by H. P. Munro
“What?” the woman snapped turning to face Jordan.
“Woah, I’d retract mine too,” Jordan spluttered, immediately horrified that she had spoken aloud. “I mean, I’m Jordan Ellis. Dan said I was to ask you about a gift.”
The woman rolled her eyes before disappearing through a door. Jordan waited, wondering slightly whether the woman was coming back. Eventually she returned and thrust a box at Jordan.
“Thank you,” Jordan called after the retreating woman.
She placed her glass of champagne down and lifted the lid on the box. Inside was a frame containing the original print of the photo that she had been admiring. She smiled and, before scanning the room for Dan to say thank you, noticed black lettering inside the lid of the box.
Look beneath the photo!
Jordan narrowed her eyes as she placed the box down and lifted the photo from it. Beneath was an envelope with a Post-it stuck to it. Dan’s writing was scrawled over it.
She’s better in the flesh, go get her, just blame me. Better yet just get straight to the nubbing and she’ll forget everything else!
x
As she peeled the Post-it back Jordan grinned as an airline logo came into view. She ran her finger under the seal on the envelope and removed a first class ticket to New York.
Dan was standing speaking to a small group of people, including a gallery owner from the east coast, with whom he was turning the charm on for in the hope that his exhibition would be picked up and shown. Their conversation was interrupted as Jordan pushed in. Apologizing to the other people as she grabbed Dan’s cheeks and kissed him emphatically on the lips.
“I love you,” she gasped, releasing him. “Thank you.”
As Jordan departed Dan took a sip of his champagne and regarded his audience, he raised an eyebrow and shrugged, “Will not take no for an answer. It’s getting embarrassing!”
February 2012
Standing in her dressing room which was filled with ‘break-a-leg’ messages and flowers, Freya applied her make-up. As she studied her reflection she smiled at the photo taped to her corner of the mirror that Dan had taken of her and Jordan during her hastily arranged leaving party.
The past couple of months had been physically and mentally exhausting. Freya wasn’t a natural dancer, so her efforts to first learn the steps and then make them look effortless had taken countless hours of repetitive training. Twinned with the hours spent training her voice to cope with the stress and strain she was about to put it through with eight shows a week she was shattered. It was probably thanks to the draining schedule and constant activity that she hadn’t curled up and wept like a baby at the distance between her and Jordan more often than she had.
Freya had tried to compartmentalize her feelings and focus on work and this had led to her demanding that Jordan and Dan not come to New York for Christmas as both had suggested. Regardless of the hurt that her request might cause, Freya had only been thinking about having to say goodbye again and wasn’t sure she could handle it. However, as was often the case, Dan knew her better then she knew herself and had organized for Jordan to come out.
The five days they had spent over Christmas and New Year’s were absolutely what Freya needed. Jordan was able to share her Broadway experience of being in a lengthy run by giving her some tips on how to maintain her energy levels and protect her voice. She wished that Jordan had been able to make it to her first night. However, she understood that it was a big ask to have her fly across the country for what would probably be one night thanks to her filming schedule.
She rolled her shoulders and started to stretch her face muscles, opening her mouth and eyes wide. She stood up as she heard the company’s half hour call. Fixing her costume she started her vocal warm-ups. She could hear activity on the other side of her dressing room door as crew and cast moved between the stage, green room and dressing rooms. There was a knock at her door and a stagehand stuck his head round, his headset pushed back over his ears.
“Freya, this was handed in for you,” he handed over a small square box. “Have a good show.”
“Thank you,” Freya said to his departing head. She put the box down on her dressing table, frowning at the lack of a card. Her hand grasped at her chest when she saw what was in the box. Nestled in black tissue paper was an orange with ‘I love you, you will be great’ written on it in neat black handwriting.
***
Jordan looked at the distinctive red lettering of the show on the theatre’s marquee and smiled at the black and white image of her girlfriend sitting forward on a box, her arms resting on her thighs, her hands dangling loosely between her legs. She was wearing an impossibly short black lace dress. With her dark hair slicked back, the dark and smoky make-up around her eyes made them even more piercing. Jordan could only imagine how mesmerizing those green eyes would have been when the photo was taken. She was incredibly proud of Freya, she knew how much work she’d put in and she knew that she would be amazing.
When she had visited at Christmas she’d been treated to a couple of the numbers that Freya had been working on and had been surprised at how much stronger Freya’s voice had become. However, as proud as she was of her girlfriend her main thought, looking at the image, was how great her legs were and that it had now been forty-nine days since she had kissed and held her and felt those legs wrapped around her. She checked her watch knowing from experience that Freya would be doing her warm-up exercises and she wondered idly whether her message had been delivered in time.
“There you are,” Dan growled. “I said wait there,” he pointed to where he had asked Jordan to stand.
Pulling her baseball cap down lower onto her head, Jordan scowled at him, “I did, but you were taking ages and I was starting to get attention and I just want to come enjoy my girlfriend’s opening night.”
“Okay Greta Garbo,” Dan smiled hooking his arm through Jordan’s. “Let’s go get our seats.”
***
Following the performance the dressing room filled with well-wishers. Fellow cast and guests gave Freya congratulatory hugs and kisses and she was happily basking in the attention. She had her back to the door while she spoke with a cast member when a familiar British accent reached her ears.
“Trust me, she’ll want so see me, she owes me alimony.”
Freya turned and grinned as Dan argued with a stagehand who was fighting a losing battle in trying to control the number of people crammed into Freya’s dressing room. She flung herself into Dan’s waiting arms kissing his cheek noisily as he picked her up.
“You came!” she pulled back about to ask what he’d thought and how Jordan was when he left her when her attention was drawn to a figure behind him, a black baseball cap pulled down low on her head.
“Jordan!” she thumped Dan’s shoulders to get him to put her down and launched herself at her girlfriend.
“You’re here! Why didn’t you say you were coming? What did you think? How long are you here for?”
Jordan laughed and silenced Freya’s constant questions with a kiss. She felt the taut energy emanating from Freya, following the excitement of performing, start to dissipate as she relaxed into the kiss. Finally pulling apart, Jordan grinned, “I wanted to surprise you. You were amazing and I get the red eye on Monday morning.”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Freya sighed, instantly forgetting the room full of people at her back. “Let’s go home, I reeeeeally want to say hello to you properly,” she whispered.
Jordan looked over Freya’s shoulder and indicated with her head. “Don’t you have an after-show party to attend as guest of honor?” she whispered in response.
“Dammit, two drinks and we’re going,” Freya growled in her ear, then turned and re-entered her dressing room, her hand firmly gripping Jordan’s.
March 2012
The morning traffic noise could just be heard over the radio playing in the corner of Freya’s kitchen as she sat enjoying breakfast. She sat at the table with one foot up
on her chair. Encircled by her arms her knee was pulled up against her as she pulled her toast apart and slipped the torn pieces into her mouth.
“Stop watching me,” she smiled looking towards Jordan who was sitting sipping her coffee.
Brown eyes widened over the brim of the mug, “I’m not!”
“You are!”
Jordan set her mug on the table. “I like watching you,” she pouted.
Wiping her crumby hands on her pj bottoms Freya stood up and planted a crumb-filled kiss on Jordan’s lips, “You realize it makes you a little creepy.”
“Dammit,” Jordan retorted. “I was going for all the ways creepy.”
She stood up and grabbed Freya by the waist, pulling her towards her. “So what do you think we should do with your one day off, and my one fun day in New York, before I have to go back to LA?” Jordan asked playfully as she sat back down and trapped Freya between her thighs.
“I have a few suggestions,” Freya mused.
“Do any of them involve leaving this apartment?” Jordan asked chuckling.
Freya pulled on Jordan’s hands until she was standing. “Nope…not one of them,” she smiled, kissing Jordan and leading her back to the bedroom.
April 2012
Tossing her jacket down onto a stool Freya flipped the switch on the kettle and brought out a jar of honey from the fridge. She spooned a dollop into a mug and waited for her kettle to boil. Her hand absently went to her throat as she swallowed painfully. After two months, despite the training and the care she was taking with her voice, she was still starting to flag. She poured the boiled water into the mug stirring it as she walked through to her living room. Placing the mug onto the table, she flopped onto her sofa and picked up the TV remote to access her recorded shows. Despite her tiredness and her aching throat tonight was Tuesday, which meant she got to see her girlfriend or at least she got to watch her on TV. She started the show and pulled the woolen blanket from the back of the sofa around her as she sipped her drink on what had become her Tuesday post-show ritual.
The one benefit of no longer working on the show was that Freya could sit back, relax, and watch it as a viewer again. However, the downside of having been on the show was that she also understood how things worked. That and the smell of chitlins had never left her.
Jordan, as Georgia, sat alone in an office, still devastated by Emily’s departure.
Yeah you keep mourning me, Freya thought taking a careful sip of her drink. Even when looking upset Jordan was gorgeous. She felt a pang of sadness as she thought about the length of time since she had seen her girlfriend in the flesh.
There was a knock at the door and Georgia shouted for them to enter. Freya watched the camera pan to a red-haired woman standing in the doorway, she had joined as a new character shortly after Freya’s firing. Watching as the scene unfolded Freya started to regret not asking Jordan more about her work. They had both studiously avoided the topic of Front Line during their chats and emails. Freya’s attention was piqued again as the new character moved across the room and sat seductively on the edge of the desk. Freya’s eyes widened as she leaned over, plucking a paper from Georgia’s fingers.
“Working late? You know what they say about all work and no play,” she said throatily.
“Don’t you dare!” Freya whispered, not caring about protecting her voice. She edged forward on her seat, watching as the scene unfolded before her. The redhead leaned in and placed her lips against Georgia’s.
“Tart,” Freya husked, pulling out her phone and typing a message furiously.
Jordan was sitting waiting for the call to her next scene when she felt her phone vibrate. Opening up the message from Freya, she fought the urge to laugh.
Seriously! Can’t believe you replaced me already!
Jordan quickly typed a response, chortling as she pictured Freya watching the episode.
I will never replace you!
How’d tonight go?
Freya smiled contentedly as she read Jordan’s reply. She typed her response and then drained the rest of her mug.
Was good, throat killing me.
Have had hot honey, heading to bed now.
Almost immediately after she sent it her phone beeped with a message.
Sleep well, sweet dreams, I love you. Btw hot honey better be a drink and not a girl!
A soppy grin spread across Freya’s face as she replied.
Relax! You’re the only hot honey in my life, that doesn’t come from a jar. I love you too, try not to enjoy kissing strange women.
Jordan smiled as her name was called and typed a reply as she gestured that she was coming.
You’re the only strange woman I enjoy kissing x
She switched her phone off and slipped it back into her pocket.
May 2012
From: Ellis, Jordan
Sent: May 5 2012 10:00(PST)
To: Conor, Freya
Subject: Morning
Hey gorgeous,
How was your day/night?
I’m so glad that you’re now at the stage where the pranks are happening. That means you’ve broken the back of the performance and you’re rocking it! Work here…is work. We’ve started filming the season finale. It’s a two hour job so double the fun! Dianne asked me to say hi for her, “Hi!”
I think the production office is starting to get fed up with the Dollhausen shippers. They’re still receiving torn half dollar bills from them and have a huge glass box in the office where they store them now…there’s a lot!
Don’t tell him…but I miss Dan, at least when he was here it felt like I had some sort of physical connection with you…no not like that! How is he?
Got to go I’m typing on my phone and my fingers are starting to cramp into a claw.
I love you,
Your Jordan x
***
From: Conor, Freya
Sent: May 6 2012 09:00(PST)
To: Ellis, Jordan
Subject: re: Morning
I just left a message on your phone, I’m sorry I didn’t get to speak to you before you headed to work, I miss your voice *pout*
The pranks are coming in fast and furious now, last night Nici mooned me from the wings. God knows how I managed to keep it together. I’m meeting her later. She’s promised to teach me to roller blade, so we’re going to go skating in Central Park and terrorize the tourists.
Dan says he misses you too. I told him (sorry) BIG mistake…he’s declared you his favorite and I’m his spare now apparently. He’ll be emailing you soon.
So what’s in store for the finale? No don’t tell me, I want to watch it.
I miss you, can’t wait ’til you finish up for the season and come out…just think, a whole six weeks!
Freya
X
Jordan closed the email and picked up her phone selecting Freya from her favorites list. She rolled her eyes as Freya’s voicemail service answered the call. She listened to her girlfriend’s voice telling her that she couldn’t come to the phone.
“Hey Freya, I got your message and email, I’m sorry I missed you. Listen when you get this can you call me, it’s kinda important.” She sighed inwardly, fighting with herself before adding, “I hope you had fun with Nici today, I love you.”
She ended the call hoping that she had managed to keep any jealousy she was feeling towards Freya’s co-star from her voice. “Nici mooned me,” she snipped as she flopped onto a chair in her trailer.
***
Freya placed her new skates onto the floor and started to move around her kitchen as she listened to Jordan’s message. She was about to return the call when Nici entered the kitchen and sat down at the table resting her chin on her hands.
“Thanks for the invite for a pre-show dinner. It’s weird when you’re on stage, you start to eat and sleep at weird times from everyone else.”
“No worries,” Freya smiled putting her phone down and opening the freezer door to look in. “I’m afraid I’m not much o
f a cook, but I should have something in here that even I can’t wreck.”
Nici noticed the photograph of Freya and Jordan pinned to the fridge door, “So is it difficult having a long distance thing going?”
Freya lifted her head, followed Nici’s eye line, and smiled at the photo, “It’s not ideal, I’ll give you that, but she’s made it out a few times since I moved here. They finish shooting soon so she’ll be here during hiatus, which means we get six weeks together although I’ll still be working.” Freya straightened up, “It’s hard, but we work at it.” She placed her hand onto the photograph as if trying to reach out and touch her girlfriend. Shaking off the feeling of loneliness she turned with a smile that she didn’t feel plastered on her face, “How’s pizza?”
***
“There’s nothing happening here Freya. I’m trying, honestly I am. You should take the option,” Dominick smiled as his assistant placed a coffee in front of him.
“I don’t want to take the option Dominick. I want to be in LA,” Freya replied, pacing back and forth in her kitchen running her hand through her hair. The irony of her now wanting to be in the city which she spent a large chunk of her adolescence and adulthood wanting to be away from seemed to taunt her.