When Becky Met Bryan
Author's Note: Technically, this is not a 'Loving Wives' story as the two protagonists are not (yet) married. However, this is the fifth story I've posted featuring the trials and tribulations of Becky and Bryan Sandford and so I put it here for those LW readers who enjoyed those stories. I hope you will too.
*****
WHEN BECKY MET Bryan Sandford for the first time, she was on her third date with another man. Daniel was a friend of a friend and after a couple of very enjoyable dinner dates, Becky was toying with the idea of taking things to the next level. Daniel was certainly handsome enough, with a fine-boned face and a penchant for wearing smart blazers and ironed jeans. Becky was twenty-six, fed up with macho idiots and timewasters, and being treated well by an authentic gentleman who wanted a serious relationship was a refreshing change. She had kissed him after the second date, but he hadn't pushed for anything further. The signs were good.
On Wednesday lunchtime at work, Becky got a call from Daniel inviting her to a comedy club that same evening. The club did twelve-week courses in stand-up comedy which a friend of Daniel's had taken, and this culminated in a live performance before an audience. Daniel was going with a group of mates to support this guy, and would she like to join them? Becky was thrilled at the spontaneity of the invitation and immediately said yes.
She was also pleased at the prospect of being introduced to Daniel's friends and she wanted to make a good impression. She had a knee-length cobalt blue dress which hit just the balance between stylish and sexy and, along with high-heeled boots, a denim jacket and the right earrings and bracelets, Becky reckoned she looked smart enough for an evening out without it being a Friday night 'clubbing' outfit. She pinned enough of her strawberry blond hair back to be out of her face, while still letting most of it fall over her shoulders. Checking her reflection in the wardrobe mirror, she thought she looked pretty damn good.
Daniel's jaw literally dropped when he arrived to pick her up. All the way to the club, he kept telling her how beautiful she looked. His friends inside were equally impressed--all guys--and while Becky was talking to a couple of them, she overheard another saying to Daniel, 'Wow! You got taste!' The feminist part of her brain found it a tad reductive, but her ego loved the attention.
The club itself was a medium-sized place with small tables filling the space in front of a small cabaret stage. The backdrop was a plain dark red curtain and there was a single microphone stand on a small dais from which the performer could overlook the audience. There was a bar at the back and three waitresses dressed in black went around with trays taking orders and carrying drinks. As the place began to fill up, Becky joined Daniel and his friends in getting seats near the front row. As she looked around, Becky noticed an area to the side of the stage where there were two rows of high tables and people sitting at them on barstools--six men and two women. Some of them were holding sheets of paper and all of them looked as sick as pigs.
'Jerry's the one in the white shirt,' said Daniel in her ear.
'I could
never
do this,' said Becky.
'Me neither. He's got some balls, I can tell you.'
The lights went down and the show began.
The evening was hosted by the club's resident comedian who warmed up the audience before introducing the acts. As Becky settled back in her seat, a glass of white wine on the small table she shared with Daniel, she began to enjoy herself. The audience was mostly made up of family and friends of the performers, so whatever they lacked in professionalism was more than made up for by the supportive nature of the crowd. Weak jokes were laughed at and the good ones applauded. It also gave Becky an appreciation of just how difficult stand-up comedy was. Her stomach churned in sympathy as each new performer came up to the podium, the microphone sometimes visibly shaking in their hand. But it was lovely--and even inspiring--to see people conquer their nerves and most of them were clearly enjoying themselves by the end of their set. Daniel's friend Jerry came on in the first half and he acquitted himself well.
During the interval, Daniel replenished their drinks and they sat back to enjoy the second half. It was much the same as the first half--likeable people doing their best and coming out with the occasional good laugh. Until a tallish man with a serious-looking face stepped onto the stage. The host comedian left, the applause died down, and the man paused, looked around the club, and then got a laugh just by saying 'Hello'.
Becky blinked as she watched him. The man had a great voice, an expressive face and he knew how to tell a story. He took his time, his jokes consistently got big laughs and he even dared to improvise with the audience. He was absolutely killing it.
'My god, he's a natural!' said Becky.
Daniel mumbled something she didn't catch.
When his set ended, the audience burst into thunderous applause. Becky noticed that, unlike the other performers who scuttled off as soon as they were done, this guy stood in the spotlight and waited for the host comedian to get back on before leaving. Professional.
'Bryan Sandford!' said the host, with a gesture.
Becky watched the man return to the tall tables and barstools. He was getting handshakes and back slaps from all of his fellow performers. This guy was the best, no question. If this were a competition, he would have won it.
When the show ended, the houselights went up and the amateur comedians joined their supporters. Becky held her wine glass and hovered around Daniel and his group, but she had one eye on the tallish man across the room. There were about a dozen people around him, half of them women, although none stood next to him the way a girlfriend might.
'Hey, Becky,' said Daniel. 'We're all going to a pub in a couple of minutes.'
'Yeah, okay,' said Becky.
She gave him a nod and pretended to listen to the general conversation. From the corner of her eye, she saw Bryan leave his group and walk alone to the bar carrying an empty glass. Becky downed the rest of her wine and decided to do the same with hers.
At the bar, Bryan ordered a small beer and the barmaid began to pull one. Becky came up and put her empty glass on the bar from a polite distance. She and the barmaid exchanged a nod, then Becky turned as if to go and stopped as she noticed Bryan.
'Hey!' she said. 'I really enjoyed your act.'
'Thank you,' he said.
The barmaid put his glass of beer onto the bar. Bryan picked it up and was turning to go.
'Can I ask you something?' said Becky.
'Sure,' said Bryan.
'Was this
really
your first time doing stand-up?'
'Yes, it was.'
'Because you're really good. You do know that, don't you?'
Bryan took a sip of beer as he considered his answer.
'Writing the material was more difficult than I expected,' he said. 'But I was also confident that I could do a good job.'
He looked Becky in the eye. No false modesty, no arrogance. Just a frank acknowledgement of the facts as he saw them. Becky's interest in him went up another notch.
'Becky!
There
you are!'
Daniel was coming over. He wore a fake smile and when he got there, made sure to stand between her and Bryan before he spoke.
'We're off now. You ready?'
'Sure.'
Daniel turned towards Bryan and started, as though he only just noticed him.
'Oh! Weren't you one of the chappies onstage?'
'I was, yes.'
'I liked your act.'
'So you
do
remember me?'
Becky bit her lip and looked down. Daniel's smile was put under strain, but he kept it up.
'Yes, you weren't bad,' he said. 'Although... do you mind if I make
one
suggestion?'
Bryan smiled.
'Good night,' he said and walked away.
Daniel was taken aback, then the sides of his face went red and he hissed, 'Wanker!' Becky's face also went red, but for a totally different reason. She saw Bryan rejoin his group, saw the obvious respect they had for him, saw one woman touch his arm as he said something. Next to her, Daniel was huffing like a kid who'd been insulted in the playground.
'Come on!' he said sourly. 'Let's get out of here!'
***
Bryan was on a high.
As he stood surrounded by friends and colleagues telling him how great he was, he felt like a knight who had vanquished his own personal dragon. Stand-up comedy had always fascinated and terrified him. He had loved amateur dramatics as a kid and storytelling was a major part of his work as an adult--giving presentations, pitching potential clients and the like. But stand-up was like a holy grail that had always been just out of his reach.
Then he turned thirty and Eric, his business partner, had taken a bunch of them to this very comedy club to celebrate. The main act was terrific, but one of the support acts was so bad, Eric had whispered, 'Christ, Bryan,
you
could do better than this!' Bryan privately agreed, but he found it too easy to simply slag off the guy on stage. Talk is cheap. But after the show, he saw a flyer for the club's twelve-week comedy course and that had lit the fire under him.
And now Eric was here with a bunch of others, slapping his shoulder and saying, 'I bloody
knew
you could do it!' The club had made a video of the show for each participant which Bryan knew would be making the rounds at work, so thank god he had nailed it. And, as an added bonus, a sexy blonde in a blue dress and denim jacket had come up to talk to him, pissing off her toffee-nosed boyfriend. What an ego boost
that
was!
The club was nearly empty, with only the remains of Bryan's group and one other in the room. Two of the waitresses had gone home, leaving only the barmaid to serve the last customers and restock the fridges behind the bar. Eric sighed.
'I wish it wasn't the middle of the week,' he said. 'I'd suggest adjourning to a pub, but--'
'Eric, it's fine,' said Bryan. 'Honestly, I'm ready to call it a night.'
There were five of them left and they went as a group to the bar, taking it in turns to pay for their drinks. As Bryan waited for his own tab, the blacked-out door of the club opened and a woman stepped in.
It was the blonde in the blue dress and denim jacket.
The moment Bryan saw her, an inner voice said, 'She's here for
you.'
This started up the voices of his insecurities: 'What?!' 'Are you kidding?' 'She's forgotten her phone or something!' Bryan pretended not to see her and smiled at the barmaid. Meanwhile, the blonde in the blue dress headed for the group by the bar.
'Excuse me,' she said. 'Are you friends of this man?'
'Yes,' said Eric.
'I'm Becky Robinson. Pleased to meet you.'
She stuck out her hand and Eric shook it, his expression bemused. Becky shook the hand of every person in the group and then turned to look at Bryan.
'Hi,' she said.
