Pawleys Island Paradise boxset, Books 1 - 3

by Laurie Larsen

  The girl looked like she was on the verge of giving a name, and Marianne was poised to write it down, along with a phone number so she could pursue him and put her persuasiveness to the test. But Roxanne pulled back. “No one I can think of at the moment, who is available. Or willing to leave the city.” She rushed on when she saw Marianne’s disappointment, “But I’ll keep brainstorming. I used to have an agent. I could call him and float it by him as well.”

  “Oh thank you, whatever you can do.”

  As Marianne and Leslie expected, Roxanne was a hit with the children, the adult cast and the full staff of directors and musicians. She was a natural, and lent such a breath of fresh air. She knew her lines, learned her staging quickly, and had all the songs down to a tee.

  A few nights later, the cast had all received their costumes. Alterations were underway and Leslie and the music director were double and triple checking the songs that featured Marian with the townspeople or family members. Roxanne stood on stage with the little boy playing Winthrop and the woman playing her mother. They were rehearsing the crowd favorite, “Gary, Indiana.” Winthrop had perfected his lisp and was using it to full comedic effect. Marianne knew once the room was full of appreciative theatergoers, the song would elicit lots of laughter and applause.

  She sat in the dining room, observing the rehearsal and checking her laptop every thirty seconds for some sort of reaction to her posting for a Harold. Her mind half on the song, and half on her email, she was suddenly confused when Roxanne came to a halt right before singing, “Gary,” and instead yelled, “Tieg!” Marianne jerked her head up.

  A tall, handsome man stood in the center of the dining room facing the stage. He stared at Roxanne, his mouth open wide in pleasure, a hint of a smile forming on his lips. “Roxanne.”

  Marianne let her eyes follow his. But Roxanne’s face didn’t mirror his obvious pleasure. Hers looked concerned, her eyebrows diving, lines of concern etched in her brow. Marianne got to her feet and as she approached the stage, the piano accompanist stopped playing and even Winthrop’s solo filtered off. Suddenly the room was silent, waiting to see what would happen next.

  “I found you!” the man said.

  Marianne climbed up on the stage and took Roxanne’s arm, guided her off to the side. “Roxanne, do you know this man?”

  She nodded, her eyes darting in all directions. “Yes, yes I do. Tieg Miller. My … my …,” she turned and looked at him again and turned back. “My acting partner.”

  “Your …? Oh! He’s an actor?” Marianne’s heart jumped into her throat. Roxanne had spread the word to her actor friends. She had her Harold Hill! She turned and motioned Leslie over, then turned again and motioned to Tieg as well. They both climbed up and joined them, a foursome huddled onstage.

  “So, Tieg, I’m Marianne Mueller, I’m the producer of the show. This is Leslie Harrison, she’s the director. And of course, you know Roxanne. She’s playing Marian. But of course, you know that.” She turned to Roxanne. “Did you recruit him? Does he know the part?”

  Roxanne was unusually quiet and didn’t respond.

  “Roxanne? What’s going on? Do I have this wrong?” Marianne asked.

  “Yes,” Roxanne responded, just as Tieg said, “No.” They looked at each other, Roxanne’s a glare at her acting partner.

  “I’d like the part,” Tieg said and then grunted in pain. A movement caused Marianne to glance at the floor, where Roxanne had stomped on his foot.

  “I’m confused,” Marianne said. “We need a Professor Harold Hill desperately or we can’t do the show. I’ve tried everything. I’ve listed the show on several actor websites, I’ve placed casting call ads in industry magazines and I’ve searched headshot sites. No takers. I’ve about lost hope. And the show is absolutely wonderful, except we don’t have a Harold.”

  Tieg furrowed his brow, then leaned close to Marianne. “The Music Man, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Right, right!” he said with glee. Roxanne gave him an irritated expression. “I can do it. I’d be happy to do it.”

  “That’s good to hear. But could you wait just a moment? I need a word with Leslie and Roxanne.”

  He nodded and backed up, reaching the end of the stage without taking his eyes off Roxanne.

  Marianne watched him, then turned to her leading lady. “So, what’s going on? You could cut the tension between you two with a knife. I assumed you’d talked to him about the role, and he showed up without telling you. But now I’m picking up that you really don’t want him here.”

  Roxanne sputtered, went silent, opened her mouth again. Then she sighed. “I don’t want to get into it. Yes, we have some history. He was one of the reasons I needed a break from New York. Although I can’t believe he followed me to Pawleys Island, … I can so see him following me to Pawleys Island.”

  Leslie gasped. “Is he abusive?”

  Roxanne’s eyes popped wider. “Abusive? What, you mean like physically? No, no, no. We aren’t together. He’s not my boyfriend, and no, he’s never abused me.” She turned to Marianne, then back to Leslie. “He just annoys me. And him being here puts a real damper on my carefree sabbatical to the beach, I don’t mind telling you.”

  Marianne felt like crying. She had no idea if this Tieg fellow even had the talent to play the part, but he was her best candidate yet. Okay, her only candidate yet. But she wanted Roxanne to be happy. She’d gotten Roxanne first, and she felt some loyalty to her.

  She turned to the actress. “We’ll just ask him to leave. I want you to be happy and comfortable and able to perform your best. Obviously, he stresses you out. For whatever reason.”

  Roxanne gazed down at her feet, thinking. She looked back at Marianne and Leslie. “But I can’t perform my best without a leading man, can I? Tieg is good, and we have chemistry because we’ve worked together before.”

  “Does he have a resume like yours?” Marianne dared to ask, almost hoping the answer was no.

  “Longer. He’s been a New York actor for seven years, supporting himself on his performances. He’s got a voice like you wouldn’t believe.”

  Marianne smiled. “Sounds like you’re trying to convince me to hire him.”

  Roxanne rolled her eyes. “He grows on you. How about this? You keep looking for a replacement. But we can use him in the meantime.”

  It was the best solution she could possibly hope for. She pulled Roxanne into a hug and the girl chuckled in her ear. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I’ll just have to lay the groundwork with him, that’s all. We’ll be fine.”

  When they broke apart, Marianne glanced over at Tieg. He was studying all their movements, a hopeful expression on his face. She motioned to him and he trotted over.

  “Tieg, we’re going to cast you in the role of Professor Harold Hill.”

  He pumped a fist into the air.

  “But … I’m going to continue to look for another actor. Roxanne didn’t tell us what has happened between you two, but she’s not entirely happy that you showed up here after she’d taken the job. We’ll see how it goes the first few weekends of performance, and see if I have to replace you.”

  He rested a pointed gaze on Roxanne, who remained expressionless, then he turned back to Marianne. “Sounds fair.”

  “Rehearsals start at 7:30 tonight. I’ll walk you to your room and cover the terms of the employment contract.”

  “Okay.”

  Marianne wasn’t sure what their history was all about, but she was sure of several things: the man was attractive, she could definitely see him in the role of a con man convincing an entire town that he was someone he was not, and … she finally had her complete cast.

  Full steam ahead.

  * * *

  Tieg delivered. His singing voice sent chills down everyone’s spines and his demeanor onstage was perfect for the role. Even while holding a paper copy of the script, Marianne and Leslie could tell he embodied the part. Despite how difficult it was t
o entice two experienced, professional actors to leave New York and come to Pawleys Island to do a small dinner theater, they ended up with the two perfect actors for their show. When theater is done well, and the actors are talented, they have chemistry with each other, and the music they perform is on track and sing-alongable, magic happens in the hearts of the audience members. This production appeared to have magic that not even Marianne and Leslie could’ve dreamed of.

  Because he was a pro, by the third rehearsal, Tieg had his extensive part completely committed to memory. Because he had worked with Roxanne so many times before, they fit each other like a glove. And because the supporting cast had worked on their songs and parts for weeks prior to the leads being cast, they all knew what they were doing. The Opening Night date that Marianne had randomly picked to list on her dinner theater website appeared to be do-able.

  Now, that date was only a few days away. Emma came up with the idea of inviting as many regional journalists as possible to a Dress Rehearsal preview night. With Emma’s hard work and contacts, they ended up with twenty publications represented, magazines, newspapers and online news blogs.

  The night following, Emma organized a “Pay What You Can” night for community members who couldn’t afford the full dinner theater price. So, a nearly full house of eighty five grateful people came just for the show, not the dinner, some paying five dollars, some paying as much as twenty. Considering it was a Dress Rehearsal anyway, that wouldn’t have normally drawn any earnings at all, and considering it created a buzz around town to get people interested in attending, Marianne considered it a huge success.

  Emma was proving to be worth her weight in gold from a marketing perspective.

  The morning of Opening Night, Marianne awoke with a combination of excitement and nervousness. She gazed over at Tom, still sleeping. A wash of disappointment flooded her. Although they were sharing a bed, their relationship had crumbled to the point that they shared little else. She’d returned to their shared bed after one night away because she didn’t want to worry Stella. Surely, being as bright a girl as she was, she’d notice if either of them moved out of their little apartment permanently. However, if Stella would wander into their bedroom while they were sleeping, she would surely notice the Great Divide between their two bodies on the mattress. It seemed important to Tom as well as herself, to have no unnecessary touching of limbs during this endless conflict.

  She was still furious at him for his stance on Jeremy, so she rarely had a conversation with him. She was keeping busy with the dinner theater, and he was busy single-handedly running the daily operations of the Inn. They rarely crossed paths. She missed him. She missed their closeness and their intimacy.

  But the way things stood, she couldn’t imagine a way to dig out of the rut they were in, and return to a true, loving marriage.

  As she stared at him, he opened his eyes. When he saw her, he smiled. She turned her head, afraid that her eyes would reflect her feelings.

  “Big day, honey.”

  She nodded.

  “You’ve worked hard, and I admire you very much. It looks like you’ve really pulled this off. I’ve seen enough of the dress rehearsals to see that you’ve got a quality show there.”

  She rose from bed and went to her mirror. “Well, I’ve had a lot of help. I didn’t do it alone.” Despite that fact that he hadn’t given her any help whatsoever. She shook her head, trying to shake away the negative thoughts.

  “What can I do to help you tonight? I’ve got two new guests checking in by six tonight, but I want to be available to help out with Opening Night.”

  She blinked, considering. Although she thought she had all the bases covered, it would be nice to have another set of eyes on the evening. “Could you help Toby and his assistants in the kitchen? They’re accustomed to producing around forty meals at a time for our regular guests, but he’s never had to produce a hundred, all being served within minutes of each other.”

  “You want me to serve?”

  “No, not serve. The performers are all assigned to wait on a table or two, which helps them earn tips from their tables. But you could help out in the kitchen, preparing the plates, or just doing what Toby tells you.”

  “Sure, honey.”

  “And during the show, just hang backstage and keep an eye out for anything that goes wrong. I’ll be out front viewing the stage and helping out wherever needed. You know, just a floater to take care of unexpected problems.”

  He smiled. “I can do that.” He rose out of bed and joined her. He put a hand on her shoulder and laid his face in her hair. Marianne tightened, but forced herself not to move. “I’m sorry things are so strained between us. Especially on such an important night for our business. I want us to work together on this.”

  She couldn’t stop a roll of the eyes. Work together? When, now? When all the work has been done and all that’s left is the glory? Now, he wants to work together?

  She could’ve said a hundred words in response. She could’ve said that things didn’t have to be so strained. That all he’d have to do was to forgive Jeremy for his past errors, to accept her brother as a full member of their extended family, and to be happy for him in his pending marriage to Emma. But Tom knew how she felt. They had discussed it ad nauseum, and she wasn’t about it get into it now. Opening Night deserved her full attention today.

  So she said, “We’ll see,” and she moved into the shower.

  * * *

  Marianne spent the day hitting Refresh on her laptop and marveling over how many tickets to their production they’d sold. Not only was Opening Night completely sold out, but the next few performances were sold out as well. Emma’s marketing strategies were evidently working.

  Around five, Marianne started to panic that something would go wrong. That the food for Toby’s opening dinner would be spoiled, and harbored some parasite that would cause all their guests to go running for the bathroom halfway through the second act. Then she imagined all the children in the cast forgetting their songs and their training, inflicted with stage fright when the lights shone on them. Then she worried that Roxanne and Tieg would let their past history, whatever it contained, get to them and they’d no longer be able to work together. Actors could be emotional — what if they had a fight and refused to go on as long as the other one was there?

  But soon, all her fears were proven to be unfounded. The Inn filled with the aroma of fresh-baked bread and a delicious surf and turf combination — fried shrimp and filet mignon. The actors started arriving and getting into costume. Her dad came and did a technical check on the lights and the mikes. Leslie went through last minute pointers with the kids, and the music director warmed up the small orchestra.

  The entire Inn looked, sounded and smelled like a dinner theater.

  The guests started arriving. Marianne manned the Box Office. “Thank you for coming to our Opening Night,” she told one older couple.

  The woman smiled. “It’s one of my favorite musicals, and you can’t beat free tickets. Great idea, by the way, partnering with local businesses.”

  Marianne, confused, focused on printing out the tickets and handing them to her. “I’m sorry, what?”

  The woman took the tickets and waved them at her. “Didn’t you partner with Harrison Designs at the Grand Opening of their furniture store? They had a whole promotion, depending on how much you spent there, how many free tickets they’d give you. We bought a whole bedroom set and received four free tickets. My husband and I are here tonight, and my daughter and her husband are coming tomorrow night.”

  Marianne stared at her, her mind racing. Jeremy? He’d never even mentioned this to her. But the next customer in line stepped up and she had to push it out of her mind.

  For Marianne, the evening was a fleeting stream of snippets.

  “This is the best shrimp I’ve ever had. You must provide the recipe.”

  Anticipation building as the orchestra opened the show with a medley of Music Man songs.
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  The opening act, the train ride, lyrics spoken in chug-chug-chug rhythm, performed to perfection by Tieg and the men of the cast.

  The soaring voices of Roxanne and Tieg, singing in duet.

  The children, dressed in period clothing, remembering their songs and their staging, smiling adorably.

  Lights on, lights off.

  Applause, applause and more applause.

  Desserts being delivered to each table during intermission by busy actors.

  Smiles and laughter and more applause.

  Before she knew it, it was over, the cast all stuffed up onstage together, holding hands, bowing, and then Leslie, soaking up applause, calling Marianne’s name through the microphone. She was in such a daze, she barely made her way around the crowded tables, people patting her as she passed them. She must have made it up the stairs, onto the stage, into the bosom of the company. A whoop of appreciation rose up from the actors behind her, simultaneously with the audience in front of her.

  Then, it was over. Silence, ears ringing, recovering from the mound of noise, now gone. Time to do it all again tomorrow night.

  She popped open bottles of champagne for the adult cast members, soda bottles for the kids. They all rose their glasses in a toast for the success of their show. She said a silent prayer to God, a thank you for believing in her and helping her in pulling this off, every step of the way.

  Everyone had had a great time, and couldn’t wait for tomorrow. The cast members all filtered out. Leslie and her dad stayed till the very end, telling her how proud they were of her. She couldn’t have done it without both of them, and she told them so.

  Quiet again, she made sure everything was secured and ready for the night, and wandered back toward their apartment. Tom stood behind the guest desk. He looked up. “What a night. You’re not going to believe how much money we brought in.” He jotted down a number on a slip of paper, drew two lines underneath it and slid it over to her. “If we make this every night, then I have no idea why we never tried this before. I bow to your much better judgment.”