Chapter 43
TJ had run ahead of her down to the costume shop, so Zoe stopped at the bottom of the stairwell to reread Derek’s texts to
her. She was grinning like a fool and she didn’t care.
As miffed as she’d been with him after their conversation yesterday about scaling down the costumes, she’d had a tough time
falling asleep without him next to her. Mr. Bobbins would only put up with her snuggles for so long before leaving for his
cushiony cat bed.
The costume shop was thrumming with the same exciting energy as when she’d left to watch the stumble through. The happy sounds
of a well-running workroom filled her ears: the whirring sewing machines, the snipping of scissors through fabric, and the
whooshing of steam from the irons.
Her staff and Prestige’s sewists worked together as if they’d known one another for years. Everyone had gelled almost immediately,
which impressed the usually stoic Shawn.
“Oh, wow,” Zoe whispered. A craftsperson had left the finished heels on Zoe’s workstation. Now that the show had been renamed,
they’d upgraded T ? m’s brocaded slippers to brocaded power heels.
“Zoe,” TJ called as he walked up beside her. “Damn, those heels look like they came brocaded!”
“Right? Jules did a fabulous job on these.” Zoe picked them up to get a closer look. If she’d been alone in the shop, she
might have tried them on. She and Katie Mai wore the same size.
“Can you take a look at this pattern placement before we cut it?” TJ nudged her elbow.
He guided her toward the back table, where a very expensive piece of matching brocade had been spread out and covered with
patterns drafted onto kraft paper. It was a little quieter than the front of the shop, where all the sewing machines were.
Zoe ran her hand over the luxurious golden silk they’d sourced from the Fashion District in New York. Gold was a color reserved
for Vietnamese royalty. T ? m and the Emperor would have coordinating costumes after their wedding.
“Shouldn’t you have Shawn double check? He’s got way more experience in matching patterns.” She didn’t want to be responsible
for screwing up the fabric. They’d stretched the budget too far already.
“There’s something you need to hear,” TJ whispered. “Join me in the fitting room in two minutes. The main one.”
She nodded in acknowledgment, though she was unsure why he was being covert. This wasn’t like him.
“Do you still want me to make sure the patterns line up?” she asked.
“Please, but first I need a bio break.” He tilted his head toward the fitting room outside the shop and mouthed, Two minutes.
For 120 seconds more or less, Zoe surveyed the paper patterns pinned to the silk brocade. TJ wasn’t formally trained but his
eye was impeccable. The pattern placement looked great, though one wouldn’t know for sure until the overcoat was sewn together.
Maybe TJ would come work at Something Cheeky after their gig here was complete. He’d be great in the workroom and on the sales
floor. The idea of not working beside him every day made her sad. His snark and slightly chaotic energy had made all their
long hours flow with ease.
Two minutes had to be up by now. Zoe was worried about her staff judging her for leaving the shop so soon after returning, but they were all focused on their work.
Right. The main fitting room was where TJ told her to come. Her breath hitched as she stopped in front of the closed door.
The last time she’d been close to this door had been the afternoon that Greg had walked in on her and Derek. She’d moved all
subsequent costume fittings to the smaller room, because it was a bit warmer for the actors as they had to change in and out
of their costumes. At least that’s what she’d told herself.
TJ flung the door open and popped his head out. He looked both ways down the hallway before pulling her inside.
“What is going on?” Zoe exclaimed. She froze.
Danny and Katie Mai were sitting on the vanity where actors sat to put on their makeup. They were lit by the halo of warm
yellow lightbulbs around the mirror behind them. Their skin was still pink from the stumble through, and Katie Mai’s hairline
held a glimmer of sweat from the dance numbers.
“What are you two doing here? Your fittings aren’t scheduled till later this week.” Zoe tried to remember this week’s schedule.
The costumes were running a little behind, but not so much that she’d lost track of the fitting schedule. Shawn would’ve reminded
her. Zoe checked Heather’s calendar on her phone.
“That’s not why we’re here,” Danny said somberly. He exchanged worried glances with Katie Mai.
“Something’s wrong. You hate your costumes? Oh God, we don’t have time to redo them.” Zoe paced the tiny room.
Her mind raced through time and fabric calculations. Both of their costumes were 75 percent complete, but if she pulled a
couple of all-nighters then maybe, just maybe—
“Zoe, you’re overthinking again.” TJ placed his hands on her shoulders to stop her. “Sit down.”
She complied and rubbed the furrows out of her forehead. She’d told Derek that the costumes would be completed in the time and stay true to her vision. Zoe refused to prove Greg’s expectation by failing to finish the costumes in his accelerated timeline.
“We love our costumes,” Katie Mai reassured her. “You’re the first designer I’ve worked with who knows how to dress someone
my—our—size. You have no idea how affirming our costume fittings have been.”
“Oh, thank God.” Zoe sighed in relief. Her anxiety had caused her emotions to run amok. She had to reel it back in. “Why are
we here then?”
“We’re worried about the integrity of the show,” said Danny.
“Greg has tried to steamroll it every chance he gets,” Katie Mai added. “And Derek has given in to his ‘suggestions’ way too
often.” She used air quotes around the word suggestions .
“How so?”
The two actors looked at each other again as if debating on how much to tell Zoe. Katie Mai bit her lip while Danny crossed
his arms in front of him. Were they worried about ratting out Derek?
“I’ll tell her if you can’t,” TJ jumped in. “Greg claims there’s too much Vietnamese spoken and sung in the show.”
“Which there is not,” Danny defended adamantly as he slid off the counter as if to stand up for the musical. “I don’t speak
Vietnamese, but I didn’t feel lost at the first read. I felt the emotions and figured out what was happening based on context.”
“But has he changed anything to English?” Zoe asked. She couldn’t believe that Derek would do that. He’d stood up for her
when Greg pushed back. He’d do the same for the musical.
“No, but Derek still could.” Katie Mai looked down at her shoes.
“Did you tell me that Greg wants Derek to make the Emperor’s role bigger?” TJ reminded Danny.
“Greg came to me about it.” Danny rolled his eyes. “He said I should demand a bigger part.”
“I know Greg is—uh, well-meaning in his own way, but so far Derek has stayed true.” Zoe sighed.
“What about changing the musical’s name because Greg says it’s too hard to pronounce?” Katie Mai asked. “I can’t believe Derek
caved.”
Zoe’s back stiffened.
“Don’t you dare say Derek caved,” Zoe spoke firmly. “He talked to me about it. It was purely a business decision and I stand
by him.”
All three of them fell silent. They looked chastened.
“Zoe, you’ve known Derek the longest, so if you trust him, we will, too,” Danny finally said.
“But my gut tells me that something is wrong or something is about to go wrong.” Katie shuddered. “Could you at least tell
him about our concerns?”
“Me? What am I supposed to say?” Zoe shook her head. She already had the costumes to deal with. She certainly didn’t want
to tell Derek how to handle Greg when she avoided the white man every chance she could.
“How about you tell Derek that the cast is concerned by how much Greg has his hand in the show?” suggested TJ.
“Wouldn’t it be better to hear this directly from the cast?” Zoe pointed out.
“It’ll sound less threatening coming from you, since you two are dating.” Katie Mai smiled sheepishly.
Zoe sighed. She didn’t want to tell Derek how to do his job, but everything the two actors had recalled worried her.
“Would it make you feel better if I talk to him about your concerns?”
Katie Mai and Danny nodded enthusiastically.
“Fine, I’ll talk to him. But he really does have everything under control.” Zoe knew they wouldn’t stop unless she promised
to speak to Derek.
“Thank you.” Kaite Mai hugged Zoe. “We have about ten minutes before our break is over. You can catch him if you go upstairs now.”
“Now?”
The three nodded in unison.
“I’ll be less rushed if I speak to him at the end of rehearsal. So let’s wait,” she suggested.
“Yeah, that makes more sense,” Danny admitted. “I’ll text TJ as soon as I’m out of rehearsal.”
Zoe sighed. Whatever the miscommunication was, she was sure Derek would clear the air right away. This show was their baby,
and they weren’t giving up on it so easily.