by Ann Roberts
Addy grinned and climbed into the driver’s seat. She looked back at Mazie. “Start singing and close your eyes now.”
Mazie did as she was told. She sang “As Time Goes By,” and they pulled away from the stop. Her voice echoed throughout the empty bus, and she was surprised at how true and confident she sounded. She impressed herself and wished more people—like her committee—could be on the bus to hear her.
The bus started and stopped twice more, and she heard the swoosh of the air doors, but didn’t hear anyone board. She thought this private concert for Addy, although unorthodox and ill-timed, was a great confidence booster. Maybe after the premiere she would start practicing again. She crooned the big finale to the song—and heard thunderous applause.
She whirled around to see the full bus. They were applauding madly. Kit, Bianca, Mrs. Gelpin, Weather and Coda. Evn the young texter guy wasn’t texting but listening. Little Huxley smacked his hands together. Someone yelled, “Bravo!” and jumped up. Soon the entire bus followed. Mazie looked back at Addy and mouthed, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She motioned for Mazie to bow, and when the crowd returned to their seats, Mazie held up the microphone and said, “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to see you all here. This is a very special memory.”
“You can thank Addy,” Mrs. Gelpin said. “She’s the one who planned it yesterday.”
Everyone applauded again, and Addy waved, unable to speak with passengers while the bus was in motion.
“Sing us another one,” Kit called.
“Only if you all join in,” Mazie said. The group shouted their agreement. “Hopefully you know the words to this one. It makes me think of my childhood in Kentucky.”
She launched into “Take me Home, Country Roads,” the John Denver classic. By the time they had returned to the beginning of the route, the final chorus was ending. She looked over at Addy. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she was holding it together as the bus cruised to a stop. Addy wiped her face and met Mazie’s concerned gaze. She smiled as she opened the door and waved to everyone as they disembarked.
Kit, Weather, and the kids stopped in front of Mazie. Kit took her hands, “You have the voice of an angel. That’s the highest compliment I can pay you.”
She put her hand over her heart. “That means so much to me coming from you, Kit. Thank you.” She wrapped Kit in a hug. “Thank you for being a part of this.”
“You’re welcome, dear. I’ll see you soon,” she added with a mysterious look before walking away with Coda in her arms.
Everyone else insisted on shaking Mazie’s hand and complimenting her on the performance. She watched the passengers disperse, some walking through the park, others going to cars they’d parked in the mini-mall lot. It was clear everyone had made an effort to be at Bus Stop 2 at a certain time—and Addy had arranged the whole thing. She gazed at Addy, who seemed content to lean against her huge steering wheel, watching Mazie bask in compliments from the passengers. Mazie couldn’t name all of the feelings inside her, but she knew they equated to love. She so wanted to say the words, but it wasn’t time—yet.
Instead she smothered Addy with kisses, but realizing Addy was on break, she pulled away quickly and said, “I know you have to get back to work and so do I, but this meant so much to me. You went to a lot of trouble.” She stroked her cheek and stared into her kind eyes, thinking she might dissolve into a puddle at Addy’s feet.
Addy whispered into her hair, “I just wanted you to see that you can do it. You can sing to a crowd. You can pass your test.”
Mazie hugged her tighter and replied, “I’m starting to believe you.”
They chugged back to the Bijou in relative silence, as Mazie didn’t want to disobey the placard that read, “Please don’t distract the driver.” Only after Addy came to a full stop did Mazie jump out of her seat and into Addy’s lap. She doubted there was a specific policy about making out with the driver on her lunch break.
“Did you hear about Nadine and Jackie?” Mazie asked between kisses.
Addy smiled. “I did. It’s about time.”
“Yeah. And in a few hours Tarina arrives, and I guess we’ll see if sparks fly between her and Almondine again.”
Addy looked at her cynically. “Do you think after all this time they could get together again?”
“Of course. It’s just like in Tipping the Velvet. Nan Astley is away from Kitty Butler for years, and then they find each other again.” She kissed Addy sweetly. “Fate is the most powerful friend of love.”
“I like that,” Addy said.
“Come back after work and have dinner with me, Almondine and Tarina. I’m begging you. If I’m wrong and fate stays away, I’ll have a catfight on my hands and I’ll need reinforcements to help break it up.”
“Okay. I brought a change of clothes. I’ll be here around six thirty.”
She climbed out of Addy’s lap and kissed her on the cheek. “I loved today,” she said before disembarking the bus. She looked back at Addy as the doors whooshed closed. She thought Addy mouthed the words, “I love you,” but she couldn’t be sure.
Normally she would’ve played those last moments over and over in her mind, just like the ending of a movie, but she had too much to do.
An hour later the limousine service called and said they were on their way to the Portland airport to pick up Tarina and her small entourage. Hiring the limousine had been a point of contention for Almondine, who wondered why a cab or Uber wouldn’t do. Mazie insisted that Hollywood bigwigs would be dissatisfied with that choice. The limo would take them to the hotel and then bring Tarina to the Bijou.
With only a few hours left, Almondine chose to have a meltdown. Suddenly nothing was right. She wanted to redo all of Mazie’s work. The posters were in the wrong place, there wasn’t enough VIP seating, the bathrooms weren’t clean enough, and it was just foolhardy to have the Bijou playing its regular fare the day before the premiere. When Mazie reminded Almondine it was she who wanted to be open the day before their big event, insisting they needed the ticket sales, Almondine denied ever saying such tripe.
Nadine arrived just in time. Mazie was ready to walk out, but Nadine, a master of chaos control, took over and sent Mazie to complete the minor details, while she went with Almondine to select her outfit for Tarina’s arrival and dinner.
At seven o’clock sharp, the limo driver texted Mazie that he was two blocks away, and just as Mazie read the text, the car pulled around the corner and glided to a stop. The three of them—Mazie, Nadine and Addy—were there to greet Tarina, but Almondine insisted she wasn’t ready. Mazie suspected she wanted to make an entrance, a la Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard.
Tarina didn’t bother to wait for the driver to let her out. She opened her own door, a smile on her face. She wore a close-cropped Afro accentuating her beautiful eyes and wide smile. She was petite but compact, and her large breasts struggled to remain contained in her tank top. She wore jeans and white high-tops and projected an earthy attitude. Mazie couldn’t understand what Tarina and Almondine could possibly have in common, but she knew opposites attracted, like in Imagine Me and You. Her face looked just like Almondine’s drawing in her address book, and judging from Tarina’s physique, Mazie imagined her breasts looked equally good.
“Which one of you is Mazie?”
Mazie raised her hand and Tarina pulled her into a bear hug. “Bring it in. Thanks for doing all of this.”
“You’re welcome,” Mazie croaked. “And it’s an honor to meet you.”
“Pfft,” Tarina said. “I’m just an actress who got lucky.” She held out her hand to meet Nadine and Addy, and then she looked around. “Okay, where is she?” She pointed to the front doors. “Is she inside? Insisted on making an entrance?”
“I think she’s very nervous,” Nadine said.
Tarina’s look softened. “Yeah, I get it. When she walked out on me in Paris, I knew she loved me.” She shrugged. “Well, let’s get to it.
”
They headed inside and Tarina made a full three-sixty turn as she admired the lobby. “This place is way cool.”
“Thank you,” Mazie replied.
“I’ll go find Almondine,” Nadine offered.
“No need,” Almondine said, emerging from the office.
She’d chosen white flowing harem pants and a turquoise tunic that brought out her green eyes. She’d put her long steel-gray hair into a tight bun, and the overall effect made her look much younger.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Tarina.”
“Deenie,” Tarina said.
Mazie heard hope, forgiveness—and a little lust—in the way she said her name. Tarina made no movement toward her. Whereas she’d immediately hugged the three of them on the curb, with Almondine she was tentative, quiet and possibly unsure of what to do or say.
“How long has it been?” Almondine asked.
Tarina rubbed her chin. “Since Paris? I’d say nine years, eighty-eight days, and fourteen hours.”
Almondine’s stoic face blossomed into a smile. “Not that you’re keeping track.”
“No, of course not. How about a tour? This place is fabulous.”
“It is. I’m very proud of it.”
With Mazie’s assistance, they toured Theater One, the projection room, and the stage. Tarina was impressed with the old Wurlitzer organ hidden behind the enormous movie screen, and Mazie was surprised when she sat down to play. Rachmaninoff filled the building, and Mazie imagined it could be heard on the street. Tarina was clearly a woman of many talents.
“Let’s go out to the courtyard,” Mazie suggested.
As Tarina walked through the doorway, she abruptly stopped. “Are you kidding me?”
Mazie smiled, assuming Tarina was impressed with the wonderful French motif Almondine had chosen. But Tarina’s scowl telegraphed displeasure.
“Is something wrong?” Mazie asked.
Tarina stared at Almondine. “Nobody knows, do they? These three lovely women have no idea what you’ve done here.” She made a sweeping motion toward the courtyard. Almondine looked off into the distance. Mazie shook her head and Tarina nodded. “Let me check something.” She went to the center of the courtyard and squatted beside a bistro table. “Uh-huh, just what I thought.” She stood and pointed. Mazie, Addy and Nadine huddled to see A+T scrawled on the edge in black marker. “I can’t believe this!” Tarina exclaimed. “I instantly recognized this whole scene, but how did you get this?”
“Friends,” Almondine said simply.
“I’m sorry,” Nadine said, “but what are you talking about? Ms. Hudson, what’s the significance of the table?”
“Just call me Rina, please.” She crossed her arms and gestured with her chin. “This is the table Almondine and I sat at when we visited our favorite French café, Ines. One day we were being ridiculously childish, and we claimed the table as our own, branding it with a Sharpie marker. We sat here…maybe a hundred times.” Her gaze swept the courtyard. “This whole space looks like Ines.” She touched the table as if she couldn’t believe it was real, and then she sat down in the chair and faced the scrawl. “Deenie,” she managed before she covered her eyes and the tears flowed.
The emotion pulled Almondine from her reverie. She immediately sat down next to Tarina and wrapped a protective arm over her shoulder. She whispered in her ear and Tarina shrugged.
Mazie glanced at Nadine and Addy. The tour was over. As the three of them retreated to the lobby, Mazie threw a parting glance toward the couple. Almondine had recreated the café she had shared with Tarina to make her feel closer. Somehow she’d acquired the table where they had sat when they were lovers—from France. She’d gone to enormous trouble, just as Addy had with the bus performance. Mazie’s heart crackled with emotion. It was certainly a day of grand gestures.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I don’t think Almondine got much sleep last night,” Mazie said the next morning on the phone. “I know I didn’t,” she grumbled.
“Did Tarina have a sleepover?”
“Sleep would be quite the overstatement. I think absence must really make the heart grow fonder.”
“Not always,” Addy said quietly. Wishing she could retract the comment the minute she said it, she changed the subject. “So how will today go?”
“This was supposed to be a soft opening, but word has gotten around, and apparently, according to my booker, bigwigs from the production companies, the distributor, the studio, as well as Tarina’s co-stars will be here. I’m still trying to find some lodging for a few of the minor actors. I think they’ll wind up in Salem. Every hotel and motel room within a twenty-five-mile radius of the Bijou is full. And other stuff keeps cropping up. It seems every time I answer a phone call, it leads to more work.”
“Well, I called you, but I won’t make you do anything for me.”
“You’re the one person I’d do anything for.”
Addy smiled. “Yeah, I’d do anything for you too, so let me know if you need help today. I’ll be by right after my appointment with Dr. Pfeiffer.”
“Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
“Well, I’ve known a lot of people who’ve been hypnotized and it was successful for most of them.” When Addy didn’t reply, she added, “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Yeah.” Desperate for a change of subject, Addy said, “Are you going to get a chance to rest before tonight?”
“If I’m lucky I’ll get a short nap before all of this starts. Maybe Tarina and Almondine will go out for a romantic nature walk, or at least, back to Tarina’s expensive hotel room we’re paying for.”
Mazie shared more of her day, and Addy closed her eyes, picturing Mazie talking to her while they sat at one of the little French bistro tables—in France. Mazie had become her greatest fantasy and someone she’d trust with anything.
They said their goodbyes and Addy cleaned her house until it was time to go to Dr. Pfeiffer’s house. She headed over at one forty-five for her two o’clock appointment, trying not to take a mental vacation as she cruised through downtown Wilshire Hills.
Dr. Pfeiffer greeted her warmly and they headed through the living room toward Dr. P’s office. While most of the room was painted in a neutral tone called Siesta, her gaze was drawn to an accent wall, which in Addy’s mind, didn’t fit. An unsettling memory emerged. The first time she’d ever come here at Jackie’s urging, she’d nearly walked back out. Fortunately, she’d liked Dr. Pfeiffer, and Dr. P was willing to meet her someplace else—rather than repaint the wall as Addy had suggested during that session. When I leave today, maybe I won’t be so bothered by it.
The office was exactly how she remembered it the one time she’d been inside—tastefully decorated in earth tones with dark wood. Dr. Pfeiffer motioned to a chaise lounge.
“This is one time when a lot of patients prefer to lie down. You don’t have to. You could sit in a chair instead.” Addy settled on the lounge, lacing her fingers behind her head. Dr. Pfeiffer pulled a chair close to her and gazed into her eyes. After a few minutes of small talk and Addy apologizing for canceling the original appointment, Dr. Pfeiffer told her to close her eyes and take a few deep breaths. “The only way this will work, Addy, is if you really want it to work. Do you want to be hypnotized?”
“Yes,” she said firmly.
Dr. Pfeiffer led her through a series of breathing activities and questions, none of which Addy thought were important to her color peculiarity. When she finally asked, “Addy, what is your favorite color?” Addy knew they were moving forward.
“My favorite color is black.”
“Why?”
“’Because it’s all of the colors.”
“I see. Now, I want you to listen to the sound of my voice. Let your mind float away, like it’s on a cloud…Focus on your breathing. Hear the air going in and out. Feel the expansion of your lungs. I want you to think about the picture you showed me, the one you keep on your refrigerator.
”
“Yes.”
“You’re a little girl and you’re wearing a plaid shirt, but I know you don’t like plaid now, correct?”
“Yes, it’s too busy.”
“But did you like that shirt?”
“I loved that shirt. It was my favorite.”
“What happened to it?”
“Can’t say.”
“Can’t say or won’t say.”
“Both.”
“And you’ve kept the picture, despite the plaid shirt.”
“It’s the only picture I have from my childhood…with my mother.”
“Where were you when that picture was taken?”
“Beckley.”
“West Virginia?”
“Yes.”
“Who was living there?”
“Me. My mom. My brother Oren. And Ted.”
“How old were you?”
“Fourteen.”
“How old was Oren?”
“Seventeen.”
“Who was Ted?”
“He was the renter who lived above the garage.”
“So you lived in a house?”
“Yes, we rented the house and Ted was already there.”
“Did you like Ted?”
“Not at first. He seemed creepy. He was always watching me and Oren playing out front. He’d stand at his window and look out at us.”
“What changed to make you like Ted?”
“He saved me.”
“From who or what?”
“Oren.”
“How did Ted save you?”
“He followed us into the woods behind our house.”
“Why did you go into the woods?”
“Oren made me go. He was mad.”
“Why was he angry with you?”
“We were playing horseshoes and I threw one way off. It hit him in the leg.”
“Did he yell?”
“Yeah. It musta hurt.”
“Was your mother at home?”
“No, she was at work, I think. Or she might’ve just been out.”
“So Oren got very mad. What happened next?”
“He grabbed me by the arm. I started yelling that he was hurting me, and he said it couldn’ta hurt worse than his leg.”