by M. J. Duncan
Mallory looked at Addison. It was rare that the LSO had a performance on Monday evenings, but if she came down to see Eve after they had finished with their rehearsal, they wouldn’t be able to go to dinner. “Do you have anything either in the morning or around midday on Tuesday? Our rehearsal doesn’t begin until three o’clock, so I can come in any time before then…”
“I don’t.” Eve shook her head. “Sorry.”
“You’re early!” Jason announced with a happy smile as a lanky male dancer in baggy basketball shorts and a stretched out hoodie rounded the corner. “Let’s get you on the table, my man.”
“I’m your last appointment, aren’t I?” the dancer laughed. He smiled at Addison. “Hey, Addy.”
“What’s up, Matt?”
“Nothing much,” Matt replied with a shrug as he fell into step beside Jason.
Jason pointed at Addison. “I’ll see you Saturday morning.”
“Yes, sir.” Addison saluted.
“Now that’s the respect I like to see!” Jason threw back at her with a wink.
Addison shook her head as she looked back at Mallory. “Take the spot, Mal. If you don’t, somebody else will…”
Mallory glanced at Eve, who was watching them with a small, speculative smile, and lifted her eyes to the ceiling as she murmured, “But we usually go to dinner…”
Addison smiled and shrugged. “I’ll wait for you.”
“You’re sure?” Mallory couldn’t help but ask.
“God, you two are cute,” Eve interrupted. She laughed at the way Mallory’s eyes widened in surprise and Addison’s mouth fell open. “Sorry, but my next appointment should be here any minute; so if we could make a decision on this sometime today…”
Mallory blushed. “I will take the appointment. Thank you.”
“Great. I’ve got you on the calendar. I’ll see you Monday. Good luck at your performance tonight.”
“Thank you,” Mallory murmured as Addison hopped off the desk.
“Sorry about that,” Addison apologized once they had rounded the corner and there was little chance of Eve overhearing their conversation.
“About what?”
Addison dragged a hand through her hair. “I don’t know,” she sighed after a moment. She shook her head as she drove her thumb into the call button for the lift. “Will you have enough time to get to St. Luke’s?”
“I should.”
“Good.” The lift arrived, and they filtered inside. “So,” Addison began as the doors slid shut, “do you have another performance tomorrow night?”
“No.” Mallory tilted her head in a small shrug. She had been sure the topic had come up at dinner the other night, but perhaps she was mistaken. “We have a matinee and evening performance Saturday, so the scheduler saw fit to allow us a night off.”
Addison nodded. “Would you maybe want to come to the show tomorrow night, then? I can leave tickets at the window for you.”
Mallory smiled at the adorable way Addison was worrying at her lower lip. “That sounds lovely.”
“Really?” Addison grinned. “Okay. Is there anyone you’d like to bring? I can get four tickets…”
“Maybe Will and his wife?” Mallory mused aloud. She shook her head and shrugged. “I can ask him tonight at our performance. Otherwise, I’ll just come by myself.”
“You’re sure?”
Mallory nodded. “I can think of no better way to spend my night off.”
“Well, don’t you look lovely!” Lena smiled at Mallory. “Hot date?”
Mallory smiled and shook her head as the door to Higher Ground closed behind her. “Thank you.” She smoothed her hands over the lapels of the light gray blazer she wore over her favorite little black dress to combat the chill in the air. The weather had yet to take a significant turn toward winter, but it wasn’t nearly warm enough to venture out without a jacket of some kind. She had spent far more time than she would ever admit deciding on her outfit, and it was a relief to hear that she had chosen well. “And, no. Not really.”
“What does ‘not really’ mean?”
“Nothing. I’m just meeting Will and Siobhan over at Covent Garden to see the show tonight.”
“And how is the stunning Miss Leigh doing?” Lena teased, her voice tinged with laughter.
Mallory rolled her eyes. Of course Lena would know that Addison was dancing tonight. “God, not you, too.”
“Have I told you that she looks for you every morning when she stops in on her way to work?” She sighed dramatically and shook her head. “And on the days when you’re not hunkered down at back there”—she hiked a thumb in the direction of Mallory’s favorite table near the fireplace—“she looks like somebody stole her puppy.”
“She does not,” Mallory muttered.
“Well, okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but her smile definitely loses a few watts.” Lena looked at the large, circular wall clock hanging above a cluster of leather armchairs just off the front entrance, and waved a hand toward the front counter. “Curtain is in a little more than half an hour. Coffee?”
Mallory nodded. Though their rehearsal that afternoon had run just long enough for them to work through the transition they had been discussing the day before two times before Nina ordered Addison off to rest, she had made use of the unscheduled hours to begin working on the last few pieces for Evolution instead of relaxing as well. She figured she didn’t need to—she had gone from a full rehearsal to her own evening performances without issue—but it appeared the lack of adrenaline that precluded a performance left her feeling dead on her feet and dangerously close to falling asleep. And she would be damned if she missed one minute of Addison’s performance. “Please. The stronger, the better.”
The mischief in Lena’s expression softened into concern as they began making their way toward the front counter. “How are you holding up?”
“As well as could be expected, I think, given my schedule. I’m used to working long days, of course, but the physicality this new endeavor requires of me is something I’m still getting used to.”
“Are you sorry you agreed to take on the project? Nina isn’t an easy woman to work for.”
“Nina’s been great, actually. Demanding, of course, but it’s my own fault for having two left feet and a penchant for standing far too stiffly for her liking.” Mallory shrugged. “I knew taking on the ballet would make my days even more grueling than they already were, but I don’t regret the decision.”
“Full-caff cappuccino?” Lena asked as she slipped behind the counter, not even waiting for Mallory’s response as she began loading a portafilter with ground espresso. She waved off the credit card Mallory tried to hand her. “This one is on the house.”
“I can—”
“Just say thank you and be done with it,” Lena interrupted.
“Thank you and be done with it,” Mallory repeated obediently.
Lena shot her a playful glare as she turned on the machine and began pouring the shot. “Cheeky bugger.”
Mallory did her best to look innocent as Lena pulled a gallon of milk from the fridge behind the bar and poured it into the stainless frothing pitcher. “Me?”
“Keep it up, Collingswood, and I’ll throw in an extra shot or four that will keep you up all night.”
Mallory held her hands up in defeat. “My apologies, darling.”
Lena smiled as she powered on the steamer, letting her expression convey that the apology was accepted. Once the machine had quieted and she was pouring the drink into a paper carryout cup, she asked, “So did you send her flowers?”
“Addison?”
“No, the other woman you got all dressed up for. Yes, Addison.”
Mallory nodded. “I did. I had Serena get me the number of the florist she prefers who services the ballet, and I phoned it in this afternoon.”
“Good. You didn’t cheap out on the bouquet, did you?”
Mallory huffed a laugh. “Hardly. The bloody thing cost me almost two hundred q
uid. I expect the flowers to be gilded at that price.”
“Good girl. And did you include a card?” Lena handed Mallory her coffee. It was, thankfully, large enough that it would keep her awake for a few hours but small enough that she shouldn’t have too much trouble finishing it in the time it took her to walk to the main entrance of the Royal Opera House.
“Of course. Dare I ask why you’re giving me the third degree on this?”
Lena shook her head as she made her way out from behind the counter and pulled Mallory into a light hug. “No, you probably don’t want to ask that.” She brushed a kiss across her cheek and smirked as she gave her a gentle push toward the door. “You do probably want to get going, though, so you’re not late. Enjoy the show.”
Mallory took a deep breath and let it go slowly. “Okay. Thank you.”
A crowd of people in suits and dresses emerged from the tube station as she exited Higher Ground, and Mallory sipped at her coffee as she merged with the pack. She spotted Will and Siobhan the moment she rounded the corner onto Bow and lifted her takeaway cup in greeting as she approached. Will, who had been scanning the crowd, smiled and waved back. He must have said something to announce her arrival because his wife, Siobhan glanced up at her and nodded, looking apologetic and harried as she turned her attention back to her phone.
“Hiya, sorry I’m late,” Mallory apologized as she approached the couple.
“It’s fine,” Will assured her with a smile. “Siobhan’s just finishing up some work.”
“Everything okay?” Mallory asked.
“The steel for the Pikes project was delivered this afternoon, and when the foreman inspected it all, he found that half the beams had some kind of damage,” Siobhan answered distractedly. She was a project architect at one of London’s many firms responsible for replacing the old stone and character of the city with steel and glass. She sighed and hit send on the message she’d been composing. “So I’m just trying to put out fires before Quincy loses his shit.”
“I see…” Mallory murmured. She had heard enough horror stories about Siobhan’s boss to know that his losing his shit usually resulted in pink slips.
“Right.” Siobhan shook her head. “But, enough worrying about work for one night. We are here to have some fun.” She smiled as she pulled Mallory into a hug. “You look wonderful.”
“You too,” Mallory murmured.
“Please,” Siobhan chuckled. “This is the suit I wore to work today. I came straight from the office. Unlike this one”—she shot her husband a playful glare as she ran a hand through her loosely curled honey-blond hair that fell in waves around her shoulders—“who spent his afternoon lounging on the sofa, napping and watching footy.”
“We’ve got two performances tomorrow!” Will argued.
“I wish I’d made the time for a nap,” Mallory confessed with no small measure of regret. “But, instead, I have coffee.” She motioned with her cup to the finely-dressed people making their way through the lower doors of the Royal Opera House. “Shall we go collect our tickets?”
“So do you just stop and stare at the building every day when you come for rehearsals?” Will asked as he gazed up at the gleaming white, Neoclassical landmark.
“If I entered here, I might,” Mallory admitted as he pulled the door open for them all. “But I use the stage door that’s just there,” she explained, motioning to the narrow side street to their right as she slipped past him. She took a sip of her coffee and eyed the queue for the ticket window as the warmth of the small lobby swept over her. There were a good half-dozen people in front of her, and she sighed as she looked at Will and Siobhan. “You lot can go wander if you want. I’ll collect the tickets.”
Siobhan looked poised to agree when her phone chirped in her bag, and she swore under her breath as she dug into the purse to retrieve it. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.”
“We’ll just go over there”—Will gestured to the side of the lobby that was mostly out of the way with his left hand as he touched his wife’s elbow with his right so she would follow—“and wait for you.”
Mallory joined the back of the queue and sipped at her coffee as she busied herself with watching the people streaming through the main doors and idly listening-in to the conversations happening around her.
“I can’t believe you managed to secure tickets to Addison Leigh’s performance,” the woman in front of her enthused as she looked around the lobby. She and the man on her left looked to be in their early twenties, and the lack of a ring on either of their left hands suggested they were on a date. Her accent had the distinctive tones and cadence of the North, and Mallory smiled as she wondered if they had made the trip down just for this performance. The woman must have noticed her smiling, because she turned toward Mallory and added, “I’ve heard watching her dance is positively life-altering.”
That had certainly proven to be true in her own experience, and Mallory dipped her head in a small nod as she confirmed, “It is.”
“Have you seen her dance before?” The woman’s eyes widened.
“A few times,” Mallory demurred with a kind smile. She had become so accustomed to performances being work—show up, tune, discuss particulars of the performance, file out, play, stand, bow, pack up, wash-rinse-repeat—that it was refreshing to be reminded that there were people in the audience who were genuinely thrilled to be there. “She is incredible. You’ll be blown away by her performance tonight, I’m sure.”
“Oh, I hope so,” the woman replied, looking mildly embarrassed as she realized she’d been fangirling to a perfect stranger.
“Darling, we’re up,” the man beside her said in a low voice.
“Oh! Right!” The woman gave Mallory one last smile before turning toward the ticket window.
Mallory hovered at a discreet distance to not infringe on their privacy, and offered them a small bow once they’d left the window and began making their way toward the crimson stairs that led toward the main level of the auditorium.
She cleared her throat as she approached the window and offered the young man working the desk a polite smile. “Yes, hello. My name is Mallory Collingswood. Addison Leigh was supposed to leave tickets for me here?”
He nodded and reached for an envelope that was sitting atop a small stack of programs on the counter in front of him. “Here you are,” he said as he handed her the envelope as well as the programs it had been resting on.
“Ta,” Mallory murmured as she smiled at the sight of Addison on the program’s cover.
“And these are your backstage passes for after the show,” the young man continued as he held out another envelope. “Go to the end of the corridor nearest the stage on the orchestra level once the performance is over, and an usher will see you through.”
Mallory nodded as she took the envelope. Backstage passes were unnecessary considering the fact that she could explore the stage area at her leisure whenever she wanted given her position with the company, but she quite liked the idea of seeing Addison after the show. While she more than understood that Addison needed to rest before her performance, she had missed the time they’d lost together that afternoon. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. Enjoy the performance,” the young man replied with a smile.
“I’m sure we will,” Mallory assured him, returning his smile with a small one of her own.
“All good?” Will asked once she rejoined them.
Mallory nodded and handed him the programs. “We are. And she also left backstage passes for afterward if you would like to go have a look around.”
“That was nice of her,” Siobhan murmured.
There was no missing the sly smile she and Will shared, and Mallory shook her head. “You are both ridiculous.”
“So where are our seats?” Will asked as Siobhan slipped her phone back into her purse.
Mallory shrugged and opened the first envelope she’d been given. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Box sixty-eight,” she shared as she pul
led out a folded piece of paper that had been tucked behind the tickets. There was no containing the smile that curled her lips when she saw the message Addison had left for her.
Enjoy the show. Can’t wait to see you afterwards. -A
She cleared her throat as she slipped the note into her purse where it would be safe from prying eyes, and wasn’t at all surprised to find Will and Siobhan watching her with matching grins. “Sod off, the both of you.”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” Will retorted as he motioned toward the stairs that would take them to the amphitheater.
“Must have been some note,” Siobhan added, waggling her eyebrows. She laughed when Mallory only pursed her lips in response, and wrapped a light hand around her arm. “Come on, Collingswood. Let’s go find the box seats your friend secured for you.”
“I should have come by myself,” Mallory muttered. She tossed her nearly-empty coffee cup in the rubbish bin at the foot of the stairs, and allowed her friends to all but carry her forward.
“Maybe.” Will draped an arm over her shoulders. “But you’re stuck with us. There is no excuse for one person to keep an entire box to themselves.”
“I don’t know. At this point, it sounds rather peaceful,” Mallory quipped.
Will’s arm fell away after a few steps, though Siobhan’s fingers remained curled around her arm, and while she could have done without the teasing, she was glad to have her friends with her. A handful of ushers in black suits and crimson ties were spaced along the main foyer, and she handed Will the envelope with their tickets as they made their way toward the nearest one.
“Right away, madam,” Will murmured.
“Welcome to the Royal Opera House,” the usher greeted them with a polite smile as he looked at the tickets. He straightened slightly when he saw where they were headed, and motioned with a gloved hand toward the grand curving staircase on their left. “Your box in on the balcony level, stage right. Do you require any assistance in finding your seats?”