Spoiler Alert (Spoiler Alert #1)(83)
“I think there are some great scripts in that stack, but I’m just . . .” When he paused, she didn’t try to fill in the words for him. Finally, he made himself say it. “I’m not sure I want any of those roles.”
None of them felt quite right. Worse, he didn’t know which Marcus should show up for an audition. The real him? Some iteration of the man he’d played in public for almost a decade?
If he wanted to change his narrative, this was his best chance.
He shook his head. No, it wasn’t a matter of if. He did want to change his narrative. It was more a matter of how. It was also a matter of courage. And as he’d told April before, he was no Aeneas when it came to bravery.
“So those roles aren’t what you want. That’s okay.” April reached out to squeeze his knee. “You have time, and you’ll get other offers. Once the last season of Gods of the Gates starts airing and you’re back in the international spotlight, Francine’s inbox will probably be flooded.”
Maybe so. But by then, he’d have ensured a long, long gap between projects.
Unwilling to pursue the topic further, he turned toward April as much as the seat belt would allow. “Speaking of fame, how are you feeling about Con of the Gates? Are you ready for all the attention you’re going to get?”
The convention was coming up next weekend, and they’d decided to make their semi-official debut there as an acknowledged couple. No more avoiding the paparazzi, at least for that weekend. Instead, they would enter the premises proudly and together.
He couldn’t wait. He wanted to show her off, and she seemed both amused and pleased by his eagerness to do so.
When not occupied by the cast’s group panel, an individual Q&A session, and various photo op stints, he intended to have her by his side whenever possible. Although, of course, she had her own commitments, some more recent than others.
“I think I’m ready.” The rapid drumming of her fingers slowed. “I’ve already set aside what I want to pack, and my Lavinia costume is totally done, other than a bit of hem work.”
His mouth opened.
“And no, you still can’t see it.” Her grin was just a tad evil. “You’ll have to wait until the cosplay contest, just like everyone else, Caster-Hyphen-Rupp.”
Oh, he loved when she called him that. It meant she was feeling saucy, and saucy was a million times better than anxious.
Since talking about the con seemed to relax her, he would ask as many questions as necessary. “What about the session with Summer? How do you feel about that?”
Only days ago, the moderator for Summer’s Q&A session had unexpectedly dropped out. The con’s organizers, obviously aware of both April’s love for Lavinia and her current online notoriety as his girlfriend, had promptly invited her to moderate the session instead. After some thought, she’d agreed.
Marcus had already introduced the two women via a quick FaceTime chat to smooth over any potential awkwardness. Afterward, Summer had sent him a text. Not that you needed my approval, but I like her. She seems confident, too, which will help. But take care of her during that con, Marcus. It’s hard on all of us, but I don’t think you can understand what it’s like to be a woman in the spotlight. Especially a woman who’s not used to it, and especially a woman who might not be the sort of girlfriend the press and public expect you to have.
It was kind and thoughtful and totally, one hundred percent Summer. Which was why, when Ron and R.J. had fucked over Lavinia and Aeneas in the final season, Marcus had grieved not just for his own character’s arc but also for his devastated colleague and friend.
Because of how closely they’d worked together over the years, she and Carah were probably the two cast members who saw him most clearly, but neither woman had ever betrayed that knowledge to the press. Not a single time.
Maybe he and all three of his favorite women could have dinner together during the convention. Maybe, in their company, with their guidance, his path forward in his career would be clearer.
Their advice couldn’t be worse than Alex’s suggested hair care products and slogans, after all. Try Caster for hairstyles that last-er! Or, for extra-hold hair spray: Hairstyle had a Rupp night? Let Marcus hold you!
“I’ll be fine moderating. I don’t mind public speaking.” April raised a shoulder. “I should be receiving Summer’s bio and the questions sometime this week, so I can familiarize myself with what I’ll need to say ahead of time.”
He forced himself to ask the next obvious question. “When are you seeing your online friends? Have you set a time?”
Last week, while April was at work, he’d logged on to the Lavineas server in invisible mode and spotted her announcement from the night before. At long last, Unapologetic Lavinia Stan had told everyone she was also the Lavinia fan dating Marcus, and he was honestly surprised the entire internet contained enough bandwidth for all the squeeing that had occurred.
This means you’re going to the con, right? RIGHT??? TopMeAeneas had asked, once the furor had somewhat subsided. WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER! OMG, WE HAVE TO! LAVINEAS POWERS, ACTIVATE!
Millions of crying-face and heart-eyes emojis later, arrangements had been made.
But he wasn’t supposed to know about those plans, at least not in detail. Even though he did, and even though he would have given last year’s paycheck from Gates to join them as Book!AeneasWouldNever.