Page 13 of Anyone But the Superstar

Which is fine, I tell myself as I rescan the room for blonde hair and glasses.

I’m not here to make friends. Or to further a future career in Hollywood. I’m here to graduate and to figure out a way to introduce myself to a half-sister who knows nothing of my existence.

A half-sister who also happens to be the most famous astronaut at NASA – Dr Jackie Darling Lee.

Felix

‘Yes, but do you have a cow?’

I stare at the curly-haired woman floating across the massive screen hung in the front of the most impressive room I’ve ever been in. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘Acow.’ Julie Starr, aka Jules, aka, NASA’s Starr, drops her chin to level a stare directly into the camera recording her from inside the International Space Station. ‘Do. You. Have. One?’

Microphone in hand, I blink at the camera in front of me before turning to my manager/agent Jack for help.

I knew I’d be impressed when our morning VIP tour finished in the Mission Control, a place rife with both history and innovation, but I didn’t know I’d be too awe-struck to make sense of the Q&A the film studio set up between its principle cast members and NASA’s astronauts.

Jack just shrugs, his earlier expression of childlike excitement vanishing from his face the moment he realizes my eyes are on him.

He’s been giving me attitude ever since he raced to my hotel room a few nights ago to find me half-dressed and icing my balls.

My gaze shifts to astronaut Vance Bodaway, aka Bodie to almost everyone. He’s been our escort and tour guide around NASA this morning. He shakes his head, his long, black hair falling over the NASA patch on the left breast pocket of his blue jumpsuit.

‘The cow is a key element to the female character’s story arc,’ Jules continues. ‘And I should know since the character is basically me.’

Thankfully, my co-worker, Amanda Willis, takes the microphone. ‘Ms Starr, it’s an honor acting a role based on you.’ She flashes her girl-next-door smile at the camera. The one she gave this year when accepting her most recent Golden Globe for best female actress in a comedy. ‘It’s a dream to bring a woman of your intelligence, talent and humor to the big screen for millions to see.’

I’ve never worked with Amanda before, seeing as she’s Hollywood’s rom-com queen and I’m its action star, but I’ve heard nice things. Which says a lot in a business full of vicious gossip.

‘That’s great to hear, Mandy.’ Jules tilts her head at the camera. ‘I can call you Mandy, can’t I?’

Amanda smiles wide. ‘I?—’

‘And I never understood why movies portray women as either smart or funny or sexy,’ Jules continues. ‘Why not all three?’

Recognizing that Jules’ questions lean toward the rhetorical, Amanda just nods.

Jules presses the hand not holding the mic to her chest and her body continues to slowly rotate clockwise in front of the camera. ‘I’mall three.’

‘So modest, our Starr,’ Bodie mumbles, twisting his lips as if to keep from laughing.

Jules’ expression turns contemplative. ‘Do you know how to ride a Ducati, Mandy?’

‘Umm…’ Amanda’s smile slips.

‘Stop interrogating the celebrities, Starr.’ Astronaut Luke Bisbee floats into view, his tall body running the length of the entire screen, knocking Jules into the curved wall. ‘You know full well that Trish said her book was a work of fiction, any resemblances to people living or dead are completely coincidental.’ He winks into the camera. ‘At least that’s what legal told us to say.’

The surrounding NASA employees continue to work at their consoles, each with multiple computers, all of them set up in grid-like rows facing the screen. And yet none of the workers look up from their stations, choosing to ignore the astronaut comedy show in front of them and the award-winning actors and director behind them.

Their disinterest reminds me that while a celebrity may command attention in the ‘normal’ world, here at NASA, the employees have bigger things to deal with.

Like the infiniteness of space.

Taking advantage of everyone’s preoccupation with keeping the International Space Station running or Bodie and Luke’seffort to rein in Jules’ attempt to add livestock and a motorcycle chase to the movie’s cast and scene list, I back-step until I’m shoulder to shoulder with Jack.

‘Did you find her?’ My voice is barely audible over the astronauts’ bickering on screen and the low murmurs of NASA employees speaking into their headsets as they work.

Jack keeps his eyes on the screen in front of him as he whispers in return. ‘And just who might you be referring to?’

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