Chapter Twenty-Five
THE WELLFLEET THEATER was buzzing by the end of the last act, and Jana was positively glowing. It wasn’t just her gorgeous smile that sparked glints of delight in her baby blues, either. It was the way she squared her shoulders and craned her neck to make sure she didn’t miss a single thing happening on the stage. She mouthed the words to the songs, and even some of the lines, as if she’d acted in the play before, which she probably had, since up until this summer she’d been in musicals with nearly all the theaters on the Cape.
When the musical ended, Jana pushed to her feet, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she applauded.
“Let’s go backstage.” She dragged Hunter across the crowded floor toward the doors that he assumed led to the private actor area. She stopped to greet a large man who stood eye to eye with Hunter and blocked the doorway.
The big man’s harsh features softened when Jana opened her arms and said, “Micah! I’ve missed you. This is Hunter. I want to go back and say hi to everyone.”
Micah embraced her. “Good to see you, Jayjay.” He held a hand out to Hunter. “How’s it going, Hunter?”
“Great. Nice to meet you.”
Micah held the door open for them. “Go on back. Everyone will be thrilled to see you.”
Hunter leaned in close to Jana and whispered, “Jayjay?”
She laughed. “Stage name. Everyone here calls me something different. Jayjay, Jana girl, Garner. Whatever comes to them, I guess.”
They entered a large room cordoned off by heavy dark curtains. The room hummed with excitement as the actors’ voices rose and fell, each talking over the next.
“Jana girl!” A redheaded woman ran across the room, calling the attention of the others, and within seconds Jana was engulfed by welcoming hugs and shouts about missing her.
Hunter stood off to the side, soaking it all in, his chest tight with conflicting emotions. He was overjoyed to see Jana among so many friends who were not only excited to see her, but asking her when they could expect her back among them. That joy was underscored by sadness over how much she’d missed out on because of her work situation. Now, more than ever, he was determined to help her see the light and open her own studio, so she could go back to taking part in this other, obviously very meaningful part of her life.
After the whirlwind calmed, Jana introduced Hunter to her friends, and a while later, when they left the theater, Jana sighed dreamily as they walked toward the car.
“Thank you for that.” She gazed up at him and he couldn’t think of a time, except when he’d seen her dancing in the studio, when she’d looked so content. A gentle breeze blew her hair off her shoulders, the sweet scent of her perfume mingled with the scents of the sea, and Hunter slid his hand to the nape of her neck.
“It was my pleasure. I want you to be happy, Jana. I want you to wake up every morning excited to jump into the day instead of feeling like you’re trapped by your life. Between boxing and teaching and handling the studio, I thought you could use a reminder of something you loved.” He stopped walking a few feet from the car and reached for her hands.
“I know you have a hard time with commitment, and you worry about taking the space I offered in case things don’t work out between us, but as I’ve said a million times, I’m in this for the long haul, and I wish you’d take the space and let your dreams come true. All I want is for you to be happy.”
“I believe you.” She smiled and went up on her toes to kiss him. “I want to take the space, but only if you allow me to pay a fair rent and you treat me like you’d treat any other renter.”
He lifted her off her feet and spun her around as he kissed her with all the emotions he’d been holding in. When he set her feet back on the ground, they were both laughing.
“You’re taking it? You’re really going to follow your dreams? I’m so…” He reached for the right words—proud, happy, thankful—and finally decided that he couldn’t say what he wanted to in a single word.
“Seeing you soar is almost everything I’ve ever hoped for.” He slanted his mouth over hers, and she pushed him away.
“Wait, wait, wait.” She was still smiling so wide it made him laugh again. “Almost?”
“I’m still waiting for you to have enough faith in us that I don’t have to hide my feelings in front of our friends and family,” he teased. “Now hurry up and get those lips back here.”
“Oh, please,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I told the girls about us this morning.”
She laughed as he lifted her into his arms again.
“Thank heaven and the stars above. It’s about time, pretty girl.”