Page 21 of Witch You Would
Like I had as a kid, I mostly zoned out, until it suddenly got relevant.
“Yinz guys heard about Doris Twist?” Zeke asked.
Yinz?
Tanner nodded stiffly. “Makes me a mite nervous, I don’t mind telling you. She’s had her difficulties, but I thought she wassafe. If they can do this to her, they can do it to anyone.”
“Is she okay?” I asked.
“She’s retiring, after however many years on this show,” Jaya said.
“Is that what they’re calling it?” Zeke asked. “Retiring? From a show she started?”
“Making room for young blood.” Tanner gestured at me. “You could be next on the roster.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Guess it depends on how this Spellebrity thing goes.”
Zeke rubbed his bald head. “The number crunchers have their own magic math that only makes sense to them. Don’t stress aboutit. That’s your agent’s job.”
“This business is cutthroat,” Jaya agreed. “Take care of yourself, because you never know when it will be your neck on theblock.”
“Win or lose,” Tanner said, “just do your best.”
Charlotte made a scoffing noise. I wasn’t sure why.
“And do be nice to your partner,” Tanner added. “Poor girl looked like she had the shock of her life seeing you walk in.”
That made two of us. Before I could decide whether to confess that we’d met before, the UPM, Rachel, appeared.
“Mr. Presto, if you’d follow me, please?” she said.
“Lead the way, Rachel.”
Rachel took me through an empty cubicle farm to a room with an LED sign on the door that read, “Recording.” Liam, one of thesound guys, checked my mic and transmitter and pronounced me ready.
A makeup lady—Fina, I think?—was also there for touch-ups. She muttered something about my mustache; I hoped it hadn’t moved.I’d used a new adhesive that was supposed to last longer than spirit gum and look more realistic for TV. It would be harderto get off, but that was better than having a fake facial hair malfunction.
The room was mostly dark, with a few soft lights, as if the people inside were meant to be floating in some astral plane whereinner thoughts manifested externally. Creepy. Two chairs sat against the wall behind the door, one of them already occupiedby Penelope. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile; she gave me the same fake one from before. Great.
Camera guy Nate waved from the corner, and Tori closed the door behind me. I sat down and swallowed the stage fright makingmy egg sushi want to come back up.
“For this confessional,” Tori said, “you’ve both just been told you’re partners, and you’re going to talk about each othera little. All compliments, you’re happy and excited to work together, you’re ready to win. Got it?”
We nodded.
“Penelope first,” Tori said. “I’ll count you down. Ready?”
Penelope inhaled sharply but nodded again.
“Nate, start rolling. Penelope, give me some hype in five,four . . .” The rest of the countdown was done on her fingers silently, then she pointed at Penelope.
If I hadn’t already known how she felt about me, the absolute mierda she talked about how fun my videos were and how muchshe’d loved my butterfly spell at Dolphin Mall would have tricked me into thinking she was a fan. She was fresca como unalechuga, as my dad would say. We were going to crush this.
“Leandro, your turn,” Tori said.
Ah. Fuck. I’d spent the whole time staring at Penelope like a happy puppy. Sam would laugh her ass off if she saw me now.
I had to say nice things without accidentally letting anything slip that Leandro shouldn’t know. What had her bio said? Stickto the basics, Gil. Rule two. Stay. In. Character.
