by Laura DeLuca
“I know that … and I’m fine. Really.”
She knew by the way his forehead creased she hadn’t persuaded him. But if he was going to question her further, the opportunity was lost as they scuffled across the crowded streets. A minute later, the grand entrance to Tamilio’s came into view. Justyn was instantly distracted by a young guy on a bike sitting outside the main entrance glancing down at his watch incessantly. He appeared to be about sixteen with long, gangly legs, a mop of bright red hair, and wire-frame glasses. Rebecca had never seen him before, but Justyn instantly lifted his hand in greeting. When the teenager noticed his approach, his anxious face brightened, and he waved back.
“Who’s that?” Rebecca asked.
Justyn shrugged. “Just some guy I know. I’ll be right back.”
Rebecca watched her fiancé jog over to the redhead, and the two of them shook hands. They chatted for only a minute before Justyn reached into his deep pockets and pulled out the package he had grabbed from the glove compartment. He passed the padded envelope off to the teenager, and Rebecca swore she saw the boy slip a few bills into Justyn’s hand in exchange before he jumped on his bike and peddled away at lightning speed. Rebecca couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. She found the whole exchange rather odd, even for Justyn, and she wasn’t the only one.
“What was that all about?” Tom asked. “Looked like a drug deal was going down.”
Justyn gave him a dirty look, annoyed by the interrogation. “Nothing. We had some business to discuss.”
Carmen snorted. “What kind of business? Are you signing up to be the agent for his chess club?”
Tom slapped his knee and guffawed, but Justyn’s cold stare cut him off in mid-chuckle “I told you it’s nothing important,” he snapped. “Can we let it go, please?”
“Well, exuuuuse us.”
Carmen huffed, and Justyn stomped off toward the rear entrance of the theater without another word. Even though Rebecca was just as curious about the young stranger, she didn’t press him. Justyn had an abnormally short fuse lately, and that temper coupled with Rebecca’s flaring hormones could make for a stormy confrontation. She watched him disappear into the guys’ dressing room with Tom fast on his heels, but she was determined to find out exactly what was going on with him. Maybe since the theater would be closed for a few days, they could finally get some quality time alone.
As soon as they turned into the girls’ changing area, Carmen and Rebecca found Victoria waiting for them. Over the last week they had grown a little closer, and the co-star greeted them with a genuine smile. The threesome chatted as they laced each other’s girdles and applied their makeup. The bruise on Victoria’s cheek had nearly faded and it took only a smidgen of cover up to make it disappear completely. They finished their preparations around the same moment as Petya, who’d spent most of her time glaring at them like some uptight schoolmarm every time they giggled. Rebecca did her best to ignore her scowls as the four of them left behind the remaining chorus girls and stepped out in the hallway.
Tom and Justyn, their costumes far less complicated, were already dressed and waiting for them by the lockers. There was no rush to get to the stage since they still had a good twenty minutes before curtain call, so Rebecca took a moment to appreciate their wardrobes. It was hard to deny they were dashing in their shirttails, and apparently Rebecca wasn’t the only one who noticed. Petya inched her way closer to them and smiled, revealing dazzling white teeth she normally hid behind her thick, pouty lips. Rebecca was fairly certain it was the first time she had seen the Bulgarian woman smile, unless she counted the occasional sarcastic grin.
“You boys certainly look handsome this evening,” she gushed as she sidled up between them. “Tell me, have either of you had the opportunity to … perform alongside a professional ballerina? You would be amazed at our … flexibility.”
“Oh no, she did not,” Carmen growled. “I’m going to rip off her head and shove it right up her tight little—”
Exactly what Carmen planned to rip off was left to their imagination. Tom turned scarlet, and Carmen turned almost purple with rage when Petya raised her left leg, and despite the many layers of petticoats on her gown, somehow managed to touch her neck with her toes. Rebecca overcame her shock in time to grab Carmen’s arm before her friend could hurl herself at the promiscuous ballerina. Nevertheless, Rebecca would have failed miserably in her endeavor to subdue Carmen if Victoria wasn’t holding the other arm. Carmen was just that furious. There was dead silence for a full minute before Justyn cleared his throat and took a few steps away from Petya.
“I’m afraid we both have dance partners already,” he informed her.
Petya wasn’t offended by his disinterest. In fact, she winked and laughed at their red faces as she lowered her leg. “That is not a problem for me,” she teased in her thick accent. “Have you never heard of a Les Trois?”
Now even Justyn blushed. Carmen muttered a string of unsavory four-letter words under her breath, and Rebecca seriously considered letting her friend loose so she could wipe the smirk from Petya’s portentous face. However, it wasn’t Carmen, but Steve, who finally put an end to the fiasco. He stepped out of the men’s dressing room with a frown that instantly evolved into a hateful glower when he saw what his wife was up to. He tossed the top hat and cane he had been carrying to the ground and balled his hands into fists.
“I hope you two aren’t making eyes at my wife,” he said through gritted teeth.
Tom shook his head. “Dude, you got it all wrong. The only one making anything here is her. We’re innocent bystanders.”
“Is that so, dude?” Steve’s voice dripped sarcasm as he took a step closer to Tom. He might have tackled him right then and there if Justyn hadn’t interceded by moving between them.
“You need to back off,” Justyn warned. “It’s not our fault if you can’t keep your wife satisfied.”
At least five mouths hit the floor that time, including Rebecca’s. She found herself wondering if it was possible for it to get stuck that way. She knew Justyn didn’t like Steve, but that type of uncouth, ungentlemanly-like statement wasn’t his style. Every day it sounded more and more like he was channeling Hyde. Steve obviously didn’t appreciate it any more than Rebecca did. His beady little eyes widened and practically popped out of his head.
“What did you say, you little punk?”
“You heard me,” Justyn continued, giving Steve a Hyde-worthy stare. “Maybe if you were a real man, your wife wouldn’t hit on everything in pants.”
Now Petya even started to look a little indignant. “Well … I—”
Her sentence was cut off before she could finish the thought when Steve flung himself at Justyn. Luckily, being the instigator, Justyn anticipated the attack. He easily sidestepped Steve’s clumsy advance, causing the infuriated Italian to slam headfirst into the employee lockers. The rest of the cast had materialized sometime during the confrontation, and most of them chuckled from the sidelines. Only Robert observed the scene with a tight-lipped frown of disapproval. Justyn wasn’t laughing either. The hallway light cast shadows along his face that made him look almost devilish. He glared at Steve as Petya scurried over to help him to his feet, coddling him in whispers of her native tongue.
“We’re even now,” Justyn informed him once he was on his feet. “You can let this go or you can start a war. Your choice.”
Steve’s face was beet-red, and a purple vein throbbed in his forehead as he pointed an accusing finger at Justyn. “First you take my role. Now you insult my wife and you have the audacity to give me ultimatums. You have no idea who you’re messing with here, kid. Even?” He snorted in disgust. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You want a war? You just wait. I’ll blow your whole life out of the water.”
Justyn folded his arms. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Well, maybe you should be.”
Steve didn’t say anymore. He grabbed Petya by the arm and practically dragged her away. She wasn�
�t being flirtatious anymore. In fact, she appeared pale and frightened. Rebecca was sure her own complexion was just as pasty. They were lucky Fernando hadn’t been around to witness the brewing animosity or he might have fired the whole lot of them. As it was, Robert seemed annoyed enough.
“Really, Justyn,” the older man began, “I know Steven hasn’t been the most amiable of co-stars, but I think you may have taken things a bit too far.”
“I don’t see how it’s any of your business.” Justyn stomped away.
Robert blinked a few times, and Rebecca felt the need to apologize for her fiancé. “Sorry about that, Robert. Justyn usually isn’t quite so … rude. He’s been under a lot of stress lately.”
“Yes, well, we all have two faces, don’t we, dear?” Robert sighed and gave her a gentle pat on the back. “I only hope the face your Justyn shows to you is a little more cordial than the one he displayed here tonight.”
Even if Rebecca had known how to reply, she didn’t have time. Robert shuffled away, and Fernando appeared in full director mode and started shooing everyone in the direction of the stage. It was a difficult show after everything that happened, but the tension between Justyn and Steve only helped to enhance the animosity between their respective characters and made their performance much more believable. Rebecca felt a cold chill run down her spine that had nothing to do with the theater ghost when they reached the second act and Steve began his only solo. He had traded in his gray wig and finery for the grungy rags of the pimp. He slithered out onto the stage with his greasy hair dangling in his eyes, his unbuttoned shirt revealing a thick patch of black fuzz on his chest. Even his voice sounded eerily snakelike as he began to sing in a raspy tenor.
“There is a monster lurking behind every smile.
Every good deed is a mask to hide something vile.
When the façade fades away, it all becomes clear.
Every last one of us has something to fear.”
Rebecca noticed Justyn waiting with Victoria behind the curtain for the next act to begin. He wasn’t paying any attention to the scene. He appeared to be lost in his own dark thoughts. Rebecca couldn’t help but think about his strange mood swings and the even odder meeting with the redhead outside the restaurant. She wondered what secrets were hiding behind the dark eyes she thought she knew so well. What was turning her beloved Justyn into a real-life Hyde?
Chapter Eleven
As usual, they were the last ones to leave that night. Rebecca’s complicated wedding gown from the final scene always took time to unlace, and Carmen struggled to untangle the knots. By the time they packed up for the evening, all the cast members had gone home except for Fernando, who they presumed was in his office settling the books for the weekend. Only the kitchen staff was still hard at work, scouring pots and scrubbing the floors. Normally Victoria lingered around until Albert was done, but she had snuck off as soon as the curtain fell due to babysitter issues.
Rebecca had hoped once they left the theater, Justyn’s mood would lighten. However, the tension didn’t ease as their small group headed to the parking lot. Justyn was miserable, and Carmen was still annoyed about Justyn snapping at her earlier. The Latina was giving him dirty looks he pretended to ignore. Rebecca was silent herself because she was a nervous wreck about the possibility of actually coming clean when they got back to Justyn’s house. Tom was the only one in even remotely good spirits, but he certainly wasn’t smart enough to know when to keep his big mouth shut.
“Dude, did you really have to be such a jerk to Steve?” Tom asked Justyn. “I mean, I know he’s a total schmuck and all, but you’re burning an awful lot of bridges.”
Carmen nodded her agreement. “Let’s hope Albert and Steve don’t decide to join forces. If they do, your ass is toast. And if you get Tom involved in your mess, I’ll be there to clean up any crumbs they leave behind.”
“Can we stop talking about Steve?” Justyn grumbled. “I like it better when you two are joined at the mouth. At least then you’re both quiet.”
They were lucky there were no cars coming, because Tom stopped dead in the center of the street, finally reaching his breaking point. “You know what? I’ve completely had it with your attitude, Lord Justyn. I know you’ve had issues with Steve and you have other stuff going on, but seriously, man, you need to chill out before this production turns into a repeat of our senior year.”
Justyn didn’t reply, maybe because he knew Tom was right. Instead, he pulled his backpack onto his shoulder and quickened his pace. He reached the employee parking lot in a few long strides. Normally, Rebecca would have jogged to catch up with him, but she didn’t have the energy, especially not when she was beginning to agree with Tom’s assessment. Justyn was being a jerk, plain and simple, and being worried about the rent didn’t excuse his behavior. She was concerned about their financial situation as well, but she wasn’t jumping down everyone’s throats.
“You okay, Bec?” Carmen whispered, peeking over her shoulder to make sure Tom wasn’t listening. Luckily, he was too busy kicking pebbles to pay any attention to the girls. “You shouldn’t let all this drama get to you. It’s not good for the…” She paused again as they reached the Mustang. “Well, you know.”
Rebecca almost laughed at Carmen trying to coddle her. It was so out of character, but proof she was a much bigger softie than she liked to let on. Rebecca was glad she had her friend, especially with Justyn acting so temperamental.
“I’m terrific.” She gave Carmen an encouraging smile. “Really. I haven’t even thrown up once today. And believe me, that makes it a great day as far as I’m concerned.”
Carmen still acted anxious, especially as they watched Justyn pull open the door of the Mustang and jump inside without saying a word. Rebecca had to slide down the passenger seat for both Carmen and Tom to access the back because it was obvious Justyn had no intention of moving. Tom shook his head and looked genuinely disgusted, but he didn’t say anything else about it. Carmen would have been a much scarier opponent if she wasn’t so afraid of upsetting Rebecca in her delicate condition. Rebecca knew it wasn’t easy for her best friend to stay quiet. She could practically see the steam coming out of Carmen’s ears as she fumed in the backseat.
Justyn wasn’t fairing much better. He was absolutely furious when he turned the key and the Mustang refused to start, even though it was a pretty common occurrence with his older car. He punched the dashboard after the third time he tried to coax the ignition to life with no results. Obviously, even Justyn’s baby wasn’t exempt from his temper.
“Justyn, what’s wrong with you?” Rebecca asked. “Why are you acting like this?”
He ignored her at first and twisted the key so hard she was amazed it didn’t snap in half. Finally, on his fourth attempt, the motor sputtered grudgingly to life. Once he revved the engine a few times, he turned to look at her and his eyes appeared more glazed than angry. He opened his mouth for a second, as though he wanted to tell her something, but at the last moment he changed his mind and snapped it shut again. He simply shook his head and turned away. Rebecca felt a lump rise in her throat and cursed her hormones even though she knew they weren’t entirely to blame. Over the years, she and Justyn had hit more than one bumpy patch in their relationship, but they had always been able to talk to each other about anything. Lately, it was like an invisible wall had magically sprouted between them, and it was completely blocking their communication skills.
“I wish you would talk to me,” Rebecca whispered, but kept her eyes averted because she knew she was being a hypocrite. After all, she had a pretty big secret of her own. “I hate to see you like this.”
He sighed as he pulled out of the lot. “I will. Come stay with me tonight.” He gave her a half-smile and reached across the seat for her hand. “We’ll talk.”
Rebecca nodded, feeling relieved. Justyn never broke a promise, and a night alone would give them both a chance to clear the air. The tension in the car eased a little. Carmen was busy nuzzli
ng Tom’s ear in the backseat. The two of them forgot Justyn and Rebecca were even there. Justyn kept hold of her hand, but he was still quiet on the ride. He didn’t divert his attention from the road, and Rebecca could sense something was still bothering him.
The radio wasn’t working, so they drove in complete silence for the next few minutes, with the exception of the rumble of the Mustang’s engine. Rebecca was starting to wonder if they would even make it home at all. She turned to look over her shoulder at the desolate back roads of Cape May. As she admired a few of the Victorian houses that flashed by, she noticed a police officer lying in wait among the foliage. She couldn’t help but sneak a peek at the speedometer and noticed Justyn was going a few miles over the speed limit.
“You better slow down a little, Justyn,” Rebecca warned. “There’s a cop right over there, and Cape May is notoriously strict about their traffic laws.”
Justyn snorted and let go of her hand. “I know how to drive, Becca, but thanks for the advice.”
Rebecca felt hurt all over again. Obviously his hiatus from being a jerk had already ended. When she glanced in the rearview mirror, she noticed the cop car pulling out to follow them, and she had to fight the juvenile urge to stick out her tongue and tell him she’d told him so. Justyn was so busy glaring out the windshield he didn’t even notice at first, but Rebecca watched as the speed of the squad car picked up. At first, she thought maybe they were only going to follow along as a warning, but they had no such luck. A few blocks before they hit the bridge and the end of their territory, the sirens and flashing lights came on. Justyn couldn’t help but notice now and he cussed under his breath as he pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road.
Tom whistled. “Oh, man. Good thing you left the black lipstick off tonight, or we’d be getting frisked for sure.”