“Yes, I thought of that. After my first twenty or so changes.”
“Well you two have just tons of fun, okay? And go get some ice cream or something afterwards, all right? Don’t just rush on back here. I’ll have the kids in bed by eight, and we’ll make sure homework is done.”
“You’re a saint, Francine.”
Olivia grabbed her coat and headed towards Tad’s Kia. She slid into the passenger’s side and soon they were headed to the community theater. Once there, she saw that her audition was at 5:35, right after Tad’s. At least they would be done quickly, she thought. And then it would be behind her. She and Tad stood in the lobby, waiting for their names to be called. Surrounding them were dozens of hopefuls, clutching scripts and slips of paper, which they studied in focused quietude.
“What are you going to recite?” Olivia whispered to Tad.
“The Jabberwocky,” he whispered back.
“Ah,” she said. “Good choice.”
“What about you?”
She described What Was I Scared Of?—the story of the young boy meeting a pair of disembodied “pale green pants” in the woods one day, and their subsequent encounters, which gradually terrify him more and more, until in the end he learns they are just as scared of him as he is of them.
“It’s my kids’ favorite story ever,” she finished with a shrug. Tad’s shoulders were shaking in quiet laughter.
“I don’t think I’ve ever read that before,” he finally said, dabbing at his eyes. “I’m going to have to get my hands on a copy.”
Tad’s name floated out above their heads. “Good luck!” Olivia called as he disappeared through the door to the auditorium. In ten minutes he was back, and her own name was called. She followed the young woman through the doors and climbed the steps to the stage, her heart pounding and mouth dry. The moment her foot touched the wooden floorboards of the stage, however, she became perfectly, inexplicably calm. This was familiar. She had done this before.
“Well…” she began, making sure to project and speak clearly. “I was walking in the night, and I saw nothing scary…”
The rest of the monologue went smoothly, and then it was over. She was asked to read a small part of the script and then told that they would get in touch with her in a few days. She thanked them and made her way up the aisle to the door, where Tad was waiting.
“I could hear you through the door!” he said, excited. “You sounded great!”
“Yeah, but they give you so little feedback,” she said as they walked into the brisk October evening air. “I just don’t know what to expect.”
“Yeah, they’re pretty reticent at first,” he said. “But oh well. We did it! The rest is up to fate.”
“Yes, you’re right,” she agreed. “Now what do you want to do?”
“Do you want to get ice cream?” he said. “Like mom suggested? Or anything else?”
“Mozzarella sticks,” she said without hesitation. “Really? I wouldn’t have taken you for a mozzarella stick kind of girl. But okay, let’s go!” They got back into the car and headed for a nearby bar and grill. Once inside, the sticks were ordered, along with a blooming onion and two beers. Olivia settled back in her chair and smiled.
“What’s funny?”
“Nothing. I just feel good for finally doing something just for me, you know? Even if it doesn’t lead to a role, it was good to get outside my comfort zone for a minute.”
“I know what you mean,” he said. “I go home most nights and watch Netflix, you know? Talk about a comfort zone. Ever since my breakup a decade ago, I’ve just kind of kept to myself. I go out with my mom, but that’s it. So it’s good for me, too.”
“I’m sorry about your breakup, Tad. That sounds like it was really hard.”
“It was,” he said, nodding. “They say time heals all wounds, and that’s true, but only to an extent. What they don’t tell you is that scars can still throb long after the wound has healed.”
“Yeah,” she said, sipping her beer. “I don’t think I miss Jacob at all anymore, but I sure miss what we had. The idea of it. Marriage. Together forever. The romantic ideal, I guess. I thought that’s what we had. Boy was I wrong.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Now you get another chance. A fresh start. And you can learn from your mistakes, right?”
“Right.”
“To no more douchebags.” He said, raising his glass in a toast. Olivia raised hers as well.
“To no more douchebags.” They drank.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Ms. Broadstreet?”
“Yes?” she said quietly, so as not to disturb her cube-mates.
“This is Mark Finster, the director for the community theater. I wanted to let you know as soon as possible that you have been selected for the part of Fairy Mae in The Curious Savage.
Congratulations.”
The phone felt unreasonably slippery in her grasp, and she very nearly dropped it as the words registered in her brain.
“I…I got the part?” she repeated.
“Yes, you got the part,” the director said, a smile creeping into his voice. “Congratulations. Rehearsals start in a week and will last for six weeks. The production is in early December. Will you be able to accept the role, or should we go to the secondary choice?”
“No, no…I can take it. I mean, I’m happy to take it. I’m so excited, actually. Tell me, though; I mean, are you allowed to tell me if Thaddeus Forrest got a part? He’s a friend of mine.”
“I’m afraid I can’t give that information to you,” Frank said. “But if he did, he’ll be getting a call shortly as well. Good afternoon, Ms. Broadstreet.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Finster.”
Olivia got up and peered into Tad’s cubicle. It was empty. Casting about the office space for his red hair, she could not locate him. Maybe he was getting coffee. She got up to look around the corner at the kitchen area, and saw him coming down the corridor. He saw her and smiled, his usual, broad, eye-crinkling smile.
“Did you…did you get a call yet?” she asked him.
“Nope. Did you?”
“Just did. I, um, I got the part of Fairy Mae. I actually got it!” She could not contain her excitement then, and did a small hop of joy, clapping her hands together.
“Congratulations!” he said. “I just knew you would.”
“You did? I mean, yeah, you did. And they told me that you should be getting a call soon, too. If you got a part, that is. Oh, I hope you do! It won’t be any fun without you.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said, still smiling. “But yeah, I hope—“
His phone rang. He drew it from his pocket and the smile faded swiftly.
“It’s them,” he said. “What should I do?”
“Answer, of course!” she exclaimed.
“Oh, right.” He punched the button and put it to his ear. “Hello?” Silence. Nodding.
“Yes.”
More silence. More nodding, more yesses.
“I understand. Very good. Thank you for calling.” Olivia’s heart sank. That didn’t sound like an affirmative call at all. Tad slowly returned the phone to his pocket and looked at her, face inscrutable.
“Tad,” she began. “I’m so sor—“
“I got the part,” he said, a huge smile breaking over his face. “The part I wanted—Jeffrey. Isn’t that great?”
“That is fantastic! But you looked so grim; I thought you hadn’t. You were just pulling my leg, weren’t you?” She punched him in the arm. “You big meanie!”
“Yeah, it’s called acting,” he said. “You might want to try it sometime.”
They laughed, long and loud, until their coworkers shushed them.
~~~~~~~~~
The Millwood Shopping Center was an upscale arrangement of boutiques, banks, and businesses all clustered around a central park-like area in East Tulsa. Burbling fountains and flowering trees were scattered throughout, while wisteria vines entwined the arched lattic
es that flanked the entrances to many of the stores and eateries. A duck pond completed the picturesque nature of the place, and as Olivia climbed out of her car, she could hear the squeals and laughter of the children throwing bits of bread to the various waterfowl that congregated there.
“Can we feed the ducks, Mommy?” Bradley asked.
“I’m sorry honey, I didn’t bring any bread with me. Let’s do it next time, okay?” If there is a next time she thought.
“Why do I have to come?” groaned Beatrice, dragging her feet behind Olivia as they headed across the parking lot. “I don’t need childcare. I can take care of myself at home.”
“I disagree,” Olivia said. “And it’s only for half an hour, sweetheart. Maybe there will be some older kids there too.”
Om Yoga Studio was sandwiched between a luxury home goods store and a chichi clothing store, and Olivia approached its door with some trepidation. She surreptitiously studied her reflection in the wide windows and decided that, with her yoga mat casually slung over her shoulder and her new tights and tank top complimenting her figure nicely, she didn’t look like quite the ingénue she was. Anyway, what was the worst that could happen? Dolf would see that she didn’t know a downward dog from a mountain pose, and never want to see her again? She told herself that it was an unlikely scenario. This, however, had not kept her from buying a yoga cd and reviewing the terms and asanas several times before she screwed up the courage to come.
Walking through the doors, they were greeted by a beautiful young blonde who was standing with one leg stretched effortlessly against the doorframe of one of the studios, ankle level with her head.
“Namaste,” she chirped, bringing the foot down to the floor and hurrying to the front counter. “How can I help you today?”
“I was hoping to join a group—”
“Olivia!” Dolf exclaimed, coming down the spiral staircase in the corner of the room. “Kids! Welcome, welcome! You finally came!” He crossed the polished floor, took her hands in his and bowed down to bring them to his face, eyes shut. Kissing them both in turn, he straightened and smiled. Olivia blushed.
“I’d hug you, but I’m pretty sweaty from my last class,” he said by way of explanation.
“Oh, that’s okay,” she said, finding the whole kissing-of-the-hands utterly charming. “I finally got up the courage to come. Is there room in your class for me?”
“Of course! Lydia, Olivia here is coming to my 5:00 class today. She’s my special guest.”
“Okay Mr. Johansson,” the girl said, and went back to her stretching, this time back-bending to pick up a pen that had fallen to the floor. Dolf showed the way to the childcare room, which Olivia was relieved to see contained plenty of puzzles and books and not just the requisite toys for the younger set. A couple of pre-teens sat in chairs playing Uno, and welcomed Beatrice to join. Bradley immediately began building a tower of blocks while the young woman hired as babysitter looked on. Dolf took Olivia by the hand and led her to the nearest studio, which was painted in soothing shades of blue and grey. Gentle music played over the intercom system, and occasionally the sound of tiny chiming bells rang out. The air was redolent of orange and bergamot.
“You look simply amazing, Olivia,” Dolf said. “I’m not supposed to make personal comments about my students, but I’m going to have a hard time keeping my eyes off you today.”
“In that case I’ll plan to be in the very last row,” she said firmly. “I’m hoping to escape notice of any kind from the expert instructor!”
“No! Never!” he shook his head just as emphatically. “Newbies are always on the front row, my dear. So as to aid with correction.”
“Oh ugh,” she groaned. “And I was hoping to come and go incognito.”
“Now Livie,” he said with utmost patience. “The point is not perfection, remember. The point is to improve our practice. No matter if this is your first time or you are a master, we are all on a journey of discovery, okay?”
“Okay then,” she sighed.
“You’ll do great.”
Other students began to arrive, and Olivia was gratified to see that they came in all shapes and sizes. Seven women and two men, and all, as far as Olivia could tell, with obvious crushes on their instructor. They viewed Olivia narrowly, but responded to Dolf’s introduction to her with a resounding “Namaste” nonetheless.
True to his word, Dolf put her front-and-center before his slightly raised platform, and called them all to begin with several sun salutations. Before long, however, he had moved on to asanas that called on every bit of Olivia’s concentration. He patiently corrected her when she was off, and reminded her, above all, to keep her breathing deep and regular.
Easier said than done was all she could think, as the class culminated with bakasana, or crow, pose, a challenging proposition in which she had to lean forward and balance on her hands while bringing her knees to her elbows. She promptly pitched forward onto her face.
“Oof!” she said, completely mortified.
“Nevermind, nevermind,” Dolf said soothingly. “Happens all the time. Try again.” He rose to help her achieve the pose, giving her tips on how to stay balanced. She managed to stay up for several seconds before collapsing to the ground and laying there, completely spent.
“Very good!” Dolf said. “And now for our meditation.”
Thank god Olivia thought. She was dripping sweat and thoroughly done in. Dolf instructed them all to lay on their backs and relax as he led them through a guided meditation. When it was over, Olivia felt as wrung out as a dishrag. She lay on the floor with her eyes closed as the rest of the class filed out, waiting for strength to rise. A gentle kiss on her lips roused her.
“Hey Sleeping Beauty,” Dolf said with a grin. “You gonna make it?”
“The jury is still out,” she said.
“You did so well!” he exclaimed, laughing at her mortified face. She snorted. “No, seriously, Livie. You did great. For a first timer you were a real trooper. You should have heard some of these folks when they first started. Whiners, every one of them.”
“Really?” she said, sitting up.
“Really.”
“Well, I’ll just be happy if I can move tomorrow,” she said. “But I’ll be back.”
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear it,” he said, sitting back on his heels. “I was worried that I’d chased you off.”
“Nope. I’m not that big of a baby. I’ll be back next time for sure.” Dolf rose and helped her to her feet. He walked with her back to the childcare room, his large, broad hand on her lower back the whole time in a way Olivia found incredibly sexy.
“Hey, I almost forgot to tell you,” she said. “I’m in a play. I actually got a part.”
“How exciting!”
“It’s going to be performed the first week of December. I’m hoping you’ll be there.”
“In the front row, Livie. In the very front row.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“When will we see Daddy again?” Bradley asked, strapping on his helmet for a spin around the cul-de-sac in his electric car.
“I don’t know, honey. I hope soon,” Olivia said. It had, once again, been weeks since Jacob had bothered to call, much less inquire as to when he could visit his children. She was beginning to lose all hope of them having a relationship with him, and that sensation made her irate and despondent at the same time.
“He doesn’t want to see us,” Beatrice said, blunt as ever. “He’s got Ali.”
“Oh honey, don’t be dismal,” Olivia said, stroking her hair. “He’s just got his priorities all mixed up right now. He’ll come around. You’ll see.”
“You guys have been separated forever now,” she said, leaning into her mother’s touch.
“And he’s just as obsessed with Ali as ever. Why? I don’t get it.”
“I think she makes him feel young again, Beatrice. It’s hard to explain. You might understand a little better when you get older, although I hope not.”
“Because at some point you have to experience things to understand them. And I don’t ever want you to experience this kind of abandonment again.”
“He has abandoned us, hasn’t he?”
“Pretty much,” Olivia admitted. She tried so hard not to talk badly about their father around her children, but Beatrice was old enough to call a spade a spade. So be it. And Jacob would deal with the fallout sooner or later.
“Is Dolf coming over tonight?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“You don’t have rehearsal. And it’s Friday night. I just figured something was happening. Are you going out?”
“Actually, Dolf is bringing some Chinese take-out for us all to share. And then I thought we’d watch some Netflix. Just stay in.”
“That sounds great,” Beatrice said. “Are you sure Dolf doesn’t mind us being around?”
“Of course he doesn’t mind,” Olivia said. “He likes you guys a lot.”
“I like him too.”
Dolf drove up in his jeep then, and pulled carefully into the driveway while Bradley did another loop in the cul-de-sac. Unloading the car, he handed a large bag to Olivia and a smaller bag to Beatrice. Bradley climbed out of his toy car and Dolf handed the smallest bag to him.
“Smells great!” Beatrice exclaimed, as they walked into the kitchen. “What did you get?”
“Beef with broccoli, crispy honey shrimp, and cashew chicken. Your mom said they were all your favorites.”
“Mom was right. I love beef with broccoli!” she said, and got four plates from the cupboard. Bradley dumped the contents of his bag onto the table, an array of chopsticks, soy sauce packets, and fortune cookies spilling out.
“Hooray; fortune cookies!” he exclaimed.
“You may have one after you eat your food,” Olivia said, gathering up the confections and putting them on the counter. “The fortune won’t come true unless you eat every grain of rice, after all.”
“All right,” he sighed, and pulled up a chair. “Can I have some chicken? And no broccoli?”
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