The Role of Her Lifetime Read online

  She sat with her coffee and anguished over it for a good ten minutes.

  And now there was Ashley…

  She looked into her now-empty cup. She needed to talk to someone about this. She reached for her phone and called Chris.

  “Now what?”

  “I need to talk to someone,” Marie began. “I’m going crazy with this Jackie thing.”

  There was a moment of silence.

  “Was she that bad?” Chris asked.

  Marie laughed. “I don’t know. I haven’t tried anything.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “I think I’m falling in love,” Marie said softly.

  “And that’s a problem? Has she said anything?”

  Marie explained what had happened last night.

  “Why did you walk out?”

  “I got scared. How will this affect the show? What if this isn’t what she wants? I think she has a boyfriend. If I make a pass at her, will it put a wedge between us?” She went on to explain the long kiss.

  Chris was silent for another moment.

  “Why don’t you come out here for the weekend? I can come in and get you. You’ll have great food. Our cook is phenomenal. It’ll get you away from the city. You can breathe good air and clear your head, and we can talk about it.”

  “Well, I’m not getting any work done here. I might as well.” She stopped. “I have Monday free.”

  “Great! We haven’t caught up on the last five months.”

  “I was going to look over the music.”

  “Bring it with you,” Chris told her. “We have a piano. You can work in the music room for a couple hours. It will kill two birds with one stone. I’ll help you if you want.”

  “Yes. That sounds like a good idea. Should I wear anything special? How formal is your house with all those servants?”

  Chris chuckled. “Wear what you always wear. Just bring your jammies.”

  “Okay. Great.”

  “See you in about an hour.”

  Marie sighed as she clicked her phone off. Well, maybe this would help.

  * * * *

  Car’s house amazed Marie when Chris drove up the long driveway.

  “Girl! This is where you live?” she exclaimed.

  The wonderful stone building sat atop a small hill. It almost looked like a castle. It was big, but not huge. There were only two stories, but each floor looked taller than most houses. On each end, the second floor stopped about fifteen feet short of the end.

  She looked around at the manicured property. The edges, several yards from the house, were lined with tall broadleaf trees, each standing in the right place to provide privacy. Flower beds circled the building, still blooming despite the late summer sun. Trimmed hedges circled the front door and several spaces between the flowers

  As they rounded the house and pulled up to Chris’s parking space next to the two-story garage, Marie was surprised by the back overlooking the river.

  “How many people take care of this place? It’s beautiful.”

  They both got out of the car. Chris also looked around as she closed the car door.

  “A gardener, a cook, and a housekeeper.”

  “And her chauffer,” Marie added. She reached into the back seat for her overnight case.

  Chris nodded. “Wait until you see the inside.”

  The back was just as imposing as the front, with a formal-looking entry door in the middle and a patio on the southwest side. A short brick wall surrounding it. There were green plants trailing over the sides. Hedges also surrounded the massive door, as they had the one in front…or behind, depending on which side one looked.

  Chris grinned. “Come on.”

  She led the way onto the patio. Wrought iron chairs and small tables sat there. The ornate sliding-glass door opened into the large parlor on the first floor. Couches and lounge chairs surrounded the fifty-five-inch television and entertainment center. It faced away from the outside so no one would see it, and it wouldn’t catch sun and shade from outside. From the chairs, one could watch TV and look outside, too.

  “Good God! How much money does Car have?”

  “Millions! She invested big time while she was working on Wall Street. She owns a lot of rental properties, too.”

  “You fell into this up to your eyeballs, didn’t you?”

  “It’s been hard, but we’re making this work. Now that I’m making some of my own money, I don’t feel like a kept woman.”

  Marie laughed. “I wouldn’t mind being a kept woman if I could live like this.”

  “You haven’t seen the whole house yet. I like the upstairs better.”

  “You would. That’s where the beds are.”

  They gave each other playful pushes, and Chris led the way down the hall to the main entrance. She pointed to the doors on each side.

  “That’s Car’s office, and this is my music room.” She pointed beyond Car’s room. “The dining room and kitchen are through there. Judith and Susan have rooms beyond the kitchen. That’s what’s in the short side of the house. Jack has an apartment above the garage. Joe, the gardener, and his family live about five miles from here.”

  Chris walked up to Car’s office and opened the door.

  Car looked up from her desk. “Hi, Marie,” she said.

  “Good God!” Marie exclaimed when she saw the six monitors against the far wall. “Do you have TV from all over the world?”

  “No. I have to keep track of the markets in London, Moscow, Beijing, and Tokyo.” Car was a stock broker dealing in all the major markets.

  “And, of course, New York,” Chris added. “We’re going up to the terrace.”

  “Do you want to eat dinner up there? I’ll have Judith bring it up. I’ll be up in a little while, too.”

  Chris looked at Marie and said, “Sure. It’s nice out there today.”

  Marie nodded and followed Chris up the long circular staircase. They walked down the long hallway, through the French doors at the end, and out onto what looked like an outdoor living room.

  “What’s the problem with Jackie?” Chris asked as she sank down on the outdoor couch.

  “I don’t know.” Marie sighed and walked to the short wall surrounding the terrace. “I feel like I’m in over my head. I don’t know what to do.”

  “You might need to discuss it with her.”

  “But I think she’s straight.” She explained seeing Jackie dropped off on Monday. “What if she freaks out and won’t act with me. What if one of us has to quit?”

  “You’re both actors. Isn’t that what you’re being paid to do?”

  “But what if it turns out to be too real?”

  Chris stared at Marie. “Get over it, Jacolby. If it happens, it happens. Deal with it then.”

  “Am I causing myself trouble?”

  “Probably.”

  “Oh, Chris.” Marie sighed as she plopped down onto the chair opposite Chris. “I’m falling in love.”

  “So?”

  “What do I say?”

  “What do you want to say?”

  Marie scowled at her.

  “Look, if you tell her how you feel, at least you’ll know how she feels,” Chris said.

  Marie shook her head. “I shouldn’t tell her.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “Christine!” Marie wailed

  “Marie!’

  Marie sank farther into the chair.

  “If you don’t say anything, you’ll never know what could have been.”

  “But what if it backfires? What if I have to quit?”

  “And what if it doesn’t?”

  Marie stood again. She paced to the edge of the terrace and back. “Why the hell do I ever go to you for advice?” she asked rhetorically.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  Marie remained silent.

  “Okay. If you tell her, she has two options: she says, “Yes,” or “No, I can’t deal with it.” Then you have options: you say, “Okay, good.
Let’s see what happens.” Or “I won’t deal with it either.” If you decide to let it happen, you may be happy. If you don’t, you’ll have to decide if you can ignore it or not. If you can’t, you’ll either drive yourself crazy, or you get out. You can save yourself all that hassle by telling her. She may surprise you. Then you’ll both be happy.”

  Marie bit down on her lip.

  “Sleep on it,” Chris suggested.

  “I tried.”

  “But you said you didn’t sleep at all last night.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Well, of course, you can’t make a decision. You need a good night’s sleep.”

  “That’s why I’m here. Do you have anything to drink?”

  “Only scotch up here, but we have a full bar down in the entertainment room. Let’s go downstairs.”

  “Okay,” Marie said, following Chris out into the hall and down the back stairs.

  “What’s your choice? We have Coke and 7-Up as mixers. I can call Judith if you want lemon or lime.”

  “Judith?”

  “Our cook. We don’t keep fruit in here ‘cause we seldom use it.”

  “Rum and Coke,” Marie said.

  Chris went behind the wet bar, opened the small refrigerator beneath it, withdrew a can of Coke and a glass, and reached for the bottle of rum on the shelf behind her. “Light or heavy?”

  “Might as well make it heavy. If I can get drunk, I may be able to sleep tonight.”

  Chris smiled. “Then we might as well take the whole bottle upstairs.” She picked up the bottle of dark rum and handed it to Marie with the Coke can. “Come on back up. It’s too nice to sit inside, unless you want to watch something on TV.”

  “If I wanted to watch TV, I could have stayed home.” Marie turned toward the stairs and led the way up to the terrace.

  Chris filled two glasses with ice and handed one to Marie. Marie sat down on the couch and poured herself a glass of rum and Coke as Chris poured a glass of scotch for herself from the humungous cabinet against the house.

  “And there’s another problem,” Marie started to explain. “I went out to dinner again with Ashley this week, and…well…she wants to get back with me.”

  “What? If I remember correctly, you said that was one road you never wanted to walk again.”

  “I know.”

  “So why is that a problem? If you don’t want to get back with Ashley, don’t encourage her.”

  “She says she’s changed,” Marie whispered. “She says one mistake she made was not respecting me. She’s even thinking monogamy.”

  “Ashley?”

  Marie nodded. “I know, it doesn’t compute.”

  “Ashley Sheppard? Monogamous? And you believe her?”

  Marie took a very deep breath. “The one I swore I’d never want again suddenly wants me. The one I want…well, you know.”

  Chris looked at her, wide-eyed. “Marie Jacolby, have another drink. You’re not thinking clearly. Ashley hurt you. It took you almost a year to get over her. Now she walks back in and wants to start back up right away? Can you do that? Do you want to?”

  “If I can’t have Jackie, it may be an option.”

  “Bullshit.”

  They looked at each other in silence. Then Marie got up and went to the cabinet to get more ice and another shot of rum. Just as she was returning to the couch with her drink, a tall, thin, middle-aged woman came out onto the terrace, pushing a wheeled table laden with plates, glasses, and silverware. Marie assumed she was Judith, their cook. She went to the far end of the cabinet and opened a large door at the end of it. She rolled out a gas grill, and then took a bottle of wine from the other side of the cabinet.

  Chris introduced her to Marie.

  “Ms. Car wanted steak tonight. Is that okay with you two?”

  “Sounds great,” Chris responded. Marie nodded.

  “Good. Mashed, baked, or French fries?”

  “Whatever is easier for you.”

  “The easy thing for me is to not have to make a decision,” Judith told them.

  Chris glanced over at Marie. “Well?”

  “Baked,” Marie decided. “I can get French fries at McDonalds.”

  “You expect I’d make food like McDonalds?” Judith exclaimed.

  “No, no, of course not.” Marie looked at Judith and Chris to see if she’d offended anyone. “But I haven’t had a good baked potato in months!”

  “All right. Then we’ll make you one. What do you like on it? Butter? Sour cream? Bacon bits? Chives? Cheese? All of the above?”

  Marie grinned. “All of the above, please.”

  “No one leaves this house without being fed well.” Judith set the place settings on the dining table, and then pushed the service tray back into the house.

  “Good heavens, Chris,” Marie said when Judith had left. “Are you always served like this?”

  Chris nodded. “Car can’t cook her way out of a paper bag, and restaurants charge exorbitantly to deliver out this far. I think Car lived on popcorn and peanut butter for months before she found Judith. It’s a lot nicer to have Judith here than to go into the city or up to Yonkers for every meal. It’s better food, too.”

  “Girl!” Marie said as she laughed. “Don’t you feel spoiled?”

  “All the time, but I’m getting over it.”

  Marie smiled at her. “How does she get that table up here?”

  “She carries it,” Chris answered. When Marie gave her a wicked stare, she explained, “There’s a service elevator over by the kitchen.”

  Marie shook her head in wonder.

  “Yes,” Chris responded. “We have everything. Do you want to rehearse before dinner or after?”

  “I’d better do it after,” Marie said, “After I’ve had a few more drinks. Actually, after I decide what I’m going to do about Jackie. No sense in learning all the music if I’m going to have to quit.”

  “Oh! That’s a good decision,” Chris mumbled sarcastically. “So what does this woman look like?”

  Marie took a deep breath. “She has golden brown hair and the most amazing hazel eyes. She’s shorter than me, and she has wonderful tits.”

  “How do you know? You said you hadn’t tried anything.”

  “I saw her in the dressing room.”

  “Yes, the old voyeur stuff. You always cop a look.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “Orchestra members don’t get undressed in front of each other.”

  “But you would if they did.”

  Chris nodded. “Of course.” She grinned.

  “Am I overboard with this?” Marie asked.

  “Why wouldn’t you be?”

  “Maybe I should just talk myself out of it.”

  “Can you do that?”

  Marie thought about it. “Probably not.”

  “Then you’ve got a problem.”

  Marie nodded.

  * * * *

  After dinner, once the dishes were cleared away, Chris, Car, and Marie shared what remained in the second wine bottle.

  “Are you ready to rehearse?” Chris asked.

  “Might as well.’

  “Want me to play for you?”

  “Sure.”

  “Mind if I listen?” Car asked.

  Marie agreed. “It may be the only time you get to hear me.”

  Car looked at them with a question in her eyes.

  “Marie’s thinking of quitting,” Chris explained.

  “Why?” Car asked.

  “Cause she’s afraid of telling Jackie how she feels.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.”

  Marie took a deep breath. “Let’s just practice. Okay?”

  Chris nodded.

  They walked down stairs and into the music room. There was a six-foot grand and several chairs. Chris’s cello leaned on its stand in the corner. Marie took the music out of her bag and placed it on the piano. She opened it to about halfway through.

  “This is after the ball,
after Ella tries to run away. This is the first thing the prince sings while holding her shoe. I think he has a shoe fetish. I’m going to make it seem that way.”

  Chris looked at the music. “How fast is it?”

  “Just follow me. It sort of speeds up and slows down at random.”

  Chris hit the opening chords.

  Marie began her solo. It was a heart-wrenching debate within the prince as he realized he really loved Ella and she’d never believe him. He’d said the same thing to every girl he came across just to get what he wanted. Now what could he do to prove he was really telling Ella the truth?

  The prince finally realized what an ass he’d been and why no one ever believed what he said. Could he overcome that now? How could he tell Ella he really loved her? How could he be in love?

  Marie stopped. “That’s my part. Then Ella sings hers, and we end together.” She sang the final two lines:

  “Should I tell her? Could I tell her?

  “Will she listen? Will she believe I’m in love?”

  Car broke into applause. “That’s beautiful,” she whispered.

  “It’s the best in the first act. I reprieve part of it in the finale. Both the second act prince and I try to persuade her to take us back.”

  “And does she believe you?”

  “You’ll never know. It’s left up in the air.”

  “Is the whole score like that?”

  “No! It’s quite eclectic. You should hear the songs the stepsisters sing. They are such nasty gossips. They’re the ones who tell Ella her prince is fooling around. They get a big kick out of it. And then they confront the prince when they see him coming out of Evangeline’s house.”

  “Whoa! That should be something.”

  “You cannot give up that role,” Chris stated. “It’s the role of a lifetime.”

  Marie sighed heavily. “I know.”

  Chapter 13

  “Hey,” Jackie greeted her early Tuesday morning.

  “Hi.” Marie gave her a giant smile.

  “How did your weekend go?”

  “It was wonderful! You should see their house! It overlooks the river and all the traffic on the parkway, but it’s on a hill with lots of trees and shrubbery, so you don’t get all the noise.”

  “Wow. Where is it?”