-thirty on a weeknight.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Your ice cubes are clinking. Anyway, I have news for you on our Frenchman.”

  “Oh?” Elizabeth perked up.

  “Well, good news and bad news. First, Rachel’s pitching a major fit so leave her alone for now, okay?”

  “Um, why?” Her heart plummeted. “Don’t tell me Badour got a face full of British Bitch stories and is having second thoughts?”

  “Yes and no…” Delvine cleared her throat. “He still wants you, don’t worry. We’re all on for lunch next Sunday, the 27th, at his hotel suite. I know it’s only ten days’ notice, but make sure you’re free. But, yes, he did see a lot of sensational stories about you. On that note, he’d like you to bring your girlfriend to lunch too.”

  “My what?” Elizabeth almost dropped her glass. She couldn’t possibly mean…

  “Summer. Summer Hayes.” Delvine managed to make her cough sound both strangled and sheepish. “It was an awkward conversation. He got most indignant when I said there was no girlfriend. And then he got angry with me. I got a rant, something about how people tried to keep him in the closet too when he was starting out, and it’s only now that he is open and free that his life is it’s full worth. Anyway, I gather he thinks I’m trying to protect you by stuffing you and Summer into the closet and he won’t tolerate me doing that to you. He is adamant that he saw the pictures and he knows the truth when he sees it. So the bottom line is this: Lunch with Summer or the deal’s off. And Summer had better turn up as your girlfriend not your co-star or he’ll be furious at all of us for trying to trick him.”

  Elizabeth’s mouth fell open.

  “Still there, darling?”

  “Let me get this straight: You and Rachel ask me to treat Summer like persona non grata—”

  “To be fair, that was your hard-ass agent, not my fabulous, easy-going self—”

  “Whatever. So I do that. Now Summer hates me, which isn’t entirely unexpected, and yet…somehow…I have to convince her to go to a business lunch as my girlfriend or I don’t get a role I really want. Have I got that right?”

  “Essentially.” Delvine sounded a little strained.

  “And he seems to think I’m a closeted lesbian—”

  “Which you are, darling.”

  Ignoring that, Elizabeth gritted her teeth, “…who beds her twenty-three-year-old co-star.”

  “Twenty-eight.”

  “What?” Elizabeth frowned.

  “Summer is twenty-eight. She’s been playing five years younger than she is for ages. Don’t you ever Google your co-stars?”

  “She can’t be.”

  “Oh, she is. You’re only nine years apart, which is hardly too outlandish. So is that your only objection?”

  “This is ludicrous. Badour really thinks she’s my type? Little Miss Sunshine sleeping with someone with my reputation?”

  “Ahh, but that’s part of the appeal. See, he doesn’t understand it and can’t wait to witness you two together to figure out how this relationship works. He loves excavating the human condition. Haven’t you seen his films? That’s his life’s work. What makes people tick. You are catnip to him right now. Of course, he also heard the other rumors about you, the ones about how impossible you are on set. So this lunch is his way of seeing if you two can work together.”

  “You’re forgetting that Summer wants nothing to do with me. Why don’t I go along to lunch, explain it was a big misunderstanding, and win him over anyway?”

  Delvine snorted. “Well, let me tell you exactly how that will go, because I did try that whole misunderstanding angle…at length. He said, and I quote, ‘Do not give me such lies. They can be private about their love if they must, I will be the soul of discretion. But no hideous closets. Never lie to me. I cannot stand humanity’s deceit’.”

  For the love of… “Why on earth is he so convinced that your denial is a lie?” Elizabeth flung her hand up at the skies. “Has it ever occurred to the man he might be wrong about something?”

  “On reading humans, he is convinced he’s always right. Anyway, it’s up to you. Do you want me to pass on this or do you want to bring Summer? I’ll remind you everyone wants a piece of this. It’s the first American production from cinema’s latest It-boy. It’s sizzling hot.”

  “What did Rachel say?”

  “She thinks you should tread carefully, and remember hotel staff have ears.”

  “But she thinks I should do it.”

  “She says she’s seen the script and that movie will give you a future far beyond America’s worst villain.”

  Wonderful. She sighed. “Did I mention Summer hates me?” Elizabeth tried again. “She’d never agree to helping me.”

  “Pay her then. Call it a side acting job.�
��

  “You don’t know her. I don’t think money motivates her. I’m not sure what does, but I doubt it’s that.”

  “Then promise her a meeting with one of the most influential indie producers in film-making. A star on the rise who’d be excellent to network with.”

  Elizabeth turned that over. “That might work. But the other problem is that I’m not sure she can act romantically interested in me.”

  “Because she hates you?” Delvine sounded amused.

  “That’s one factor. But also, from what I’ve seen of her acting so far, she mainly excels at humor. The rest is sort of a confusing mess, to be honest. I’m not exactly filled with confidence.”

  “You don’t think Summer Hayes can act?” Delvine laughed out loud.

  “Why’s that funny? Her top credit to date is a children’s spy show!”

  “My kids loved Teen Spy Camp and especially Junior Agent Punky Power. Dismiss what you haven’t seen at your peril, darling. Summer hides her talent well under that sunny facade. Trust me, though, if she wants to help you, she could pull this off in a heartbeat. The question is whether you can actually get her to do it. That’s up to you. I know you’ve got charm when you decide to use it. Dust it off for five minutes; shock us all. Now I’ve got to go. Text me if she agrees and I’ll confirm with Badour.”

  The call ended.

  Summer was running lines with one of her colleagues…Tori something…when Elizabeth approached the quiet corner that seemed to be her on-set hiding spot. She’d seen her here before, but given her a wide berth, recognizing the need to be left alone.

  “May I have a few moments?” She glanced pointedly at Tori.

  Tori snapped her head to Summer, who gave a nod of acceptance, before scampering off.

  Elizabeth lowered herself into the vacated canvas chair.

  Still studying her script, Summer said, “Why, Ms. Thornton. Aren’t you worried people might get ideas if they see you talking to me? Alone, no less?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  There was a silence. Summer lifted her head. “Why now?”