The Role of Her Lifetime

by Nanisi Barrett D'Arnuk

  “Go over and tell her how great she was,” Rod urged her when he saw her looking.

  Marie nodded and walked away, stopped by several cast members who wanted to tell her what a wonderful role she had played. She got to Jackie just as she turned away from Joy and Bradley.

  “Great performance,” Marie called to the two older actors.

  “You, too!” they called back.

  Jackie grabbed Marie’s hands. “What a performance!” she said. Her face lit up like a street light.

  “You were fabulous,” Marie told her as she squeezed Jackie’s hands.

  “It was so much fun!” she crowed.

  “Jackie! Jackie,” someone called.

  They turned around to look.

  “Over here,” Jackie called when she saw who it was. A young man hurried up to her. It was the guy she’d been meeting.

  “You were fantastic!” he said as he hugged her and gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead. Then he looked at Marie. “You were wonderful, too.”

  “Oh!” Jackie exclaimed. “Marie, this is my twin brother, Johnny.”

  Marie reached out and shook his hand.

  Her twin brother? Her brother? Then he wasn’t her boyfriend.

  Marie sighed in relief.

  The stage had filled up with cast, crew, and guests. The noise was reaching a very high level as everyone shared their excitement.

  Marie suddenly felt hands on her shoulders. As she turned, someone wrapped their arms around her.

  “Great show!” Chris said.

  Car also stepped forward to give her a kiss. “Did you have a growth spurt?”

  Marie laughed. “It’s these shoes,” she explained as she stuck her foot out to show them.

  Everyone laughed. Marie introduced them to Jackie and Johnny.

  “Johnny’s her twin,” Marie explained, giving Chris a raised eyebrow and a smug grin.

  “You two looked great together,” Car commented to Marie and Jackie, “and that kiss at the end of Act One looked almost real! It’s nice to see reality slipping back into opera.”

  Chris smirked at Marie, who blushed.

  “It did almost feel real, didn’t it?” Jackie asked. She peered up at Marie but didn’t say anything else.

  “We were thinking of taking you out to eat, to celebrate,” Car said to Marie. She looked over at Jackie and her brother. “Would you like to join us? Our treat?”

  Jackie looked like she started to say no, but Johnny piped in. “I was going to take Jackie out, too. It’ll be a party!”

  “Anyone else you want to bring?” Chris asked.

  “Let me see what the stepsisters have planned.” She ran over to where Rod and Andy were talking to friends.

  “I’m going outside to have a smoke,” Johnny informed them. “Should I go out the front way or the back?”

  “I tell you every week you have to stop those things,” Jackie reprimanded her brother.

  “Someday,” Johnny said and shook his head.

  “Better go through the back way. They’ll be locking the front if they haven’t already.”

  Johnny nodded. “See you in a minute.” He left to find the back door as Marie walked back to them.

  “Okay. Three more! Andy and Rod said they’d love to come. Andy’s bringing Tony.”

  “We have to get out of our costumes. We’ll meet you back here,” Jackie said.

  “We’ll be back as soon as we change.”

  Marie and Jackie walked away toward the dressing rooms.

  When they got there, the rooms were almost empty. Just about everyone had rushed to get home or to go celebrate. They walked into the smaller dressing room they shared. They each took off their costumes and put on their street clothes. Then they sat down to take off their makeup and comb their hair, which had gotten sweaty under the wig caps they had to wear.

  “The kiss did feel real, didn’t it?” Jackie whispered.

  Marie whispered, “I’m sorry.” She tried not to look at Jackie.

  “Why? I liked it.” Jackie said without looking away from her mirror. “If you were going for the reality look, it sure worked.”

  “I must have gotten carried away.”

  Jackie turned to her. “Was it real?”

  Marie hesitated, but finally said softly, “yes.”

  Jackie fell backwards in her chair. “That’s good. I was wondering how I was going to get you to kiss me. I’ve been trying for weeks.”

  “It was written into the show.”

  “Yes, but we didn’t have to take it that far. I’m glad we did.”

  Marie looked at her, her eyebrows toward the ceiling.

  Jackie looked down at the floor. “Maybe this isn’t the time, but I’ve been attracted to you since the day of auditions.”

  Marie felt a warm rush of relief. “I’ve been attracted to you since I first saw you in the chorus at the opera two years ago.”

  They both sighed and smiled broadly at each other.

  “Then what do we do about it?” Jackie asked. “We can’t just kiss on stage. That seems backwards.”

  “We’ll think of something.”

  “My brother is staying with me tonight,” Jackie whispered.

  “I figured. I didn’t realize he was your brother. I thought you had a boyfriend.”

  Jackie laughed. “Is that why you’ve been keeping away from me?”

  Marie nodded. “I feared you were straight.”

  “Oh, no, sweetie. I’m not straight. Now, when are we going to have some time alone together?”

  “It has to be a special night.” She reached out and squeezed Jackie’s hand.

  Jackie nodded. “Maybe after the afternoon performance on Sunday?” Jackie suggested.

  “There’s the party. Can you wait that long? I’m not sure I can.”

  Jackie searched Marie’s face and ran her hand down Marie’s cheek. “Let’s just take it minute to minute.”

  “May I kiss you right now for real?”

  Jackie smiled. “Of course.”

  Marie stood and took Jackie into her arms, hugged her tightly, and placed their lips together. They melted into each other as the kiss continued to get hotter and hotter.

  Finally, they stepped apart.

  “Good God,” Marie whispered. “I want you right now.”

  “I do, too, but everyone is waiting for us.”

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  Jackie nodded. Marie kissed her again.

  “Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse,” they heard after a few moments.

  They took a step away from each other.

  “I thought you said you never rehearsed a kiss.” Rod, wearing his street clothes, laughed at them.

  Marie blushed as she grinned at Jackie. “Practice makes perfect.”

  “Well, everyone is getting ready to leave. We’re just waiting for you two.”

  “All right. Give us a minute.”

  Rod nodded and walked away. They both tidied up their dressing tables and hung their costumes on the rod beside their tables.

  “All right. I guess we have to go and party with everyone,”

  Jackie nodded. “Do we try to hide this or just let everyone see?”

  “I don’t think we can hide it. Chris and Car already know I’m in love with you.”

  “Johnny knows, too.”

  They laughed.

  Marie took her hand. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 19

  When Marie and Jackie walked back on stage, Johnny, Rod, Andy, his friend, Car, and Chris were waiting for them. Chris was the first to notice they had been holding hands but dropped them when they walked in. Chris raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Marie just grinned back at her.

  “All right!” Marie crowed. “We’re hungry! Where are we going?”

  “Some of the cast said they were going to that all-night deli on Forty-Sixth Street,” Andy told her.

  “Is that okay with you?” Car asked.

  Marie glanced at Jackie. W
hen Jackie nodded, she said, “Sure. That sounds good.”

  The eight of them exited the theatre and walked up the alley.

  “Do you want to walk there or should we flag taxis?”

  “I’m up for walking,” Jackie said. “You can flag a taxi if you don’t want to walk, but I’ve got to work off some of the tension of the show. It’s only four or five blocks, isn’t it?”“

  “I think so. I’ll walk with you,” Marie offered. “I could work off some tension, too.”

  “Okay! Come on.” Jackie grabbed Marie’s hand and pulled her into a jog toward 46th Street.

  * * * *

  When everyone arrived at the deli, they went inside and were seated. Several people around the room called to them to offer their congratulations. It was the main talk in the restaurant. Several people got up and came over to tell them how much they had enjoyed the show. Cast members also couldn’t sit still and roamed from table to table to talk.

  They were at a table for eight. Marie made sure she and Jackie were seated next to each other. Johnny sat across from Jackie, and Car and Chris were opposite Marie. Andy and his friend sat next to Marie, with Rod filling in the last seat. Andy introduced his friend Tony as his significant other. They all ordered drinks.

  “Doesn’t this place have champagne?” Car asked.

  “No, no, no,” Rod broke in. “It’s bad luck to drink champagne before the show actually opens.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know.” Car grimaced.

  “Actors on Broadway observe a lot of things,” Rod told her. “We’re a superstitious bunch. You have to wear the right underwear and have totems on your dressing table. You never wish someone good luck. You tell them to break a leg, things like that. It’s worse than athletes who don’t shave before a game because it might sap their strength. Every actor has his own ritual.”

  “Is that true?” Car asked Marie and Jackie.

  “Absolutely,” Jackie replied. “I can’t go on stage without taking a bubble bath.”

  “Me, either!” Andy added. Everyone broke out in laughter. “Maybe we should take it together some time.” That caused laughter, too.

  “Maybe someone will have to write an opera that takes place in a bubble bath,” Chris suggested.

  “We’d all be pruned before intermission,” Marie joked.

  “I can see the bubbles floating out over the audience,” Rod added, gesturing off into the distance.

  The waiter returned to their table, and they all ordered.

  “Corned beef and Swiss on rye,” Rod said.

  “That sounds good, I’ll have the same,” Chris agreed.

  “Pastrami on pumpernickel,” Car ordered. Andy did, too.

  Marie got hot pastrami on rye.

  Jackie ordered a toasted bagel with lox, tomato, and cream cheese.

  Johnny had a hot Rueben with two pickles.

  “Same here, with just one pickle,” Tony said.

  They all joked around while they drank, but quieted down when the food arrived.

  “I’m going to have to take at least half of this home,” Chris complained.

  “We should have just ordered one between us,” Car agreed.

  “Oh, you’ll eat it all, eventually. There’s always something left to take home for breakfast,” Marie said with almost a giggle.

  The noise level in the restaurant soared very high.

  Through all that, Jackie had her hand on Marie’s thigh, Marie’s hand over it when they didn’t have to use both hands to eat their sandwiches.

  “I can’t take this,” Jackie finally said. She had just finished her bagel. She stood and pulled her brother toward the restroom hallway.

  Chris frowned and looked at Marie with raised eyebrows.

  Marie smiled. “Don’t ask me. I don’t know what she can’t stand,” Marie said with a shrug. “I hope it wasn’t that bagel.”

  Andy leaned over to her. “I doubt it. Bagels aren’t nearly as filling as some of these other sandwiches.”

  “I hope I can fit into my dress after eating all this,” Rod added.

  “You’ll have to work out all tomorrow afternoon,” Andy told him.

  The waiter came to their table to clear away some of the dishes. “Any dessert?” he asked.

  “Yes!” exclaimed Andy. “I want cherry cheesecake. I deserve it.”

  Everyone laughed and placed their orders.

  “Do you think Jackie and Johnny want anything?” Car asked.

  Marie groaned. “I don’t even know if they’re coming back.”

  “They can order when they get here,” Rod said.

  The waiter smiled and walked away.

  Ashley and two friends walked up to them. “Hi, Chris,” she said with a smile.

  Chris acknowledged her. “Hi. You’ve got quite a role in that show. You were great. I really hated you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “It was typecasting,” Marie put in.

  Ashley turned to her with a grin. “Look who’s talking!”

  The table burst into laughter.

  “I just wanted to say good night and tell you all you were wonderful in those parts. I love this show,” Ashley said. She looked directly into Marie’s eyes. “Nice kiss,” was her only comment. Then she looked around. “Where’s Jackie?”

  “We don’t know,” Andy answered. “She said she couldn’t stand it and pulled her brother into the restrooms.”

  “She probably had to go real bad,” Rod said.

  “With her brother? I thought those things stopped when you were three,” Andy put in.

  “They’re twins,” Rod stated.

  Everyone laughed.

  “Tell her I thought she was great, too. See you all tomorrow.” Ashley gave a quick wave. Then she and her friends walked out.

  Everyone settled into their desserts.

  Jackie and Johnny finally returned. Jackie had a glowing smile on her face. Johnny looked smug.

  “You’d better explain yourselves,” Andy said. “That was rather strange.”

  Johnny and Jackie looked at each other.

  Finally, Johnny said, “We just discussed where I’m staying tonight.”

  “I only have a studio apartment,” Jackie clarified. Under the table, she squeezed Marie’s knee. Marie looked at her questioningly. Jackie patted her thigh.

  “Where did you guys get dessert?” Jackie asked to redirect the attention.

  Rod held his hand up and beckoned to the waiter, who came right over and took Johnny and Jackie’s orders. Everyone also ordered coffee and doggie boxes.

  Talk continued until Andy gave a big yawn.

  “We’d better get home,” he said. “This has been a long day, and we have another show tomorrow.” He looked at his watch. “Tonight,” he corrected himself. He walked over and hugged Car and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for the meal.” Then he went around the table and hugged everyone. “See ya later!” He also waved to someone else in the restaurant, and he and Tony left with their leftovers.

  Rod turned around. “I guess a lot of people have left,” he said. “I should, too.”

  “We probably all should,” Jackie added.

  “Does anyone need a ride?” Car asked. “My driver is right outside.”

  “No, thanks,” Rod answered. “I’m way out in Flatbush. The subway’s fine at this time of night.

  “Not me, either,” Johnny said. “My car is in a lot just a few blocks away, but thanks.”

  “And you two?” Car looked at Marie and Jackie.

  “I guess I could use a ride,” Marie said.

  “Me, too,” Jackie added.

  “Which way are you going?” Car asked Jackie.

  “To Marie’s apartment.”

  Marie stared at Jackie, amazed.

  “I gave Johnny the keys to mine.” She grinned at her brother.

  “Finally!” Chris exclaimed.

  Marie looked at Jackie, her eyes wide, a smile forming on her face. “Really?”

  Jack
ie pulled Marie toward her and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. “If you want me.”

  “Of course, I want you. I’ve been wanting you for months,” Marie whispered. “And, after all, we did get married tonight.”

  Car immediately signaled for the check. When the waiter brought it, she handed him her credit card.

  “I knew you weren’t just rehearsing,” Rod said. He smiled at Marie and Jackie.

  “And we’ll keep practicing until we get it right.”

  Marie’s and Jackie’s hands were firmly entwined.

  THE END

  ABOUT NANISI BARRETT D’ARNUK

  Known mainly as a conductor and jazz pianist, Nanisi has the distinction of being the first open lesbian to conduct on the stage of D.A.R. Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. She has degrees in music from Boston University and studied for her doctorate at the University of Oklahoma. Aside from her performance as a timpanist with several orchestras and appearing at several women’s music festivals as pianist with MoonRise jazz trio, she has been Artistic Director of NYC's Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corpse and conductor for the Lesbian and Gay Band Association. She served as Artistic Director for LGBA’s appearance at Gay Games III in Vancouver, Canada and Gay Games IV at New York’s Madison Square Garden. She was also assistant conductor of The Women’s Chorus of Dallas.

  While living in New York City, Nanisi was a member of the playwriting group Women’s Ensemble. Several of her novels and short stories grew from scenes written for that group. Nanisi has traveled extensively and loves to write about the paces she’s visited. When multiple sclerosis curtailed travel and performing, she returned to her second love, writing. She currently lives in Oklahoma. For more information, visit facebook.com/nanisibarrettdarnuk.

  ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC

  JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!