Acting Up

by Kristin Wallace

  ****

  T-minus one minute. Sixty seconds till Addison found out if she’d managed to pull this ragtag group of students into something resembling a competent ensemble.

  “Places!” Robin cried. “Places everyone.”

  An electric current zinged through Addison’s veins as the house lights dimmed and the orchestra completed a final tuning.

  Addison sat down in a folding chair off the right stage wing. Marjorie was already there. A monitor was set up so they could see the stage. Reaching over, her assistant director squeezed Addison’s hand, and she shot her a confident smile. At least she hoped it was confident.

  “Whatever happens tonight, you’ve done an amazing job with these students,” Marjorie said. “It’s been an honor working with you. I was nervous as all get-out when they told me you were going to direct. I didn’t know what you would be like, but I have to say you’re an extraordinary woman. I’m privileged to call you my friend.”

  A rush of love welled up for this woman who’d given such unwavering support. “Thank you,” Addison said, blinking to hold back tears. “I’ve enjoyed working with you, too.”

  Robin’s voice came over the headphones again.

  “Curtain up on my mark,” Robin said. “Go curtain.”

  Pulse spiking, Addison held her breath as the curtain rose and the opening notes resounded through the auditorium. A schoolyard was revealed. Two teenagers, a boy in patched overalls and a girl in an ill-fitting gingham dress, entered from stage left. A bell clanged, and more students poured out from the wings. These new arrivals sported fashionable jeans, miniskirts, and tops. A pretty blonde flanked by three equally attractive girls, strode from the back up to the foot of the stage and began to sing.

  “Class. You can’t buy it. Class. You’re born with it. Class. You can’t fake it...”

  By the middle of the act, Addison could tell everyone’s nerves had disappeared. The girls in the audience tittered over Luke. Michelle’s first note brought forth a murmur of surprise. Laughter bubbled up at Peter’s over-the-top clowning. He did turn right. By the time Michelle and Luke’s duet concluded at the end of Act I, the audience was eating out of the palm of their hands. A rousing round of applause started before the last note even finished.

  At intermission, the excitement level backstage was palpable.

  “I did it!” Peter cried, picking Addison up off the ground. “I turned right!”

  “Yes, now stay in the game.” Addison chuckled and squirmed free before the kid hugged her to death. “You have a whole other act and thirty turns to go.”

  Peter’s jubilant smile fell. “Ugh.”

  The frenzy level rose again as the cast changed costumes. Passing by the girls’ dressing room, Addison came to a halt when she saw Lisa helping Michelle into her costume.

  Well, who says miracles don’t happen anymore?

  The act of kindness was no more than a memory by the time the girls dueled it out on stage. Of course, nothing could have made Addison smile more than the huge gasp that went up when Michelle emerged in the prom dress.

  Glancing over, Addison glimpsed tears in Marjorie’s eyes.

  “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Addison said.

  “She’s so beautiful. I never would have imagined—” Marjorie trailed off. “But you did. You saw this in her.”

  “I hoped.”

  “You changed her life.”

  “I only gave her an opportunity.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short,” Marjorie said, shaking her head. “I know heartache drove you to Covington Falls, but I believe you were meant to be here right now.”

  “God planned all this, huh?” Addison asked with a wry grin.

  “Actually, I think so,” she said in all seriousness. “Could you have imagined this a few months ago?” Marjorie asked, pointing to the screen.

  On stage, Luke took Michelle into his arms for their final dance, and their voices rose together. Pride rose up in Addison. Happiness over what the entire cast had accomplished and thankful she’d had to privilege to witness the journey.

  “No,” Addison said. “This is beyond anything I could have dreamed.”

  The audience rose with the final chord.

  Robin’s voice came through the earpiece. “Curtain down, curtain down!”

  Thunderous applause began.

  A whoop went up from the stage as Robin’s voice came through over the airwaves again. “That was amazing.”

  Marjorie and Addison grinned at each other.

  “Cast in place for curtain call,” Robin said. “Curtain going up on my mark… Curtain up!”

  Addison couldn’t contain her laughter as boy-band-worthy screams went up for Luke. Then she fought back tears as Michelle took her bows to a chorus of “Bravos” and whistles. The applause lasted through two curtain calls. Then Luke ran off stage. In seconds, he was back with a huge bouquet of flowers.

  The leading man gestured for quiet. “None of us would be here right now if it weren’t for a special person,” he said. “Who would have ever thought we would get to work with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars? She’s the best director we could’ve ever had. She’s also been a good friend. I know we’ll never forget her. Ms. Covington, come take your bow.”

  Addison walked out onto the stage in a daze as cheers rose again, the loudest coming from her cast. Tears did come this time and lasted a good ten minutes.

  The noise level in the dressing rooms was overwhelming as the cast changed out of their costumes. The thrill of a first performance could not be beat. Especially because everyone knew they’d get to do the whole thing all over again tomorrow.

  Eager parents were waiting outside the auditorium. Michelle’s mother and father were the most enthusiastic of all.

  “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for my daughter,” Mrs. Cerillo said, giving Addison a hug. “You were right. She’s incredible and we had no idea.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You gave her confidence. I know she’s always felt self-conscious about her figure, and you taught her to be comfortable with how she looks.”

  “I’m glad I was able to help her.”

  Ethan emerged from the crowd of fans, the rest of his family in tow. Aunt Ruth and Aaron were with them, too.

  “Addison, I am so impressed,” Elizabeth said. “Those kids looked like professionals up there.”

  “I am so proud of you, dear,” Aunt Ruth said, patting Addison’s cheek.

  “What did you think?” she asked Aaron.

  The teenager shrugged. “It was okay.”

  “Excuse me!” Addison slugged him in the arm.

  “Oww!” He laughed. “It was good, you know, for a musical.”

  “My turn,” Ethan said, hooking an arm around her waist. “You. Are. Amazing.”

  “Thank you — Oh!”

  “Oh!” Elizabeth echoed.

  Addison’s mouth dropped open as a statuesque redhead threaded her way through the crowd.

  “Sydney!” Addison screamed.

  They met halfway. Flashbulbs went off as Addison threw her arms around her best friend, but she barely noticed them.

  Sydney did, of course. She turned to face the nearest bright light. “I have never been more impressed in my life. An amazing show. I can’t tell you how proud I am of my friend.”

  More camera clicks. Finally, Addison waved them off. “Out. All of you. And my kids are off limits. Period. Got it?”

  The press drifted away.

  “When did you get here?” Addison asked as soon as the noise receded.

  “An hour before the show,” Sydney said. “Did you order up a whole town as backdrop for your musical? I thought I’d wandered into another dimension. Everything is too adorable.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Well, you did,” Addison said, hugging her friend again. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
r />   “Speaking of surprised,” she said, pointing over Addison’s shoulder. “I think we’ve stunned everyone.”

  A quick glance revealed the Thomas clan hadn’t moved a muscle.

  Addison took her friend’s hand. “Sydney, I’d like you to meet my aunt, Ruth Carlson. Auntie, this is—”

  “Of course I know who you are,” Aunt Ruth said.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Sydney said with genuine warmth. “Have you been taking good care of our Addison?”

  Aunt Ruth’s eyes crinkled up. “We do a good job of taking care of each other.”

  “I approve. She needed someone on her side.”

  Sydney turned to Aaron. “I swear, boy, you’ve grown about five inches since I last saw you.” She studied him. “You look happy.”

  He allowed a small grin and then shrugged. Of course.

  “The rest of these people are all related to my neighbor, Caroline Thomas,” Addison said.

  Sydney ignored most of them for the moment, zeroing in on Ethan. “You’re the man in the pictures.”

  “Right,” he said, as if unsure how to respond.

  Sydney made a visual tour from his loafers to the tips of his wheat-and-gold hair. She grinned, obviously pleased by what she saw, and then reached out and hugged him. Ethan stiffened in surprise.

  “Hey, hands off,” Addison said, wagging her finger.

  “Shh,” Sydney said. She pulled back far enough to look Ethan in the eye. “Thank you.”

  Ethan gazed down at her with a touch of wariness. “For what?”

  “For helping put my friend back together.”

  A startled expression chased across his features. “I think she did the same thing for me.”

  Sydney threw her head back and laughed. The peals echoed down the hall, causing everyone else to chuckle, too.

  “I already like you,” Sydney said, hooking an arm through Ethan’s and leading him away.

  ****

  Sydney was staying at a bed and breakfast in town. Her room had been decorated with a blue theme. Everything, from the bedspread to the curtains to the elegant wallpaper, was a different shade of blue.

  A pot of tea was ordered and while they waited, Sydney disappeared into the bathroom to put on her robe. By the time she came out, the tea had arrived.

  “I meant what I said about your show,” Sydney said, studying Addison over the rim of her cup. “It was good. I wanted to cry when Ellie got the guy in the end.”

  “Michelle is amazing, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she could go far if she wanted.” Sydney took another sip of tea. “But what amazes me more is the change in you. You’re settled and you smile more often. There’s a light in your eyes I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.”

  Was she so different? Addison couldn’t be sure who was real anymore. Or had the warring identities of Alice and Addison merged to form someone entirely new and alien? The thought was terrifying.

  “Maybe it’s relaxation,” Addison said, trying to laugh off the assessment.

  “Somehow I don’t think being in charge of twenty teenagers — not to mention the one in your house — can possibly be relaxing,” Sydney said. “No, there’s a different aura about you.”

  Unable to look into her friend’s eyes, Addison stared into her teacup. “I’m guessing you have a theory.”

  “The simple answer is you’re happy.”

  Addison let out a huff of laughter. “Well, of course I’m happy.”

  “There’s no of course about it,” Sydney said. “When was the last time you remember being happy? I don’t mean content or fine, but truly happy.”

  A shrug was all Addison could come up with, mostly because she didn’t know, which caused her panic to rise even more. Addison always imagined she had been happy. She’d led a perfect life, with everything the world said one needed to be fulfilled. Now, she had to wonder if her so-called happiness had been as much of an illusion as Corrine Barrett.

  “Would you like to hear my second theory?” Sydney asked.

  “What?”

  She opened her mouth but then hesitated. “No, theory number two would only freak you out at this point. You’re going to have to figure that part out on your own, grasshopper.”

  “You think you’re so cute,” Addison said, pointing an accusing finger at her.

  Sydney grinned. “I don’t think. I know.”

  A blue ruffled pillow flew through the air, but Sydney ducked just in time.

  “I know you’re thinking about Ethan, and it’s not true,” Addison said. “It can’t be true.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because that would ruin everything.”

  “Why?”

  “Stop it,” Addison said with a ferocious glare.

  “I’ll stop when you can answer the question, Addison,” she said, leaning forward as if to make her point more clear. “Why would it ruin everything to let a wonderful man into your heart?”

  “You know why.”

  “Can’t say I do. And don’t say your career or distance. If you care enough, you can make things work. If you can let go of fear.”

  “It’s not so easy,” Addison whispered.

  “No, especially after everything you’ve been through,” Sydney said, taking Addison’s hand. “But here’s the thing. Men like Ethan are rare. Chances like this are even more so, and I only hope you can figure out what you want before it’s too late.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “There are three hundred calories and fifteen grams of fat in this one scoop of rocky road ice cream,” Addison said, staring into the cup as if it were a sworn enemy.

  Why couldn’t women simply enjoy dessert without worrying about their weight, Ethan wondered. Didn’t seem to matter whether she was famous or not, a woman always processed everything through a food calculator. Jenny had been no different.

  “Do you want me to throw yours out?” Ethan asked, reaching across the table.

  Addison whipped the little cup out of his reach. “Try it and you will die.”

  “What’s a calorie?” Jason asked.

  “Something girls avoid like last season’s jeans,” Aaron said.

  Addison tossed a napkin, and it bounced off the teenager’s cheek. “Calories make people gain weight,” she told Jason. “I have to make sure I don’t.”

  “But you’re so pretty,” Carson said.

  Jason spooned up a mouthful of cherry vanilla. “I’d rather eat ice cream than worry about dumb calories.”

  Out of the mouths of babes. Addison glanced at Ethan, obviously seeking backup. Oh no, there was no way he was getting pulled into an argument over a woman’s size. Any man who ventured into that minefield came back missing a few limbs.

  Ethan chose the only route guaranteed to get him to safety. “I agree.”

  “With what?”

  “I think you’re pretty,” he said, leaning closer and sliding a dollop of ice cream in her mouth.

  Addison’s eyes went round, and color climbed up her cheeks. It was all Ethan could do not to vault over the table and haul her out of the ice cream shop caveman-style.

  “Hey, kids present,” Aaron said. “If I’d known you two were gonna make out, I’d have stayed home and spared my eyes.”

  A second napkin caught him in the ear.

  “Keep them shut then,” Addison said, without looking away from Ethan.

  Pretty? She might be the most insanely beautiful woman on the planet. Even more than the first day he’d seen her. Then she’d been polished and perfect. Now there was a softness in her that made him hungry, like a bear waking up from hibernation.

  He needed to cool off before he humiliated himself in front of the entire ice cream parlor. So he nabbed a spoonful of Addison’s ice cream and leaned back in his chair.

  Her outraged gasp was cut off when he shoved a Covington Falls Gazette under her nose.

  The headline read From High Drama to High School Musical.

  Addiso
n snatched the paper up. “Addison Covington proved the show must always go on, stepping in to direct a high school musical in tiny Covington Falls. This ultimate act of charity resulted in the uncovering of a hidden jewel of talent by the name of Michelle Cerillo.” A smile lit up her face.

  “Michelle got a mention. Can you believe it? This is great.”

  “There’s a bit about you, too,” Ethan said.

  “I know,” she said, scanning the rest of the article. “Did you see what they said about her? A hidden jewel of talent.”