peering into a paint bucket.
‘You might be
right,’ he said.
She smiled. ‘It
would be nice to see Stewart happy, wouldn’t it? He always seems a
bit lost or unsure of himself, as if he can’t quite figure out
where he fits in.’
‘You’re a sweet
little softie, aren’t you Jessica? You can’t fix everything, you
know,’ he told her. ‘Sometimes people have to sort their lives out
themselves.’
‘Yeah, but it
doesn’t hurt to give them a nudge in the right direction
occasionally, does it? Remember when MaryAnn thought you were
having an affair because you spent so much time here? Wasn’t it a
good idea to get her involved as well so she could see what was
really going on?’
‘Oh sure – it
gave her a whole new list of things to nag me about. “Did you tidy
up the prompt box yet, Howard? Is anyone fixing the rip in the
curtain, Howard?” Oh, don’t give me that look, Jessica! OK, OK,
you’re right. Meddle away, my dear – I’m sure you know what you’re
doing.’
‘Thank you,
Howard. Your faith is reassuring. Now back to work.’
‘I would if I
could find what I’ve done with my pencil. You haven’t seen it, have
you?’
Towards the end
of the construction session Jessica was amused to hear Stewart
asking Howard’s permission to turn up a little late for the next
session.
‘It’ll only be
an hour, Howard. Nathan’s invited me to see his end of semester art
display at the college. Is that all right?’
‘Sure, mate –
take as long as you want. It’s not like we’ll dock your wages for
it.’ Howard grinned. Jessica might be right about a blooming
relationship.
‘Thanks,
Howard! See ya!’
Jessica watched
fondly as Stewart and Nathan left together, chatting
animatedly.
Sunday rehearsal,
8.5 weeks to Opening Night
Simone Duchaine
unleashed a venomous glare. ‘You’ve always done what I wanted. You
always will. You can’t help yourself.’
Her deep voice
filled the auditorium, sending shivers down the spines of everyone
within earshot. ‘You’ll do what I want,’ she insisted.
The actor,
playing her son Raymond, stammered a few words but she overrode him
forcefully. ‘You’ll do what I tell you.’
‘Yes. Yes, I
suppose so.’
‘OK, hold it
there thanks – just before Sarah’s entrance.’ Adam bounded up the
steps from the auditorium onto the stage. ‘Very good, Simone, we’re
getting a clear sense of how evil Mrs Boynton is now.’
‘She certainly
scared the hell out of me,’ Howard muttered in Jessica’s ear. ‘What
a deviant old bat. Simone can be scary enough at the best of times,
but this character seems to have possessed her.’
‘I agree! I’ve
never seen Simone project quite as strongly as that. She really is
frightening.’
The rest of the
construction crew looked similarly cowed as they watched from the
wings. Even Tamara seemed subdued, exchanging her lines with Phil
while barely looking him in the eye.
‘Looks like
Adam’s had a word with Tamara,’ Jessica murmured to Howard. ‘She’s
dropped out of seduction mode at last.’
‘I bet Phil’s
relieved. Wonder who she’ll go for next. It’s just as well I’m past
her age bracket,’ he said with just a hint of wistfulness. ‘You
know what the crew’s saying? “Tamara Fitzpatrick? Tamara fits
anybody!” Not that I’d encourage such things of course,’ he hastily
added, seeing her expression of displeasure.
Their questions
were answered at the next coffee break when Tamara made a beeline
for Stewart and plopped down next to him on the bench by the back
door. Several slips of heavy purple paper marking her script fell
to the floor and he picked them up for her.
‘Aw, thank you
sweetie! How ya doing, Stewie? I’ve missed you at rehearsals
lately. It’s no fun that you’re only in the first Act. Want to come
outside for a smoke?’
He shook his
head. ‘No thanks, Tamara.’
‘Aw come on
Stewie, I’m dying to wrap my lips round something hot. You
‘You might be
right,’ he said.
She smiled. ‘It
would be nice to see Stewart happy, wouldn’t it? He always seems a
bit lost or unsure of himself, as if he can’t quite figure out
where he fits in.’
‘You’re a sweet
little softie, aren’t you Jessica? You can’t fix everything, you
know,’ he told her. ‘Sometimes people have to sort their lives out
themselves.’
‘Yeah, but it
doesn’t hurt to give them a nudge in the right direction
occasionally, does it? Remember when MaryAnn thought you were
having an affair because you spent so much time here? Wasn’t it a
good idea to get her involved as well so she could see what was
really going on?’
‘Oh sure – it
gave her a whole new list of things to nag me about. “Did you tidy
up the prompt box yet, Howard? Is anyone fixing the rip in the
curtain, Howard?” Oh, don’t give me that look, Jessica! OK, OK,
you’re right. Meddle away, my dear – I’m sure you know what you’re
doing.’
‘Thank you,
Howard. Your faith is reassuring. Now back to work.’
‘I would if I
could find what I’ve done with my pencil. You haven’t seen it, have
you?’
Towards the end
of the construction session Jessica was amused to hear Stewart
asking Howard’s permission to turn up a little late for the next
session.
‘It’ll only be
an hour, Howard. Nathan’s invited me to see his end of semester art
display at the college. Is that all right?’
‘Sure, mate –
take as long as you want. It’s not like we’ll dock your wages for
it.’ Howard grinned. Jessica might be right about a blooming
relationship.
‘Thanks,
Howard! See ya!’
Jessica watched
fondly as Stewart and Nathan left together, chatting
animatedly.
Sunday rehearsal,
8.5 weeks to Opening Night
Simone Duchaine
unleashed a venomous glare. ‘You’ve always done what I wanted. You
always will. You can’t help yourself.’
Her deep voice
filled the auditorium, sending shivers down the spines of everyone
within earshot. ‘You’ll do what I want,’ she insisted.
The actor,
playing her son Raymond, stammered a few words but she overrode him
forcefully. ‘You’ll do what I tell you.’
‘Yes. Yes, I
suppose so.’
‘OK, hold it
there thanks – just before Sarah’s entrance.’ Adam bounded up the
steps from the auditorium onto the stage. ‘Very good, Simone, we’re
getting a clear sense of how evil Mrs Boynton is now.’
‘She certainly
scared the hell out of me,’ Howard muttered in Jessica’s ear. ‘What
a deviant old bat. Simone can be scary enough at the best of times,
but this character seems to have possessed her.’
‘I agree! I’ve
never seen Simone project quite as strongly as that. She really is
frightening.’
The rest of the
construction crew looked similarly cowed as they watched from the
wings. Even Tamara seemed subdued, exchanging her lines with Phil
while barely looking him in the eye.
‘Looks like
Adam’s had a word with Tamara,’ Jessica murmured to Howard. ‘She’s
dropped out of seduction mode at last.’
‘I bet Phil’s
relieved. Wonder who she’ll go for next. It’s just as well I’m past
her age bracket,’ he said with just a hint of wistfulness. ‘You
know what the crew’s saying? “Tamara Fitzpatrick? Tamara fits
anybody!” Not that I’d encourage such things of course,’ he hastily
added, seeing her expression of displeasure.
Their questions
were answered at the next coffee break when Tamara made a beeline
for Stewart and plopped down next to him on the bench by the back
door. Several slips of heavy purple paper marking her script fell
to the floor and he picked them up for her.
‘Aw, thank you
sweetie! How ya doing, Stewie? I’ve missed you at rehearsals
lately. It’s no fun that you’re only in the first Act. Want to come
outside for a smoke?’
He shook his
head. ‘No thanks, Tamara.’
‘Aw come on
Stewie, I’m dying to wrap my lips round something hot. You
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