Any Time You Need Me

by Farrah Rochon

  “I know.” Sam blew out a weary breath. He put his elbows on the table and covered his face in his hands. “How crazy is this? For so long I was so upset with Aubrey for picking up and moving to California, and now I’m the one who’s thinking about doing it.”

  “Life has a way of doing crazy things,” she said. “My advice, talk to her before you make any decisions. I know the two of you haven’t been back together all that long, but I want it to last this time. Include her in your decision.” She gave his arm a comforting squeeze. “I gotta go,” she said. “I’m meeting your Aunt Elizabeth for a bring your own booze painting class.”

  “What do painting and booze have to do with each other?” Sam asked.

  “I don’t know, but I guess I’m about to find out.” She kissed the top of his head, grabbed an umbrella and left. But it was a long time before Sam was able to get up from the table.

  * * *

  Aubrey stood just offstage, watching the teens perform the heart-pounding hurricane scene, where Felicity’s character, Clara, would meet her demise. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until Felicity handed the swaddled baby doll to LaShona Ferguson, who played Bess, and ran off stage to rescue her husband from the storm. Felicity’s dramatic portrayal nearly brought tears to Aubrey’s eyes.

  “She’s so good,” Aubrey whispered.

  “She’s had a great mentor,” came a voice from behind her.

  She turned to find Taylor standing a few feet away.

  Aubrey was unsure how to respond, but then Taylor smiled, and for the first time in weeks, the awkwardness that had settled between them since Sam’s foolish kiss to make Aubrey jealous dissipated.

  “Things have been so busy around here that I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you for all you’ve done to help with the production,” Taylor continued. “I don’t think the kids here realize just how special it is to have someone with your background working with them.”

  “It’s been my pleasure.” Aubrey hesitated for a moment before she said, “I hope we can work together again.”

  Nervous tension fluttered in her stomach as she awaited Taylor’s reply.

  Aubrey didn’t care about Sam and Taylor’s past. What mattered was that she liked this woman. She didn’t have many friends here, and she wanted to count Taylor as one of them.

  “I’d like that,” Taylor finally answered.

  Aubrey could feel her limbs grow lighter in relief. “So would I.”

  “You’ve been a true asset this summer, Aubrey. This show would not be nearly as good as I know it will be if it wasn’t for all the work you put in it. And we work well together. There’s no denying that. The Arts Council over in St. Tammany Parish contacted me a few days ago. They’d like me to work with their theater on a production of Pippin. I told them about you.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  The other woman turned to leave, but Aubrey stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Taylor?” She waited until Taylor turned fully toward her before continuing. “I hope the fact that Sam and I are together doesn’t make things awkward.”

  Taylor shook her head. “It won’t. I know I was a bit standoffish after Sam told me the real reason he kissed me, but—” She released a weary breath. “I’ll just say it. I was jealous of you. I thought there was a possibility of Sam and I getting back together, but then I realized that we were never really together. Not in the same way the two of you are.”

  “I’m so sorry for that,” Aubrey said. She felt awful for all that Taylor had been subjected to.

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Taylor said with a laugh. “Sam already did. And I understand,” she said. “Honestly, I do.” A hint of red stained her light brown cheeks. “I have to admit that after Sam explained the reason behind that kiss, I asked around about you. I wanted to know about your earlier relationship and why the two of you broke up in the first place.”

  “And did you?” Aubrey asked.

  Taylor nodded. “Yes. The video, right?”

  Aubrey braced herself, fully expecting embarrassment and dread to hit her. But there wasn’t any. The shock of it nearly took her out at the knees. She did not care in the least that Taylor knew about that video.

  “This may sound weird,” Taylor said. “But, in a way, I’m rooting for you.”

  Aubrey choked on a laugh. “You are?”

  “Yeah. If you could overcome something like that and still win Sam’s heart, it makes me think that anything is possible.” She smiled. “And, to be honest, I’m actually relieved to finally have the answer to something that’s bugged me about Sam for as long as I’ve known him.”

  Aubrey tilted her head. “What’s that?”

  “I always wondered why he wasn’t happy. Now I know. He was waiting for you.” This time her smile held just a touch of sadness. “I hope you and Sam are happy. He’s a really good guy.”

  “Yes, he is,” Aubrey said. “And thanks.”

  Taylor pointed to the wardrobe rack. “I need to make sure the costumes for Act Three are in order,” she said, before walking away.

  “Wow,” Aubrey whispered underneath her breath. She needed a moment to digest what had just happened. She’d faced her past and didn’t let it overwhelm her. She was truly ready to move on from that humiliating time in her life. She was over it. Wholly and completely over it.

  Aubrey had just started for the pianist when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She expected to see a text from Chandra, confirming their Girls’ Night Out tonight, but instead it was from Zena, telling her to check her email ASAP.

  Aubrey quickly clicked into her email.

  Her hand started to shake as she read the message from Gilton Ortega, the president of Top Line Talent Agency, one of the largest on the West Coast. When she was bored and in the mood for dreaming, Aubrey would go back and forth between their L.A. and Las Vegas websites, imagining her name listed on their scout’s page.

  Ortega’s message said he would be in New Orleans next week and wanted to meet with her regarding employment with his agency as a voice coach.

  It took Aubrey a moment to catch her breath.

  Is this real? Is this really happening?

  From the moment she’d decided she wanted to work on the talent prep side of the business, working at Top Line had been her dream. The opportunity to groom countless young singers into stars meant a lifetime of experiencing the pride she felt when she looked at Felicity and her castmates on stage, or when Zena received a standing ovation on America Can Sing.

  Suddenly, her chest tightened with a different kind of emotion.

  If Ortega offered her a job with Top Line, she would have to leave Maplesville again. She would have to leave Sam.

  Was she willing to throw away the bliss she’d found with Sam again in order to further her career?

  A painful lump wedged itself in Aubrey’s throat, but it only took her a second to make the choice. She better understood the cost of pursuing her career and forsaking everything else.

  Love.

  She’d sacrificed a decade of Sam’s love.

  She wouldn’t do it again. It would pain her to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Top Line, but she just couldn’t do it. Not if it meant giving up a second chance at love with the man she cherished more than anything in the world.

  * * *

  From the moment Sam opened the door he knew something was off. Faint frown lines creased the edges of Aubrey’s mouth.

  “Hey,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

  “Hey,” she answered with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Everything okay?” Sam asked.

  She nodded, but Sam wasn’t buying it. Tension hung in the air around them.

  “Is the website ready?” Aubrey asked. He saw right through her feigned enthusiasm, but if she wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her, she would say something.

  They went over to the couch. Sam tried to ignore her sullen mood as he u
nveiled the final version of her website, but after five minutes he could no longer take it. He closed the lid on his laptop, set it next to him, then pulled her into his lap, situating her legs on either side so that she straddled his thighs. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tipped his head up, planting a quick kiss on her lips.

  “Okay, what’s going on?” he asked.

  Aubrey’s shoulders slumped with her heavy sigh. “I don’t really want to talk about it.” She peered down at him, her apprehension evident in the way her lips pressed together in a strained grimace. “I had to make a decision today, and I hate that a part of me is sad about it, but I can’t help it.”

  Sam’s brow dipped. “Okay, well, you realize you have to talk about it now, right? Spit it out.”

  “You’re going to hate me.”

  “Come on, Aubrey.”

  Sam braced himself for the blow.

  Aubrey gnawed on her lip a second longer. Finally, she said, “I received an email today from one of the largest talent agencies in Los Angeles. Apparently, I got on their radar because of Zena. The owner wants to meet with me when he comes to New Orleans next week about possibly joining Top Line Talent Agency as a voice coach.

  “Don’t say anything,” she quickly added before he could respond. “I already turned him down.”

  “You did?”

  “Of course I did, Sam.”

  “Is it because you don’t want to move back to L.A.?”

  She shook her head. “That’s not it. I’d move back to L.A. in a heartbeat if it meant working at Top Line. But not if it means losing you again. Some things are more important than a job. You are more important than a job.” She covered his cheeks with her palms and lowered her forehead to his. “I can’t change what happened the last time I moved away to pursue a career, Sam. I just know that I’m not willing to make that sacrifice again.”

  For a moment Sam was stunned. Then he threw his head back and burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he could hardly catch his breath.

  “Sam?”

  He just kept going and going, to the point that he had tears rolling down his cheeks.

  “Sam, none of this is funny.”

  “Bree. Oh, Bree, you have no idea just how funny this is.” He held up a finger. “Give me a second.” He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and shot a quick text to Noah.

  Forget what I said. I’m in. See you in L.A.

  “Sam, what’s going on?” Aubrey asked.

  “First, tell me why you thought I’d hate you if you’d already turned down the job offer?”

  “Because I shouldn’t feel so much sadness over this. I’m happy to be back in Maplesville. And being here with you, having you love me again, it’s all I should need.”

  “So you thought I’d hate you because you’re sad over turning down your dream job?”

  She nodded.

  “God, I love you,” Sam said. He kissed her. “Do you want the job, Aubrey?”

  “I’m not leaving you again, Sam.”

  “Do you want the job?”

  Her bottom lip trembled. Anguish clouded her eyes. She pulled that trembling lip between her teeth and nodded.

  Sam cupped her jaw and placed another gentle kiss on her lips. “Email the guy back and tell him you’ll meet with him.”

  “Sam—”

  “Do you remember the job I told you about?” he asked. “The one I told you I was too much of a coward to take?”

  Another nod.

  “It’s in Grenada Hills.”

  Aubrey jerked her head back so fast she nearly popped him with her chin. “In the San Fernando Valley? That Grenada Hills?”

  “That’s the one,” Sam said. “After going back and forth for two years, I told Noah today that I wouldn’t take the job because you said that you didn’t want to move back to L.A.”

  “Is this a joke?” She looked around, as if she expected a camera crew to pop up out of nowhere and tell her she was on an episode of Punk’d.

  “It isn’t a joke,” Sam said. He tipped his head toward the cellphone he’d tossed on the sofa cushion next to him. “I just texted Noah and told him that I changed my mind. You need to call this guy at Top Line and tell him the same thing.”

  “Goodness, Sam,” Aubrey said on an awe-filled breath. “Why does this seem too good to be true?”

  “Who says it’s too good to be true? Sometimes things are just good, Bree. Accept it for what it is.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Are we really going to be together, Sam? For good this time?”

  Sam pulled her back toward him. She collapsed onto his chest. He leaned in until his lips touched hers.

  “We will if I have anything to say about it.”

  Epilogue

  As soon as she and Sam entered the school cafeteria where the cast party was taking place, Aubrey ran straight to Felicity and gathered her into her arms.

  “I am so proud of you,” Aubrey said to her niece, whose beaming smile matched that of her castmates. They’d earned the right to boast those broad, confident smiles. They’d just treated the people in Maplesville to one of the most fantastic performances of Porgy and Bess Aubrey had ever witnessed.

  A moment later, Sam sidled up to them, wrapping one arm around Aubrey and giving Felicity a playful wink.

  “You’re saving us house seats for your first performance on Broadway, right?” Sam asked.

  “Not if you can get me a job working in computers,” Felicity answered with a cheeky grin.

  His brows shot up. “Uh oh, what do you have to say about that, Aunt Aubrey? Looks as if your niece is planning to follow in my footsteps instead of yours.”

  “Personally, I think she can do both,” Aubrey said.

  “How about I finish high school before I do either,” Felicity said with the classic teen eye roll.

  Friends and family members of the cast soon filled the cafeteria, including Deanna and Paul, who both wrapped their daughter in a bear hug. Paul held on for so long that Deanna had to pry him away.

  “At least he stopped crying,” Deanna said. “Every time you took to the stage the tears would start rolling down his face.”

  Paul didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. “How was I supposed to hold all that in when my little girl was up there giving the performance of a lifetime? I can’t wait to come back tomorrow.”

  “He bought us tickets for every night,” Deanna explained to Sam. “I’ll remember to bring the tissues tomorrow. Hell, I’ll need them too. I used my shirt collar tonight.”

  Aubrey’s head flew back with her laugh. She would be forever grateful for the few months she’d lived with her sister and her family. She found comfort in the fact that she would see them often. She and Sam were already making plans to return for Myra’s birthday in September.

  The photographer from the local paper, who’d walked around the auditorium throughout the performance capturing shots, called for a cast photo. Before the performers could break apart, Taylor pulled both Aubrey and Sam in for a picture with the cast and crew, along with the costume designer, Mya Dubois-Anderson, and Reesa and Amara from Any Way You Want It Salon and Spa.

  Once the photo was done, Taylor pulled her to the side, away from the noisy crowd.

  “Thank you again. I’m sorry that this will probably be our only time working together,” she said. Aubrey had told her about her plans to return to Los Angeles during the final dress rehearsal.

  “Never say never,” Aubrey said. “I’ve discovered that life is full of surprises. Who knows how our paths may cross again.”

  She and Taylor shared a hug, congratulating each other over the success of opening night.

  When she went in search of Sam, Aubrey found him over by the dessert table with Ian and Sonny, who were restocking the tiered cake stand with cupcakes topped with sugared comedy/tragedy theater masks. They were almost too pretty to eat, but apparently Aubrey was the only one who thought so. Everyone else was devouring the cupcakes.


  “Why didn’t you all join us for the picture?” Aubrey asked as she came upon the group. “You both contributed to the production. And what about Dale and Nyree? They should have been in the picture too.”

  They’d all had a hand in making the musical come to life. Ian and Dale had helped Sam with building the set, and Nyree’s salon would provide all makeup and hair for the performances throughout the week, free of charge. Sonny, along with Keira Coleman, who owned the top catering company in town, had catered tonight’s cast party, again, free of charge. Aubrey was stunned by the amount of people who’d pitched in to make the musical a success. But she shouldn’t be; the people in Maplesville had always been this way.

  “Wait, where are Nyree and Dale?” Sam asked. “I thought they’d followed us in here from the auditorium.”

  “I’ll bet you five bucks they’re making out in a janitor’s closet somewhere,” Ian said.

  “With all the people here?” Sam said skeptically. He looked over at Aubrey and winked. “You’d have to be both reckless and horny to make out in a storage shed when there are this many people about.”

  Aubrey could feel her face heating. She was so going to get him for that.

  “I’ll bet you that’s what they’re doing,” Ian said.

  “You’re on,” Sam told him.

  Sonny clapped her hands together. “Now that Sam has taken that sucker’s bet, I’ll go and get the star of the party,” she said. She went into the room where the serving counters were, and a minute later wheeled out a cart with a large cake that was an exact replica of Catfish Row, complete with Porgy and Bess figurines made out of fondant.

  The crowd swarmed them. They broke out into applause.

  “Okay, we need to put the order in for our wedding cake ASAP,” Aubrey whispered to Sam.

  He looked down at her. “We can just get married right now. Everybody’s here, even the pastor from the church.”

  Aubrey pinched him.

  “Ow,” he yelped. “I was only kidding. Well, half kidding. I still think we should get married before we move out to California.”