Waiting in the Wings

by Melissa Brayden

  Realizing my short break was over, I decided to have a little fun. I put on one of my favorite high intensity CDs and let go in freestyle mode, linking moves I knew and adding in new ones. It was then that I heard a loud knock on the studio door. I didn’t have a chance to answer it before a middle-aged balding man stuck his head inside and nodded in greeting. “Sorry,” I called out to him over the music, “I have the room for another hour.”

  “That’s okay,” he called back. “I’m not here for the studio. I’m looking for Jenna McGovern.” He glanced up from a small sheet of paper in his hand.

  Puzzled, I walked across the room and shut off the music. “I’m sorry, do we know each other?”

  “No, we don’t.” He walked over and extended his hand, a friendly smile on his face. “I’m Bob Krueger. A friend of yours thought I might be able to find you here. Looks like she was right.”

  I was growing a little nervous. This guy had wandered in off the street and could be virtually anybody. Hell, he could have been there to kill me for all I knew. “I’m not sure what this is about, but I have a lot of work to do and only an hour left here, so…”

  “Of course, I apologize for barging in, but allow me a moment to explain, and if you still want me to go, I will happily oblige.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and ran it across the top of his head. “I’m currently casting a show and doing a bit of scouting for my lead role. I was at a party, a get-together, earlier this week with some industry people and had a lovely conversation with a young lady who gave me your name. She said you were exactly what I’m looking for. Now I don’t know if that’s true, but in my experience, it’s best to leave no stone unturned.”

  I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, curious but still cautious. “What show are you casting?”

  “It’s called Elevation. It’s a dance show.”

  “Those auditions were last week.”

  “They were, but we’re not done searching, hence my presence. Tell you what, let me give you my card.” He handed me a business card from his jacket pocket. “You can see I’m completely legit.”

  “And you want me to audition?” My heart sped up at the idea of a second chance.

  “Informally, yes. That is if you’re interested.”

  “It’s not that. I am interested. I’m not quite at the top of my game yet.”

  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that? Would you mind if I sat in for a bit?”

  I took a deep breath. There was something about letting Bob watch me rehearse that felt somewhat invasive, but I also realized this was a rare opportunity. “I guess that’d be okay.” I walked to the center of the studio. “Would you mind starting the music? Track six.”

  Bob cued the music and I began to move. At first I was very aware of his presence, his eyes following each step, as he absently stroked his chin. I sharpened my focus, concentrating on precision and technique. But as the music played on, I began to dance for me, losing myself as I often did, taking everything out in dance. I no longer saw Bob there. I didn’t see the mirrors that lined the studio walls. I was on my own, feeling my way through. On the last few bars, I really let go, moving wildly, spinning across the floor over and over again, executing the final jump and landing it cleanly on the last note of the song. I looked up from where I stood, breathless and feeling a little vulnerable once I met his still staring eyes. He didn’t say anything but looked overly thoughtful. Perhaps he was trying to formulate a polite way of thanking me for my time before he left to find another stone to turn. Finally, he stood and walked toward me. “If I can get my director and choreographer here in an hour, do you think you can do that again?”

  “Um, sure, but I only have the studio for”—I checked my watch—“forty-five more minutes.”

  “Let me take care of that. I know a few folks around here. What do you say?”

  “If you think it’s worth their time, I’d be more than happy to dance for them.”

  He made his way to the door. “That’s all I’m asking.”

  Before he disappeared, I called out to him. “Bob?” At the sound of his name, he stuck his head back around the corner. “Would you mind telling me who gave you my name at the party?”

  “Adrienne Kenyon. She said you’d worked together on tour.”

  I nodded. “Thanks.”

  It was less than an hour when Rory Linden and his choreographer, Marley Thibodaux, arrived at the studio with Bob. After some introductory niceties, I repeated the performance I’d done for Bob as best I could, and then politely excused myself, leaving them in the studio to converse. But just getting the chance to dance for Rory Linden was enough to make my evening. When I returned, it was clear they were waiting for me.

  Rory took the initiative. “How long have you been out of the game, Jenna?”

  “It’s been a little over three years since I did Clean Slate in LA. I’ve done films since then, but have always felt more comfortable on stage. It’s what I’m trying to get back to.”

  “You’re definitely good,” Marley said “but you’d have a lot more work to do. The role in question is incredibly demanding physically, and it would really test your body. Do you think you’re up to something like that?”

  “I know I can do it. I just need adequate rehearsal time.”

  “I have to admit,” Jamie said, “you’ve got a lot of things we’re looking for. I caught you in Clean Slate. You’re highly watchable, and you can sing too. If Marley thinks she can work with you, I’d like to offer you this part.”

  I held my breath, looking to Marley. She studied my face for a moment, sizing the situation up. Finally, when I thought my head would explode if I had to wait another second for her response, a slow smile spread across her face. “Let’s do this.”

  “Great!” Bob said. He clapped his hands once as Rory pulled me into a congratulatory hug. “If you’ll give me the information for your representation, we’ll get the ball rolling on a contract.” I nodded my head, still speechless. Moments like this just didn’t happen. A man had wandered in off the street and an hour later I’m cast as the lead in a soon to be Broadway show.

  Chapter Eleven

  For as long as I can remember, the beach had always had a calming effect on me. I could sit and watch the waves roll in for one hour after another and be quite content with the whole thing. I took another sip of my coffee and allowed the heavenly liquid to warm me from the inside out. It was fairly chilly out this morning, but the sun was shining on the water and I knew it would be the perfect day for Lanie. I only had a few minutes to lounge on the deck of the beach cottage I’d rented, but wanted to enjoy every moment of it. I decided I liked the Hamptons and maybe one day I’d be rich enough to afford a little getaway abode like this one. The two-bedroom cottage I’d rented for “wedding weekend” was modest, but completely cozy.

  I looked at my watch. The wedding was in a few hours and I needed to get my lazy self in gear and over to the church. I leaned over the railing and took one last luxurious sigh before the whirlwind of the day began. I knew there would be many familiar faces at the wedding, and I was excited to see most of them. Lanie had informed me that a good portion of the Clean Slate cast had been invited and planned to attend. It would almost be a mini reunion of sorts from the tour. I hadn’t seen Kyle or Georgette in forever and smiled at the thought of catching up with those guys. Sienna’s confirmation would make for an eventful evening of avoidance. However, I had no plans to revisit the conflicts of yesteryear. Today was about my friend and I wanted to keep it that way.

  I tossed my bag into my rental car and hung my dress on a hook in the backseat. I wondered if Adrienne was already in town. I hadn’t seen her since the restaurant four weeks before and she’d not responded to the lone text message I’d sent her apologizing. My guess was she was still pissed and probably didn’t want anything to do with me. Hell, for all I knew, she and Kim had ridden off into the sunset together. I shook my head briskly in an effort to snap myself to attentio
n. I needed to focus.

  *

  I took a step back from Lanie and felt tears well up in my eyes as I took her in. I looked at her mother, who reached for my hand and squeezed, as she too was a wall of emotion. The three of us were alone in the bride’s room at the church and seeing Lanie in her dress for the first time took my breath away. She was a vision, full of hope, beauty, and everything a bride should be. She grinned back at us, but it was clear she was also feeling a little sentimental in this moment. She held up her hand to us in protest. “Stop it, both of you. My makeup’s done and I cannot cry. You have to suck it up, like immediately.”

  We laughed at that and I pulled Lanie into a hug. “Thank you for asking me to be a part of this. If anyone belongs together, it’s you and Ben. You look beautiful, Lanie, simply stunning.”

  I could feel Lanie fanning her face over my shoulder. “Now I really am going to cry. Damn you, McGovern.” But instead we laughed again and she released me from the embrace. “I’m glad you’re here too. I can’t wait for the day I get to attend your wedding.”

  “Well, that will be a long wait. I’m not the type, I’m afraid.”

  “You used to be.”

  “Yeah, well, that was another time and another place. People change.” I shrugged. “Besides, today is not about me, is it?”

  “Nope. Today is all about me.” She grinned at herself in the mirror. “And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

  Excitement was definitely in the air. There was an extra skip in my step and I wished nothing but happiness for Lanie on this beautiful day. If I had any fears or worries when I arrived at the church, they were gone now and replaced with optimism and hope. God, I sounded like a Disney character. But today was about love, and I think I needed a reminder that people could be happy. That realization was a step in the right direction, and I gave myself a proverbial pat on the back.

  The string quartet began their arrangement of Canon in D, and as one who always knew how to make an entrance, I waited a few bars in before I left Lanie at the back of the church. With a final wink, I headed down the aisle. The modest sized sanctuary was practically overflowing with smiling faces. These two clearly had a lot of people who cared about them. I took my time as I processed down the short walkway leading to the altar and nodded subtly to those I knew. Craig blew me a kiss and Georgette beamed as we made eye contact. I sent her an “oh my God, it’s so great to see you” look as I passed. As my gaze settled on the next face, however, the room seemed to still as if programmed to do so. Adrienne wore a deep burgundy dress, the epitome of elegance and style. Her hair was partially swept up, and the remaining strands were curled into soft tendrils that hung loosely past her shoulders. Our eyes met and her lips parted slightly as she scanned the length of my dress. Was I imagining it, or was Adrienne checking me out? The next face I settled on answered my question succinctly. As Kim placed a hand possessively on Adrienne’s shoulder, I forced my eyes forward, concentrating on my destination.

  The ceremony was short and sweet, but a tearjerker nonetheless. Luckily, I’d smuggled a handkerchief into the bouquet I carried and was well prepared. As the minister spoke of “everlasting commitment” and “the pledging of love to another,” I couldn’t help but steal glances in Adrienne’s direction. I thought of the younger, idealistic version of myself who had once wondered if Adrienne was “the one,” and realized sadly that she’d probably never gotten that far herself.

  I looked on as the vows were exchanged and allowed myself the guilty pleasure of imagining what it would be like if things had been different, if we had ended up the way Lanie and Ben had. But just as the wonderful images and sensations of that daydream began to flood my senses, they were interrupted by thunderous applause. Lanie and Ben had shared their first kiss as husband and wife and were now proceeding down the aisle. That’s your cue, stupid. Shaking myself awake, I graciously accepted the arm of the best man and made my way to the back of the church. I plastered a smile across my face, but inside I was trembling. The combination of the minister’s words, the utter happiness on Lanie’s face, and Adrienne sitting not so far away with her date was enough to seriously mess with my mind. I silently hoped the reception had an open bar.

  *

  Small, twinkling white lights cascaded from the high ceiling of the Plaza Club’s ballroom, and white table linens adorned with elegant purple hydrangea centerpieces helped set the swanky mood at the post-wedding gala. A sextet jazz band played ambient music from the edge of the dance floor and an ice sculpture of two swans with intertwining necks held court in the center of the room. I looked around in awe and appreciation. The floor to ceiling second story windows offered a gorgeous view of the sun setting on the water. Many of the guests were mingling on the wrap-around deck, as the cool sea breeze floated in around them. The place looked amazing and I could only imagine how much Lanie’s parents were shelling out for the affair.

  As the wedding party arrived, the reception moved into full swing. Guests milled about chatting and sipping champagne that waiters whisked about on silver trays. There was a line to sign the guest book and a small group of children dipped strawberries into the chocolate fountain. However, as the bride and groom were officially announced, the entire room came to attention and clapped, cheered, and congratulated the newly married couple.

  I checked on Lanie, bringing her and Ben each a glass of champagne. But as they made their way through the crowd to speak individually to their guests, I took advantage of the opportunity and snuck away to catch my breath. I stole a glass of champagne for myself and moved to the outer edge of the room away from the crowd, eventually wandering out onto the deck. The cool air was a welcome distraction. I found a spot at the railing, smiling at guests I didn’t recognize as I passed. I sipped my drink and stared out at the water lapping against the stilts of the building. I reverted to breathing exercises I had learned in college to calm my nerves and get my mind to slow down. So many thoughts were racing through it. I was twenty-seven years old and already resigned to a life spent on my own. Until recently, I was okay with that. In fact, it’s what I’d purposefully chosen for myself, focusing fully on my career and how to maximize each opportunity. But on such a happy day for my friend, I was sad for myself and for who I’d become. I tightened my grip on the railing and focused on the horizon.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Adrienne said. Her eyes sparkled in the diminishing sunlight.

  “Oh, they’re much more expensive than that, I’m afraid.”

  “Damn it, I left my purse in the car.”

  “A rain check?”

  “That’ll do, I suppose.” She smiled cautiously, clearly not sure how to proceed. “It’s beautiful out here.”

  “Yeah, Lanie’s lucky to have gotten such wonderful weather. This sky is like something out of a book.”

  She turned and studied the sunset, before eventually shifting back to me. “So I guess we should talk about it.”

  “Probably.” I turned to face her fully. “I was a jerk. I’m sorry.”

  “You were a jerk,” she said. “A big jerk.”

  “And if I could go back in time and change what I did, I would.”

  “All of it?” she asked quietly.

  Kim chose that exact moment to make her way onto the deck, carrying a glass of wine in each hand. White wine. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and instead smiled widely, an earnest attempt to show Adrienne how I was capable of social maturity. I was just happy she was speaking to me again. Yes, I was falling for her, but after a month without her entirely, I’d give anything to go back to where we were before the dinner from hell. Simply put, I’d desperately missed her. Kim would be no problem if I could just secure Adrienne in my life in some way. The long stretch of silence from her had easily shown me that.

  “Hi, Kim. You look great.” And she did too. She wore a one-shouldered yellow evening gown with a crisscrossed bodice. Leave it to the girl in fashion to show us all up.

  “Thank you.
It’s good to see you again, Jenna. You’re turning quite a few heads in that dress yourself.”

  I shrugged and looked skyward, an attempt at vain humor. It worked and they laughed.

  “Are you two staying for the weekend?” I asked. “I rented a cottage on the shore until Tuesday. If you’re going to stick around, you should come by. We could grill a few hotdogs.”

  “That could be fun,” Adrienne said. “We just might take you up on that. Kim made reservations for us at the Yacht Club through Sunday. We thought we might check out the area. You know,” she said, looking from one of us to the other, “it’s strange, but all these years I’ve lived in New York and I haven’t spent much time in the Hamptons at all. It’s nice to have the weekend free to explore, relax.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Kim said. But she seemed distracted and eyed something through the window. “If you two will excuse me for a moment, I think I see an associate I used to work with at Bergdorf’s. Small world. Jenna, you don’t mind keeping my date company for a few moments, do you?”

  “Of course not,” I said and she was gone. Left alone on the deck, Adrienne and I smiled shyly at one another, still feeling each other out after the fight…and the make out session. “She really does seem great. Kim.”