Spotlight (5 page)

Just inside the door were three chairs against the left wall. Across from them was the upstage entrance to the stage, concealed by a black curtain. As they sat down, Lily was momentarily surprised at how bright it was back there. The fluorescent lighting seemed harsh after two and a half hours in the dim theater. She wondered if the actors’ eyes had trouble adjusting, but then recalled from years of ballet recitals that stage lights could be just as bright as the white bulbs above them.

An old, almost rickety, wooden table stood beside the black curtain. Several props sat on the large surface. A deck of cards, a cigarette lighter, and some random papers were haphazardly strewn on it. Underneath sat a pair of shabby, solid-black Chuck Taylors that looked as if they were about fifty years old. Lily smiled. She had no doubt who they belonged to.

Maggie leaned toward Lily to whisper in her ear. “Dude, I cannot believe we are backstage in a New York City theater!”

Lily nodded. “I know, I know!”

Just then, Ben came around the corner of the long hallway to their left and greeted them. “Hey, ladies. Well, what did you think?”

Maggie was the first to speak. “I think you’ve got a hit on your hands. Seriously! It had a tremendous energy to it.”

Lily echoed that sentiment. “I completely agree. In a strange sort of way, it feels somehow more modern, maybe? Like those issues still have relevance today. Stanley’s not a very likeable character, but Daniel made me not hate him. And the actress playing Blanche was incredible. I actually believed she was losing her mind!”

Ben smiled, looking relieved. “Awesome. I’m glad you both enjoyed it. Want to look around a bit?”

They stood and followed Ben down a short hallway in front of them and then veered right. He continued to tell them more about the theater itself and the production, as he pointed out various spots where the props and sets were housed. They reached another black curtain, and Ben ushered them behind it.

“This is the sound booth,” he said, letting them test one of the mics the actors wore and listen in on his accompanying earpiece like the one the girl at the backstage door wore.

Lily grinned at what she heard as she settled it over her ear. “It’s like being in air traffic control!” The conversation was a steady hum of directions—“Mr. Bennett, you’re needed in the props area,” and “Ms. Monroe, please come to the women’s dressing room.”

Ben couldn’t help but laugh as they moved along. “Over here is the quick-change area.” He pointed to a cleared out area with another worn wooden table scattered with props.

They simply followed and listened, until Ben led them out onto the stage. Lily skidded to a stop.

“Ben! Should be we be out here?” she whispered.

He laughed as he continued across the stage. “Well, are you going to do something to mess up the set?” Lily anxiously shook her head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Think of it as your moment in the spotlight.” He glanced up toward the stage lights and then back down at her with a grin.

The lights hadn’t yet been turned off. Lily actually stood in the spotlight—on an off-Broadway stage. She looked out into the audience with a slow smile and committed this moment to memory before dashing off to follow Ben and Maggie.

They exited the stage through the entrance by the chairs and continued down the long, narrow hallway Ben had come from. As they reached the end of it, Ben pointed to his right.

“This is the secret door,” he said in stage whisper, giving them a conspiratorial wink. “Some of the actors use it to exit the theater unnoticed. It comes out farther down the street than the main exit.”

Lily gave Colette a knowing glance before turning to Ben with a raised eyebrow. “And I’m guessing it’s been getting a lot of use lately?”

Ben shrugged. “Well, one girl found out when rehearsals were and started waiting outside the front door for Daniel. When he left, she took off down the street after him. And that’s just one example of how his fans tried to find creative ways to meet him while he’s been here.”

Lily simply shook her head as they passed the door. “I can’t believe that’s even necessary.”

They turned to the left and made their way down another hallway, which Ben said housed the dressing rooms as well as an area that held quick-change costumes and props. Along the walls were photos of past casts who had performed at the theater. Lily fell behind Ben and Maggie as she glanced at the photos. She barely noticed when they stopped in front of two doors right beside each other—one open, and one closed.

“These are the dressing rooms. The open door is for the female cast members, and the other one is for male cast members. We’ll go see who we can find.”

Lily’s heart sped as Ben led them into the ladies’ dressing room. With a quick knock to announce their arrival, he introduced Lily and Maggie as friends. They spent the next few minutes with the actresses, telling them how much they enjoyed the show. The cast members they met were warm and welcoming, in addition to being talented.

When they left the room, the men’s dressing room remained closed.

“I’m sorry, you guys. I would introduce you, but it looks like the director is still meeting with the male actors. He’s been giving the cast notes after each show.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Lily said.

Maggie nodded. “Yeah. It’s getting late anyway, and we have an early flight.”

“Well, okay, then. Let me walk you out.” While Ben led them back through the maze of hallways, they heard quick, determined footsteps coming toward them. They stepped to the side to let this person pass.

“Good evening, Mr. Brennan,” Ben offered.

Lily didn’t hear what Ben said or this gentleman’s response. All she noticed was the way his green eyes locked on hers. Her quick assessment of his appearance told her all she needed to know. His dark gray suit and the furrow of his brows indicated an overwhelming intensity. She couldn’t help her curiosity.

After he broke their stare to round the corner, Lily turned to Ben. “Who was that?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “He’s a publicist. Not the friendliest guy, as you can tell.”

Lily nodded in acknowledgement, still feeling vaguely unsettled and somewhat exposed.

When they reached the doors leading into the auditorium, Ben shook both their hands again. “It’s been a pleasure, ladies. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.”

Lily’s smile lit her face. “Without a doubt! I can’t thank you enough for showing us around.”

“It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Maggie agreed.

They said their goodbyes, and Ben walked back toward the door. Lily thought of one more thing she wanted to say.

“Hey, Ben! Tell Daniel that we hope the show has a great run!”

He laughed and assured them that their message would get back to Daniel.

As they made their way back to the streets of New York City, Lily’s mind remained jumbled with thoughts of her second time seeing Daniel on stage until Maggie interrupted them.

“You know, I was surprised by how dark his stage makeup was.”

Lily’s brow furrowed in confusion. It seemed fine to her. “Hmmm. I didn’t notice it. I guess it just blended in to me from where we were sitting.”

“No, I didn’t mean on stage. I meant back there. When he peeked out the door.”

“Okay, you’re going to have to explain. What are you talking about?”

“Wait, you didn’t see him?” Maggie seemed genuinely surprised.

“The only time I saw him was on the stage.”

“Oh, God, Lil. You missed him!”

“Maggie, what are you talking about?” Exasperation crept into Lily’s tone as they stopped.

“Okay, remember when we were at the dressing rooms, and Ben was telling us what else was down that hallway?”

“Yeah, of course,” Lily was still unsure what she’d missed.

“Well, as we were walking toward the dressing rooms, Daniel must have heard someone coming. He opened the door, peeked around, and then shut it quickly—”

“Wait—was that right after he showed us the secret door?”

Maggie nodded.

Lily took in a sharp breath. “Oh my God. I was looking at the photos on the wall. There was one by where we stopped, it was of the cast of the last
Grease
production. I was looking to see if I recognized any of them!”

She was practically yelling, but tried to play it off as talking over the sounds of the city. Maggie kept pace with her as she sped up in aggravation.

A drink was definitely in order.

When they had entered the city that afternoon, they talked about having a drink after the show at the Broadway Lounge, a bar in the Marriott Marquis that overlooked Times Square. Lily headed there. She knew she was being irrational, and behaving just like the fangirl she’d met the first time she and Colette saw Daniel on stage. Except that she wasn’t upset with
Daniel
. She was upset with herself. She’d missed an opportunity to see him right in front of her.

She should have been paying attention.

Lily vented her frustrations to Maggie over two very expensive, very strong Cosmopolitans—which seemed appropriate for the city.

“I mean, what the hell, Mags? What. The. Hell? How did I miss that?”

Maggie drained the last of her second Big Apple martini. “I dunno, Lil. But, come on. It’s kinda funny.” She started giggling. She’d been holding it in since they left the theater.

“I can’t believe you’re making fun of my cluelessness,” Lily said through laughter of her own.

Maggie’s giggles quieted but didn’t stop completely. “I so wish you’d seen his face. It was like he couldn’t decide whether to barricade himself in that room or make a run for the secret door.”

“Maybe we should be offended by his rude behavior,” Lily said in mock seriousness.

Maggie nodded in agreement. “Girl, he did—literally—slam the door in our faces.”

Lily sighed. “Yeah, but think about it from his perspective. Two girls he doesn’t know heading toward him—how was he to know we had no intention of tackling and kidnapping him? From what Ben said, he’s already had people bothering him.”

Having so-called fans grab you couldn’t be easy to live with, no matter where or how many times it happened.

“Okay, good point,” Maggie conceded.

“I can understand why he did it. And he probably did need to talk to the director. I get it. I do. But I’m still mad at myself for missing it.” Then, Lily grinned. “And I’m still mad at you for making fun of me.”

Chapter Four

Daniel Brighton had hoped his six-week run on Broadway would be less trying than filming a movie.

But that proved not to be the case. It seemed everyone wanted something from him. Fans waited for him when he arrived at the theater, and when he left it. The handful of times he did stop to sign autographs and take pictures with them, the images were uploaded almost instantly. Every few days, paparazzi photos circulated their way around the Internet. So far, they’d caught him having drinks with friends at a bar, leaving Trattoria dell’Arte after dinner, and walking the streets of Midtown. They’d even snapped him coming and going from his hotel, making it hard for him to feel safe anywhere.

He knew it was part of the job. It was to be expected. But Daniel had always been a relatively private person. He didn’t mind the media appearances tied to his work, but when he wasn’t working, or promoting his work, he wanted to be truly off the clock. He never understood why people wanted to know things about him that he thought were trivial and mundane. He was just an actor—no one special. In fact, when he’d taken the role on
In My Life
, he didn’t think of it as a career, or as a path to stardom. He’d just needed the money, and it was a paying gig that fell into his lap.

When the show found its following, he was more than surprised at how devoted the fans were. It thrust him into a spotlight he hadn’t ever expected to stand under, but did that mean he had to give up his privacy?

He tried his best to take it in stride, but he wished that both fans and the paparazzi would realize it was just a job. Not everyone in the entertainment industry wanted the kind of constant attention that the press and the public pay them. True, some went out of their way to encourage it. And many needed the nonstop affirmation that they’re worth something. But it was the idea that celebrities “knew what they were getting into” that bothered Daniel the most. He hadn’t known, and he certainly didn’t ask for it. For him, it was a paycheck, and he liked to think of it much like any other nine-to-five.

What he did in his downtime, and who he spent it with, shouldn’t matter. He might not like the loss of anonymity, and Daniel was starting to accept that aspect of fame as part of his life, but his friends and family shouldn’t have to. He felt fiercely protective when the people he was closest to received unwanted attention from fans and the press just because of their association with him. They were just as protective of him, of course, but in Daniel’s mind, the way they were treated—specifically the way one particular woman was treated—bordered on harassment, and he took precautions to prevent it as much as possible.

At the end of the day, though, he just wanted to be Dan—the guy who liked to go have a beer with his buddies and maybe strum his guitar—not Daniel Brighton, Hollywood heartthrob. It didn’t seem like that was too much to ask.