The money was on Dame Maggie Finch, who deserved to win just for breathing. Just to be in the same category as her was an honor. Still, in the Supporting Actress category, surprises happened, and the truth was, I had managed to give a good performance. Well, two halves of a good performance. With Steve Connigan’s foresight, two vastly different takes of my testimony were spliced together in the editing room, creating the performance for which I’d been nominated.

With my newfound popularity and status, I was learning that Brett’s rigid ideas about manhood were not only confined to the bedroom. He might never leave me for another woman, but he might very well leave me if his ego was at stake.

We had not had sex since the morning they’d announced the nominations. He barely kissed me good night. And it didn’t help that he was between pictures and had taken to lying in bed all day drinking tomato juice mixed with a thimbleful of vodka, acting out a G-rated version of A Star Is Born.

“You make ten times the money I do,” I reminded him. “You can be a leading man until you’re seventy-five!”

“You couldn’t possibly understand,” Brett said wistfully one evening after his vodka gobbets had finally added up to a few drinks’ worth. “You were born into royalty.”

He’d forgotten about Queen Marva and Princess Merilee.

“See, Jackie, no one in my family ever amounted to anything.”

For the tenth time that week, I sat through the history of his no-good father, Barney Senior, and what a failure he’d been.

“It would bring light into my mama’s heart if I won one of those golden guys,” he said wistfully. “Why, my whole town would come out for a parade.”

“Seventy-six trombones,” I mumbled.

“Thanks a lot.” He stalked down the hall to the gym. Several minutes later I heard his weights clanking along to Clint Black.

“Jackie.” Nicole poked my arm bringing me back to the moment.

In her white, satin Armani suit, blonde hair cut, highlighted and blown out to perfection, Nicole was a far cry from the person who had landed on my doorstep two years earlier. She displayed confidence and elegance in her tuxedo jacket and beaded bustier, as she shuffled Brett and me into our seats. I couldn’t help qvelling like a proud parent.

I whistled in admiration. “Don’t you look fabulous!”

“You’re the fourth and fifth seat in,” she replied, all business.