Chapter 1

1

The tile floor was cool against Christina’s feet as she padded into the kitchen. It was barely past five in the morning, but the heat of the day, unseasonable for June in New Jersey, had already started to set in. The back of Chris’ cotton tank top stuck to her skin. She plucked at the fabric with a grimace, then grabbed a mug from the cabinet and set it down on the kitchen table next to her laptop. A quick rummage through the fridge produced a pitcher of iced tea.

Once her mug was filled, Chris sat down and took a sip as she waited for her laptop to fire up. She glanced at the time on her phone. Ten past five in the morning. There were still twenty minutes to go until Anna called.

Chris smiled against the rim of her mug. She hadn’t talked to her girlfriend in nearly twenty-four hours, other than a few rushed texts. Anna had kissed her goodbye at Newark airport, then boarded a private flight to Iceland. It wasn’t the longest they’d ever been apart, but the distance felt heavier than the times when they’d been separated by a few hundred miles.

There were three new emails in her inbox. One was an evite to a second cousin’s first communion in a few months; Chris accepted it without checking the date. She knew no less than three family members would be sending her calendar invites with the details, if they hadn’t already. She’d have to wait and see how she was feeling closer to the event before she decided whether or not to attend.

The second email was from Anna. It’s starting already, she had written, followed by a string of emojis ranging from excited to nervous, and ending with five kisses. A link to a news article was included. Chris clicked on it as she took another sip of her drink.

On Location: Shooting for Reflex Memories, James Andrews’ latest spy thriller, is scheduled to start next week. Cast and crew were spotted around town in Reykjavik, including veteran director Akari Jones, newcomer (and out transgender actress) Anna Jackson, and the leading man himself. James and Anna were spotted grabbing coffee at a local shop, and Anna even indulged in a pastry as well. Enjoy while you can, Anna, we’re sure Akari’s action sequences will be grueling!

A photo of Anna and James accompanied the blurb. They were settled at a small table outside of the coffee shop. Anna’s hazel eyes were hidden behind sunglasses and her hair was a mess of copper waves around her face, but Chris could spot the telltale curves of her face that indicated she was laughing as she bit into a cinnamon roll so large that she needed both hands to hold it. James only had his coffee, and the photo had caught him as he was speaking, one hand raised in gesture towards Anna. He was laughing, too, the white frames of his own sunglasses crisp against the deep bronze of his cheekbones. His trademark salt and pepper waves remained impeccably styled, as always.

They looked relaxed together. Anna had been nervous about taking such a potentially monumental step in her career, but Chris knew that having James on set would be a comfort. James had been a friend and mentor to Anna for the past four years. Chris had met him several times when they lived in California, along with his wife Aisha and their four children, and he’d always come across as a kind, calming presence.

They’d met when James had taken a break from acting to direct an indie flick, in which Anna had been cast in a supporting role. The film had been well received in its limited release, and James had taken a shine to Anna. He’d asked her to star in his next directorial project, and she’d accepted. And when he’d been called back to Hollywood to star in Reflex Memories,James had insisted that Anna be offered the co-starring role.

Anna had leapt at the chance, though she’d been nervous about taking on such a high profile role as a relatively unknown trans actress. So far, the majority of media coverage had been kind, if a little awkward, in their support, but there would undoubtedly be extra scrutiny of her role once the movie came out. Both Chris and Anna were aware of that fact, but Anna always said that as long she had a positive review from Chris—who was never anything less than honest with her girlfriend—she’d consider it a success.

Still smiling, Chris clicked on the last email. It was from her great-aunt Donna, with the exciting subject line, Hello.Her smile faded as she read the note. Congratulations! Always knew my lovely great-goddaughter was a talented gem! We need to celebrate the next time I’m in town!

Chris didn’t click the article linked below. She recognized the link address all too well. It was three months old by this point, but Aunt Donna was always a little behind when it came to family news. She lived in Virginia and was flighty in the best of times, being selective with which parts of the conversation she paid attention to and retained.