Chapter 24 #2
As she held the last note, she saw Ted and Tad exchange glances, and her gut told her that was a very good thing. She finished and stood, returning the tablet to the assistant.
“How do you think you did?” Ted asked.
“I believe I performed very well for just having seen the song,” she replied.
“I’m a good sight-reader. I’m even better once I’m familiar with the music.
May I ask what role I’m being considered for?
I know this is a new musical and the two of you are making your Broadway debut, but if I’m going to receive a callback, I’d like to be more prepared. Know something about my character.”
“No callback,” Tad said brusquely, causing her spirits to sink. Then he added, “You have the lead role of Evelyn in The Second Time Around. If you want it, that is.”
Piper grew flustered, feeling her cheeks redden. Still, she wasn’t ready to accept without knowing more.
“Before I commit, I’d like to know what this musical is about. While it’s an honor to be offered the lead in a new Broadway production, I won’t go blindly into anything.”
“Have a seat, Piper,” Ted said.
She did so, and the brothers spent the next twenty minutes telling her about the production. The theme and overall arc. Particulars about her character and what made Evelyn tick. The other roles which had been written in support of the star.
“I’d like to read the book. Hear all the other numbers,” she said, still not wanting to commit to something which might be poorly written. While she liked the song she had sung in her audition, it might be the only good number from the musical.
“Come back tomorrow,” Tad said. “Nine o’clock. We’ll make available all the songs, which we’ve recorded, as well as the book.”
He referred to the musical’s script, which would have the overall story and character development, along with the dialogue which was spoken between songs, linking each musical number together.
“I’ll be here,” she promised, her spirits now soaring.
The assistant led Piper out and said, “Those two don’t impress easily. You should count yourself lucky. They’ll be hard to work for, though, because they’re such perfectionists.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Piper said, not minding the warning because she, too, was a perfectionist.
She rode the subway home to Brooklyn. Neither Claire nor Chloe were home.
In a way, she was glad because she didn’t want to share this news with anyone yet.
Everything was still too new and unknown.
She would keep things to herself until she saw the book and decided whether or not it was a project she wanted to be involved in.
Then she realized she needed to get to the diner before she was late. Piper literally ran the few blocks there, hurrying inside. Edie looked up from the register.
“Head to the back. Hairnet on.”
“Got it,” Piper said, pulling a hair tie from her purse and putting her hair into a ponytail. She claimed an apron from the wall and tied it before reaching in and pulling a disposable hairnet from the box sitting on the table below the aprons.
One cook was already in the kitchen, and they introduced themselves to one another.
The orders were slow at first, and he took anything which wasn’t breakfast. When six o’clock hit, they grew much busier.
Piper cooked for a solid fours, sending out orders of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, along with toasted English muffins and hash browns.
She was rather proud of the hash browns, something she had picked up this summer from her mom, who had come over one morning to watch her daughter at work and suggested she add hash browns to her repertoire.
When things slowed to a crawl, Edie appeared. “Good job, Piper. Got some nice compliments from customers. When are you available tomorrow?’
Thinking she’d be tied up most of the day with the brothers, she said, “How about five again?”
“You’re on,” Edie said. “Go home.”
She did as ordered, brushing her teeth and washing her face before putting on an oversized T-shirt and falling onto the couch.
She woke up in the middle of the night, setting her phone’s alarm and plugging it in to charge.
It went off the next morning at seven, and she quickly showered and dressed and made herself a quick breakfast before heading to the subway station.
Piper grabbed a cup of coffee along the way from a street vendor, needing the jolt of caffeine.
The brothers were waiting for her. Tad handed her the book, telling her, “You’ll need to stay here while you read it. The room is yours, so feel free to try out any songs on the piano.”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll be back around noon to see how you’re doing.”
When they returned three hours later, Piper had to screw up her courage to tell them she would be passing on the role of Evelyn.
“Why?” Ted asked, frowning deeply, his displeasure obvious.
Wondering how frank she should be, she said, “The storyline is too pedestrian, even for off-Broadway. The song you gave me to sing yesterday is the best in the entire book, but too many of the others are weak. They drag. Sound like fillers.”
She looked at the brothers apologetically. “As much as I would like to perform as the lead in a musical here in New York, this isn’t the one for me.”
“Could you make it better?” Tad asked hopefully. “I’m sure you have some ideas how we rewrite the storyline. Or even what we need to do to jazz up the songs.”
“I’m afraid that’s not my job. That’s yours. I’ve never written music before. I’m really sorry.”
Ted shrugged. “We’ll work on it. Could we call you when we’ve improved it?”
“Sure,” she said, not sure at all that would be possible. Hopefully, she would have been cast in another production by then, and that would be her excuse not to work on The Second Time Around.
Piper thanked them for their time and left the offices, feeling down in the dumps.
The other callback wasn’t until next week, so she would be able to put in some good hours at Edie’s diner.
She returned home and changed clothes before going for a long walk.
She wanted to clear her head and hoped the disappointment at having to turn down the role would disappear.
Still feeling down, she turned the corner, humming as she walked. She reached her apartment building.
And saw Sullivan sitting on the stoop.