Chapter 2 #2
Kara just laughed as she navigated them through the Lincoln Tunnel.
“I’m sure you’ll get me back before our visit is through.
But it’s not as if I could just waltz through the terminal unnoticed these days.
” She shook out her hair, and the tunnel lights highlighted her golden tresses.
“The chauffeur’s hat was a nice touch though, right? ”
Tzipi couldn’t help it, she chuckled as well. And felt her entire body relax against the leather seat. She was here, she was with Kara, it was Hanukkah time. And magically, they were in Manhattan. Now it felt like vacation.
While her hometown LA was a sprawling city of gold, here the lights shot straight up, in between silver and steel.
Kara seemed at ease, gliding them uptown and chatting softly with Shel as Tzipi counted the neatly numbered streets that took them up, up, up to Columbus Circle where the Mandarin Oriental awaited them. And red carpet service.
“No need,” Kara said to the eager valet through the open window. She pulled on leather gloves and slid out, so Shel could get behind the wheel. “Tomorrow?”
The kiss he laid on her in response went on so long, Tzipi had to turn away.
Bellhops descended, tips were palmed and finally, the Solokoff sisters stood on their own. Waving to the Jag as it turned out the covered driveway and back onto the city street, horn tooting.
“He could’ve stayed…” Tzipi offered.
“Nope.” Kara was adamant. “This is our time.”
“What first?”
“Race you!”
They were nine again, seeing who could reach the elevator first, fighting over who pushed the buttons.
Kara knew the floor, though – and had the key.
Home field advantage. Inside their lux suite, she collapsed on the King bed, while Tzipi scoped out the bathroom – double rain shower, sunken tub. Luxury bath items, two of everything.
“I’m famished!” Kara called out. “Room service?”
Tzipi remembered her bag from the plane. She brought it into the bedroom and upended it. Tiny pouches rained down upon her sister: chocolate covered espresso beans, upscale gummy bears in champagne colors, truffle popcorn, wasabi peas, salmon jerky.
“Did you raid the minibar already?”
“No, first class snack basket. Long story.”
“These are so cute. And kosher!” Kara opened the gummy bears and popped one in her mouth before offering the bag to Tzipi.
That poor little bear, she knew, would be sucked on until he slowly disintegrated into a tinier version of himself and then his little gelatinous carcass would be spat into a tissue by her sister.
Her craving satisfied, her regime untarnished, her waistline intact.
Her will power unmatched.
Tzipi, on the other hand, chewed two gummy bears at a time, roaming the massive suite that was to be their home base for the entire Hanukkah holiday.
Panoramic views of the glittering city from the windows, gallery installation-worthy art on the walls.
She smiled when she caught sight of their childhood menorah on the small dining table. Kara had thought of everything.
And it appeared she had moved in: a dozen pairs of shoes of varying heights lined the walk-in closet floor, shimmering dresses of all lengths hung neatly. “Tell me why we didn’t just camp out at your place?”
Kara’s lip worked at the gummy bear on her tongue. “Staycation. Plus…Shel’s parents are in town until Friday, so…”
“So you’re hiding? I don’t get it. You’ve been dating forever, they know you live together. You’re not some shiksa they’d be ashamed of.”
Tzipi touch-tested the various fabrics and materials, closing her eyes and trying to guess what they were.
Velvet, silk, glass beads, metal sequins, lace, leather.
It reminded her of playing Hide and Seek with Kara in various dressing rooms and wardrobe trailers when they were little.
So much down time spent on the set of Room to Bloom, and not nearly enough supervision.
“The problem is…the opposite of ashamed.” Kara lifted the snack bag to her nose and inhaled.
“They would want to shout it from the roof tops, especially his grandmother, oy. Grandma Tilly is as yenta as they come. As much as we are ready…the timing is terrible, with the hype around Luminous Reckoning.”
“It’s not like you signed a morality clause or anything.”
Silence.
Tzipi turned. “Karmit. You didn’t.”
“Of course not.”
“Then why are you sitting there, huffing gummy bear fumes?”
“I think these really are champagne-infused.” Shockingly, her sister pinched one more out of the bag and licked it. “Prosecco, at least.”
“You’re still avoiding the why. Tell me you’re not breaking it off with Shel…”
“No! It’s the opposite there, too! I am crazy about him. But the franchise…” Kara beheaded a bear and chewed, stalling.
“My on-screen chemistry that’s been building with Hannon Kershaw’s Radian Prime character is such a selling point. If word were to get out about my actual love life before this release...”
“You’re worried about optics?”
“Our audience is ‘deeply invested’ in Radian and Vanta.’” She air-quoted with the headless gummy bear still between her thumb and forefinger. “Hannon and I have parasocial appeal.”
“You mean the last idiot standing?” Chemistry might be the only thing that guy had going for him, because it certainly wasn’t his line delivery.
Maybe the big dick-swinging energy he brought helped…
although Lorne had been his body double on an earlier film, and he’d confided in her that even that was an illusion when it came to Hannon Kershaw.
“Exactly. He’s the last thing standing between me and my solo project. As long as I stay in brand alignment through the press junket and first week’s box office reports…”
In other words, her sister’s personal life was being held hostage by the studio’s messaging for at least another nine months: the Hollywood gestation period for a blockbuster ego like Hannon Kershaw’s.
Yet that diamond ring on her left hand was sending a whole different message. If she even wore it in public, Tzipi surmised, and gloves were only a valid ruse in winter.
No wonder Kara was mainlining gummy bears now, shaking the sugary dregs from the bag into her mouth.
“Kara!” Tzipi was astonished. “You ate that whole bag?”
Her sister’s green eyes widened. “I’m in training. For my biggest role yet. And I’m hoping you’ll help me.”