STAGESTRUCK - The Complete Series (7 page)

“Kate, I’m so sorry!” Janette sighed again. She passed me a bottle of ibuprofen and refilled my coffee mug.

“It’s not your fault.” I said softly. “I knew better, and I did it anyway. I didn’t realize how much I’d had to drink last night until I woke up this morning.”

Janette nodded. “We went through two bottles. That’s not a ton, but it was wine… wine always gives me horrible headaches.”

“You seem fine right now.” I told her.

“I drank a giant glass of water before I went to bed last night, and I slept until 3 p.m.” She explained. “I wish you’d stayed here last night, I could have at least helped you get up on time.”

“It’s too late to think about that.” I sighed. “I just have to do better next time… if there ever is a next time.” I said, remembering Marion’s words.

“Don’t talk like that Kate; of course there will be a next time.” She assured me. “You’ve just had a bad day, everyone has bad days. Soon, this whole story will seem hilarious… something you can share during your first Tony award acceptance speech.” She grinned.

“I’m not so sure about that.” I told her. “Janette, the other women at the audition… they were so focused, so put together. I’m not sure I could have competed with them on my best day. And one of them, a bitchy girl named Shelia… she knew who I was, where I’m from, and that Marion is representing me. She seemed to have it out for me.”

“She’s probably just jealous of your agent. Between you and me, Serena told me it’s really strange that Marion agreed to sign you. She said that the Russo Agency never takes on unknown talent.”

I groaned. “Great, so Sabrina’s talking about it too? Does she secretly resent me like all of those women I met today? And how the hell does everyone know so much about me?”

“Sabrina made an innocent comment. If anything, she was impressed that you’re working with Marion. If she resents you for it, she’s hiding it really well. As for how everyone knows everything, the industry is notorious for gossiping. Another actor could have spotted you at the agency, a file clerk could have loose lips, there’s really no telling.” Janette answered patiently.

“But I don’t understand why I’m worth talking about…” I sighed. “At least I didn’t until this morning. I completely understand why their talking about today’s awful audition.”

“Yeah…” Janette began hesitantly. “That story is getting around. Serena called me a couple of hours ago to see if you were alright.”

“How bad is it? What are they saying?”

“I didn’t ask, because it doesn’t matter.” Janette said firmly. “Theater people gossip, but they have incredibly short attention spans. In a day or two, someone else will do something embarrassing and they’ll all forget about you.”

“God I hope so.” I sighed. “At least I still have a job… unless Steve fires me for calling in tonight.”

“Fuck Steve, he needs you and he knows it. He’s probably stressing out right now, wondering if you’re going to be at work tomorrow or if he’s lost you to the stage. He’ll be incredibly relieved when you show up for your next shift.” She assured me.

I smiled. “You know Janette, I think you’re good for my self esteem.”

“I’m just honest.” She grinned. “Now, finish that coffee while I figure out what we can throw together for dinner.”

She rummaged through her cabinets and pulled out some quinoa. From there, she moved on to the refrigerator. “I have some smoked turkey sausages and some veggies. I could make a stir-fry.”

“That sounds great.” I told her. “I’m starving.”

Janette fired a burner and set a pot of water to boil for the quinoa. “The rest will only take a few minutes,” she explained as she took a seat next to me. Janette’s apartment was slightly bigger than mine. She has a great open floor plan with a dining bar that separates the kitchen space from the living room. We sat and drank coffee, waiting for the water to boil.

Janette sighed and turned to me. “You know what they say about a watched pot… so let’s talk about something more pleasant. I for one would like to revisit the subject of you and a certain bartender…” She smiled wickedly.

“I can’t even think about that right now.” I sighed.

“That’s exactly why you should.” She advised. “Don’t dwell on the mistakes you made this morning, you can’t do anything to change that. But you CAN to do something to fix the mistake you made with Max.”

“What do you suggest I do?” I ask.

“Just walk up to that bar, look him in the eye, and admit that you made a mistake. Ask him for another chance… if he’s still interested in you, he’ll forgive you instantly.”

“I think he’s already forgiven me…” I told her, “but what if he’s not interested? I can’t imagine putting myself out there like that and getting shot down. I’d have to find a new job for sure then. I’d never be able to show my face at Orlando’s again.”

“So take a more… subtle approach.” She said as she poured the hearty seeds into the boiling water. She pulled the smoked sausage from the fridge, along with green and red peppers, snap peas, and a bundle of scallions. She chopped the ingredients as she continued. “We’re playing at Morell’s on Friday night. It’s a few blocks from Times Square, it’s a really classy place. You should come, and casually invite Max to join you. I’ll get everyone else to come to, so it will seem like a friendly group thing and there won’t be any pressure. You and Max could just… see where things go.”

The idea was actually pretty good. “We both work Saturday, but neither of us close.” I told her. “I’ll bring it up and see if he’s interested.”

Janette tossed the stir-fry ingredients into a hot, oiled skillet; the aromas that filled the air were both mouthwatering and nauseating. She looked at me and smiled.

“You look green. There’s a joint in the drawer of the coffee table. Hit it a few times, it will help with the nausea and you’ll be able to eat.” She advised as she drained the quinoa.

I did as she suggested; after my third hit I felt infinitely better. Janette set a plate of food in front of me and I devoured it in minutes.

“I see why so many people swear by this stuff as a medicine.” I told her as I lit the joint again. “I can’t believe I waited so long to try it.”

Janette laughed. “I told you I’d broaden your horizons.”

“I feel bad, smoking yours all of the time. Next time you get some, I’ll pay… and I might like a little for myself, too.”

“You can take some of this home.” Janette offered. “I have plenty for now. We’ll call Paul when we run out… unless you want me to call him now? He has a couple of different blends, you might like one of the other ones better.”

I shook my head. “I’m too stoned and tired right now. I’d really just like to lay in a hot bath until I turn into a prune.”

Janette disappeared into her bedroom, and then returned a moment later with a small, silver cigarette case. She flipped the top open to reveal three tightly rolled joints. “You can take these for now, enjoy some in the tub.”

“Thanks… for this and for dinner.” I told her as I rose from the stool.

“No problem.” Janette smiled. “I’ll see you soon… and call me as soon as you talk to Max about Saturday.”

I promised her that I would, and then set off for the sanctuary of my tub.

I woke up the next morning feeling much better, but my streak of bad luck continued. I arrived for my dinner shift and Orlando’s to discover that Max had called in sick; he had a stomach flu, and expected to be out for the next few days. The relief bartender was a shady, perverted type named Ron who was a cousin of Chase, one of the womanizing kitchen workers. He hit on me in the first ten minutes of my shift; I told him that I was a lesbian, but it only spurred his interest. Soon, he was suggesting incredibly inappropriate group activities. That sent me over the edge, and I stormed in to Steve’s office.

“Are you aware that by employing those Neanderthals, you’re supporting a hostile working environment?” I demanded.

“Oh come on, Kate. They aren’t that bad.” Steve insisted.

“You’re not the one they’re harassing.” I argued. “It’s unbelievable out there. If one of the female employees said to you the kinds of things they say to us, you’d fire them instantly.”

Steve rose from his desk, moved across the room, and shut the office door. He leaned over me and looked me in the eye. “Have any of them touched you inappropriately?” He asked.

“No, but that’s not…” I started but he interrupted me.

“Kate, it is not my job to teach you how to handle aggressive men. That’s something you have to figure out for yourself. The guys show up, they do a good job, and they don’t steal. They also know how to straddle the lines without crossing them. Unless they touch you, there’s nothing I can do about it.” He said firmly.

“You mean that there’s nothing you WILL do about it.” I countered.

He backed away and opened the door once more. “If you don’t like the way things are run around here, you’re welcome to leave. Otherwise, get your ass back to work.”

As I stomped back into the dining room, everything in me wanted to quit and walk out. But that wasn’t an option; if there was one thing I was certain of, it was that my audition fiasco had set my stage career back by leaps and bounds. It was not the time to quit my job; instead, I developed a plan B.

I sauntered into the other room, walked directly behind the bar, and grabbed Ron by the collar of his shirt. I pulled him down to my level and hissed into his ear.

“Listen you slimy piece of shit. I don’t care how hot you think your shit is, or what you do with your dick on your off time. But if you EVER talk to me like that, I’ll cut your balls off. I grew up in Iowa; I know how to castrate a pig.” I said firmly.

All of the color drained from his face the moment ‘castrate’ left my mouth. I released his shirt, backed away, and smiled. “So, do we have an understanding?”

Ron nodded wordlessly and I returned to work.

Max didn’t return to Orlando’s until Saturday afternoon. When I arrived for my dinner shift, he was already behind the bar. He smiled widely when I walked in.

“I was wondering if I’d see you today.” He smiled. “I’m sorry if this means that you didn’t get the role. But I’m glad that you’re still here.”

“Thanks,” I said sadly. “I absolutely didn’t get the role… in fact, I may never get another audition after what happened.” I sighed and told him the story of my god awful experience. He tried not to laugh when I reached the part about how I’d thrown up on the show’s lead.

“It’s not funny!” I insisted.

“It’s a little funny.” He argued. “Let some time pass and you’ll be able to see that.” He suddenly became serious. “What I’m wondering is why in the world you got drunk before such an important morning.”

“I didn’t really mean to.” I tried to explain. “Everything just kind of snowballed… first I had to stay here late, and when I got home I decided to have one glass of wine with Janette… that led to a bottle, and a bottle led to two…”

“Didn’t your friend know that you had an audition the next morning? Why didn’t she stop you?” He asked.

“She’s my friend, not my mother.” I answered defensively. “Besides, Janette was pretty drunk herself. She was two glasses in when I got there. It wasn’t her responsibility to babysit me.”

“Alright…” he conceded. “To me, she doesn’t sound like a very good friend, but I don’t know her like you do.”

I decided to take my chances and tell him about Janette’s show that night. “You could get to know her.” I suggested. “Her band, Underground Revival, is playing at Morell’s tonight. I’m meeting some friends there when I get off, why don’t you join me?”

Max blushed and started shifting uncomfortably.

“Unless you’re still not feeling well… or you already have plans.” I added quickly.

“I’m feeling alright,” he said slowly. “It’s just… well, remember when I invited you to the play? I mentioned that I might give Megan the tickets? Well… we ended up going together. We had a really good time, and we’ve been hanging out a lot lately. Then I got sick, and she really stepped up. She brought me medicine, soup, movies… we’re kind of seeing each other now.” He finished.

I was shocked and disappointed, and I tried my best to hide it. “Oh, that’s great!” I said with false sincerity. “Why don’t you bring her with you? It’s just a friendly thing, like I said before, you should both come!”

“Are you sure?” He asked with surprise.

“Of course!” I insisted. “It will be great, I’d love to get to know Megan better.”

“Alright then… well if you’re sure, we’ll probably see you there.”

“Fantastic!” I said. “I’d better get clocked in. See you when my first table orders their drinks!” I laughed awkwardly and rushed back to the main dining room. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and text Janette.

“I JUST FUCKED UP SO BAD. CALL ME ASAP.”

I spent the rest of my shift in a silent panic. The dining room emptied early and I managed to convince Steve to let me off an hour before my shift was over. I needed time to talk things out with Janette and come up with a plan for how to fix the mess I’d just made. I’d brought a change of clothes to work with me, so I changed in the restroom and set off for Morell’s. I threw a quick glance to the bar and saw that Max was busy with a customer, so I left without saying goodbye.

It took me twenty minutes to get to the club. The place was even classier than I’d imagined, and I was glad that Janette had helped me pick out an appropriate outfit. I wore silky black palazzo pants with a fitted blue blouse that matched the color of my eyes. I’d touched up my make-up when I changed, and I knew that I looked good. I still smelled like pasta sauce, but I doubted anyone would get close enough to notice.

I found Janette, Parker, and Mark sitting at a small table directly in front of the dance floor. Parker smiled and waved me over when he saw me. I joined them and took a seat.

“Hey Kate, how was work? Did you invite anyone else to join us and make the night awkward?” Janette teased.

“Ha ha.” I said with a good natured smile. “How about instead of talking shit, you help me come up with a way to handle it.”

“This is the same guy I threw you into at Syd’s, isn’t it?” Mark asked.

“Yes.” I told him.

“I can’t believe you blew him off, Kate.” Mark sighed.

Parker nodded. “I think that from now on, you should put Mark and I in charge of your personal life.”

“Consider it done.” I said quickly. “Who wants to be in charge of my career? Cause I’ve been making horrific decisions all around lately.”

Mark laughed. “It’s not as bad as you think.” He assured me.

Janette nodded. “I talked to Serena this afternoon. A producer and a lighting tech were caught doing the nasty in a prop room at Lincoln. Everyone’s talking about that now; they’ve forgotten all about you.”

“Thank God for small favors.” I laughed. “Where is Serena, I thought she’d be here tonight.”

“She’s working.” Janette reminded me. “Bridget’s not coming either. She has an early appointment in the morning.”

“On a Sunday?” I asked.

Mark shrugged. “She works around her clients’ schedules. Don’t worry though, Parker and I have your back tonight.”

Parker nodded. “With any luck, Max and Megan won’t even show tonight. But if they do, we’ll make sure Max sees that he’s here with the wrong woman. This Megan girl may be nice, but I can’t believe that she’s hotter than you.”

“You guys are so sweet.” I beamed. “Which one of you wants to buy me my first drink?”

“I’ll do the honors.” Mark said as he rose from the table. “What’s your poison?”

“I’ll have a kamikaze shot and a Bud Light.” I told him.

“Bring me the same.” Parker smiled. “On second thought, give them the credit card, order us all a round, and tell them to keep them coming.”

“You’re feeling generous.” Janette smiled and teased him. “Are you going to send some of those drinks to the stage? I’ve got to get up there soon for sound check.”

“You know I’ll take care of you.” Parker smiled. “I just landed a big account. I figured I could spoil everyone tonight, since Kate took care of us after the show.”

“Looks like we need to tell Mark to add two more rounds to the order.” Janette said, nodding towards the entrance.

I turned just in time to watch Max and Megan walk through the door, arm in arm.