by LuAnn McLane
27
Just One Thing
“I had forgotten how much I hate wearing makeup,” Noah commented as they stood backstage. With a wince he gingerly scratched the tip of his nose. “This goop is even worse than the stuff they used on Love in the Afternoon. I look like a goon.”
“Not to the audience,” Olivia assured him with a hand on his arm. “I know it seems excessive, but it all works well with the lighting. I just peeked through the curtains. It’s a packed house and you can just feel the excitement. Have you looked? Ty McKenna is out there. He’s sitting next to Jessica.”
“Let me guess. You orchestrated that little coincidence.”
“Me?” She put a hand to her chest.
“Yeah, you.”
“Okay, yes.”
He shook his head and smiled but then swallowed hard. “Damn, Livie, I think I might throw up.”
Olivia angled her head and almost chuckled, but then she realized that he was serious. When she reached down and took his hand, it was cold and clammy. “Listen, you know your lines inside out. In dress rehearsal you were perfect and didn’t miss a beat.” She squeezed his hand. “You’ll do fine. No, I take that back. You’re going to be amazing.”
He responded with a groan. “I think I have to pee.”
“You just did that.”
“Oh … right. I think my entire system is on overload.”
“Noah, remember that you’re going to be telling a story with your voice and body. I know it isn’t easy, but try to get rid of the tension. The audience will be able to see it. Feel it.”
“Okay.” He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “Damn, I wasn’t this nervous when I pitched in the World Series.”
“And why not?”
He shrugged. “I was confident.”
“You should be confident right now. Remember our affirmation exercises?”
“Yes.” With his eyes still closed he nodded slowly. Last-minute scurrying was going on everywhere, but Olivia stayed focused on Noah. She was having her own case of opening-night jitters, but she didn’t let him see it.
“You can do this.” She put her hands on his shoulders. “Say it.”
Noah opened his eyes. “I can do this.” He nodded slowly and then repeated, “I can do this.”
“Feel better?”
“Yeah.” Noah attempted a smile. “Wait. I can’t remember my first line.” He fisted his hands. “Livie, what is my first line?”
“Hi, Amy.”
“Right.”
“You were teasing, weren’t you?” She gave his shoulder a shove.
“Yeah,” he scoffed.
She eyed him closely.
“Okay, no.”
“You’re going to do fine.”
“I know …”
“Say it like you mean it.”
“I know!” He blew out a long sigh and then mustered up a real smile. “I love you.”
Olivia felt her heart swell. Seeing the vulnerable side of this big, strong man made her melt. “I love you too. And love is what Ben and Amy are all about. Listen, forget about the footlights and the black hole and just live the part. Okay?”
He nodded more firmly this time.
“Come on, Noah, let’s kick some …” She looked right and left and then whispered, “Ass.”
Noah laughed and Olivia was relieved to see some of the tension leave his shoulders. “I don’t think that particular expression fits our situation.”
“You’re starting to talk like me.”
“And you’re starting to talk like me. What’s up with that?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Spending too much time together?”
He tucked a finger beneath her chin. “Never.”
Olivia looked at him and felt a warm rush of happiness.
“Break a leg,” Madison said as she rushed past Noah and Olivia.
“I always hated that expression,” Noah complained. “Seriously, what does that mean?”
Olivia smiled. “Origins are heavily debated, but basically the superstition in theater is that it’s bad luck to wish good luck, so it’s an antonym theory.”
“Makes sense in a weird way. But then again, baseball players understand superstitions.”
“Places!” Madison shouted.
“Oh … God,” Noah muttered and leaned over for a quick kiss. “Now that’s gotta bring me some major good luck.”
Olivia took her place on the park bench and picked up the newspaper she was supposed to be reading. She took a deep, calming breath and waited for the swishing sound of the curtain opening. The bright lights went on, bringing life to the stage as she assumed the role of Amy. She could feel the excitement, the energy from the audience, and when Noah made his entrance there was a round of applause. She glanced up from her paper and her heart pounded as he walked across the stage past the park bench, hesitated, and then backed up.
“Hi, Amy.”
“Ben?” She widened her eyes, lowered the paper, and put a hand to her chest. “Ben Crawford?”
Ben walked over, raised one leg to rest his foot on the park bench, and propped his elbow on his thigh. “None other.”
“What brings you back to town?” She looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
“Business. Just passing through.”
“Oh.” She lifted her chin a notch, but her voice sounded crestfallen. “I’ve heard you’ve done quite well for yourself over the years,” Amy said with false brightness and gave her hair a who-cares flip. But her eyes told a different story to the audience.
Ben shrugged. “I guess you could say that.” He looked away as if the admission made him uncomfortable. “And you? Still making jewelry?”
She nodded shyly. “I recently opened my own shop downtown.”
“Well, congratulations!”
“Oh …” Amy waved a dismissive hand. “I barely make ends meet, but I seem to make my customers happy and I love what I’m doing.”
“I’m glad for you. Where are you living?”
“I rent a tiny apartment above my shop. Where are you living these days, Ben?” She tilted her head to the side.
He shrugged again. Looked away. “Here and there.”
“I heard you have houses on both coasts.”
“I live mostly out of a suitcase.”
She put a hand on his thigh but then quickly withdrew it when their eyes met. “That can’t be easy.”
“You always had a soft heart.” He put his foot down on the ground and straightened up. “Well, it was nice to see you, Amy.”
Amy nodded. “Same here.” She watched Ben walk away with wistful eyes.
Olivia could feel the audience lean in and listen. They knew what was going on. Ben and Amy were long-lost lovers who went their separate ways. They were being given a chance to reconnect and they were blowing it!
Ben walked all the way to the other end of the stage, but then suddenly stopped and turned around. Amy quickly snapped her newspaper back in place and pretended not to notice until Ben was once again in front of the park bench. “Amy, would you like to go and grab some lunch?”
Amy took a moment to look up from her paper. “I thought you were just passing through?”
“I can spare a little time for an old … friend.”
Amy let the seconds tick by and then nodded. “Okay—it will be interesting to catch up.”
Olivia could hear the audience breathe a sigh of relief. The curtain closed and the stage crew scurried in to change the set to an outdoor café. Ben and Amy laughed over old times while the sun sank lower in the sky, and by the end of the scene it was quite clear that they still had deep feelings for one another.
The second act of the play involved an inventive split stage showing Ben wheeling and dealing in his office while Amy works quietly in her shop. They talk on the phone, send e-mails, and long to see each other. When they do, sparks fly. Ben envies Amy’s simple lifestyle and she resents his over-the-top financial success. They are worlds apart with
neither of them willing to give in or compromise. But as the scene progresses, Ben misses meetings to be with Amy, and she neglects her jewelry to be with him.
Olivia could feel the audience connecting and pulling for them. They get it. For Ben and Amy it becomes less about money or success and more about simply being together. Getting a second chance. But by the third act Ben and Amy are faced with a series of choices that can either bring them together or drive them apart. Madison’s play hammers home the theme that above all else there is just one thing that matters most in this life, and Ben and Amy finally choose it.
Love.
During tough times it was easy to lose faith and focus, and Olivia could sense the audience homing in on and grabbing a renewed sense of hope.
The house lights flashed on, and during the curtain call Olivia and Noah were met with a standing ovation and cheers and whistles that wouldn’t die down. Jason was hugging Madison in the wings. Her father and aunt Myra were brushing tears from their eyes and bouncing with excitement. Olivia hadn’t known her father could bounce, and she laughed with delight. Jessica Robinson dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. Ty kept glancing at her and finally pulled her in for a hug. Yes!
With a huge smile Olivia looked over at Noah. She knew that he could feel the energy, the excitement. As they took another bow she said, “You saved this town, Noah.”
“No, Livie.” He shook his head, then brought her hand to his mouth for a tender kiss. “Cricket Creek saved me.”
Olivia blinked back tears. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Noah smiled. “That’s the fun part, Olivia. We’ve only just begun… .”
Read on for an excerpt from
Luanne McLane’s next
Cricket Creek novel,
CATCH OF THE DAY
Coming from Signet Eclipse in January 2012.
“Lordy, Lordy, Jessica Robinson is forty!” Madison announced in a singsong voice. “So, Mom, how does it feel to be turning the big four-o?”
“It’s just a number, Madison,” Jessica answered evenly and gave her daughter a little flip of her hand for good measure. Of course it was a big, fat lie.
“Well, you certainly don’t look it—that’s for sure.” Madison plopped down on the sofa and patted her mother’s leg.
“Thank you, sweetie.” Jessica smiled but didn’t look up and continued to flip through the Modern Bride magazine, knowing that her eyes would give her away. Madison had an uncanny way of reading people, which was one of the reasons her daughter was an amazing writer. Her sweet and poignant play, Just One Thing, had been a smash hit at the Cricket Creek local community theater last summer and had landed her a job teaching creative writing at Cooper College, a small but prestigious liberal arts school just outside of town.
“I just hope you’ve passed those good genes along to me,” Madison added, making no mention of the father she never knew or the grandparents who were mortified when Jessica had ended up pregnant at sixteen. But when she had shown up on Aunt Myra’s doorstep in Cricket Creek, Kentucky, her feisty, free-spirited aunt had welcomed her with open arms. “I want to be a cougar just like you.”
“You can’t be a cougar if you’re married.” Jessica flicked her daughter an amused glance. “Or at least you shouldn’t be.”
“A MYLF, then.”
“Madison!” Jessica shook her head so hard that her golden blond ponytail shook from side to side. “Wait. What is that?”
“A mother you’d like to f—”
“Okay, I get it. I swear you’ve got more of your outrageous aunt Myra’s genes than mine!”
“That’s because her outrageous genes overpowered your calm ones. Like little gene sword fights.” She made little swishing motions with her hand.
“You are truly crazy.”
Madison lifted one shoulder and grinned. “I’m just sayin’. But really, Mom, I would never peg you as forty. You truly don’t look it but …” Madison swallowed and then nibbled on the inside of her lip.
Jessica inhaled a deep breath and then had to prompt, “But what?”
“You need to get out more often.”
Jessica drew her eyebrows together. “I am out.” She sliced her hand through the air.
Madison tilted her head downward and rolled her eyes up. “Mom, coming over to my condo isn’t going out. I mean going out … out.”
Jessica tried not to squirm in her seat. “Madison, Monday is the only day Wine and Diner is closed. You know how demanding the restaurant business is. I like to kick back and relax during my time off. Oh … did you see this dress?” Jessica tapped the glossy page with her fingertip in an attempt to change the subject. “I love the simple yet elegant design, don’t you?” she continued. “You should really say yes to a dress soon.”
“Mom, Jason and I haven’t even set a date yet.”
“And you’ve been engaged for nearly nine months!”
Madison tilted her head and sighed. “With all of the riverfront construction going on, Jason barely has time to breathe, much less worry about a wedding. When things settle down with the baseball stadium, we’ll set a date. We’re thinking next spring. But anyway, about going out …”
“Madison,” Jessica warned in a low tone.
“Mom, it’s your birthday!”
“Just another day as far as I’m concerned, and I am so grateful that you didn’t throw me one of those cheesy parties with droopy-boob gag gifts.”
“You made your thoughts on the subject crystal clear.” Madison leaned over and looked at the wedding dress. “But what do you say we head over to Sully’s and grab a bite to eat and a martini? Celebrate just a little?” Madison held her thumb and index finger an inch apart.
Jessica scrunched up her nose. “I don’t think so.” She nonchalantly turned another page of the magazine but had to swallow a stupid lump forming in her throat. Flipping through the brides’ magazine reminded her of the fact that at forty her chances of a fairy-tale wedding were getting slimmer and slimmer. She put out the vibe that she was as happy as pie with her single status and that she treasured her independence, but seeing her feisty aunt Myra blissfully in love and Madison happily engaged had Jessica suddenly getting hit with bouts of lonesomeness. It sure didn’t help that sexy as sin Ty McKenna, manager of the Cricket Creek Cougars, ate at Wine and Diner several times a week. And he didn’t simply eat the food—he savored and appreciated her culinary efforts, carefully choosing the perfect wine to go with his meals. For Jessica there wasn’t a better turn-on. Ty McKenna had awakened a yearning she had thought long gone, but she knew him from his pro-baseball days when he’d frequent Chicago Blue Bistro, where she had been head chef. She had never seen the hotshot athlete with the same woman twice, so he could flirt until he turned blue in the face, but she wasn’t about to let him break her heart.
“Earth to Mom? Are you getting hard of hearing in your old age?” Madison teased and gave her mother’s arm a playful shove.
“What?” Jessica cupped her hand over her ear but then mustered up a chuckle. “Sorry. I was thinking about the summer menu,” she fibbed.
“Well, give yourself a break! It’s your birthday!”
“So you keep reminding me.”
“Because you seem to keep forgetting, old lady.”
Oh, she had not forgotten. “Madison, thanks so much for the lovely necklace. Nicolina Diamante makes such beautiful handmade jewelry. It was so sweet that you remembered how much I adore her creations.” Jessica put the Modern Bride magazine on the glass coffee table and dusted her hands together. “Now, I really should get home and start working on the menu. Summer will be here before you know it. I’m thinking about adding a mango salsa, cold corn and black bean dip—”
“Come on, Mom! We should celebrate!” Madison pleaded firmly.
“Sweetie, I love my gift but it’s no big deal.”
Madison pressed her lips together, which was a sure sign she wasn’t giving up. “Well, then, let’s go out and celebrat
e my teaching position at Cooper. You promised to go out and clink glasses together, but we never did.” Her chin came up in challenge.
Damn … Madison had her there.
“Besides, I’m hungry, and I don’t have anything in the fridge to fix.”
“Imagine that.” Jessica cocked one eyebrow. “You really need to learn your way around the kitchen, Madison. Jason is a small-town boy used to home-cooked meals.”
“I can’t believe my ultra-independent modern mother just said that to me,” Madison muttered.
“The boy’s gotta eat … and so do you.”
Madison bounced around on the sofa cushion to face her mother. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. Come with me to Sully’s, and I’ll find some time this week to come over to the diner for some cooking lessons.”
“Oh …”
Madison really wasn’t playing fair, and she pounced on her mother’s slight wavering. “Come on, Mom. Jason is working at the baseball stadium. I’m bored. Hungry!”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Girl, you want some cheese with that whine?” Jessica kept her voice light but she truly didn’t want to celebrate. What she really wanted was to go home, get into her pajamas and wallow in a bottle of merlot. The fact that this milestone was hitting her hard took her by surprise! But deep down she knew the reason why.
Tyler McKenna.
ALSO BY LUANN MCLANE
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES
He’s No Prince Charming
Redneck Cinderella
A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action
Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess with My Heart
Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues
Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots
EROTIC ROMANCES
“Hot Whisper” in Wicked Wonderland anthology
Driven by Desire
Love, Lust, and Pixie Dust
Hot Summer Nights
Wild Ride
Taking Care of Business