Epilogue
CLARA
One Year Later
If I had ever been more nervous, I couldn’t remember. It was opening night of my first Broadway show, and my stomach was one big knot of anxiety. I ran through all the scenes in my head again, knowing them backward and forward but doing it anyway.
Tonight was the night I had dreamed about since I was a kid. Things needed to go perfectly.
Someone knocked on the door of my little office backstage.
It wasn’t glamorous like one of the stars’ dressing rooms. Drawings and blueprints were scattered on one table.
On another was the timing schedule for each set move.
Right by my laptop was a framed picture of Luke and me, cheeks squished together.
It had been half a year since I’d made the big move to New York. Luke and I had not gotten tired of each other after living together for a month. The artificial deadline came and went, and neither one of us brought it up again.
Living with Luke had been great. When I had first walked into his apartment as his fake girlfriend, he had been uncomfortable letting someone else into his space, but he had mellowed out about that completely.
He had even been encouraging me to add some color to our home recently.
After we had taken the lights down, our place had seemed so lifeless and dull.
I was livening it up, and Luke seemed to like it.
Life had moved quickly for me since Christmas. Ganymede hired me immediately to get designing for her next production, A Drink for Rasputin. It was a comedy about the fall of imperial Russia. I didn’t understand all the jokes, to be honest, but the sets were going to blow people away.
As long as everything went according to plan. Opening nights were notorious for things going wrong. Problems cropped up that had never been an issue during rehearsal. I just hoped I could roll with the punches when they started flying.
I pulled open my office door to see Luke’s smiling face. He held out a stunning bouquet of peonies and chrysanthemums. I took them gratefully, pressed them to my face, and inhaled deeply. It smoothed over some of the wrinkles on my brow.
“They’re beautiful, Luke.” I let him wrap his strong arms around me and pull me in for a hug.
Nothing in the world made me feel as good as when Luke held me close like this. I never felt stronger, sexier, or more loved than in his arms. I felt like I could conquer the world.
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said and kissed the top of my head. “But you need flowers on opening night. I’m pretty sure that’s the tradition.”
“That’s sweet of you.” I pulled him into my office and shut the door. “Did you get everyone where they need to be?”
He nodded. “Your parents are in the box seats with Nic and Sadie. Jessie went to get a drink, but she’s all set too.”
My eyes burned with emotion. “You’re a good man for flying them all up here.”
“This is a big deal,” he said. “We couldn’t let them miss it. For all the shows after this? They’re on their own.”
“I’m nervous.” I shook my hands out at my sides like I could shake off the jitters.
Luke turned me so I was facing away from him. Then he rubbed my shoulders and whispered soothing words to me, which helped a little.
“You are going to be great tonight,” he said from behind me, like a ring man coaching a boxer before a fight. “You’ve planned out every scene change. You’ve practiced with the crew. You’ve been rehearsing the set changes for weeks. You’re ready.”
I shook my head. “Tonight’s different. Tonight we have an audience.”
“Well, that’s the idea,” he said with a chuckle. “A full house is better than an empty one, right?”
I smiled at that and turned around to face him. “I guess so. But my parents are here. Nic is here.”
“Yeah, and they’ll be proud of you even if everything falls apart.” Luke grinned. “Nic might actually enjoy that more. As excited as he is for your big night, he doesn’t seem super thrilled to sit through an entire play.”
“He’s never seen a show like this. I can promise you that.” I ran my fingers over Luke’s chest, taking strength from him. “What about you? Are you excited?”
“Of course. Obviously, I would say that anyway, but you’ve been telling me about it for months. I’m dying to see how all that planning looks on stage.” He smiled down at me. “Someone wouldn’t let me come to the rehearsals.”
I grinned back. “That was Ganymede. No one was allowed in. She likes keeping her shows a surprise.”
“Well, I’m looking forward to it. And I have a little surprise for you, too.” Luke shot me a mysterious look.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but after the show,” he insisted. “You need to concentrate.”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Speaking of which, you should probably get back out there. I need to go wrangle the crew and get everyone in place. Curtain’s up soon.”
“Break a leg, gorgeous.” He kissed me. It was a hell of a distraction from my nerves. We didn’t have time for a backstage quickie, but the thought crossed my mind. That would have really gotten my mind off things.
Luke left to take his seat with the rest of my family. Feeling a lot more centered now, I walked out of my office and got to work.
Sets for a show this big weren’t just big paintings in the background of the stage that we switched between scenes like a slideshow. Pieces of scenery moved around mid-scene to give off the impression the actors were performing in a changing environment.
It took a skilled team, and I was in charge of them.
The designs were all mine, and since I knew how everything was meant to work, I was team lead.
It was a ton of responsibility, and I didn’t have a lot of experience as a leader, but everyone I worked with was a total sweetheart, and as a group, we had put together something special.
The performance kicked off and my life became laser-focused on the work. We got through the first act without any problems. During a lull in scene changes, I peeked out through the curtain where no one from the audience could see me. I wasn’t trying to distract from the play.
Luke had reserved a box seat for the show before the tickets even officially went on sale. Now, months later, he was finally sitting up there beside Nic and Sadie. My mother and father were next to them. Then there was Jessie.
But there was one more person up there. Someone in what looked to be a Phantom of the Opera mask. No one seemed alarmed by the figure, which meant he was harmless or I was hallucinating. I had no idea who it could be. Was this the surprise Luke had mentioned?
Whatever he had up his sleeve, I couldn’t wait to see it. In the meantime, I locked in and made sure I didn’t embarrass myself or let Ganymede down. She had put a lot of faith in me and I refused to make her regret it.
The rest of the show went well. We ran into a few speedbumps, but nothing we couldn’t fix and nothing the audience noticed. Exhausted and thrilled, I was calling the night a win.
While the actors took their bows upon the stage, my team and I stored all our gear where it needed to go for tomorrow night’s performance. Our jobs weren’t quite done when the house lights went up.
I wasn’t about to complain.
Afterward, I went out to the lobby where everyone was waiting for me. When Dad saw me approaching, he beamed with pride. Mom started crying, she was so happy for me. Jessie gave me a huge hug, along with Nic and Sadie.
Luke kissed me and told me how impressed he was.
My lips lingered on his for a little longer than was appropriate in front of my parents, but none of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for him.
Not only had his connections opened so many doors for me, but he had been nothing but supportive of me throughout the months of prep work.
I looked up into his eyes. “Thank you for everything.”
“Thank you for being you,” he said softly. “That was an amazing show. I didn’t realize plays were like this now. That was hilarious and intense.”
“I’m so glad you liked it.”
Movement caught my eye and I turned to see the Phantom approaching me. The elaborate cape billowed around him, and I guessed who it was half a second before he pulled the mask off for his big reveal.
“Surprise!”
“Rodney, I should have known that was you,” I told him, bringing him in for a hug. “Only you would show up to a play in Phantom mask and cape.”
“I like the attention. So sue me.” He laughed. “Your fancy boyfriend was generous enough to fly me out here with the rest of the family. How could I say no?”
I pulled away and tried not to cry as I looked into my old boss’s face. “So what did you think?”
“I think I was wasting your talents. I mean, my God, when Rasputin floated down that river, I could have sworn that water was real.” He smiled at me like a proud uncle. “I guess you won’t be coming back to the Helios, now that it’s reopening?”
“Not to work, but I promise I’ll make it back at some point for a show.” I gestured vaguely around me at everything. “Assuming I survive this one, that is.”
“You’ll do great,” Rodney said. “You got through opening night. That’s the hardest performance.”
“Let’s hope.”
Luke took us all out to a late night dinner, and it warmed my heart to reconnect with everyone from home.
New York was everything I hoped it would be, but the one thing it would always be missing was my family and old friends.
Physically, we were far apart but they would always be close to my heart.
Just like the handsome devil sitting next to me at our massive table. I drank in his bright blue eyes and messy dark hair, tie loosened around his neck, a hint of stubble on his rugged jaw. I still couldn’t believe Luke was mine.
He noticed me staring at him and he smiled at me. “What?”
“I’m just happy,” I said, not trusting myself to say more without the emotions overflowing from my joyous heart.
“Then I’m happy, too,” he said and gave me a kiss filled with the promise of forever.
***
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***
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