The Deal by June Trop
Manhattan , New York , in the near future
“ Oh my God , Sam , will you look at this ?” “ What are you talking about ?”
“ This headline : ‘ NEW ACTRESS OR OLD ? INGENUE SLATED TO WIN BEST ACTRESS ’.”
“ So ?”
“ Just listen : ‘ Twenty-three-year-old ingénue , Indira Adira , is favored to win the Oscar this evening for her role as Melanie Hamilton in the remake of the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind ’.”
“ Come here , Ruthie ,” murmured Sam as he cuddled his wife from behind and nibbled on the back of her neck . “ Let ’ s get back to what we were doing .”
hair .”
Ruth pushed him away . “ Stop , Sam . You ’ re mussing my
8
“ Aw , come on —”
“ No , wait a minute . ‘ Speculations abound that Ms . Adira is , for all intents and purposes , Dame Olivia herself as she renders to pitchperfect perfection the role that made —’”
“ What nonsen —”
“ Will you shut up ? I haven ’ t even gotten to the good part yet . ‘ But the good doctors at NYU Medical Center know better . In a slip I had to swear on my mother ’ s eyes I ’ d keep secret , a surgeon-in-the-