When we got to the party, the studio had arranged for a private viewing of the premier episode on a large screen so everyone could see. Studio interns stood poised over their cell phones waiting to hear the public’s response to the show as it was airing on televisions while we all held our breath.
“Veronica’s Brief’s is starting to trend on social media,” an intern cried out and we all waited while she read the posts. “The people love it! They can’t get enough of the characters and the plot twists. They say it’s sure to be the must-watch show of the year. Can’t wait till next episode. The tension between Avery Phillips and her costar is electric. Where has she been hiding? We want more of her now! We’re a hit everybody!”
The room erupted into cheers and I felt Dimitri’s strong arms holding me up, keeping me from fainting. After that, the night was a whirlwind of revelry. The champagne flowed freely, the food was scrumptious, the band was terrific, and all my co-stars were partying with studio executives, producers, and other stars from the network. I got to meet television actors I’d admired for years and everyone was congratulating me and praising my work on the show.
I was floating on a cloud and getting drunk on my own success, or perhaps it was all the champagne. It didn’t really matter. Never before had I been the center of so much attention and praise and it was hard not to let it go to my head.
I excused myself to the restroom and splashed some cool water on my face, trying to keep myself grounded in reality. After a few minutes I was feeling more like myself and went into a stall to relieve myself. A group of women entered the bathroom and I could hear them laughing and talking as they freshened up their makeup and did a few lines of cocaine. I didn’t recognize their voices, but from the things they were saying I suspected they were background extras. It was an unenviable place to be and I could sympathize with their plight; which is probably why their words resonated with me so deeply.
“It’s great the show is so successful with the audience. Maybe one of us will get lucky and they’ll end up expanding our parts to a speaking role.”
I peeked through the crevice in the stall and saw that the girl speaking had short brown hair.
“Yeah, you know how often the part of waitress expands into a full time role in these lawyer dramas,” her friend with red hair teased her and the cluster of women laughed.
“Fuck you! You know Avery Phillips was just where we are now before she got discovered to play Veronica Briefs. It could happen to us too.”
“She got discovered because she’s sleeping with Dimitri Morrison. That’s her big break. Let’s see her leave him and make it on her own without him; then you can say she’s a real success. Until then, she’s just a piece of ass the producers had to find a job for to keep her boyfriend happy.”
The women finished snorting their coke and left the bathroom, but I stayed for a long time absorbing their words. Was it true? Was Dimitri the only reason I’d gotten the job? I shook my head, certain that it wasn’t, but the knowledge that people might preserve it to be true troubled me deeply. When I finally exited the restroom, the party no longer held any joy or excitement for me.
“There you are, darling. Is everything all right?” Dimitri asked, noticing how pale I’d become.
“Yeah, I’m just ready to go. Please take me home.”
“Certainly,” Dimitri said. He ushered me to the limousine that was waiting for us and told the driver to take us back to his house. He had said when I first moved in that it was our house, but we both knew that it was really his house, just like this was his limo, and the dress and jewels I was wearing had really been purchased by him. I had started the evening feeling like a star that had finally made it in Hollywood, but now all I felt like was a fraud and a fake. Maybe those girls were right; maybe I did need to live out on my own to really be considered successful in Hollywood. As long as I was living with Dimitri, I could never truly know how much of my success resulted from my relationship with him, and much I had really earned on my own.
I was quiet and somber all the way home. I went silently to our bedroom to change out of my dress and get ready for bed while Dimitri walked around the house locking the doors and turning off the lights. He was such a good boyfriend to me. He loved me unconditionally, took care of me when I needed him to, and the sex we shared was fantastic. It was going to break his heart when I told him I needed to move out; and it was going to break mine too. I knew in my heart that it was something I needed to do for my own sense of self.
I stripped out of the expensive Armani dress and placed it carefully on a hanger in the large walk in closet. I pulled on my favorite silky negligee and stepped out into the bedroom to find Dimitri standing there looking more handsome and sexy than ever still dressed in his tux. I was completely unprepared for what happened next. While I stood gaping, he knelt down on one knee and pulled a small velvet box from the breast pocket of his jacket.
“Avery, I have loved you since the first day I saw you at the audition and every day I have only grown to love you more. I can’t imagine my life without you. Tonight you sparkled like a star in the night sky and I couldn’t have been more proud as I watched you enjoy a perfect night of well-deserved success. I can think of only one thing that will make tonight even more perfect, and that’s if you’ll agree to be my wife. Avery Phillips, will you please do me the honor of marrying me?”
Emotion welled in his eyes and he lifted the box out to me, waiting breathlessly for me to accept his proposal. As I took a deep breath for courage, my answer surprised us both.
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