the lips, Roz knew better. Love her ass. She was a seductress from way back and even
with Barry at her side, she had her sights set on Mick.
Mick,
however, immediately pulled back from her, placed his hand on the small of
Roz’s back, and pushed Roz slightly forward. “I want you to meet Rosalind,” he said to Agnes. “Rosalind, this is Barry’s wife Agnes.”
Agnes had
some acting chops too, Roz thought, because she put on an excellent,
Tony-caliber, how thrilled I am to meet
you performance. “Hi, Rosalind. It’s so wonderful to meet you!”
“Nice to
meet you too, Mrs. Acker.”
She expected
Agnes to tell her to call her Agnes or whatever nickname, but she did not. She wanted to keep her superiority
intact. But Mick cut her down to size. “Call her Agnes,” he said to Roz.
Roz could
tell Agnes didn’t like it, but being the trooper she was, she went along with
it. “Yes, please,” she said
dramatically. “Or Aggie. That’s what Micky calls me.”
Roz didn’t
respond to that. And Barry took
over. After finding out what they all wanted
to drink, he headed for the bar in the living room while they headed for the
sofa.
Agnes placed
her arm in Roz’s arm and escort her to the sofa. “Did Micky bore you with silence on the ride
over?” she asked. Mick followed behind
them. “He’s no big talker, you know.”
“It was a
nice ride over,” was all Roz would say about it.
“Yes, but
were you bored?” Agnes asked. “Micky
never bores me, but I’ve heard from his previous ladies how inattentive he can
be.”
But as Roz
was about to sit on the sofa, Agnes steered her to the flanking chair. “The best seat in the house for you,
Rosalind,” she said, as Roz sat down in the chair. “Or can I call you Roz? Most Rosalinds prefer Roz.”
“Roz is
fine.”
Agnes sat in
the middle of the sofa, and patted the seat for Mick to sit beside her. He did, but not on the cushion where she was
patting, but on the seat beside Roz’s chair. Mick didn’t play games, not even with Agnes.
“So,” Agnes
said to him, that award-winning smile again. “I was absolutely blown away when Barry told me you were actually going
to come and break bread with us. It’s
been such a long time.”
“You know
Barry,” Mick said. “He doesn’t take no
for an answer.”
“He loves
you,” Agnes said. “He worries about you
like a brother.”
“I wouldn’t
go that far,” Barry said from across the room, and everybody laughed.
Actresses
who worked with him before told Roz that he was a straight shooter who called
it like he saw it. He never cast Roz in
any of his Broadway productions, only his off-Broadway shows, so he apparently
didn’t see any great acting chops in her. But she couldn’t hold that against him. He preferred a certain type of actress, and she wasn’t that type. That didn’t mean she wasn’t a good
actress. That didn’t mean she was going
to steer clear of every one of his productions. No way. Broadway, and by
extension Broadway producers and directors, were as fickle as the rain. One day you’re the toast of the town, the
next day you’re just toast. On any given
day, any decent actress could get any part. Actresses like Roz lived for those given days.
Mick leaned
back and crossed his legs.
Agnes leaned
back too, putting herself shoulder to shoulder with Mick. “I was going to set you up with this very
nice lady,” she said, “but Barry told me not to do it. He said that was the only way you would
come.”
“That’s
right,” Mick said.
“I see why
now,” Agnes said with that smile again, as she looked at Roz. “She’s lovely.”
Mick looked
at Roz too. “I agree.”
“Not the
drop dead types I’ve seen you with, but she’s cute.”
The dagger,
Roz thought. And Mick looked at her, as
if she was going to argue Agnes’ point. But Roz knew her
with Barry at her side, she had her sights set on Mick.
Mick,
however, immediately pulled back from her, placed his hand on the small of
Roz’s back, and pushed Roz slightly forward. “I want you to meet Rosalind,” he said to Agnes. “Rosalind, this is Barry’s wife Agnes.”
Agnes had
some acting chops too, Roz thought, because she put on an excellent,
Tony-caliber, how thrilled I am to meet
you performance. “Hi, Rosalind. It’s so wonderful to meet you!”
“Nice to
meet you too, Mrs. Acker.”
She expected
Agnes to tell her to call her Agnes or whatever nickname, but she did not. She wanted to keep her superiority
intact. But Mick cut her down to size. “Call her Agnes,” he said to Roz.
Roz could
tell Agnes didn’t like it, but being the trooper she was, she went along with
it. “Yes, please,” she said
dramatically. “Or Aggie. That’s what Micky calls me.”
Roz didn’t
respond to that. And Barry took
over. After finding out what they all wanted
to drink, he headed for the bar in the living room while they headed for the
sofa.
Agnes placed
her arm in Roz’s arm and escort her to the sofa. “Did Micky bore you with silence on the ride
over?” she asked. Mick followed behind
them. “He’s no big talker, you know.”
“It was a
nice ride over,” was all Roz would say about it.
“Yes, but
were you bored?” Agnes asked. “Micky
never bores me, but I’ve heard from his previous ladies how inattentive he can
be.”
But as Roz
was about to sit on the sofa, Agnes steered her to the flanking chair. “The best seat in the house for you,
Rosalind,” she said, as Roz sat down in the chair. “Or can I call you Roz? Most Rosalinds prefer Roz.”
“Roz is
fine.”
Agnes sat in
the middle of the sofa, and patted the seat for Mick to sit beside her. He did, but not on the cushion where she was
patting, but on the seat beside Roz’s chair. Mick didn’t play games, not even with Agnes.
“So,” Agnes
said to him, that award-winning smile again. “I was absolutely blown away when Barry told me you were actually going
to come and break bread with us. It’s
been such a long time.”
“You know
Barry,” Mick said. “He doesn’t take no
for an answer.”
“He loves
you,” Agnes said. “He worries about you
like a brother.”
“I wouldn’t
go that far,” Barry said from across the room, and everybody laughed.
Actresses
who worked with him before told Roz that he was a straight shooter who called
it like he saw it. He never cast Roz in
any of his Broadway productions, only his off-Broadway shows, so he apparently
didn’t see any great acting chops in her. But she couldn’t hold that against him. He preferred a certain type of actress, and she wasn’t that type. That didn’t mean she wasn’t a good
actress. That didn’t mean she was going
to steer clear of every one of his productions. No way. Broadway, and by
extension Broadway producers and directors, were as fickle as the rain. One day you’re the toast of the town, the
next day you’re just toast. On any given
day, any decent actress could get any part. Actresses like Roz lived for those given days.
Mick leaned
back and crossed his legs.
Agnes leaned
back too, putting herself shoulder to shoulder with Mick. “I was going to set you up with this very
nice lady,” she said, “but Barry told me not to do it. He said that was the only way you would
come.”
“That’s
right,” Mick said.
“I see why
now,” Agnes said with that smile again, as she looked at Roz. “She’s lovely.”
Mick looked
at Roz too. “I agree.”
“Not the
drop dead types I’ve seen you with, but she’s cute.”
The dagger,
Roz thought. And Mick looked at her, as
if she was going to argue Agnes’ point. But Roz knew her
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