We stood in the hall of Cirque Celestial for some time, lips locked, fingers exploring what little skin could be exposed while remaining decent. We only parted, a little breathless, shirts untucked, when we heard voices approaching from behind—presumably the selection committee had finally emerged from the audition studio. Almost as though we were teenagers caught in the hallway by the principal, I moved to distance myself from Robert, but he grabbed my hand, keeping me from leaving his side.
My embarrassment was unnecessary as most of the committee members moved off down the opposite direction of the hall without giving us a second thought. We were adults after all, and they probably—rightly—thought that Robert was here to congratulate me on my day. Jake, however, approached. As he walked toward us, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, flipped it open, and removed a business card. Rather than offer it to me, he held it out to Robert.
“If you have any questions about opportunities for spouses who accompany their partners on the road.” Then turned and he walked away without looking back.
Alone again, Robert pivoted to face me. “You made it?”
I nodded, a grin spreading over my face. “I’ll get an email in a week or two with further details about any shows I might be a good fit for.” I paused, looking closely at Robert. His eyebrows were drawn slightly, the muscles around his mouth drawn a little tighter. He didn’t appear to be grinding his teeth. “Will you come with me?”
“Beth. When you didn’t text me this morning, I was terrified you’d decided it was for the better that we’d broken off the wedding. That you decided you’d rather be free to do whatever you like with your life—which is of course, your right. You can do whatever you want with your life without reference to me, or Simon, or your stupid parents. But…but I wanted to have the chance to be with you if you wanted me to. So, I got in the car and drove for four hours…to ask, if you got accepted…if I can come with you.”
This time I leapt onto Robert, wrapping my arms and legs around his torso. Hugging him with every inch of my being. If only I never had to let go of him again. “Yes,” I said quietly into his ear. “Yes, I want you come with me. To the moon and back.”
The End.
Afterward
And that, dear reader, is that. Beth and Robert returned home Sunday evening after a pleasant afternoon spent sightseeing in Montreal—once they made it out of their hotel room. They married at the Northboro City Hall the following Friday afternoon without a single pomp or circumstance. Only Dehlia, Stephen, and Helen and David McAllister were there to witness the event. They continued their quiet, Northboro life until mid-April, when Beth received word that that Cirque show Jake had originally recommended her for was ready to begin rehearsals.
Robert remained in Northboro for the first couple of months while Beth moved to Montreal to prepare for her new gig. Once the show was ready for touring, Robert joined, at first as an unemployed dependant, but he gradually took on a roll with the show’s coaching staff. His years of gymnastics training and performing experience made him particularly adept at working with new performers as they joined the show’s ranks.
Beth loved performing. It was the piece of her personal puzzle missing when she was limited to teaching at the High Flying Circus Club. She remained on the show’s roster for almost seven years before she decided that she’d had her fill of adoring audiences. When they settled in Robert’s hometown, Beth did not return to teaching—you can decide for yourself what she did to occupy her time. She never reconciled with her parents.
Since you may be wondering, Rachel and Becca stayed with their own show for several years, before deciding to follow their own paths. Becca continued to perform, while Rachel found herself a position at the Cirque Celestial main office, allowing her to see Jake at more regular and longer-lasting intervals.
Finally, dear reader, you have no doubt guessed that Cirque Celestial is modelled after Cirque du Soleil. Although I am an aerialist (I teach aerial silks at the TriCity Centre for Circus Arts and perform in local productions and at outdoor festivals around Ontario) I have no associations with Cirque du Soleil, nor have I ever attended an audition for the company. I based the final chapter on a recount I found online regarding a dance audition for Cirque combined with a documentary called Getting into Cirque du Soliel, which as of September 2020 was still available on YouTube.
I hope you enjoyed this final installment of the Circus of Love Romance trilogy. If you did, please consider leaving me a review on Amazon and signing up for my author newsletter.
S. Andrea Milne
You can check out my website at: www.sandreamilne.com
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Thanks and Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank several people who helped me during the process of completing Beth’s story. Without them, this manuscript would probably be collecting metaphorical dust on my computer’s hard drive.
First, I have to thank my husband, Andrew, who has always encouraged me to pursue my passion for writing.
A big thanks goes out to Mel C. (not the Spice Girl) who answered my many questions about the process of self-publishing. I hope that, someday, I might be able to pay it forward.
Thank you to 17 Studio Book Design for the beautiful cover for Love’s Final Act and for all three novels that make up the Circus of Love Romance series.
Finally, a big thanks goes out to those who were involved in the editing and proof reading of this manuscript including Katherine T and Ruth H.
Love's Final Act (Circus of Love Romances Book 3) Page 19