Viveca Rothschild was riding the high. She had been excited about the Oscars before, but never like this. She’d always been the underdog, never the front-runner. It was nerve-racking, as if she had something to lose. The more real the possibility became, the more terrified she became that it would be snatched from her grasp. This tiny seed of doubt was the only thing that kept her from thoroughly enjoying her nomination.
“Popcorn, who needs popcorn?” Cheryl asked, emerging from the kitchen with a big bowl. “What’s a movie without popcorn?”
“Television,” Marcy Scott said, and everybody laughed. “We’re watching television.”
“Yes, but it’s television about the movies. And if you don’t have popcorn you’re a grouch.”
Viveca laughed. “No grouches, no grouches. Only positive energy. This is the year of happiness and goodwill.” She gestured toward the television. “Even those assholes can’t spoil it.”
The assholes in question were Mickey and Marvin, two Los Angeles critics whose TV review show had been known to make or break movies.
Despite a reputation for being snarky, Mickey and Marvin had always had a soft spot for Viveca Rothschild. Reviews of her work had been favorable, if condescending. Viveca always felt they damned her with faint praise.
It was not all in her head. The other two times she’d been nominated, they’d treated her like a little girl lucky to have been seated at the grown-ups’ table. Mickey Stillhorn’s dismissal had particularly stung: “For her, the nomination is the award.”
Not this year. Critics had practically gushed in describing her performance in Paris Fling. She was clearly one of the big girls now. She deserved to be there, and she deserved to win.
“Who wants a drink?” Cheryl said.
“I do,” Bruce said, lunging to his feet and following Cheryl in the direction of the bar.
Viveca frowned. Bruce’s doctors had recommended that he take it easy with alcohol. They had tried banning it entirely, but Bruce insisted he’d be better at moderation than abstinence. This had not, so far, proven to be true. Viveca stopped herself from jumping up and telling him to tone it down. No negative energy, she told herself. She nibbled on the popcorn, and sipped her gin and tonic.
The reviewers were working their way through the categories, as had the Oscar presenters. It was a long wait. The amount of popcorn thrown against the screen was increasing exponentially.
Finally they reached her category.
“And for Best Actress—” Mickey said.
“All right!”
“Finally!”
“Well, it’s about time!”
Mickey went on, “—it’s turning into an interesting year.”
The statement was met with surprise.
“What?”
“Interesting, hell! It’s a runaway!”
“That’s right, Mickey,” Marvin said. “The front-runner in a race that’s been all but conceded is, of course, Viveca Rothschild in Paris Fling.”
“And what a performance! One that, I must admit, knocked this reviewer’s socks off. She had always earned kudos for playing the naughty femme fatale, but who knew she could step into a Cyd Charisse role without missing a beat?”
“You say Cyd Charisse, I say Marilyn Monroe, in How to Marry a Millionaire. Who knew she had it in her?”
“I’ll say. It’s the kind of bold move that, if it works, it’s great, and, if it doesn’t, you’re a laughingstock.”
“Well, she’s got my vote, just for having the guts to risk watching her career crash and burn.”
“All that made her pretty much an Oscar lock.”
There were huge cheers from all.
Mickey held up his finger. “But not so fast. Suddenly we’ve got a horse race here, and I didn’t see it coming.”
“I didn’t, either, but that’s what happened. Relative newcomer, Tessa Tweed, who took the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, deserves a second look.”
“I agree. She didn’t win just because she was in a separate category.”
“No, she won it on her own merits. And for the first time, we have to weigh the merits of her performance against the merits of Viveca Rothschild’s. It’s not apples and oranges here. These are two fine actresses.”
“While Viveca Rothschild is still the front-runner, she’d better look over her shoulder. Because someone is gaining fast.”
“And that someone is relative newcomer Tessa Tweed.”