by Kathryn Shay
“There’s always a way to make things work.”
She sighed. “Let’s talk about Mike Mason. He’d steal the show as Tommy.”
“I don’t care about that. Actually, I love it when secondary characters make a splash.”
“Were you ever a secondary character before your career took off?”
“I was. In a few movies.”
“Did you steal the show, too?”
He shrugged, and she laughed. God, she didn’t want to ruin the mood between them. So, she made a decision to hold off telling him about the job offer.
* * *
That evening, the group stood around Ronan on the floor below the stage. “You’ll try out in pairs. First, Joe Johnson will play Linc. Sabrina York will be Caroline.”
Joe smiled pleasantly and Sabrina preened.
“Tim Case, you’ll be Jeb. And Maryann Truman, you take Mari’s part.”
“Mike Mason, start off as Tommy. Then I want to see you opposite Sabrina, then Maryann, playing Linc.”
He gave assignments to the rest, expecting Carina to object to being Lucy. But surprisingly, the girl agreed easily. Maybe Gideon’s talk with her helped. “Take your places on the stage and the rest of you in the first few rows.”
Joe and Sabrina were beautiful together.
Tim and Mari had chemistry.
Mike was stellar as Tommy. But when he put Mike and Sabrina together, the guy was blindingly believable as Linc, the good guy who loved Caroline. When the two of them finished there were rumblings from the others. Ronan knew the praise wasn’t for Sabrina.
He caught Eliza’s gaze. Wow! hers said. He raised his brows in agreement.
The ballet scene was next. Sabrina York glided across the floor in a perfect set of Grand Jetés. She started by throwing one leg out, pushing off the floor with the other, jumping into the air with an exact split and landing on the first leg. Then two steps and another and another…
Unfortunately, the other young girls couldn’t hold a candle to her, and Maryann and Carina refused to even try the steps in front of everyone. But Brie, older and more experienced, executed a perfect ballet performance every bit as good as Sabrina’s.
When the night ended, Ronan was beginning to feel the fatigue of the last few days settle in his shoulders. Eliza went into the barre room and he was standing in front of the stage, finishing up notes.
He thought he was alone when he heard behind him, “Mr. Casella, can I talk to you privately?”
He turned. Sabrina smiled at him.
His spine prickled with the feeling that something wasn’t right. He said easily, “Sure, just a second though, I need to call my brother.”
He walked down the aisle, pretended to call Finn, but instead set his phone to record and slid it into his shirt pocket. When he got back to the front, he found Sabrina had taken off her overshirt and wore a skimpier, tighter top than the one Eliza had called her on. He ignored the breach for now. “What can I do for you, Sabrina?”
The girl moved in closer. Her eyes glimmered with…challenge, maybe? “I need to tell you something, Ronan.”
“It’s still Mr. Casella, until the show is cast.”
“If you say so. But I think we both know I’m going to be Caroline. No one else can dance the part.”
He didn’t respond.
“Mike Mason was passable tonight. But we can’t have a druggie as the lead in a show. It won’t work. I like Joe as Linc best.” Her lashes nearly fluttered. He had a quick flash of his girlfriend Trish, doing the same thing to him when she wanted something.
“You shouldn’t spread rumors.” His voice was intentionally curt.
“Hmm.” She moistened her lips. “If you want me to be Caroline, I don’t think I could play opposite Mike.”
“That’s good to know.” He turned his back on her again and made a note on his tablet. She stepped up close enough for him to smell her sweat. Damn it. How did he get out of this one? “Sabrina, move back, please.”
He could feel her step away. He turned.
“About Mike. He did some things that I had to report to the principal.”
“Did some things?”
“Yeah, he followed me around school, he came into the ladies’ room,” here she used air quotes “by mistake”. And he showed up at my locker and stood too close, so I had to get near him.” Her nose crunched. “Have you noticed he smells bad?”
“No, no, I haven’t. What did your principal do about him?”
“Mike denied everything, except going into the wrong bathroom. But he did what I said.” She put up her hand on her heart, pressing the top lower. “I swear.”
“Okay, Sabrina, consider me told.”
“Thanks, Ronan.” Again, she moved in on him.
Again, he said, “Please Sabrina, keep a respectable distance between us.”
“Why? You and I will get really close when I’m the lead. And I can be…very good.” She eased so near him, he felt the inklings of arousal, which he doused immediately.
Horrified, he said, “Please leave now, Ms. York.”
Her smile was salacious and she walked away, her hips swaying in an affected way. Halfway down the aisle she stopped and turned back. “By the way, I can be good but I can be very…dangerous when I’m crossed. If you get my drift.”
Ronan swallowed hard. Holy Mother of God, what was he going to do now?
* * *
Eliza knew something was wrong when Ronan walked into the office, where she’d gone to call Taylor. She’d disconnected when he came through the door. “What happened?”
“I have something I want you to hear.” They sat on the green and yellow chairs again and he put the phone on the table between them. He pressed play.
Eliza listened intently. She scowled, made a disgusted sound, grumbled about what she was hearing. And she knew in her heart Sabrina York was capable of something like this. “Hell, Ronan, she threatened you.”
“Is that how you see it? Because I did.”
“Of course. She was trying to seduce you and warn you at the same time. Something’s wrong with her.”
He quelled the guilt at that one quick attraction he experienced. “Too bad she’s so talented.”
“What are we going to do? No one else can dance the ballet.”
“Maybe we’ll have to bring someone in.” He had an idea. “Or, Brie could do it.”
“How would that work? Those scenes are to show Caroline’s fear of her stalker.”
“I’ll think about it more. Let’s table the ballet decisions for now and concentrate on the drama.”
“Don’t you want to talk about the tape more?”
“It speaks for itself. I want to forget it for now. And I refuse to let her compromise our casting.”
“We’ll cut Sabrina completely?”
“I don’t think we have a choice. All hell will break loose, but I’ve dealt with worse in New York. Now, let’s go on. So, we should cast Maryann and Mike in the leads. They have great chemistry. Your opinion?”
“Yeah, if we’re not worried about the ballet.”
“Next is Lucy, Caroline’s sister.”
“I say Carina Casella.”
“I’m so glad, because I didn’t want to make that decision.”
They went down the list. Jackson Keene would be Tyler Jones, the teacher, of course…
When the roles were cast, Eliza sat back. “You seem…out of it.”
“I think the last few days have caught up to me.”
“This thing with Sabrina is stressful in its own right, in addition to your mother’s illness.”
Ronan sighed deeply. “I suppose it is.”
Taking his hand, she said, “Let’s grab a pizza from Marco’s, open a bottle of merlot, and veg out in front of the TV.”
“You know that’s exactly what we need. What’ll we watch?”
“Well,” she grinned evilly. “I haven’t had time to see Rebel yet.”
“Oh, Lord.”
“Not in twenty years. Just at the film’s premier.”
“Then that’s what we’re doing. Let’s go, Mr. Movie Star.”
He smiled, like she meant him to do.
* * *
The next morning, Ronan and Eliza went early to the playhouse to decide how they would deal with the ballet parts. They stopped to get coffee and donuts and took them to the auditorium. Creamy custard melted in her mouth and Ronan got some of the cruller on his face he ate it so fast.
When they finished, Eliza took the initiative. “I think I’ve been noodling this around in my head all night. Why don’t we ask Mitt Rankin if he’ll allow us to make a change in the play and assign the ballet part to someone else. Someone older, perhaps, Caroline as an adult.”
“You?”
“No, of course not. But Brie could do it. She’s only in her early thirties, she’s had dance lessons and she picks up the routines quickly.”
“Caroline as an adult showing her fears? That sounds perfect.”
The door opened from the front. Someone came inside. Oh! Eliza bolted up from the stage and raced down the aisle. She met her daughter halfway, and hugged her fiercely. Taylor’s familiar scent and the feel of her body was welcome. “Honey, it’s so good to see you.”
“For me, too, Mom. I miss you so much.”
Holding her daughter’s hands, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“The troupe is taking two days off because the lead sprained her ankle. The director said we could all use a rest, anyway. I’m due back the day after tomorrow.”
Eliza felt tears well. “What a gift!” Another hug.
Over Eliza’s shoulder, Taylor said, “Hey, Ronan.”
He’d come up to them, and she and Taylor eased apart again. “Hey, girl. Do I get a hug?”
Taylor embraced him warmly.
“I heard what you told your mom.” He looked to Eliza. “Go ahead and take the rest of the day.”
“What about our planning?”
“We finished casting. You have to be here tonight for that. But I can call Mitt. Run our idea by him. Maybe I’ll go into town to see him. I’ll take the motorcycle so you two can have the car.”
“Thanks, Ronan.” He walked them down the aisle, but stayed in the auditorium while they went into the office. Eliza retrieved her purse, then led Taylor outside. “What would you like to do?”
“Have breakfast and then take a nap with you, like we used to. Is there room for me at Ronan’s place?”
Eliza felt her face color. “Let’s get in the car. There’s a breakfast place up by the lake.”
When they settled in the front seat, she didn’t turn on the car. Instead, she turned to her daughter. “We have plenty of room at the lake house. But honey, something’s different between me and Ronan. We’re sharing a room.” What a stupid thing to say. “We’ve taken our relationship to the next level.”
Taylor’s dark eyes were knowing. “Well it’s about time! You two are perfect for each other.”
Eliza knew the truth of that statement.
“Are you in love with him?”
“I am. But sometimes I hate him.”
“Nothing new there.”
“I’m not sure it’s gone that far with him. So, don’t assume anything.”
She grabbed her mother’s hand across the console. “I won’t. But I bet he feels the same. Now, let’s go eat and you can tell me how all this happened.”
* * *
Mitt Rankin sat across from Ronan, sipping his dark-brewed coffee. “Tell me what the issue is.”
“We wanted to cast everything locally, but the only young person who’s trying out for Caroline that can dance the ballet scenes is unsuitable. For reasons I can’t go into.”
“So, you want someone other than the lead character to dance those parts?”
“We do, Mitt. It’s a small change, but one you have to approve. You own the copyright and legally we can’t change the characters around. Which is how it should be.”
“Have you done something like this before?”
“Oh, yeah, sure.”
His eyes brightened. “Maybe it should be written in permanently, that the dance part can be played by Caroline or a substitute. It might make my script more salable.”
“Maybe. But I do need to alter the current script right away.”
“How do we go about it?”
“You need to sign a paper allowing the change in front of a notary.” He held up the agreement he’d written up. “The bank across the street has several on staff, so we could wrap it up right now.”
“Fine. I have one favor to ask of you, though.”
“Shoot.”
“I’m dying to see my words in action. Do you think I can come to some of the rehearsals?”
“Yes, of course. Anytime.”
A big grin. “That’ll give me time to work on Eliza.”
“Work on her?”
“For another date. I’m so glad I went looking for her that morning and we had breakfast. She seemed as if she’d be open to the idea of seeing me again.”
For the first time, he noticed how young, handsome and animated the young man was with dark eyes and a bit of scruff on his face. “You went looking for her? And she said she’d go out with you?”
“Yes, to the first.” He studied Ronan. “Am I stepping on any toes here?”
He told himself to say yes. That Eliza was his. But she couldn’t be his. He was afraid to trust anyone with his heart. “No, you’re not stepping on anybody’s toes.”
An hour later, Ronan headed uptown in a cab, and when he gave the address to the driver, the guilt returned. He tried to focus on the familiar sounds of street traffic and the people crowding the streets, to forget about his momentary lapse with Sabrina, but it was always in the back of his mind. Which was why he got off at 21 Parkland Avenue and entered the building. He took the elevator to the seventh floor and walked into the small waiting room of Dr. Edward Lucas. Sara, his receptionist, welcomed him with a smile. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Casella.”
“You, too.”
He’d spent a lot of time in this office—gut-wrenching time— and he wasn’t crazy about repeating the experience again. Luckily, Ed came out in a few minutes. “Ronan, my friend.” They shook hands warmly. “Hello, Ed.”
“Come on in.”
The scent of the room—eucalyptus—was familiar, as were the teal leather couches, a white chair and row of floor to ceiling windows. He dropped down onto the chair where he’d always sat and looked at his therapist. “Something happened to me last night, that I almost can’t deal with.”
“Tell me.”
It was agonizing admitting to what he’d felt, however briefly, for a teenager.
When he finished, Ed leaned back. His expression was warm, understanding. “Do you know why this freaked you out so much?”
“Because it’s reprehensible.”
“To have a fleeting reaction to a woman?”
“She’s a girl.”
“She’s nearly eighteen. Is it her age that makes it so awful for you?”
“I guess. What else would it be?”
Ed cocked his head in that way he’d done so often in the past that said, you know the answer to this. “Think about it. How old are you?”
“Forty-three.”
“And the woman is eighteen.”
“Still nothing.”
“Doesn’t that sound familiar to you?”
When his meaning dawned, Ronan’s stomach pitched. “Oh, dear God in heaven, my father was the same age as I am when he had an affair with Trish, who was eighteen. I’m as disgusting as he was.”
“Ronan, Ronan, Ronan. How many times have we dealt with the fact that you’re not like your father, despite your actions in Hollywood? And we decided you went wild because of the harm he did to your psyche by having an affair with your girlfriend.”
“I know we did.”
> “And think about this: You had one fleeting response, the kind many of us have had. And when you did experience that quick feeling of arousal for this young woman, you did nothing but send her away. The important thing isn’t that you reacted, it’s what you did about it that makes you in no way like your father.”
* * *
After a lovely day with her daughter, Taylor accompanied Eliza to the playhouse. They entered through the back to find Ronan sitting at his desk. “Have a pleasant day?”
“Wonderful. Could Taylor take the car to the lake house? She wants to watch TV and veg.”
“Sure.” He arched a dark brow. “You can sit on the back of my motorcycle and act like my gun moll.”
“Oh. I thought we’d get an Uber.”
They bade Taylor goodbye, and Eliza and Ronan discussed the agreement he’d made with Rankin, then typed up the cast list to deliver to the group. There were parts for fifteen of the twenty people who tried out.
“You seem different,” Eliza said, studying him.
He pulled her close. She felt his muscles align with hers. “I’m better. Long story why. I’ll tell you later.” He hugged her, then stepped back.
The group arrived in threes and fours and sat in the front rows. Only Sabrina came in alone. Ronan and Eliza stood by the stage.
“Hello, everyone.” Ronan held up the papers. “We’ve cast the show. Before I hand these out, I’d like to thank everyone for coming to tryouts. To those of you who didn’t make the cut, keep trying. In case you don’t know, I had a Hollywood career, but I was cut twenty times from a variety of shows and commercials.”
“We’re going to hand these out,” Eliza said, holding half the sheets. “Then we’ll take a ten-minute break. Some of you will leave. The rest of you can share your joy, and we’ll start practice after that.”
The lists were distributed. Maryann squealed with delight, Mike’s jaw dropped with shock, and Joe pumped a fist. But before Eliza and Ronan could take pleasure in their reactions, Sabrina York bolted up. “There must be some mistake here. I’m not on the list.”
“There’s no mistake,” Eliza told her.
