I sat in the back of the auditorium, my eyes burning with tears as I relived one of the worst days of my life. Work had been extra rough and although I was usually able to slog through the “shit”, I was super-emotional for some reason. The so-called friends that I was supposed to meet for happy hour never showed and some asshole stepped on my pinky corn when I went to Taco Bell for a lame attempt at dinner.
So here I was, trying not to cry as I crunched on a dry stale taco shell and greasy beef while I hid out in the theater. I knew that they were going to do a Noel Coward play and I just wanted to watch rehearsals while my insides healed. I had managed to swallow most of my dinner when I started to choke and couldn’t dislodge it. I coughed and coughed, wanting to scream for help. The dark alcove swam before me, the gilded walls melting … I thought I was dreaming when I saw the man with the soft, blue eyes.
Then, there was nothing.
*****
When I came to, I was lying on a cot in one of the dressing rooms. A cool cloth covered my head and my mouth tasted like vomit. I sat up, my head pounding and felt despair overwhelm me yet again.
What the hell else can go wrong today?
The door opened and a man stuck his head in. I recognized those blue eyes and sighed as he stepped in, closing the door behind him. “You’re awake.” His voice was gentle as his eyes swept over me. “How are you feeling?”
“My head aches, but I think I’ll survive.” I stood, massaging the back of my head.
“Here, let me do that.” He moved forward so quickly that I did not have any time to react. His strong hands moved through the hair at the base of my skull, searching for the muscles and I sank back down to the cot as the wonderful feeling of another’s hands made me tingle. “I hope that I’m not too forward, but I’m very good at giving massages.”
He was as good as his word. While he rubbed my pain away, he told me how he and a friend had heard me coughing and had found me passed out in the back row. He had done the Heimlich maneuver on me, dislodging the chip and a small amount of food and had brought me back here to recover. I felt momentarily refreshed, even though I still had to face the world. That realization brought me to my feet again.
“Thanks for taking care of me and I’m sorry to have been a burden.”
“It was no problem.” He smiled, reluctantly releasing me. I had felt the connection as keenly as he had but was too embarrassed. “Can I call you a cab?”
“No. I can catch the bus.”
“Nonsense!” He said. “Let me get you a cab.”
“Well, all right.”
As he escorted me back to the front, he introduced himself. His name was William and he was the lead actor in the play.
I should have guessed
, I thought, listening to his smooth rich baritone. His blond hair was sprinkled with grey and fell on his shoulders, framing his expressive mouth and sparkling eyes. His large hands were manicured and his light spicy scent made my heart flutter.
He’s so handsome …
A taxi pulled to the curb and William opened the door, taking my hand and helping me in. I felt like a princess … heading home in a pumpkin to an empty house. “Thank you again.”
“Um, would you like to see the play?”
“Huh?”
“The play? Would you like to see it? We open Friday. I could leave you a ticket at the booth.”
Blood rushed through me as I gazed into his eyes.
Am I dreaming this? He wants me to come to the play!
“Yes,” I said in a steady voice that surprised myself. “I’d like that.”
“And then, maybe we could have dinner afterwards?”
I don’t think I could have smiled any brighter. “I’d like that, too.”
“Good.” We smiled awkwardly at each other. “I’ll see you on Friday, then.”
The cab pulled away, leaving him on the sidewalk, waving to me. I waved back, then shouted in joy, startling the cabbie, who didn’t appreciate it.
How could he have known that a brush with death had just brought me William?
*******
The rest of the week went by like a slug in a grassy field: extremely slow. I went through my workdays with a perpetual smile pasted on my face, my thoughts on Friday night and dinner with William. I had resisted the urge to sneak back in the theater to see him, which took all of my willpower and put my excess energies into shopping for a dress and getting my hair done.
When I surveyed the fruits of my efforts, I knew that I looked good and hoped he would see the same. The dress was a shimmery gold with belled sleeves and a deep slit at my right hip. My black hair was gently curled around my face, my eyes were dramatically lined with black and my lips glistened with sparkly red. I wondered if he would have a problem with the fact that I was a little on the muscular side because of my love for swimming but pushed that thought out of my head. I was moving too fast. After all, it was just a play and dinner.
The ticket was waiting for me at the box office with a little note attached from William.
Please join me backstage after the performance
. My heart leaped again. I took my seat with the other patrons and watched the performance, finding that my attention was drawn to William. He was breathtaking. It seemed as if it had just started when the actors came out to take their bows. The audience stood when William and his leading lady came out and I clapped fiercely, smiling at the thought that I would be spending time with this marvelous man in just a few seconds.
Then his eyes caught mine and he smiled even brighter, bowing in my direction. I dipped my head in acknowledgment and when the lights came up, headed for the backstage doors. The guard checked my name on the list and I made my way back. The hallway was boiling with people; actors, stage crew staff and patrons and I frantically searched for William. I finally saw him at the end of the hall, talking to another actor.
