STAGESTRUCK - The Complete Series (19 page)

Tuesday’s audition was scheduled to start at eleven, so I’d planned on sleeping in. Those plans were interrupted by an eight o’clock phone call from Max.

“Hello?” I mumbled, still half asleep.

“Hey baby,” he said softly. “Kate, I don’t even know what to say… there’s nothing that I COULD say to make up for the way I spoke to you yesterday. I know that you have rehearsal later, but do you have time for breakfast?”

“I could probably meet you somewhere.” I conceded with a yawn. “I need an hour, where do you want to go?”

“How about Ellie’s Diner?” he asked. “They have great coffee and it’s close to the theater.”

“Fine,” I agreed. “I’ll see you at nine.”

I hung up my phone and took my time getting ready. I was still pissed at Max and the idea of making him wait at the diner alone for a few minutes was incredibly satisfying. I took a long, hot shower and then wove my hair into an intricate braid. I pulled on another set of designer workout clothes and slipped into my new running shoes. After I light touch of makeup, I lingered over coffee for twenty minutes before walking to the train station. I finally stepped into Ellie’s at half past nine; Max waited anxiously at a small booth.

Instead of being irritated that I was late, Max seemed relieved to see me. “Thank you so much for coming, baby.” He said as he crossed the floor to greet me. “I ordered coffee and fruit.” He said, gesturing to the table. “I know that you don’t like to eat heavy before work.”

“Thanks.” I said casually as I took my seat. I sat silently, nibbling a piece of melon. Max sat opposite of me and stared me in the eyes for a long moment before speaking.

“Kate, I had no right to talk to you like I did yesterday. That was inexcusable.” He sighed sadly.

“You were completely out of line.” I insisted. “I’m sorry that things didn’t go well with The New Yorker, but it’s not my fault… you were downright hateful to me, Max.”

“I know,” he sighed again, “and I’d do anything to take it back. I know exactly what this looks like, Kate.” He continued. “It looks like I’m one of those assholes who gets jealous of his woman’s success… I acted like a threatened little boy. I’m so sorry, and I promise you that it will never happen again.”

“Like I said,” I told him, “I understand that you were having a bad day. I will forgive you THIS time… but if it happens again, I’m gone.” I warned.

“That’s completely fair.” He agreed quickly.

I studied him carefully for a moment. His remorse seemed genuine, so I decided to let him off the hook.

“I forgive you, Max.” I smiled. “We both had bad days yesterday, let’s just put them behind us.”

“Kate, I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there when you needed me… I hate that the rehearsal didn’t go well, do you want to talk about it?”

I sighed and let loose the flood gates; I told him about the catty women and all of the mistakes I’d made during my first rehearsal. “I looked like a fish out of water,” I told him, “it’s probably just a matter of time before Bruce tosses me out on my ass.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that, Kate.” Max insisted. “You deserve that role. Yesterday was just your first rehearsal, there’s no way they expected you to be perfect right off the bat. Did you learn from the mistakes you made?”

“Yes,” I replied quickly. As flustered as I’d been by those horrible women, I’d paid attention to the way things were supposed to go. I was confident that I’d have all of my stage directions right during the second run through.

“Then relax,” he smiled. “Did Bruce mention when your debut performance will be?”

“We’re shooting for Monday,” I answered nervously, “if I can be ready by then. I get five free tickets to my opening show… I thought I’d give them to you, Janette, Paul, Parker, and Mark.”

“Monday… that doesn’t give us much time to party plan…” Max said thoughtfully. “I need to call Janette… if she’s talking to me, that is?” He asked.

I laughed. “Yes, she’s talking to you. I vented to her last night, but she took your side. She said you were probably just having a bad day and that I should cut you some slack.”

“I’ll have to thank her for that,” he smiled. “So, Monday night… is there anything in particular you want to do? Someplace you’d like to eat after the show?”

“Surprise me,” I smiled. “But don’t spend too much money…”

Max laughed. “You just worry about killing it on stage, let me worry about the finances. This is a big deal, and if I want to go overboard a little, I will… and speaking of overboard.” He said, pulling a mall blue box from his pocket. He slid the Tiffany’s box across the table to me and smiled. “The second we got off the phone yesterday, I felt like an ass. I wanted to make it up to you… so I went shopping.”

I was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. On one hand, I appreciated the gesture. On the other, I didn’t want to set a pattern with Max, to make him think that he could say or do whatever he pleased as long as he bought me a present after. I looked at the box but didn’t touch it.

“It’s a gift, Kate.” He said softly. “Just something small to remind you how much I care for you.”

He gave me a sweet smile and I melted. I lifted the lid from the turquoise box; a velvet ring box fell into my hand. I opened it and gasped.

“I know that emerald is your birthstone,” Max explained with a smile, “I thought of you the moment I saw the ring.”

I lifted the delicate white gold band and held it to the light for a better look. The antique style setting held a single, giant emerald. The rectangular stone was at least a carat and a half; I slid it onto the ring finger of my right hand and admired the way the stone sparkled.

“You shouldn’t have done this, Max.” I insisted. “I know that you don’t like to spend your money, and I already forgave you for yesterday.”

“This wasn’t an ‘I’m sorry’ present, Kate.” He insisted with a shake of his head. “I know that you’re about to be incredibly busy. Eight shows a week is a rough schedule, and I realize that we won’t get to spend as much time together as we’d like. I wanted to get you something that you could wear while we’re apart. Now, whenever you miss me you can look at the ring and remember how much I love you.”

I gasped and my heart fluttered in my chest. ‘He said it first.’ I thought. ‘He feels it too.’ I beamed at him from across the table.

“You love me, huh?” I asked with a giddy, teasing smile.

“You know that I do.” He grinned. “I love you more than I ever thought possible. I’m so proud of you, Kate, and I promise that I will spend my life making you happy, if you’ll let me.”

Tears filled my eyes and I laughed. “Careful,” I warned him, “if you keep talking like that, I’m going to move this ring to my left hand.”

He took my left hand in his, brought it to his lips, and kissed it softly. “I assure you, when the time comes to adorn this hand, I’ll do way better than an emerald.”

‘I am going to marry this man.’ I thought contently. “I’ll hold you to that.” I told him with a wink. “Baby, I hate to leave…”

“But you have to, I know.” He nodded. “I’ll pay the check and then walk you to the theater… unless you need some time alone to focus.”

I shook my head. “I’d love nothing more than to have you walk me to work.” I smiled. He paid for our breakfast, and then we walked hand in hand to the theater.

Max and I arrived at the theater ten minutes later; I said goodbye to him on the sidewalk, steeled my nerves, and walked inside. I was almost an hour early for rehearsal and I was relieved to find that I had the place to myself. I walked out onto the stage and stared into the vast, empty theater. I couldn’t believe that in less than a week, the seats would be filled and I would be performing in front of a giant audience. I was startled out of my daydream by the sound of someone clearing their throat. I turned and saw Dylan standing behind me.

“Hey,” I blushed. “I thought that I was the only one here.”

“I was in my dressing room.” He explained. “I’ve been waiting for you… I wanted to make sure that you were alright after this morning’s article.”

“What article?” I asked as panic filled my heart.

“Come with me,” he directed, taking me by the arm. He led me to the dressing room area and I was startled to see my name on one of the doors.

“I get…?” I asked, pointing at the placard.

“Yes, you get your own dressing room.” He laughed. “Go check it out and I’ll get this morning’s theater section.”

I walked to the door in disbelief and pushed it open. The small room held a plush blue velvet sofa, a well lit vanity, a mini fridge, and a flat screen television. I sat on the sofa as Dylan entered the room.

“How bad is it?” I asked.

“It’s a horrible article, but it will fill the seats.” He answered, offering me the paper. I looked at the bold headline at the top of the front page of the theater section. “FAN FAVORITE BOOTED FOR UNKNOWN- Everything You Need to Know About Our New Lorraine.”

“Oh… my… god.” I gasped. I scanned the article. It began by officially announcing the recast of the role. Poppy Martin had provided several quotes, making it clear that she felt she’d lost the job because of my ‘willingness to do whatever necessary to win a role’. Several unnamed sources from the theater recounted rumors and insisted that I’d been seen entering Dylan’s dressing room just days before being offered the job. One source told the story of my Phantom audition; I wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.

“This is the worst thing that could ever possibly happened.” I said, dumbfounded.

Dylan chuckled. “That is so far from the truth, Kate.” He told me. He seemed amused that I wasn’t seeing the bright side of the situation. “You can’t pay for publicity like that.”

“Everyone in the audience is going to think that I’m only here because I’m slutty. That isn’t the kind of publicity I want, thank you very much.” I spat.

“Yes, that’s the impression people will have when they show up. But then you will wow them with your talent and they’ll forget about everything they’ve heard. You’re fantastic, and everyone is going to love you.” He assured me.

“Dylan, my parents are going to read this… my friends…” A realization came over me and I started panicking again. ‘Max reads the paper every morning… he must have skipped it before breakfast, but he’s going to see this soon enough.’ I knew that I had to do damage control. I grabbed my phone and sent Max a text.

“The Times has everything wrong… please don’t believe a word of it, Serena and her friends are stirring up shit.”

He replied in a matter of seconds. “I didn’t believe it for one second. Have a great rehearsal. I love you.”

I grinned broadly as I stuck my phone in my bag.

“I take it whatever that was went well?” Dylan asked.

“Yes.” I told him. “And maybe you’re right about the article. No one I care about will believe that horrible trash and it will fill the seats. And once the audience is in front of me, I’ll show them exactly how I got the role.”

“That’s the kind of talk I want to hear.” Dylan grinned. “I’ll leave you to settle in to your room… buy some stuff for the walls and get comfortable. You’re going to be here for a long time.”

I sat back down on my new sofa and stared at the blank wall in front of me. As I considered how I wanted to decorate my new home away from home, I heard a loud knock at the door.

“Come in,” I called out. I expected to see Dylan, but Bruce appeared instead.

“Harper, good morning,” he said briskly as he stepped into the room. “Look, I’ve read the article and I want you to know that I had nothing to do with it.” He continued. “I’m not going to lie and say that I was thrilled about the casting decision, but if anyone had asked me I’d have told them that you’re talented.”

“Thank you, Bruce,” I smiled. “I know that I’ve been a giant inconvenience for you, but I’m ready today. You’ll be impressed, I promise.”

“About today…” Bruce hesitated, “I think it would be best to do things a little… differently. Considering that everyone is… a bit on edge.”

“I’ll be happy to do whatever you like.” I told him quickly. “I’m not going to let them get to me… I can handle the gossip.”

“Be that as it may, I’ve decided that we’re just going to rehearse your scenes today, instead of the entire show. We’ll have a limited orchestra, you, me, and Dylan.” He explained.

I breathed a sigh of relief. As much as I didn’t want the special treatment, I appreciated it. “Thank you, Bruce.” I smiled. “That will certainly make today easier than yesterday… though I assure you that I can play nice with the rest of the cast.”

“It’s not them I’m worried about.” He sighed. “I hope you have some thick skin, kid. You’re going to need it.”

“Yes sir.” I nodded.

He studied me carefully. “Alright,” he said after a few moments, “the musicians should be here, let’s get started.

The rehearsal was perfect; Dylan and I moved flawlessly from scene to scene, our voices blending perfectly during our vocal numbers. I hit every cue and stage direction, and lost myself into the world of The Four Seasons. I was amazed by the chemistry Dylan and I shared on stage. It was if we were reading each other’s minds, anticipating the other’s movements a split second before they happened. As Frankie and Lorraine fell in love, I felt my heart melt with a glance from Dylan. When they broke up, I felt as if I’d lost the love of my life as well.

“Fantastic!” Bruce kept calling out from the first row. “This is what I wanted to see, Harper! Fantastic!”

Dylan and I belted out the final lyrics of Bye, Bye Baby and Bruce jumped to his feet with applause.

“That was fantastic!” he bellowed. “We’ll do a full run through with the rest of the cast tomorrow, and you can take over performances as soon as wardrobe is finished with your costumes.”

“I haven’t…” I began.

Bruce interrupted with a dismissive wave. “I know you haven’t been measured yet. That’s where you’re going now… costuming and then make-up. They need to do a dry run on your colors, make sure that your features pop onstage.”

“Alright…” I answered nervously. Serena worked in a different part of the theater, but I knew that she was friends with all of the other cosmetologists. A large part of me feared that the Jersey Boys make-up artist would make me look awful on purpose, as a sign of solidarity with her friend. “I don’t know where I’m going.” I confessed with a nervous laugh.

“The rooms are next to each other, I’ll show you.” Dylan answered quickly.

“Great job today, Kate,” Bruce said again. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.” He ambled up the aisle as Dylan and I walked backstage.

“You don’t seem too excited about this part of the job.” He said with a smile. “I thought every little girl loved to play dress up.”

“I’m far from a little girl,” I reminded him, “and it’s not the dressing up that I mind.”

“Your friend… the one from Kinky Boots that you were waiting on that day? You think that she was behind the article, don’t you?”

I sighed. “The truth is, any number of people could have been behind it. I haven’t made myself too popular since I arrived in the city. Apparently it’s some kind of sin to sign with a good agent… but yes, I know that at least one of the unnamed sources was Serena.” I finished with a sigh.

“And that’s why you don’t want to go to the make-up room.”

I shrugged. “I’m sure the women in there already hate me, but they have to do their jobs, right? I just hope they don’t make me look like a fool.”

“That’s not possible.” Dylan laughed. “But I’ll make you a deal. If you ever come out of that room looking anything less than phenomenal, I’ll tell you and I’ll make them fix it.”

“Thanks,” I laughed. “That makes me feel better.”

“Then my mission is complete.” He smiled. “Here we are.”

“Do you know where I’m supposed to go first?” I asked. “I forgot to ask Bruce.”

“There’s one way to find out.” He replied, knocking on the door of the costume department. The door swung open; a tall man with mocha skin and dreadlocks smiled at Dylan.

“Hey man, what’s up?” He asked.

“Hi Carter, this is Kate Harper. Bruce said she had appointments with you and with make-up, but he didn’t say which was first.” Dylan explained.

“Hi Kate, it’s nice to meet you.” Carter smiled. “Dylan has told me wonderful things about you; I can’t wait to get started. I’ll take you first, Mica can wait.”

Dylan turned to me. “I’m leaving you in excellent hands.” He smiled. “I’ll be in my dressing room when you’re done. Come show me what Mica does with that beautiful face of yours.” He turned away and I blushed uncontrollably; Carter was kind enough to pretend not to notice.

“Step into my office, Kate, I need to take your measurements.” He instructed. “You’re about the same size as Poppy, I should be able to alter most of her things to fit you.”

I entered the room and stepped up onto the small, circular platform. He pulled out a soft measuring tape, a small notepad, and a pencil, and proceeded to take what seemed like hundreds of measurements. I had no idea why he would possibly need to know the distance between the top of my head and my elbow; I was about to ask when Carter announced that he was finished.

“Already?” I asked. “I don’t get to try anything on?”

Carter shook his head. “The costumes would look horrible on you right now. Trust me, let me make the alterations before you try them on.”

“Alright… then I guess I’ll go to make-up.” I remained rooted to the platform.

Carter took me by the elbow and guided me to the floor. “Look, Kate, I try to stay out of other people’s business, but I hear everything that goes on around here. I know what some of the other actresses and crew have been saying about you. You hold your head up high and ignore them… I’ve known Dylan for a long time. He may be a bit of a lady’s man, but he’s serious when it comes to his career. He wouldn’t have fought so hard to get you here if you weren’t talented.”

“Thank you, Carter.” I said with a smile. It was a relief to know that I had one more friend at the theater. “I guess I’d better get the make-up part over with.”

“Yes mam, I’ll have someone call you when I’m ready for your fitting.”

I stepped out into the hallway, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door of the make-up room. A perky brunette girl greeted me with an exaggerated smile.

“Hi!” She gushed. “You must be Kate. I’m Mica, come on in.” I followed her into the room and she shut the door behind us. The cramped space held a wall length vanity on one side and a row of sinks and dryers on the other. Mica pointed to a stool near the door and I took a seat.

“This is where you’ll get hair and make-up,” she explained, “and for future reference, you don’t have to knock… so, welcome to Jersey Boys, how are you liking things so far?”

“Everything’s been great,” I lied.

Mica nodded knowingly as she covered my face with thick foundation. “You know, I read that Times article this morning and I just got so mad… I mean, you’re not sleeping with Dylan Matthews, right?” She laughed casually.

I saw right through her; I knew that she was trying to act like my friend in the hopes that I’d give her the real dirt, something to share with the next reporter that came snooping around the theater. “I have a boyfriend, and I’m not going to dignify that article with a response.” I told her sharply.

“Of course not,” she quickly agreed. Mica finished my make-up in awkward silence, commenting every now and then on my smooth skin or high cheekbones. After what seemed like hours, she pronounced me finished and spun my chair around to fact the mirror.

I looked fantastic. She’d made my blue eyes pop with a band of gold eyeliner, and my cheeks were defined with bronzer and a dusty rose blush. My lips were pink and plumped to perfection.

“You’re amazing.” I told her sincerely.

“Thanks,” she laughed. “We won’t bother with your hair run through, I think I have a feel for your hair type… it holds curl really well, right?” I nodded. “I thought so,” she continued, “so the big barrel curl look will work perfectly. You’ll come here three hours before show time, every performance.” She instructed. “Do you know when you’re debuting?”

“As soon as Carter finishes my costumes.” I answered.

“It shouldn’t be too long then, Carter is fantastic. I guess I’ll see you soon!” She said with the same exaggerated excitement she’d greeted me with.

As I stood, the door to the make-up room swung open. Serena walked in, looking down at a list in her hand.

“Hey, Mica, we’re out of a couple of things in the other room, do you have any spare…” her voice trailed off as she looked up and saw me. “Never mind, I’ll come back later.” She said before darting back out the door.

‘Enough of this.’ I thought. I excused myself and rushed after her. “Serena!” I called as I chased her down the hall. “Serena… for the love of god would you just talk TO me instead of ABOUT me for once!” I screamed. She turned around and sneered at me.

“I don’t have anything to say to you.” She spat. “I took you under my wing, I shared ALL of my connections with you. And you convinced everyone that you were a sweet, innocent Midwest girl. I know better, Kate.” She said with an evil smile.

“Serena, what do you think I DID?” I asked her. “It’s not my fault that they wanted to cast me, I DIDN’T sleep with Dylan. I ran into him in the hallway that afternoon. My stomach grumbled, I was mortified, and he insisted that I join him for a snack. I didn’t know that we were going to his dressing room until we got there. I ate a granola bar, drank a sparkling water, and then left to meet you. It was NOTHING, we just talked.”

“You had a shit eating grin when you got back to the make-up room that day,” Serena argued, “I knew that something was up. I asked you what happened, and you lied. If you didn’t have sex with Dylan, why didn’t you tell me that you met him?”

I sighed. “I didn’t want to make a big deal about it… now I wish to god that I had. But I promise you, Serena, I’ve never slept with Dylan Matthews! You know I’m not that kind of person, we talked about it all the time!”

“You can play innocent all you want, Kate, but I know EXACTLY who you really are. And I promise you, no matter how long it takes, I am going to make sure you get what’s coming to you.” She hissed.

“Are you threatening me?” I asked her in disbelief.

“Consider it more like a warning.” She replied. “I’m watching you, Kate, and I’m not the only one. You’ll mess up eventually and show everyone who you really are… and when you do, I’m going to make the world come crashing down around you.” She gave me one last smug smile before darting down the hallway.