“You know you guys could stay for drinks right here.”
“No, this is actor alley after a show. The crew needs to let their hair down, and we all feel more comfortable doing it away from our cast.”
“Understood. Well, you need to say hello to a few dozen people before I let you scurry off. Where’s Lucas?”
“He’ll watch tomorrow. He went to help his buddy finish up a project. I’m pretty sure he stayed through the opening scene.”
Riley usually got a physical reaction from her stage manager at the mention of her other half, but Harper seemed only half engaged in talking about him. Riley wasn’t going to read too much into it, but it was odd that he’d opted to leave on opening night.
“Come on. I want to introduce you to Davis. He’s a longtime friend of mine, and I hope he’ll be willing to take over as managing director in a few months. We need a new money guy, and soon.”
Chapter 9
Opening Nights: Post Bar Crawl
Harper and Maddy stood outside the bar waiting for their cab to show up. Only Wesley and his girlfriend had lingered, finishing a game of pool. They were both terrible but enthusiastic players. The ladies had laughed and drunk for at least three hours. Cheese fries and hot wings seemed like a brilliant idea at the start of the night, but now it was a deep discomfort that had sunk to the pit of Harper’s stomach. The smell of the driver’s cologne mingled, in all the wrong ways, with the body odor of former passengers, the girl’s own scent, and the taste of mint in her mouth, due to the piece of gum she’d popped in her mouth to take the edge off of her breath.
When the car pulled up to her condo, she was hit with a sudden burst of sobriety.
“What the hell are we doing here?”
“Huh?” was Maddy’s dazzling response.
“My condo. Why are we here?”
“It’s the address you gave him when we got in.”
“Ok, ladies, that’ll be twenty-five dollars,” the driver told them from his seat without turning around.
“I’m not paying anything until you take me home.”
“Lady, this is the address you gave me. If it isn’t your home, that is not my problem. Twenty-five dollars, please.”
“We’re not getting out.”
Harper leaned back with her arms crossed and refused to look at the poor man. Once her eyes closed, both he and Maddy knew she wouldn’t budge.
“Sir, I have the money for this ride, and I’m pretty sure she has more, so if you would please just get us to my apartment, that would be great. I swear I’m not much farther.”
Maddy was doing her best to behave with more control then she was feeling on the inside as she rattled off the new destination’s address. The soft snoring coming from her bestie was not making her feel great about the three flights of stairs they’d have to climb to get up to her place. She would’ve given anything to know the address of Lucas’s place. Harper had confided in her about their living together, but she hadn’t visited yet. She knew it was a house, though, which meant way less than three full flights of stairs to climb before entry. The driver glared one last time at Maddy, who wouldn’t be deterred. He pulled from the gate and muttered under his breath in his native tongue. It didn’t matter in the least to his passengers. One was out cold, and the other looked like she’d do him bodily harm if he refused. This was why he hated closing hour pickups from bars. He was saying a silent prayer that neither would treat his backseat as a barf bag.
Luckily, it was only an additional ten bucks for the ride. Maddy dug around in Harper’s purse and grabbed a twenty. She didn’t think a decent tip was too much to give.
“Harper. Harper, sweets, there is no way I’m carrying you up those stairs, so I need you to please get up.”
“I’m up. Stop poking me. Where are we now?”
“My place. You’re just going to have to spend the night with me. I don’t know where you and Lucas live, and this guy was not about anymore stopping and asking. At least I know we can get in here, and I have a bed.”
“No, no, no. I really need to go home. Lucas is going to be pissed.”
“Not happening tonight. He’s just going to have to be pissed. He’ll get over it. We’ll just call him and say we’re here and he’ll come get us in the morning. My car is at the theatre, too. Remember? Yeah, probably not. Okay, let’s tackle these steps.”
It took much longer and involved a lot more giggling than was necessary before they got to Maddy’s door. Once inside, Harper headed for the bathroom in the entryway. When the door closed and she had both locks secured, Maddy headed to the bathroom in her bedroom. That was where a panty-and-bra clothed Harper found her.
“Where are your clothes, Harper?”
“Well, I’m not sleeping in jeans. Toss me a t-shirt.”
“Here. You can wear my show shirt, but no puking.”
“I’m not as sick as I am horny. Ugh, why couldn’t that idiot driver get the address correct.”
“I think that one is on you, and any more horny talk, and you’re sleeping on the couch.”
“You wish.”
Those were the last words uttered before Harper collapsed on her friend’s bed, still clutching her phone.
“¡Oh, Dios mío! Mi cabeza. Haz que se detenga, por favor. Maddy! Stop whatever is making that noise.”
Harper was kicking her legs and clutching the pillow around her head as far as it would go. She wasn’t sure what was causing the infernal pounding, but she was feeling increasingly homicidal toward it. Maddy’s cold feet pushed against her hip.
“Did you leave the television on?”
“I don’t even remember seeing a television. Oh, Maddy, it’s the blasted door. Are you expecting someone? A delivery? What the hell, woman?”
“Fuck, it is my door. Who the hell is at my door?”
Thud. Maddy broke her fall, almost, with her hand and butt. Her feet were still tangled in her covers, and the banging persisted. She hollered back as she tried to get free. All she got as a thank you was a pillow to the head. The yelling, coupled with the banging, pushed her bedmate into violent action. Her door answering wardrobe consisted of panties and the black t-shirt she’d worn to the show the night before.
She banged on her side of the door in response. “For fuck sake, do you know what time it is? You’ll wake up the whole damn complex. Shut it!” When she did, finally, fling the door open completely, Maddy screamed again. “What the hell, Lucas? Why are you banging down my door like a madman?”
“Do you know what time it is?” Lucas looked her up and down before looking at his watch and glaring back at her.
He nudged his way past, since she wasn’t making a move to open the door farther or invite him. Lucas took in the look of the room. To his immediate right was an open closet door. Harper’s denim jacket was on the floor inside, an obviously failed attempt at hanging it up. A second, partially open door had a boot wedged between the door and the frame. The matching footwear was not visible to him, but he did recognize the tiny black jeans turned inside out sitting behind the sofa and the button-down tailored shirt turned inside out thrown over the back of the cushions. His mind began filling in the disastrous scene. Before him stood a barely dressed Maddy, and his girlfriend, who should have been warm and safe in bed when he awoke, was nowhere to be seen. The personal self-restraint he was showing by not tearing through the younger girl’s place or screaming full volume amazed even him.
“Maddy, focus on me, please. Where is Harper?”
The beat she took to squint her eyes and give it thought was the last straw. Damn her neighbors and damn maintaining any level of calm.
“Harper, get out here now! Harper! What the hell happened here last night, Maddy? What got into the two of you? It’s like I don’t know either of you right now. Harper!”
The sudden bolt upright made Harper clutch her head in agony. Her relationship with tequila wasn’t pretty. They would part on the most dubious of terms and yet in a couple of weeks sh
e would forget how poorly it had treated her, and she’d sidle up to the bar ready to give it another shot, quite literally. She loved it in the moment, but the morning after was always filled with regrets. The pounding had ceased and was replaced with loud voices that seemed too close and too familiar. Lucas. She was going to be a special kind of dead. How in the hell did she manage to sleep like she was? Her clothes were not scattered around the room, and she had on half of a show t-shirt that was far too big. Obviously Maddy’s. She would not win the boob wars against that girl. Turning the shirt around she put both arms through properly. Bracing herself to face the firing squad of one waiting in the next room, Harper walked forward.
“Buenos días, guapo. Espero que hayas traído café. Coffee?”
“Why don’t both of you put some clothes on? You need to be back to the theatre by one o’clock. Where’s your phone, Harper?”
“Oh, I didn’t see it on the nightstand. Damn. I hope I didn’t leave it in the cab.”
Lucas was up to fifty. He’d been counting since Maddy opened the door half dressed. He walked closer to the woman he loved, the desire to spank the daylights out of her causing his hand to twitch, and handed her the discarded clothes. Socks, pants, and shirt were strewn across the living room, and her boots were in the bathroom. He was certain there was a story, but he doubted she’d be able to fill in all the blanks just yet.
“Go put your clothes on so we can get out of here and find your phone. It’s probably dead. You never hung up after you called me.”
“So, I did call you. I was way out of it, but somehow the cab brought us here and not our place, and I didn’t want you to worry.”
“I’ll be sure to take that into consideration.”
“What do you mean I didn’t hang up?”
“That’s how I knew where you were. You were just babbling nonsense about a cab ride, and then you said bye but didn’t hang up. Hearing you and Maddy talking was the only thing that kept me from losing my mind and retracing your steps. Go get dressed.”
Harper and Maddy hustled back into the bedroom to make an attempt at pulling themselves together. She still had never put together a go bag, a failing she now regretted more than ever. Looking in the mirror while running toothpaste across her teeth using the tip of her finger, Harper had one of those quick reality checks. Smoking hot sex wasn’t going to fix this. She hadn’t had a night like that since Maddy turned twenty-one and they were all determined to show her a good time. A great time, from the memories she was able to piece together, was had by all. The past night wasn’t supposed to be that. All memories of fun were gone, and she was comfortably seated in regret. In all of their years working together and the few months they’d been an official couple, Harper couldn’t remember seeing him like that. He was definitely angry, but the look just beneath the surface was hurt. Since she couldn’t recall what all she’d said to him on the phone or what he had heard after supposedly hanging up, she was pretty certain it wasn’t anything to be proud of.
When she got out of the shower, she wrapped herself in one of Maddy’s towels and let her hair drip.
“Your turn. The hot water will lift the fog a little, but I seriously need caffeine. What do you have on hand?”
“We were in tech all last week,” Maddy replied. “I haven’t seen the inside of a grocery store in at least that long. It’s a miracle there’s enough shampoo and conditioner for the both of us. Sorry, we’ll have to grab some on the way.”
“This is the worst. Usually, if I’m running this far behind schedule, I call you to get in and cover. Who the hell do we call when we’re together?”
“Riley?”
“Not even a little funny,” Harper said.
“Yeah, it seemed like a long shot. You’re also using the last clean towel, so toss it here.”
“We already slept together half dressed. That’s enough tits and ass for a while. I’ll toss it in the bathroom when you're in the shower.”
Harper redressed, and even though the shower had felt great, she was still feeling a little gross in the previous night’s bar clothes. Her hair would be one big fluffy bush without product, so she went to Maddy’s dresser to see what she had by way of hair clips. At least up, it wouldn’t get too big. Limited supplies resulted in a twist held up with a pair of hair chopsticks.
After checking the mirror and accepting her day-old look, Harper reentered the living room. Great, she thought, his mood hasn’t changed. Lucas was pacing and checking his watch intermittently.
“Maddy should be out in a few minutes.”
He was still hot about the happenings of the past twenty-four hours, but seeing Harper standing in the bedroom doorway looking slightly repaired after his first glimpse, his temper and mood melted a little. Shaking his head, he held his arms open. Smiling, she nearly fell instead of walking into them, as her bare feet caught on the carpet.
“I wouldn’t smile too big. You have all kinds of explaining to do. Seriously, Harper, I was going out to search for you. Trust me, when we’re done discussing this little escapade, you won’t even think about doing something so reckless again.”
Well, she was feeling worse by the second and more chastised than she’d felt in a long time and she wasn’t a fan, but she did pull back and offer a sincere apology for causing him so much worry. It was lousy thing to do, and she knew it.
“Lucas, lo siento mucho. I’m so sorry. We obviously partied harder than I thought or planned to. Screwing up the address was a bonehead move, but I am willing to do anything to make it up to you. Do the words naked and barbecue do anything for you?”
Harper went to rub up against him seductively but was stopped cold by the look on his face of utter disbelief and disdain and the hands he used to physically keep her at arm’s length.
“I’m just sorry we have a double show day. Riley is trying to bring in as much money as she can. Senior groups love this kind of show. The lobby is bound to be wall-to-wall walkers. Maddy and I take a picture for each show and compare numbers. Sunday still wins.”
Her laughter was awkward, to begin with, but the look on his face had even that dying in the back of her throat. She clamped her mouth shut and moved to lean back in, so she could bury her face in his chest.
“Did you find your phone?”
“I forgot to look,” came her muffled response.
Lucas held her a bit tighter around her back and landed two of the hardest smacks he could.
“Get back in that room and find your phone. Now, Harper.”
She didn’t figure more words were in order and headed back into the bedroom. She was so glad the water was still running; that meant there was no chance Maddy had seen or heard what just happened. That would have been disastrous. First, she tossed the sheets and blanket and came up empty. Then, it was hands and knees time. She spotted it under the bed, up near the wall, and had to actually reach back to get a grip. Another smack to her ass had her bolting up and nearly cracking her head on the side table.
“Damn it, Lucas!”
She and Maddy looked at each other for a split second, before she squeezed out her second awkward laugh of the morning.
“I couldn’t resist, and why would Lucas be in my bedroom smacking your ass?”
Maddy sauntered to her closest, dropped her towel and kept getting ready without heed to modesty at all. That was theatre people. They’d both been doing shows since they were kids, each having spent time on the stage before they were stage managers, so they’d seen their share of naked behinds in dressing rooms all over the valley.
“Hurry up; he has other stuff to do.” Harper wasn’t cross, but she wasn’t about to answer that question, either. Lucas was standing in the kitchen when she reemerged. “Found it.”
“Lucky you. I hope you have a charger with you, because you know mine won’t work.”
“Not on me, but I keep one in the office. Are you going back to help Nate today?”
Lucas handed Harper a bottle of water and two ibupro
fens. “I guess you really need coffee, but this should take the edge off of the—what? A tequila headache?”
Harper had enough of a sense of self-preservation to swallow and not add further comment or detail. They’d certainly known one another long enough for him to know her adult beverage choice.
“So a stop for large cup of coffee wouldn’t be asking too much?”
“I’d never deny you an essential life-sustaining beverage, you little lush,” Lucas said. He was looking at her with the most intense scrunched up face, but couldn’t hold it long. He ended up pulling her into him again.
“I deserved that,” she said.
“That doesn’t come close to giving you what you deserve, but if it stung a little, I don’t regret it.”
“Don’t be mean. I’m in pain.”
“Me, too. This is going to be one long day.”
Maddy came out of her bedroom ready to go. She even managed a smidge of makeup, or at least Harper thought she did, since the bags under her eyes looked a lot less noticeable than ones she’d noticed when her own reflection looked back. Lucas handed another bottle of water and two tablets to his girlfriend’s affable assistant.
“Aren’t you a sweetheart? Keep him, Harper. The last guy I dated would not have handled our excursion nearly as well.”
“Um, that’s a story I’d be interested in hearing on the drive over,” Lucas said.
“Really? The only thing I’m interested in is silence. It’ll give me a half hour to get myself together mentally and to put my game face on,” was Harper’s contradictory comeback.
Oh, if only she had the power to strangle her friend from across the room. She didn’t know anything about Maddy’s last boyfriend, but new ideas on ways to deal with a drunken girlfriend was not an arrow Lucas needed in his quiver.
“Let’s go, ladies.”
The previous night was a series of bits and pieces, but there was one thing Harper knew for sure—their exit was a hell of a lot more subbed than their entrance had been the night before.
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