Chapter 2
Audrey Wells
"Were they okay? I'm sorry I was late," I said a little while later when James came back into the lobby of the local high school after delivering the pizzas for me.
He was carrying a lot of different things, and I went over to help him.
He had a huge backpack and duffel bag over one shoulder, and his hands were loaded down with two wadded-up handfuls of brown paper towel that looked to have come off a bathroom roll.
He had just delivered the pizzas for me, and I could see as he got closer that he was carrying two slices for us—one in each hand.
The production team for Chicago was having their meeting in the auditorium, and if I had been on time, I would have delivered them myself. But as it stood, James did it—and he took the hit for me about dinner being late.
"It's fine," he said to me, smiling and shaking his head as he handed me one of the slices of pizza. "You would have been fine going in there. They weren't mad at all. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet them before your audition."
I laughed. "I'm a little thankful," I said. "It might be easier not to know what I'm in for. And dang, I didn't even think about plates or whatever," I added, feeling guilty as I held the pizza wrapped in a thin paper napkin.
"How could you?" he said with a teasing grin. "I'm joking. Nobody cares. They were pumped to get Tony's. You smell good, by the way," he said. "I noticed when you first came in, but I was concentrating on the pizza."
We walked toward the other side of the lobby, and I just followed him. He dug in his pocket and handed me a wad of cash. "I think it's thirty-five, he said. "I hope it's enough."
It wasn't, but I smiled and nodded. "It is," I said, slipping the cash into my pocket.
"It's going to be a great show," he said. "This is my favorite creative team, so I can't wait."
"Is that referring to the director?" I said.
"Yes, and the assistant director, choreo, costumes, set, the whole team is amazing. My roommate's doing lights. He's here with Kyle, the set director. It's going to be beautiful. I'm excited you're auditioning. Who knows. You might get a big role. You might get Roxy."
"I'd be happy with anything," I said.
"Normally, I'd be able to promise you at least an ensemble role, but they're making cuts with this one," he said, setting his bags down on a bench.
"They don't always have to cut. It depends on how many people audition.
I think I heard them say they're expecting seventy or eighty people to audition, and they're keeping fifty. "
"Whoa."
"Yeah, everybody's excited about Collin being back… and Casey."
"Collin is the director, and Casey is the…" I hesitated and waited for him to fill in the blank.
"Choreographer," he said.
"So, I might not get a role at all?" I asked.
"No, girl. I heard your song, and I really feel like you'll get a good role."
"It actually makes me feel better if they make cuts. I'm questioning whether or not I should even do it, and if I get cut right out of the gates, I'll have my answer."
He laughed, and I laughed with him even though I was serious. I had never done anything like audition for a play, and I had no idea what to expect, even from myself. I reserved the right to not make the cut at all and be content with that outcome.
It was cold outside, and rather than go out, James settled on a bench near the front wall of the high school lobby.
I wasn't raised in this city, and I had never been to this or any other local high school.
It was nice and modern, and the bench was padded and comfortable.
The lobby was roomy with high ceilings. There was a trophy case and doors leading to offices.
"Are you sure about the song?" I asked. "I’m not going all out with the whole villain persona."
"No, I think it's great like you're doing it," he said. "If you were cast as Ursula, you'd want to do a big performance, but for an audition, it can be understated. Collin will tell you if he wants you to turn it up."
"Still, you think it's a good song?" I asked, since I was the one who had thought of doing it.
"Yeah, I do. It fits your voice, and it fits the vibe of the show, you know, sultry or whatever.
" He paused and took a bite. "Mm, this pizza's good," he said.
James was a good-looking guy—tall, dark, and handsome in a traditional sense.
I knew enough about him to know that he was experienced with musicals and would probably get one of the main roles.
"What are you singing?" I asked at the thought.
He chuckled. "Santa Fe from Newsies," he said.
"Why's that funny?" I asked. I took a bite of the pizza.
"Because it's slightly cheesy. The song itself's not cheesy, but we saw a performance of it one time that was…
it's an inside joke with me and Casey," he said, around a bite of his slice.
"I'm taking it seriously, and it'll go fine, I hope, but Casey will get the joke.
We've been in theater together for so long that we have memories that go way back. She'll appreciate it."
"Is she your girlfriend?"
"Casey? No. We almost dated once, but no. Don't tell her I said that. It was a long time ago."
"What do you mean you almost dated?"
"We went to this teen retreat once, and we held hands and stuff, but…
no." He laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing came of that. I think we both just tried to forget it. I’m not sure.
Either way, we're friends. We've known each other for years, and neither of us ever brings that up.
She's an amazing dancer and choreographer.
" He paused. "What about you?" he continued, glancing my way.
"I was on the dance team for a year," I said with a little shrug. "I wasn't the best on the squad, but I can remember the steps to a routine."
James laughed a little. "I was asking if you were dating anyone," he said.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, you asked if I was dating Casey, and I was wondering if you… I know you were sort of talking to Ash Adams when we were on set."
"No, I'm not dating anyone. I'm just sort of focused on Luna and the restaurant right now." I glanced at him. "But it's funny you mention Ash. I ran into him at Tony's just now."
"When you were picking up this pizza?"
I nodded, chewing a bite and smiling.
"How's he doing?"
"Fine, I think. We only had a minute to catch up. He looked good… like a rockstar with his long hair."
"What happened with you guys?" he asked. "You looked like you were hitting it off. Was it like Casey and me where we pretended it didn't happen?"
"Sort of," I said with a shrug. "It was easy to stay away from him once I realized I should be doing that. I was just an extra out there, so there was no need for me to be around all that much."
"What happened?"
I was being vague and trying to avoid telling him the whole story, but he wasn't in a hurry, and I sat back on the bench, remembering how it went down.
I sighed and put my pizza onto the napkin, holding it in my lap.
"I feel like I humiliated myself in front of him, honestly, and he has no idea.
He thinks I ghosted him. I'm thankful my perspective shifted, though.
It was the wakeup call I needed with my daughter.
It's fine that I feel embarrassed when I see Ash—he doesn't have any idea what happened on my end. "
"I still don't get it."
He seemed genuinely curious, and I smiled and hesitated.
"I have nothing else to do," he pressed. "I'm just waiting for Seth. I rode up here with him, and they're going to be another hour." He adjusted, making himself more comfortable on the bench, and I gathered my thoughts.
"I was forward with Ash when we were on set. I liked him the second I saw him. Those blue eyes, gosh."
"I know, he's cool," James agreed.
"Yeah, and I was getting back to feeling good after this tragedy I had been through. I was feeling too good, though. I was trying to be all about him when I had a daughter who needed me. I had just gotten Luna back, and I was so all over him that I downplayed her existence."
"You said you got Luna back. Where was she? Are you talking about the tragedy? Do you talk about it?" he asked.
"Yes, sort of. It was indirectly why she was away.
Yeah, I don't talk about it all the time or anything, but people know about what happened to me.
I'm open with it. I was with a guy, Luna's dad.
We lived together for years, but we weren't married.
We told people we were. He wanted his parents to help me open the restaurant, and they wouldn't have if we weren't married.
Anyway, we told my family that, too. They found out later, after he…
" I paused and glanced at James. "Luna's dad, he, killed himself. "
"I'm sorry."
"On our daughter's fourth birthday, right after her party."
James let out a deflated sigh, like the air was being let out of a tire. It was a sound I had heard before when people were confronted with the nutshell reality of my life.
"I'm sorry," he said, which was also something most people said.
"It's okay. I'm okay. I've come a long way. And that's where I'm going with this story… Kai was out of nowhere. I mean, looking back, there were signs, but to me at that time, it seemed to come out of nowhere. I certainly didn't see it coming."
"I'm sure."
"I got so consumed by anger and fear and this feeling of abandonment that at first, I… I caved in on myself. That's why Luna went away. She was with Josie. My sister came to my rescue. You know Josie."
"Yeah, of course," James said, nodding. "I danced with her that first night you guys came on set."