Tom’s visit.
“Hi. How was shopping?”
“Good.”
“And our Gretchen?” He reached for the laundry basket to carry it for her. “Did you talk about what’s going on with her?”
“It’s Jake. She’s trying to figure out where they stand.”
“I don’t like him. He’s no good for her.”
“Are you her dad now?” They’d reached Elena’s room, and she pulled out her key.
“Well, somebody has to look out for her. She’s like frigging Pollyanna in the big city. She could get hurt.”
Elena quashed her own concerns about the Xanax. “Remember the dumb-ass stuff you did at twenty-one? We all have to live through it. Gretchen’s pretty level-headed. She’ll be okay.”
“I guess so.” Denny handed her laundry back. “But I’m still keeping my eye on her.”
He continued on his way down the hall, and Elena went into her room.
After putting her clothes away, she cleaned up her half of the room, which left Cara’s half looking even worse, and then took a taxi to the theater for the evening performance.
Following the bright, sunny afternoon, the weather had abruptly turned to cold, wet rain blowing in off Lake Michigan. The drenching downpour soaked her as she dashed to the back door of the theater and matched her sour mood.
She dressed in her costume and applied make-up, the routine distracting her from dwelling on Michael and the reporter. She didn’t see him until they were onstage.
It was easy for her to play Kathleen tonight, delivering the barbed banter with an angry edge and tense body language. But as her character grew softer, revealing her true feelings, the acting grew harder. Elena’s jealous gremlin was back, rattling the bars of its cage. By the time she had to kiss Michael, she was tight-lipped and stiff.
He pulled back from the kiss, looking at her with a quick, puzzled frown before leaning in and trying again. On the second kiss, Elena wrapped her arms around him and molded her body to his with a possessive air.
Backstage after the scene, Trinka whispered, “I liked the new bit with the hesitation. It really heightens the tension.”
The second act began.
Elena was onstage in the middle of another intense dialogue with Michael when a loud crash and a cry came from backstage. She glanced toward the sound, but resisted turning her head, keeping her focus on Michael and finishing her line.
After the blackout, she rushed backstage to find out what had happened. Her heart pounded as she saw Trinka lying on the floor with Gretchen crouched on one side, holding her hand, and Kurt Peters on the other.
“She fell from the upper tier of the set. Her leg might be broken. Ambulance is on its way,” Logan whispered. “Cara’s getting in costume now.”
Trinka lay only feet from where the action still continued onstage. Her teeth were clenched on the sleeve of her shirt to keep from crying out. Tears trickled from the corners of her tightly closed eyes.
Elena started to squat next to Gretchen, ready to offer what comfort she could to her friend, but Austen, the SM assistant, moved her along with a hand at her back.
“We’re going on. You have to get set for the next scene.”
Michael took hold of her hand and guided her to stage left where they had to make their next entrance. His hand gripped hers and gave a comforting squeeze as they stood waiting for their cue. He leaned to murmur in her ear, “She’ll be okay.”
Elena nodded. Far away, she heard the faint wail of a siren. The ambulance must have arrived in the rear alley for her to be able to hear it through the thick theater walls.
Before the next scene started, Austen announced to the audience that Cara Cunningham would fill the role of Jen for the remainder of the second act.
Elena barely had time to draw breath before her entrance, and the rest of the play passed in a blur. The company sang the final reprise of “We Are All” with as much joy as they could muster under the circumstances.
Michael stood
“Hi. How was shopping?”
“Good.”
“And our Gretchen?” He reached for the laundry basket to carry it for her. “Did you talk about what’s going on with her?”
“It’s Jake. She’s trying to figure out where they stand.”
“I don’t like him. He’s no good for her.”
“Are you her dad now?” They’d reached Elena’s room, and she pulled out her key.
“Well, somebody has to look out for her. She’s like frigging Pollyanna in the big city. She could get hurt.”
Elena quashed her own concerns about the Xanax. “Remember the dumb-ass stuff you did at twenty-one? We all have to live through it. Gretchen’s pretty level-headed. She’ll be okay.”
“I guess so.” Denny handed her laundry back. “But I’m still keeping my eye on her.”
He continued on his way down the hall, and Elena went into her room.
After putting her clothes away, she cleaned up her half of the room, which left Cara’s half looking even worse, and then took a taxi to the theater for the evening performance.
Following the bright, sunny afternoon, the weather had abruptly turned to cold, wet rain blowing in off Lake Michigan. The drenching downpour soaked her as she dashed to the back door of the theater and matched her sour mood.
She dressed in her costume and applied make-up, the routine distracting her from dwelling on Michael and the reporter. She didn’t see him until they were onstage.
It was easy for her to play Kathleen tonight, delivering the barbed banter with an angry edge and tense body language. But as her character grew softer, revealing her true feelings, the acting grew harder. Elena’s jealous gremlin was back, rattling the bars of its cage. By the time she had to kiss Michael, she was tight-lipped and stiff.
He pulled back from the kiss, looking at her with a quick, puzzled frown before leaning in and trying again. On the second kiss, Elena wrapped her arms around him and molded her body to his with a possessive air.
Backstage after the scene, Trinka whispered, “I liked the new bit with the hesitation. It really heightens the tension.”
The second act began.
Elena was onstage in the middle of another intense dialogue with Michael when a loud crash and a cry came from backstage. She glanced toward the sound, but resisted turning her head, keeping her focus on Michael and finishing her line.
After the blackout, she rushed backstage to find out what had happened. Her heart pounded as she saw Trinka lying on the floor with Gretchen crouched on one side, holding her hand, and Kurt Peters on the other.
“She fell from the upper tier of the set. Her leg might be broken. Ambulance is on its way,” Logan whispered. “Cara’s getting in costume now.”
Trinka lay only feet from where the action still continued onstage. Her teeth were clenched on the sleeve of her shirt to keep from crying out. Tears trickled from the corners of her tightly closed eyes.
Elena started to squat next to Gretchen, ready to offer what comfort she could to her friend, but Austen, the SM assistant, moved her along with a hand at her back.
“We’re going on. You have to get set for the next scene.”
Michael took hold of her hand and guided her to stage left where they had to make their next entrance. His hand gripped hers and gave a comforting squeeze as they stood waiting for their cue. He leaned to murmur in her ear, “She’ll be okay.”
Elena nodded. Far away, she heard the faint wail of a siren. The ambulance must have arrived in the rear alley for her to be able to hear it through the thick theater walls.
Before the next scene started, Austen announced to the audience that Cara Cunningham would fill the role of Jen for the remainder of the second act.
Elena barely had time to draw breath before her entrance, and the rest of the play passed in a blur. The company sang the final reprise of “We Are All” with as much joy as they could muster under the circumstances.
Michael stood
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