Bryce

Chapter 10

Samantha headed to rehearsal excited to see everyone together for the first time. She wore her favorite black leggings with a black cropped sweatshirt. Getting ready for rehearsal was simple since every day called for rehearsal blacks. She owned plenty of black leggings and yoga pants and even more black tops. She put a gray sweater in her bag to wear to the dance in case she didn’t have time to get home first.

“Samantha?” she heard from behind.

Turning around, she saw the woman she met at the audition. She had wondered if the Brittney from the cast list was the same one she met at the audition. It was nice to see a familiar face.

“Brittney! Congrats! I was hoping to see you.”

“Congrats to you, too. What role did you land?” Brittney asked.

“Joanne,” she responded with a shy smile.

“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you. I take it today isn’t your first rehearsal. How has it been going?”

“Well, it’s been going. The first day was a lot of housekeeping-type stuff. We did a read-through and then broke into smaller groups. Yesterday was the first day we really rehearsed the entire time. It’s definitely a lot, but I love it.”

Brittney followed her into the green room and set her bag in the chair next to Samantha’s. “I’m excited. I was an hour into my shift at the restaurant when I got the call. It took everything in me to not just quit my job on the spot and walk out. I didn’t get called back, so I figured I didn’t get cast.”

Samantha gave a thin smile in response. Everything that was happening when she got the callback and when she got the call offering her the role was not something she wanted to think about. Saying nothing, she pulled her boots off and slipped her feet into her jazz shoes.

“Where were you when you got your call? Is it something you’ll remember forever?” Brittney asked with what Samantha swore was a giggle.

She most certainly would remember it forever. She debated whether she wanted to tell her new friend why she’d remember everything about getting the call. It would forever stick out in her mind.

“I got the call to come back for a second audition the morning after my husband’s funeral.”

“Samantha!” she gasped. “I am so sorry. I had no idea your husband passed away. How are you even functioning, and here?”

After digging her water bottle out of her bag, she started making her way toward the stage for warm-ups. Brittney followed close behind, waiting for her answer. Explanations wouldn’t be easy. It wasn’t like she could explain to people how relieved she felt to be a widow, so she might as well get used to coming up with a response.

“Things were complicated. We weren’t on good terms. He actually got into a car accident while I was at the audition and was already pronounced dead by the time I got to the hospital. It’s been difficult, but going ahead with things I had already started seems to help.” She resisted the urge to tell her he was on his way to take another woman out. “I don’t keep my phone on me during auditions, and when I finally checked it before heading home, I knew something was wrong.”

Brittney stopped her just before they reached the others. “I’m sorry that happened to you. If you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m a great listener.”

“Thank you. I just want to try to move forward. When I’m here, I’m here. But I’m sure I’ll have my bad days, so don’t be surprised if I take you up on it,” Samantha said as they made their way to the stage.

Goosebumps spread across her arms at the sight of everyone on the stage together. It was one thing to show up with a few key cast members and read through the script from one of several chairs arranged in a circle, and another thing to see the entire company spread out and taking up every piece of the stage. Finally, everything felt real. She worked on Broadway. She would be spending five or six days a week working hard alongside people who shared her passion and love for musical theater.

Actors milled around. A few sat yoga style. Some looked over the script and quietly sang along. She found a spot for Brittney and herself. Samantha watched her friend for her reaction. Even after having a few rehearsals under her belt, she was nearly overwhelmed by the sight of finally seeing everyone together, so she knew Brittney had to feel moved. Her mouth was turned up into a grin and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. There was no feeling like the first time stepping onto a new stage.

“Smell that?” Samantha asked.

Brittney’s brows knitted together in confusion as she cautiously sniffed the air. “Smell what?”

“The stage!” Samantha answered. “Fresh cut wood, paint, and perfume. It’s like a cross between a school and the lumber section at Home Depot.”

Brittney stopped sniffing the air and laughed. Her shoulders relaxed as she shook her head in disbelief. Samantha’s tactics were effective. Brittney no longer seemed nervous about her first rehearsal or on edge after hearing about Samantha’s husband.

The musical director stepped up to the music stand in front of the piano and got everyone’s attention. The first business of rehearsal was for the entire group to warm up. They sang a few scales, led by the piano. When the first chords of Seasons of Love rang out, the entire group burst into applause. Samantha couldn’t contain her grin. It would be the first time singing the song with the entire cast singing along, even though the ensemble was pretty small, and the first solo belonged to her.

Samantha closed her eyes and belted out her part of the song. She hadn’t allowed herself to imagine the way it would feel to sing one of her favorite songs from a musical along with a group on stage. If she was this overwhelmed the first time singing it at rehearsal, she couldn’t imagine opening night.

As the song finished, Samantha”s eyes snapped open to more cheers erupting. The excitement was contagious. Brittney surprised Samantha by pulling her into a quick, strong hug. Once she was released from the hug, she turned and handed out high fives to anyone she could reach.

The musical director tapped his music stand with a baton to quiet the room back down. With a cast of only twenty, it didn’t take much to regain everyone’s attention. She waited a few moments, and once all attention was on her, she began giving out instructions.

“You guys sounded fantastic,” she began. “Now that we broke the ice with some warm-ups and a first attempt at the play’s most iconic song, I’ll give some introductions and go over the rest of the day. I’m Keira Swinton, the musical director. You’ll be dealing with me the most since this is a musical. The director, Mr. Jeckman, is sitting over there in the third row. He’ll be watching the rehearsals and giving me suggestions here and there. Ultimately, he runs the show. A few seats over from Mr. Jeckman, is Gustavo, the choreographer. I’m not sure if we’ll get to him today, but even though the dance in this production is less complicated than some other shows, he’s in charge of all the dance moves, no matter how simple they may seem. Any questions?”

Everyone in the room seemed to be on the same high as Samantha. Who could think of questions to ask at a time like that? She couldn’t wait to see where the rest of rehearsal would take them. She looked over at Brittney and was pretty sure the grin she saw matched her own.

“Okay then, let’s get started,” Keira said with a clap of her hands. “Joanne and Tom Collins, you guys can head to the green room and practice your solos together. Everyone else, stay out here so we can work on that song. Once we work out who sings what part we’ll take it from the top with everyone together.”

Samantha’s smile kicked up another notch when she was referred to by her character name. Things were beginning to feel official, and she loved every minute of it. The rest of rehearsal flew by, and before she knew it, she was changing shoes, and on her way out the door to head to New Jersey.

Bryce arrived at the community center an hour early. He wanted to check things out before everyone else began to arrive. His crew had just finished up that week, so it still smelled like fresh-cut lumber and paint; one of his favorite fragrances. Once the major construction was complete, they did some complimentary updates to the main floor. The new molding had been stained dark and created a sharp contrast against the light gray walls, making it look like a new room.

“Wow, Bryce. I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

He turned to see Rayelle slowly making her way toward him as she took in the new room. “Thanks. It turned out even better than I was expecting. Even if the kids don’t appreciate it, I know the volunteers will. Where’s Dominic?”

“The kids will definitely notice. Dominic’s still outside. He ran into someone he hasn’t seen in a while. You know how he is. It’s cold so I left him out there.”

Bryce laughed. “That sounds about right. What are you guys doing here so early?”

“I couldn’t wait to see it. I knew you were here so I figured we could take a look and then see if we can help out with anything.”

“Mrs. Anderson and Tina are in the kitchen getting snacks ready to put out.”

“Okay, I’ll go see what they need. Let Dom know where I am if he ever makes it in here.”

Rayelle disappeared into the kitchen, so Bryce continued his once-over. Dominic walked in as Bryce was finishing up his second pass. He hadn’t noticed, but guests had begun to arrive while he was busy looking over his work. Dominic walked right over to him as soon as he made eye contact.

“This place looks great. Your crew did a fantastic job.”

Bryce never would get used to accepting compliments, so he quickly changed the subject. “Thanks. I guess we should see how we can help, since people are starting to arrive. Rayelle was headed to help in the kitchen last I saw her.”

Bryce was happy to make himself useful and serve as an additional host, so he didn’t have to watch the clock while he waited for Samantha to arrive. The basement was open, but the party mostly kept to the main floor. Some people made their way to the basement to check out the remodel, and Bryce tried his best not to listen to the critiques.

The music was loud, and people were having a good time. Bryce walked out of the kitchen after returning an empty tray just in time to see Samantha walk through the door. She looked fantastic for getting there straight from rehearsal. Both her black leggings and the grey sweater hugged every one of her curves and the high-heeled boots served as the cherry on top. She did not look like someone who just threw on a change of clothes in a rush.

“Hey,” he greeted once he reached her. “You look amazing.”

The tension eased in her shoulders as she visibly relaxed. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

He watched quietly as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes traveled from one end of the building to the other. Occasionally she would stop for a moment and take a closer look at something that interested her. Her lips curved into a grin once she turned her attention back to him.

“You did this?”

“My guys did,” he answered. “But most of the work was done downstairs. I can show you if you want.”

Before he finished his offer, she had his hand in both of hers as they headed toward the stairs. The basement was surprisingly empty considering it was the main reason for the dance.

“It might not look like much, but it started as nothing,” Bryce explained. “We put down new floors, hung drywall, and built that wall separating the rooms.”

“Doesn’t look like much?” she challenged. “I think it looks really good.”

Bryce softened at the compliment. “Thank you. The room on the far side is a place for the younger kids to focus on homework. Tables are set up along the walls so the center of the room can have bean bag chairs and blankets for kids who do better without sitting at a desk. And this room is less structured because it’s for the older kids. They can sit on the couches, at the larger tables with their friends, or at an individual desk. We added plenty of outlets so they can charge their devices. We don’t usually get this involved in the design process, but this wasn’t the typical job.”

When he finished giving her the rundown, he turned to see her watching him carefully, instead of looking around the room. Eyes glistening, she appeared to hold back tears. “It really is amazing.”

“Are you okay?” he asked after a long silence. “It’s just a remodeled community center.”

Taking him by surprise, she took his hand and led him into the far room. “It’s more than that, and you know it. Look at this.” She held out her arms with her palms facing up and turned in a slow circle. “The thought you put into the design proves it. I can already see the kids sitting at the tables and sprawled out on the floor doing homework.”

He swallowed hard. “This place is important to me. I was able to come here and get what I was missing at home. I just want other kids to be able to do the same thing and have a nice space.”

“You like kids.” She said it more as a statement than a question.

“I do. I always assumed I’d have kids one day. And when I do, I want them to have the things Brandon and I didn’t have. I saw the opportunity to do what I could to try to make a difference, so I took it.”

She had closed the distance between them as he spoke. Holding onto him, she absently stroked his forearm with her fingers, causing his skin to tingle beneath her touch. “We have more in common than I realized.”

His mouth twitched up into a small smile. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Brandon demanded I take a part-time job so I could pull my weight. I chose the bookstore because I love books. While I was there, I convinced them to start a story hour for the kids. It was my favorite day of the week. The kids were always so excited to see what I would be reading next. They picked out a little blanket and got comfortable as I read. Since I don’t have kids, I wanted to find something that I could do to put a smile on even just one kid’s face.

“It probably sounds silly compared to everything you did here, but it was something. My mom and I never had the best relationship, even when I was a kid. I always loved books, so going somewhere for just one hour a week to escape into the world of a story would have been so amazing.”

Even though they were already touching, he needed to feel closer. Cupping her face with his free hand, he gently stroked her jaw. His chest tightened with emotion when she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch as if it was exactly what she needed.

“We should get back upstairs,” he suggested, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Blinking away the flicker of emotion that crossed her gaze, she gave him a slow nod. There were questions he wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure if he should. Before he changed his mind and pushed for her to tell him everything there was to know about her, he took her hand in his and led the way back to the stairs.

“Samantha! When did you get here?” Rayelle greeted them as soon as they stepped foot onto the main level.

“I’ve been here a little while,” Samantha answered. “Bryce was just showing me the work they did to the basement. It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Rayelle’s grin came quickly when she looked down at their joined hands. “Yeah, it is amazing. But Bryce is pretty amazing, so I’d expect nothing less.”

Bryce gave Samantha’s hand a gentle squeeze when he felt her let go. She looked up at him and his heart stuttered at the uncertainty in her eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was unsure about holding his hand or if she thought he wouldn’t want to be seen holding hers, but he planned to find out.

“Thanks, Rayelle. We’re going to go dance before the DJ packs up to leave. Catch up with you in a bit?”

He didn’t wait for her response. He tugged Samantha’s hand and made his way toward the makeshift dance floor just as the music slowed down. “Dance with me?” he finally asked once they reached the dance floor.

“I didn’t figure I had a choice,” Samantha teased.

He pulled her close. “You seemed uncomfortable, so I figured this was the best way to get you one-on-one again. Are you okay?”

She stepped in close as they began to sway to the music. He kept one hand on her lower back, and as she slid her hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders, he intercepted her right hand and held it over his heart.

“I’m great,” she said, keeping her gaze on their entwined hands.

“Don’t lie to me.” He rushed on when she stiffened in his arms. “I mean, you can be honest with me. Please don’t just say what you think I want to hear. What made you uncomfortable? Is it being here with me?”

Finally, she looked up and met his gaze. “I just wasn’t sure how you wanted us to be around your friend. I didn’t want our walking into the party hand-in-hand to cause you any problems.”

“Do I look concerned? Rayelle isn’t just my friend. She considers you her friend, if you haven’t noticed. I took your hand because I wanted to hold your hand. I don’t really care what anyone thinks.”

“Oh,” she murmured.

“Yeah. Oh,” he repeated with a teasing smile.

Even wearing high heels, Samantha’s head fell just below his chin. She fit his arms perfectly, and they swayed in silence for the rest of the song. He could practically hear Samantha trying to analyze everything he said. When the song was over, he used one finger to tilt her chin, causing her to look up at him.

“You seem like you want to talk.”

“Do you want to talk?” she asked slowly.

“Yeah. I feel like we should. Seems like there’s always something going on and everything keeps getting left up in the air. Want to come to my place so we can have a drink and a conversation?”

The worry in her eyes caused his body to heat as uncharacteristic anger began to spread through him. He hated that she didn’t recognize talking as normal. Even if he didn’t end up the man for her, she deserved to know her worth. She deserved for someone to show her what love was supposed to look like.

“You can trust me, you know.”

“Yeah,” she breathed. “I do know. Let’s go talk.”