Joie

 

The second performance ran just a smoothly as the first. The auditorium was packed, and Ms. Lewis thought it was likely a result of word of mouth, people who’d gone the first night telling friends to check it out. When the final curtain closed to thunderous applause, I couldn’t stop grinning.

After the performance, in the quiet of my room, I fell asleep once more with my hand clasped safely in Cole’s.

 

“Joie, I can’t make it.”

What? “Trina, you have to be joking.” It wasn’t even a question. She had to be. It was two hours until curtain call for our third and final performance. We were expecting a sold-out crowd. Ms. Lewis had even told me to expect camera crews from the ten o’clock news. Trina had to be there!

“I’ve been throwing up for hours. I just can’t.” She did sound terrible, weak and pitiful.

Lowering my head to my hand, I prepared myself for Trina’s understudy to take over. Jessica wasn’t as good, but she did know the lines and had practiced with Cole. This was the business. Sometimes things happened, and I was going to have to roll with it. Yeah. Okay.

“I’ll call Jessica.” We would be fine.

“Um. Joie. I hate to tell you this, but Jess is sick, too. I think it was something we ate. We both went to this Mexican place late last night after the performance. She’s just as sick as I am, we shared an entree.”

No. No, no, no.

This couldn’t be happening.

“I’m so sorry.” Trina sounded miserable. I needed to get off the phone. It wasn’t her fault. I have to keep telling myself that.

“We’ll figure something out, Trina. You worry about getting better. I’ll see you later.” I disconnected the phone without saying goodbye. Hopefully Trina would understand.

What was I going to do?  You had an understudy for a reason! This was not supposed to happen. Suddenly, I felt sick.

“Hey, what’s up? Is something wrong?” Eric’s concerned gaze took in my appearance. “What happened?”

“Trina and Jess are sick.” No sense beating around the bush.

Eric’s eyes widened. “Both of them?”

I nodded. “Yes. Both of them. Food poisoning from the sound of it. What are we going to do?”

“You can do it.”

I whirled around at the sound of Cole’s voice behind me. He was already in his costume for his first scene, but he didn't have his stage makeup on yet.

“Me?” He couldn’t be serious.

“Why not? You know the lines. You know the blocking. You know all of it. What other choice to you have?” He made it should so simple. Just do it, Jo. It wasn’t that easy!

“It’s not that easy!”

“Sure, it is. We’ll be fine. We’re two nights in. Last night was practically flawless. Besides, who else could do it?” Cole shrugged, looking completely at ease.

How could he be so casual about this?

“He’s right.” Eric nodded. “You’re the only one that could do it. It’s that or cancel and we can’t do that. We sold advance tickets.”

Dropping my head into my hand, I had to take a moment to wrap my brain around the idea. Could I do it? Cole was right, I did know the lines. And of course, I knew all the cues and props and blocking.

I could do it.

Glancing up to see them both staring at me with hopeful expressions, I knew I had to do this. I couldn’t let the cast down. We’d worked so hard.

“Okay, well, we need to talk to Ms. Lewis about taking over for me and I need to get to wardrobe and makeup.”

“Yes!” Cole cried, picking me up off the floor in a huge hug. “This is going to be epic!”

Rolling my eyes toward Eric, I said, “Yeah, and hopefully not an epic failure.”

 

Cole

 

Seriously, it was like my dream come true.  Not that I wanted Trina and Jess to be sick, but Joie as the lead opposite me in a play she’d written? I couldn’t have come up with a better scenario if I’d tried. Joie would never have agreed to it under normal circumstances, but for her to have to do it to save the day? Awesome!

Watching from backstage as Joie made her first entrance for the opening scene, I wanted to pump my fists in the air and shout for joy. She was beautiful and perfect, and she had the audience eating out of her hand. Since shouting was out of the question, I decided to do something else. When it was my turn to go onstage, I made an entrance, pointing to Jo and pounding my fist over my heart. With her back to the audience, Joie grinned first and then scowled playfully, letting me know she appreciated the sentiment, but it was time to get to work. And work we did.

The chemistry between us was unmistakable. Trina was good, but this thing with Joie was outstanding. We were playful. We were passionate. We were funny. We were in perfect sync. And on that stage, with my best friend, I fell in love.

I’d always loved Joie. I’d always wanted Joie. But for the first time, I saw my future play out before my eyes. Joie and me forever. Married. A house. Kids. A family. In my heart I knew, more than I’ve ever wanted anything else, I wanted to be a family with Joie. The family she never had. It made my heart ache.

I was on my best behavior. All through the play when Calvin was supposed to kiss the princess, Elle, I was professional. Little kisses that wouldn’t make anyone want to punch me. But in the end, when they got their happily ever after, I couldn’t help myself, I had to kiss her. And technically, I had her permission- it was written in the script.

When Elle finally realizes Calvin is her one true love, Calvin sweeps her into his arms, and while his jealous step-brothers look on, kisses her. Cue spotlight. Cue happily-ever-after music. Cue close curtain. Except this time, instead of the closed mouth, tiny kiss I’d placed on Trina’s lips, I went for it. All the pent-up passion, longing, missing, and loving I’ve held in for the last three years- I let loose in that one kiss until I thought the emotions would combust us both. In fact, the happily-ever-after music ended, and the curtain finally closed, and I was still pouring every emotion I’d ever had into kissing Joie.