Leno's face turned serious, and Annelie wondered if he'd been subjected to his fair share of rumormongering.
"You're right, Carolyn." Leno paused. "It sounds like you and Ms. Peterson have become friends."
The actress didn't hesitate. "Yes, during the time I've known her,
she and I have become very close. You know, you just click with some people. She's great."
Leno nodded, and then a broad smile spread across his face. "Now, on a lighter note, you told me a funny story back in the green room, including a near disaster when you visited Ms. Peterson."
Carolyn flashed a broad smile. "Oh, you mean the one about my nonexistent cooking skills and how I ended up signing autographs for some very handsome boys from the FDNY instead of having pizza?"
The studio audience, responding to Carolyn like the crowd at the Orlando convention, roared, stomped their feet, and whistled as she winked at them. Annelie smiled as her lover told the story of the pizza, embellishing it in her special way.
"So, I take it you're a good customer at restaurants?" Leno deduced.
"You bet. That, and catering services. I think I'm solely responsible for my local Italian restaurant's expansion." Carolyn smirked. "I do, however, make excellent coffee."
"Now, the Maddox movies. You've signed contracts to do the first three. How does that feel?"
"It's a true honor to be chosen for this adventure." Carolyn leaned back, touching her lips with an index finger. Her face turned serious. "I'm also well aware of the responsibility. A lot rides on the first one being a success, and since I play Diana Maddox…" She shrugged.
"Yeah, they'll have your head if you screw up," Leno joked. "There's a lot of action in these stories." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Any qualms about kissing the lovely Ms. St. Cyr?"
Annelie closed her eyes and moaned in exasperation.
"Not one bit. Besides, she's a very attractive woman. Wouldn't you want to kiss her?" Carolyn deadpanned.
Leno missed a beat and then shook his head in mock dismay as the audience cheered. "I'm a married man. Are you trying to get me in trouble?" He grinned. "Honestly, Helen St. Cyr is one of my wife's favorite actresses, right up there with you and Alice Kriege."
"All character actresses," Carolyn observed. "Your wife has good taste, Jay."
"Naturally. Goes without saying. She married me, didn't she?"
The audience laughed.
"So, playing Diana Maddox—a tormented, complex, lesbian character—no big deal?"
Carolyn shook her head, giving Leno a somewhat patronizing glance. "I never go into a role thinking it's not a big deal, regardless of who the character is. Playing a lesbian is a first for me, if you don't count doing the Maddox audiobooks, and I intend to do my best to give Maddox credibility and to keep her natural. A certain percentage of all women are lesbians or bisexual—and the concept of love in any way, shape, or form between consenting adults is a good thing, right?"
Looking slightly stunned to be on the receiving end of Carolyn's firm glance, Leno nodded willingly. "Absolutely."
Carolyn was obviously not finished with the subject. "And as for her being tormented and complex, that has more to do with her persona than her sexual preference." Carolyn delivered the correction with an enticing smile, but her voice was forceful.
Leno reached for his tie knot, only to stop halfway. Clearing his voice, he returned the smile. "Now, I only have one final question."
"Shoot."
"Are you going to do all the stunts yourself? I know from the books there's some nudity, for instance."
Carolyn rolled her eyes, making the audience giggle. "Jay, you have a one-track mind. Well, in my contract, I've agreed to partial nudity when it's called for in the story." She leaned toward Leno, putting a hand on his arm. "I suppose by ‘stunts' you're also talking about the love scenes?"
"Eh…yeah."
"The only time I'd demand a stand-in or a stunt woman to take my place would be if it concerned…cooking."
The audience roared, and Leno laughed along with them. Annelie knew Carolyn was in control of the show and admired the way she charmed both her host and the spectators.
"I know I said that was my final question, but, if you'll indulge me, what are your plans for tonight? Are you going to paint the town with your colleagues and Ms. Peterson or…?"
Carolyn smiled wistfully. "You know, I'm going straight to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day, and I want to be at my best for the people attending the convention. They're even coming from Europe and Australia."
"Well, we've certainly enjoyed having you here on the show, Carolyn. Thank you so much for coming."
Carolyn rose and took a bow as applause thundered, then left the stage. Normally, Leno's guests remained on his couch, but Carolyn had refused to stay longer than her slot.
Annelie rose and turned to Gregory. "Wasn't she great?"
"Outstanding. She charmed them all. They'll want her back when the movie premieres."
"I'm sure they will."
The door opened and Carolyn entered, with sparkling eyes and a broad smile on her face. "All done," she proclaimed, energy vibrating in her voice. "We can leave right away, can't we?"
"Sure. Are you in a hurry?" Annelie raised her eyebrows.
"I want to get back to the hotel and order something from room service. I'm starving."
"Your wish is my command. We have an early start tomorrow."
Carolyn walked up to Annelie and studied her closely. "I was okay, right?"
Annelie wanted to stroke her lover's cheek, but decided not to since studio personnel were present. "You were awesome. Come on."
Hearing loud music from the house band in the background, Annelie noticed a new bounce in Carolyn's walk as they left the studio, making her realize her lover was on her performance high. When Annelie felt a soft caress of Carolyn's hand on her own, a thumb stealthily rubbing her palm, she shivered and glanced at her.
"Behave."
Carolyn smiled innocently. "All right."
***
They barely made it over the threshold.
Annelie turned to close the door, and Carolyn leaned past her, shutting it with the palm of her hand and locking the deadbolt. Pushing Annelie against the wall, she slipped her hands eagerly under her white silk shirt and stroked the skin on her stomach.
"Carolyn?" Annelie managed, before the other woman claimed her mouth, parting her lips in a passionate kiss. "You were going to call room service…"
"Shh." Carolyn pushed Annelie's jacket off her shoulders while she kissed her way inside the shirt she was unbuttoning. Tracing the delicate collarbones with open-mouth kisses, she made Annelie moan as she pushed down the shoulder straps of her bra and let it fall to the floor, together with her shirt.
"You're so beautiful," Carolyn murmured. "Exquisite." She closed her lips over a taut nipple, making Annelie arch into the touch. She nibbled Annelie's breast just the way she liked, making her gasp with pleasure and almost moan with pain.
"You're insatiable," Annelie gulped. "What brought this on?"
Carolyn didn't answer. Instead, she unbuttoned her lover's black slacks, pushing them down her hips. Annelie stepped out of them, watching in awe as Carolyn suddenly knelt in front of her, sliding her lace panties down next. Slowly, interrupting her intentions by placing kisses on Annelie's thighs, she undressed her completely. Carolyn's beauty, her dark eyes brimming with desire, made Annelie's heart ache.
Carolyn began to caress her way up. Carefully letting her nails trail up along the smooth thighs, she closed in on the blond tuft of hair, making Annelie tremble.
"Come on, love, spread your legs for me," Carolyn encouraged. "That's it…more…I want to look at you."