The Role of Her Lifetime Read online

  “Oh, this place looks wonderful!” Marie exclaimed as she scanned the menu. “I never go out to eat.”

  “Then we’ll have to do it more often. After all, we are engaged!”

  Marie laughed. “There is that!”

  They both looked through their menus. A waiter walked over to their booth. He took their orders and walked away.

  “It’s been such a long time since I’ve had enough money to go anywhere but a fast food place or cook Ramen noodles,” Jackie groused.

  “I know. I’ve had to take peanut butter or tuna fish sandwiches to work every day. On payday, sometimes, I treat myself and get some ham or turkey. If it’s been a good week, I might even splurge for a small steak or some chicken thighs.” Marie laughed. “The only other place I’ve been able to afford is Mickey D’s, but their menu is rather limited.”

  “Where have you been working?”

  Marie took a deep breath. “I was an administrative assistant at a travel agency. I hope this show flies, though. It gets pretty disheartening to book vacations I’ll never get to go on.”

  “Oh, I know. My boss has a beautiful house in the Hamptons and a condo here in Manhattan. He invited us all out to the island for a barbeque last summer. It’s right on the water. I’ll never be able to afford to live like that.”

  “You never know,” Marie said to encourage her. “If this show flies, you may become a Broadway superstar.”

  “I can’t even let myself dream of that. I’ll probably end up back as a receptionist in someone’s office.”

  “No,” Marie assured her. “We have to dream. That’s all we have. You never know what will happen.”

  The waiter brought a plate of calamari they had decided to share as an appetizer.

  “Good God!” Marie exclaimed. “I used to love calamari. I don’t think I’ve had it in years!”

  “I never had it when I was living at home. My folks are real conservative when it comes to food. Beef, pork, and chicken only. Well, a little trout or white fish on occasion. That’s what you get in the middle of Pennsylvania. Oh! And chocolate. I grew up near Hershey.

  “Hershey? I’d love to go there someday. I understand the streetlights are shaped like Hershey’s Kisses.”

  “They are! Some are just the brown chocolate kisses, and others look like they’re still wrapped in foil with those little flags sticking out the top. The whole town is geared to chocolate. There’s even an amusement park that’s chocolate-themed.”

  “Don’t tell me that. Chocolate is my downfall,” Marie said.

  “Really?”

  “Yes, unfortunately. Once I take a bite, I can’t stop until it’s all gone.”

  “Then maybe I shouldn’t take the chance of bringing you home with me. There’s never an end to the chocolate there.”

  “Oh, I could probably find it if I tried hard enough. Of course, you’d probably need an eighteen-wheeler to get me out of there.”

  They laughed together.

  The waiter brought Jackie’s eggplant parmigiana and Marie’s rollatini di pollo.

  “Wow!” Marie exclaimed as she picked up her fork. “This is a feast.”

  “We forgot to order some wine!” Jackie realized. “Do you think we can drink a whole bottle, or should we just get glasses?”

  “Better just get glasses unless you can drink most of the bottle yourself. I’m not used to alcohol. It’s very seldom I have the money to buy it,” Marie answered, shaking her head.

  Jackie held her hand up. When the waiter came over, she ordered two glasses of the house white wine.

  * * * *

  “That was a dynamite meal,” Marie said as Jackie opened the door to her apartment. It was a studio walk-up on the third floor, only about two blocks away from the restaurant.

  “Yes. The food there is always good.’

  “This is sweet.”

  As they walked in, Marie saw the studio. It was L-shaped with one leg holding a small kitchenette. The other had Jackie’s daybed, a small table with two chairs, and a chest of drawers. There were beautiful framed pictures along the walls and colorful decorations around the room. Two windows overlooked the street below.

  “It’s nice, if you can do the stairs every day. I know that’s what keeps me in shape,” Jackie commented. “It’s hard to get home at the end of a long day.” Then she turned to Marie with a smirk. “Or when you’ve had too much to drink.”

  Both women laughed as they sat on Jackie’s daybed.

  “That meal was incredible. I haven’t eaten that well in months,” Marie said as she took a deep, relaxing breath.

  “I thought you went out to eat with Ashley last week,” Jackie said.

  “Yes, but that was on her dime,” Marie explained. “And I wasn’t sure what I was eating half of the time. It was a Brazilian restaurant. It was interesting and quite tasty, but I could never have afforded it myself.”

  “You couldn’t?”

  “Well, I guess I could now. I’m not used to having money in my pocket I don’t have to budget.”

  “Was it a date?” Jackie asked.

  “Goodness, no,” Marie exclaimed. “We were celebrating the show. It was Ashley’s idea to go there, so she paid. I guess it’s one of her favorite restaurants ‘cause she knew what to order right away. I don’t think I’d ever go to a restaurant that expensive.”

  “Yes. It felt really weird to pay what we just paid for a meal. I can usually eat for a week or two on that amount.”

  “On tuna or peanut butter, make that a month. I think you could live for a year on ramen noodles, but it’s nice to be able to treat yourself like that for a change.”

  Jackie nodded. “Yes, thirty dollars is over a month’s worth of ramen. My friend Luis showed me how to prepare rice and beans so I’d have a variety. Some of the spices he uses make it very flavorful.”

  “Luis?”

  Was Luis the man who dropped her off last week?

  “Luis lives upstairs. We became friends while taking the trash out. He’s a cute Puerto Rican guy. Some nights, he’ll call down to see if I’ve eaten. If I haven’t, he’ll bring down what he’s cooked. He grew up in a big family, and he has a hard time cooking for just himself. There are bags of food in my freezer he didn’t know what to do with. He works as a dishwasher in a small restaurant around the block.”

  No, Marie thought, unless he’s independently wealthy, a dishwasher probably couldn’t afford a car like that guy was riding in last week.

  “Would you like some more wine or maybe coffee?” Jackie asked.

  “Coffee would be nice. I don’t drink alcohol very much. The drink I had with Ashley and that wine tonight was more than I’ve had in the last six months.”

  “Wow. I don’t drink a lot either, but sometimes I have a small glass when I get home from work. How do you relax after rehearsals?”

  Marie laughed. “Coffee.”

  “Really?” Jackie exclaimed. “Doesn’t that get you wired?”

  “No. I guess I’m immune. Coffee actually calms me. I always make a pot of coffee when I have to deal with something.”

  “Lucky! I’m up all night if I drink coffee after eight.”

  “Chris and I got through school drinking coffee. Actually, I drank coffee, which kept me awake. Then I’d keep her awake.”

  “Are you and Chris a couple?” Jackie asked.

  “No! She just moved in with her lover upstate. I’m single at the moment.”

  “Really?” Jackie smiled.

  “Yes. Chris and I were roommates at Juilliard. We’re still best friends. I actually just took over her apartment in Chelsea. I’ve always loved that place. I was with her when she found it. I was really jealous of it. If it had been two bedrooms, we would have shared.”

  “Isn’t Chelsea expensive?”

  “It’s rent-controlled. That’s why her name is still on the lease. I’m just sub-letting.”

  “That’s a good deal.”

  “It sure is. I fell in love with
it when she first found it. I had a small place over on the west side, but my lease expired just when Chris left to go on tour. So I apartment-sat until she came back. Luckily, the first day she was home, she made up with her lover, and that was it.”

  “That’s lucky…for both of you. It was even luckier for you that she didn’t want to move her lover into the apartment.”

  Marie nodded. “They have a big place out of the city. Her lover is quite rich.”

  “Wow. That must be nice.” Jackie paused a moment. “I see you’ve been spending a lot of time with Bill,” she observed. “I’ve seen you hug him a lot. Do you two have a thing going?”

  Marie laughed. “No, nothing like that. First of all, he’s married. Kent said we had to observe each other, so we made the same gestures to make it look like the same person. I’ve been practicing scratching my neck and how to walk like him, and he’s been trying to mimic the way I shrug all the time. I guess I say a lot with my shoulders. We each have certain ticks we can use.”

  “Oh!” Jackie exclaimed, “I never even thought of things like that.”

  “Yes, Kent’s brought up a lot of interesting stuff.”

  “He’s a good director,” Jackie agreed.

  “Yes. I’m impressed by the things we’ve been doing. This is going to be a good production.”

  “What do you think about that kiss through the entire last scene of the first act?” Jackie asked.

  Suddenly, Marie wanted to change the subject. “It’ll work.”

  “I think we’re going to have to do something so we don’t look like two statues,” Jackie said thoughtfully. “I was hoping Kent would choreograph it a little more. It is a little uncomfortable standing there through the entire last scene.”

  “Yes,” Marie agreed.

  “Maybe we’ll have to choreograph it ourselves. I’ve had a few ideas.”

  “Like what?” Marie inquired. She was interested to know what Jackie had planned. Jackie seemed quite happy when Marie had said she was single.

  “Well, first, we can’t just stand there. It’ll be uncomfortable for us, and the audience won’t believe it. We can’t stand in the same pose all the time.”

  “That’s very true,” Marie agreed. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well…at the start, you could lean me back a little. You’d have your back to the audience. And then we could turn the other way with my back to them. The veil Eunice designed will hide everything. Here, let me show you. You turn me back with your arm behind me, like this.” She pulled Marie up and moved until she was in Marie’s arms. Their faces were just an inch apart.

  “But won’t it be uncomfortable for you to be leaning back like that?” Marie asked.

  “It depends on how long the section lasts. Then we can change like this.” She moved Marie into another position. “See? We won’t be stiff, and it will still look like we’re kissing.” She moved them into a few more poses, each just a little closer.

  Marie took a step back then. Being this close to Jackie suddenly felt uncomfortable. She didn’t know what Jackie was thinking.

  “We’ll have to try a lot of poses to see what works.”

  Marie nodded. “I see what you’re thinking. I think we can do that.”

  “Let’s see what the transition feels like.”

  Marie bent Jackie back to make it look like they were kissing. Then they changed position into the second pose.

  “Then we can move here,” Jackie said as she moved them into a third pose.

  Marie took a step away. It was disconcerting. She’d almost kissed Jackie. Being that close in the small apartment made her want to do all sorts of things. In fact, she could feel her belly starting to get heated. That was the last thing she needed.

  “Let’s try it again,” Jackie said.

  They went through the moves another time.

  “Do you think it will work?” Jackie asked.

  “Sure!” Marie said, trying to keep her voice steady. She was almost panting with the want to really kiss Jackie. “Those are good moves. We should look good.”

  “Let me get the coffee started,” Jackie said as she turned toward the small kitchenette.

  Marie still felt very uncomfortable. She was nervous spending time in Jackie’s apartment. She wanted to stay but didn’t know how to handle what she felt.

  “No, forget the coffee,” she murmured. “I should get going. It’s after midnight, and it’s been a long day.”

  “I thought we were going to choreograph the whole wedding scene.” Jackie sounded surprised.

  “We can do it another day. I’m really tired. I think the wine affected me more than I thought.”

  “Oh. Will you be able to get home okay?”

  “Oh, yes. The fresh air will help clear my head a bit.” Marie picked up her purse and turned toward the door.

  “Want me to walk a ways with you to make sure you’re all right?”

  “No, but thanks. I’ll be fine once I get started and the air kicks in.” And I stop wanting to do all sorts of things with you. “Thanks for having dinner with me.”

  Jackie smiled. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

  Marie nodded. She walked out of the apartment, leaving Jackie standing there, looking confused and bewildered.

  Once on the street, Marie held her purse tightly and walked east until she hit Seventh Avenue and headed north.

  Deciding not to take a taxi or the subway, she trudged on quickly, keeping her attention ahead of her so she wouldn’t be surprised if people suddenly appeared in her path.

  What a dolt I am, she thought as she walked.

  She had wanted to stay at Jackie’s but didn’t trust her ability to keep her hands to herself. She had wanted to kiss Jackie when they were choreographing that scene but didn’t think she’d be able to stop. The more she learned about Jackie, the more attractive the woman became. She had looked around the apartment to see if there were pictures or anything that would give her a clue as to who Jackie was. There had been a photo of a man with Jackie. They looked happy to be together and held each other tightly. Was he Jackie’s boyfriend? It looked like they had a close relationship. He had the same coloring as the man who’d dropped her off.

  Get over it, Jacolby, she warned herself. It’s going to be hard enough doing the show together. Be professional. Don’t take this personally. This is just a job. Play your part; nothing more.

  At Fourteenth Street, while she waited for the light, a bus passed by, and she was suddenly facing herself kissing Jackie. The ads were out.

  Oh, my God.

  There, in all its glory, was a three-foot high photo of them lip-locked passionately. You could see their kiss and a part of Jackie’s face with just the back of her head. There was also a smaller picture of them looking into each other’s eyes in their wedding clothes. She hoped no one would recognize her.

  She crossed West Fourteenth Street and continued on, berating herself for allowing tonight to happen.

  Chapter 12

  The phone rang early the next morning as Marie made a pot of coffee. She hadn’t slept well, even though she was tired when she got to her apartment. All the thoughts of the night before kept going through her head.

  She answered the phone.

  “Hi, it’s Jackie. I’m just checking to see if you got home okay.”

  Marie chuckled. “Yes, I’m fine. How are you?”

  “I’m okay, but a little confused. What happened last night? Did I say something wrong?”

  “No, no,” Marie insisted. “I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

  “Oh. I was worried.”

  “No, everything was all right.”

  “That’s good,” Jackie said.

  “Did you see the ads are out? There are buses all over the city with us kissing.”

  “You saw them? How do they look?”

  “Well, it looks like we’re really kissing. I think the ads look good. There’s a smaller picture of us looking into each o
ther’s eyes.”

  “I’ll have to watch for them. Do you want to meet for lunch today?”

  Marie stopped. Did she dare? “I can’t,” she responded. “Chris asked me to go up river to see their house.”

  It wasn’t true, but it sounded good.

  “Then tomorrow?”

  Marie took a deep breath. “I might stay overnight.”

  “Oh. Then I guess I’ll see you Monday morning.”

  “No, I have Monday off, remember? You’re going to be running Act Two.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Jackie sounded disappointed. “I guess I should spend the weekend learning more of the music.”

  “That’s a good idea. I probably should, too.”

  “Then have a great time. I’ll see you Tuesday morning.”

  They said goodbye, and the phone went dead.

  Marie shook her head as she reached for a cup of coffee. Why was this turning out to be so hard? This was not the attraction she could handle right now. Yes, she really liked Jackie, but they had to work together for the foreseeable future. If the show went well, it might be a couple months, maybe even a couple years.

  How would a relationship with Jackie change things? Maybe they’d work well together, add a little reality to the opera. But what if it didn’t work out? Could they still work together? How would that affect it?

  There were other actors who were married and still worked together. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, for instance, fell in love doing a movie. So did Angelina and Brad, but they all got divorced, didn’t they? Several others did after that, too. But those were movies. They just acted their roles once and then had time off. They didn’t have to repeat them night after night after night.

  Stop! I don’t even know if she’s gay. I’ve seen her relate to some of the men in the cast, and she seems comfortable with them. What does that say? She has a picture in her apartment with a man who looks like the guy who dropped her off. She blew him a kiss, and he said ‘love you.’ She has a boyfriend. Don’t get your hopes up.

  Marie sank down and cradled her cup of coffee. Should she talk to Jackie about it?

  She took a sip and shook her head. Could she hold back her feelings? It was that kiss! She had to kiss Jackie for almost five minutes. Was she that good an actor?