His Two Leading Men

by Aidan Wayne

  Skye grinned back, total contentment blooming in his chest at the words. “I know.”

  ***

  “Call! Places in five!”

  “Thank you, five,” Skye called back automatically, echoing the rest of the cast, as he hurried across the backstage. Where was Russell? He needed to say hi to him before curtain and then get back into position or it’d mess with his routine.

  He skidded to a stop, the tail on his costume thwapping against his legs as he got to the quick-change area, sagging with relief. Russell, who’d been setting up the dancing lego costumes, turned and smiled at him. “Hey, Skye.”

  Skye smiled back. “Hey.”

  Russell inclined his head toward the table holding all the glow-eyes for the show opener. “Yours are all set-up.”

  The music swelled and soon they were surrounded by other costumed actors grabbing their designated glow-eyes and filing onto the stage. Skye picked up his own and put them on, hands trembling slightly as he was hit by a fresh set of nerves. He paused and looked up at Russell.

  A week into the show, Russell knew Skye’s routine by now. He placed a warm hand on his shoulder and leaned in just a little to be better heard over the commotion of backstage. “Break a leg tonight, okay?”

  Skye let out a breath. “I will.”

  ***

  “Skye,” Jan said, coming into the men’s dressing room. “Flowers for you.”

  “What?” Skye swiveled around to face her. She was carrying a small bouquet. Not ostentatious, and in a vase so he could set it on a counter easily. “Who on earth from?”

  She shrugged. “Beats me. It got delivered. Check the card.”

  “Yeah, Skye,” Michael said, flinging his arms over Skye’s shoulders. “Check the card!”

  Skye went to take the flowers from Jan and unstuck the little white card from its holder. “Just wanted to say that I’m looking forward to the show tonight.” he read aloud. “Break a leg. Brent.” He stared down at the card, flashing back to opening night, to the stunning man who had paid him compliments. Brent had sent him flowers?

  “Who’s Brent?” Misha asked.

  “Skye’s biggest fan,” Lazar said, lips quirking. “He saw the show opening night and sought out Skye particularly.”

  “And did it again today,” Michael said, making a show of smelling the flowers. “Yael was right. He did bring you flowers this time.”

  “Is this… normal?” Skye asked feeling a little overwhelmed.

  “Pretty much, yeah,” Michael said. “If people like you, they want to show appreciation. And if they’ve got the money and time to see shows more than once, they usually have money to spend on performers they like.”

  “Really?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Lazar said. “They don’t mean any harm.”

  “Okay.”

  “What’s going on?” Linda asked, coming into the dressing room. The men and women had separate dressing rooms, but they were all theatre people; the divisions were pretty loose. Linda was already in makeup for the evening’s show and dressed in yoga pants and a sports bra for warming up. “Ooh, flowers. Who for? Who from?”

  “Skye’s got an admirer,” Michael grinned.

  “Um.” Skye said. “He was the guy who said hi on opening night.”

  Linda’s eyebrows went up under her makeup. “He’s seeing the show again?” Linda was making her debut in the show too, as Victoria the music box ballerina, and so this was all pretty new to her as well. She and Skye had gotten pretty close from all the practicing they did together.

  “Apparently,” Skye said, giving the flowers one last look before turning back to the mirror.

  “You really shouldn’t worry about it,” Lazar said, clapping him on the back before he went back to applying his makeup. “I mean it. If the notes start getting creepy, that’s when you start to worry.”

  “Is that something that happens?” Skye asked nervously. He was already a little frightened by how attractive he had found Brent. Coupled with the idea that he might be bad news...

  Lazar swiveled around to look at him. “We’re just teasing. But look, after the show, why don’t we leave together? That way you’ve got someone at your back in case he shows up again. Okay?”

  “Thanks.” And maybe they could also act as a buffer, so Skye didn’t do or say anything too stupid. “That’d be nice.”

  “Sure. Now finish applying your foundation so you can get to warming up. Your admirer’s not the only one seeing the show. We’ve got another full house tonight.”

  “Really?” Skye perked up. They’d had one other since opening night. Full houses were his favorite. They brought the best kind of energy.

  “Yeah, mate. And it’s looking like it’s going to keep being full. We’re getting a shit ton of write-ups.”

  “That’s great.” Skye grinned and reached for his foundation. “I can’t wait.”

  “I can’t wait either,” Michael, now in full makeup, said, throwing himself down across Skye’s lap. “Skye, you tease me every night.”

  Skye snorted and pushed Michael off. “I thought Action Ben was supposed to be a ladies man.”

  “Ladies doll, thank you very much,” Michael said. “But no, my buff friend Ben is thoroughly bi and also completely infatuated with the Power Prince. Or so the fans think.”

  “Oh my god,” Linda giggled, “Again?”

  “Latest news from like twelve different blogs,” Michael said, flopping over Skye’s back. “Ben and Prince have a very clear stage presence together. We’re very progressive toys.”

  “Probably doesn’t help that you play it up every show.”

  “You play it right back.”

  “Of course I do,” Skye said with dignity. “I’m an actor.”

  Michael smacked a kiss to Skye’s temple. “Well keep playing it up, because people are liking it.”

  Lazar flicked Michael in the ear. “No one likes a queer-baiter.”

  “I’m not! Ben is totally bi. I very definitely have a crush on Prince. I sing him an ode.”

  “It is true,” Misha piped up, from where he was putting on his setting powder. “Ben does seem quite taken with Prince.”

  “I’ll have to tell Action Betty,” Linda said. “See if she’s up for a little fun.”

  “You will tell Yael no such thing.” Yael played Action Betty, and if Skye knew her she would be up for a little fun onstage. Then it’d be both her and Michael against him, and they all had a chemistry already. He played into it onstage because it really just fit with how they all had interpreted their characters. But he also didn’t need the entirety of the cast ganging up on him.

  The change of subject made him feel better though. It was nice to know everyone had his back.

  “I’m going to go start warming up,” Linda said, waving at them all.

  Everyone else in the male dressing room went to finish their makeup before they filed out to the backstage areas to start their own various routines and warm-ups.

  ***

  Warm-up over and the crowd starting to file in, Skye waited patiently as he got his wig pinned on, then made his regular dash out of the dressing room to find Russell.

  The problem was that Russell wasn’t always in the same place. He usually was in the quick-change area double-checking all the costumes, but not today. After some frantic asking around, Skye ended up back in the female dressing room, where Russell was just finishing the last touches on Iris’s wig.

  “Thanks Russell,” Iris said as she leapt out of her chair, before she frantically got started pulling on her costume. Iris’s pre-show routine involved taking a walk backstage and counting her steps, so she was sometimes late to getting wigged.

  She pecked Russell on the cheek before hightailing it out of the dressing room. “See you both again in a minute,” she called over her shoulder.

  Skye walked forward.

  “Skye, hey.” Russell smiled at him. “Sorry, were you looking for me?”

  “Just
wanted to see you before the show. Lazar said we’re sold out again.”

  “Yeah, I heard. That’ll be nice for everyone. Can’t beat a full house.”

  Skye smiled. “Yeah.”

  “Call! Curtain in five!”

  “Thank you, five,” Skye said absentmindedly, the reaction drilled into him.

  Russell chuckled. “We better both get out there. Break a leg tonight, huh?”

  “I will.”

  ***

  The quick change area was always a frantic rush of a mess no matter how seasoned the cast and crew. It all came down to timed seconds and desperately trying to get into or out of costumes while making sure the wigs stayed on right. It was almost time for Skye’s Power Prince number and he had to get decked out in his light-up costume and then scale the ladder to the top of the tower so he could descend from the ceiling and no matter how often he did this there was always going to be that rush of nerves every time.

  “Hey, hey,” Russell murmured in his ear, like he always did, sparing a second to place a hand on Skye’s shoulder squeeze. “You’ve got this.”

  Skye’s breath caught and he nodded quickly before he bolted over to the ladder.

  Chapter 2

  After the show, Skye pulled off his costume as everyone else did, unpinned his wig and handed it over, then got started on taking off his makeup. He was exhausted, the kind of bone-deep tired that came with expending all your energy for a show and a crowd. He wouldn’t have it any other way, but he also really wanted to go home, take a shower, and faceplant into bed. Probably he should eat something first.

  “Hey,” Michael called to the room at large. “Anyone want to grab something to eat with me?”

  “I will,” Linda said.

  “Me too,” said Skye. Better to eat with company.

  Yael and Misha also chimed in, and so it was the five of them who made it out of the backstage door all together.

  There were a group of people waiting for them there. There usually was now; fans who wanted autographs, or just to exchange a few words with the cast or crew. Since it was such a heavily costumed show, few of them were out-and-out recognized, but some people were pretty dedicated.

  Skye caught sight of Brent as the crowd of people came up to them. He was dressed impeccably again, and looked devastating. Skye guessed he was someone who still believed it was important to dress nice for an evening out to see a show. “He’s here again,” he whispered to Michael, the onslaught of nerves coming back full-force.

  Michael slung an arm over his shoulder (and Skye steadfastly ignored the giggling that was probably a few fans reading into Ben and Prince’s actors). “We’re all here watching your back. He probably just wants to say hi.”

  Brent caught sight of them and smiled, walking over to their group. “Hey everyone,” he said, voice warm. “Great show tonight.”

  “Thanks man,” Michael replied, waving. “Always nice to have your support.”

  “Of course.” He turned to Skye, giving him his full attention. “And the show really was great, but you’re spectacular to watch.”

  “Thanks,” Skye said, fighting down a blush at the praise. Brent was just a guy. Just a ridiculously attractive guy, who clearly had a love of theatre, and who was free with compliments, had given Skye a gift and–

  Not helping. “Um, thank you for the flowers. I got them. I mean… yeah.”

  Brent grinned. “I’m glad. I hope you didn’t mind my sending them. My parents were big on being cultured. I went to a lot of museums and shows when I was a kid, and they sort of drilled it into me that it was only right to let an artist know how much you’ve enjoyed their work.”

  “Oh. That’s pretty cool.” Skye gave Brent a shy smile.

  Brent nodded and smiled to the group at large. “Have a nice night, everyone.”

  “There,” Lazar said once Brent was a little further down the block. “See? Nothing to worry about. Just a fan showing his appreciation.”

  Skye adjusted his bag on his shoulder. Mostly he was glad he hadn’t said or done anything silly. “Yeah. Yeah, I feel a lot better.”

  “Good.”

  “And I’m starving,” Linda said. “Where are we going for food?”

  ***

  Skye woke up around nine like he usually did, groaning as he turned off his alarm. He got out of bed, went to do his bathroom routine, folded away his bed, and then put on some music to start on his morning exercises. He didn’t have a whole lot of room in his 350 square foot studio, but that’s why he’d found a fold-out couch. He’d gotten into a routine with his bed that worked for him. He unfolded it before he left his apartment for the day so it was always ready by the time he got home and crashed, and then put it away again in the morning until it was time to do it all over again.

  It was nice to have a queen in his small space, and folding it up every morning gave him plenty of floor to do basic warm-up, stretches, and his bodyweight strength training. It even gave him room to practice dancing, though he usually practiced at his studio or, when he was feeling brave, in one of the parks. He couldn’t beat the area or the price; he’d gotten a deal at only $1,800 a month, and that was to live alone. With his Broadway salary plus his money from working and tutoring at his dance studio, it wasn’t even a stretch.

  Done by ten-thirty, Skye changed and went to check his email and social media before he left for his dance studio for practice and teaching. One nice thing about being a Broadway star–he was a name, even if it was just a debut. Meaning he wasn’t struggling to find people who wanted some one-on-one time with him.

  When it was time go he grabbed up his bag, made sure he had his phone, wallet, and keys on him, and headed out.

  ***

  “Hi Skye,” Luna said, looking up from her stretches. Luna was seventeen and her parents had her seeing Skye twice a week for the last two months. She’d been a word-of-mouth client from Yael, who’d suggested that Skye’s teaching style would mesh well with what Luna and her family wanted. Luna was getting ready to audition for colleges, and they were currently working on perfecting her routines on top of regular training. She even had special permission from school to use her classes with Skye as self-study time, so she could come during the day now that school was in session. They’d bonded over their names, and everything else was history. At this point, she was basically a kid sister. “How’d last night go?”

  “Pretty good,” Skye replied, setting down his bag to pull out his dance shoes. “Full house.”

  “Oooh.”

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “The play seems to be getting some popularity. With luck, we’ll continue with the streak.”

  “Well, there must be a reason it keeps getting all those positive reviews.”

  “Yup. So how’d that physics test go?”

  Luna blew out a breath. “Don’t remind me. I think I managed a B. Maybe.”

  “Better than I ever could have done. And a B isn’t bad.”

  “Not if I want to get into U of M or Tisch.”

  Skye shrugged. He hadn’t been the best student himself, except in the arts, and he hadn’t gone to a fancy college. He’d just been lucky enough to have family in New York to stay with so he could train and audition as often as possible without having to worry too much about the cost of living while he did so. “Alright, come on. Let’s warm up. We have routines to perfect.”

  They chatted in between putting Luna through her paces. It was actually part of practice, to make sure Luna could talk (and sing) while she danced. That was part of being in musical theatre, and Skye planned to make her as prepared as possible.

  “Alright, let’s move to hip-hop,” he said, changing the song on the portable speaker he had connected to his phone, “With me.” Luna nodded and took her place behind him and to the side, so she could see herself in the mirror. “And five, six, seven, eight!”

  When Luna’s session was finished and he’d said goodbye to her, Skye packed away his speaker and turned off airplane mode on his p
hone to check his texts and scroll through the Child’s Play group chat.

  He had a text from Russell, sent only about fifteen minutes ago. In your area. Want to grab a coffee or something?

  Skye smiled down at his phone. If it’s not too late, yes. Just finished at the studio for today. Can we make it a smoothie instead of a coffee?

  His phone buzzed a few seconds later. Sure. Meet at Juiceology?”

  There was one a couple blocks down. He had met Russell at it a few times before. Sounds great.

  Not wanting to keep Russell waiting, Skye quickly got his things together, switched his dance shoes for sneakers, and left for Juiceology. It didn’t take him too long to get there, so he grabbed a table while he waited.

  Russell got in a few minutes later, caught sight of Skye, and smiled. Lately having those smiles aimed at him made something in Skye stutter.

  “Hey,” Russell said, coming over to him. “How’re you doing?”

  “Pretty good. How are you?”

  “Not bad, not bad. Just dropped off a commission, since it was easier to hand-deliver over trying to box up and ship the thing. Figured I’d see if you were around.” Russell glanced over at the menu on the wall. “You didn’t have to wait for me to order. You’re probably starving.”

  Skye shrugged. He’d spent the last five minutes trying to decide if he wanted a smoothie or a shake. He’d been hoping Russell would help him make a decision. Besides, he always felt weird eating before someone else. “Wasn’t sure what to get.”

  “Okay. What’re you in the mood for?”

  Fruit. Definitely. And he could use something with protein in it. He told Russell as much.

  “What about the marvelicious shake then,” Russell suggested. “That’s a pretty good one.”

  “Yeah,” Skye said. “I’ll get that one. Thanks. What do you want?”

  “The coffee lover’s.” Russell grinned. “So I’m still technically having coffee with you.”

  Skye laughed, and they both went over to the counter to order.