by Adele Buck
To hell with it.
“Mr. St. Cyr, I do hope you enjoyed the show. I’m being called over by my cast-mate, so if you will please excuse me…”
Colin inclined his head in a gesture that was almost a bow. For a moment, Alicia wondered if she had misread his other reaction. But when he raised his head, his dark eyes were still chilly and distant.
Fine. Take your snobbish attitudes about actors and your fancy-pants accent and shove them up your ass. Alicia turned away, trading her empty champagne glass for a full one as she made her way across the floor to Kathleen.
“What’s the problem?” Kathleen asked, frowning at Alicia. Kathleen was tall and slim, with a wide, laughing mouth and a mass of long, auburn hair. “Gotta say a distress signal from you is surprising enough, but when you were talking to someone that good looking...” She fanned herself with an open palm and then squinted at Alicia. “Was he a perv? Please tell me he wasn’t a perv.”
“No,” Alicia said, the single syllable coming out even more angrily than she had intended. She took a deep breath and strove for a lighter tone. “He was one of those ‘actors lie for a living, therefore I can’t trust them’ people.”
Kathleen wrinkled her nose as she looked around the glittering crowd. “Ugh. That’s a drag. Well, now that I’ve rescued you, fair damsel, we’d better find some other dragons to talk to. Can’t risk getting in trouble for chatting like we’re at a cast party. These people paid for the privilege of hobnobbing with the players…”
“I know. Thanks again,” Alicia said.
“Any time, sweetie. You’d do it for me, I’m sure.” Kathleen’s eyes crinkled with humor, and Alicia realized she was still fingering her earring. “Careful, girl. You keep yanking on that thing and someone is going to think you need rescuing from me.”
“Right. The show must go on.” Alicia saluted Kathleen with her champagne glass before turning toward an elderly couple a few feet away. “Hello, I’m Alicia Johnson. I hope you enjoyed the show…”
Her mask of comedy was firmly back in place.
About the Author
When not writing, Adele is a librarian at a Washington, D.C. law school. Prior to that, she had a short stint as an index editor and over a dozen years in corporate communications and executive relationship management. Even prior to that, she was an actress and stage manager.
She holds a theatre degree from Syracuse University and graduate degrees from the University of Maine School of Law and the University of Maryland's iSchool.
A New Hampshire native, Adele has lived in the D.C. area for over 20 years with her fantastic husband and the requisite number of neurotic cats.
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