"So you're still going through with the tour?" Karen asked, observing Ana, the cheerful young woman as she packed clothes and various superfluous items into the open suitcase and travel bags on her bed.
"Well, yeah. I mean, Hit List is still going and Daisy's still the Diva. I think that Once might be just what I need." Ana said nonchalantly. She turned to Karen. "I've put your name on the lease for this place, so don't worry about that."
Karen nodded. "Thanks, Ana."
"Have you heard from Jimmy?"
"No..." Karen muttered.
It had been three long days since the 67th Annual Tony Awards, since the night that Jimmy confessed everything about his past to Karen, and turned himself into the police. Their last moment together was something that Karen cherished dearly, but the three endless days and three sleepless nights since that time had taken most of the memories of that night away, leaving the emotions that Karen had felt at that time to be the only things present in her mind. It was bad enough that Jimmy was gone, but now with Ana leaving for her tour as well, Karen knew that she would now be alone in the empty apartment.
"Why don't you try again today?" Ana suggested as looked back and forth between two jackets, supposedly only having enough space for one or the other.
"The last two times I've been turned away. What makes you think I'll be able to see him?" Karen asked.
It was a fair question. In the three days since the Tony Awards, Karen had tried on two separate occasions to visit Jimmy at the Lincoln Correctional Facility, and both times, she had been turned away. She was also informed that, just as Derek had told her, Jimmy Collins was just a pseudonym, and that his real name was in fact James 'Jimmy' Macchia. To Karen though, it didn't matter what name he had: he would always be Jimmy Collins.
"They say third time's the charm..." Ana smiled, deciding to pack the denim jacket over the frilly Brunswick green one.
"I guess..." Karen murmured.
"Well anyway, I'd better get going..." Ana muttered, doing her best to smile as she slung her bags over her back and wrapped her fingers around the handle of her suitcase. She walked over to the door of the apartment as Karen leaned in and gave her a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you so much!" Karen groaned, feigning tears, causing Ana to laugh.
"Hey, don't forget that there are such things as cell phones. Just call me up whenever you're feeling lonely. In fact, I probably won't be settled right away either, so you'll be doing me a favor as well."
"I promise I'll call you!" Karen giggled, pulling away from Ana, who opened the door with her free hand.
"You'll see him again, Karen. I know you will." Ana smiled, walking out the door and closing it behind her. Karen sighed as the realization of being alone crept in. She looked over to the desk at the opposite end of the room and her eyes focused on Kyle's Tony Award, the one Jimmy accepted on his behalf. It was the first time since saying her goodbyes to Jimmy that Karen had even really paid attention to it.
It had always been a dream of Karen's to win a Tony upon becoming a Broadway actor, and she had been bested by both Daisy and Ivy, the latter of course being her rival ever since the two of them auditioned for Bombshell. Strangely though, she wasn't that upset about losing out on a Tony, because regardless of that she was still thrilled to have been a part of both Hit List and Bombshell, two of the most talked about shows to hit Broadway during the season. Kyle's vision for Hit List made him a well-deserving candidate for a Tony, and it was such a shame that Kyle never got to see his work completed. Jimmy had given Kyle's Tony to Karen, as he knew that it would be confiscated by the police should he have kept it with him, and he knew that Karen would take good care of it.
Karen spun the medallion with her finger and smiled. She honestly never thought she'd get to see a Tony, let alone hold one, this soon, not since Derek told her that she'd had too much talent to be a part of the ensemble for Bombshell. That wasn't the reason why though. Derek, at that time, had also told her that it might've taken five years for Bombshell to get to Broadway. Of course, back then Bombshell was known as Marilyn: The Musical, and they hadn't even started the Workshop.
It turned out that Derek was right in one regard, and wrong in another. Karen was definitely too skilled to be in any ensemble, but she didn't have to wait five years to see a Tony. She wasn't sure how long it would be for her to actually win a Tony, but she would remain optimistic and hopeful. For all she knew, this could be her year.
No. This would be her year...
Karen snapped back at the sound of her cell phone ringing, accompanied by a gentle vibration against the table. Karen walked over and picked up her phone, answering the call not even after the second ring.
Speak of the Devil...
"Karen, it's Derek. I just got a call from Jerry. He wants to see us at his office right now."
"What about?" Karen asked.
"I'm not sure, but I could tell by his voice when he called that he wasn't in a good mood."
"But doesn't Jerry always sound like that?"
Derek laughed. "That's true! Even so, it wouldn't be a good idea to keep him waiting now, would it?"
"No, it wouldn't..." Karen muttered. "Okay, I'll be right over!"
Julia smiled, silently observing Michael's face as he slept. The last time she had felt like this was right before Bombshell's first workshop. Although she was initially against rekindling things with Michael, she eventually gave in to his advances and proceeded to continue their affair. Despite her best efforts, her teenage son, Leo, and her husband of eighteen years, Frank, found out, ending their marriage in spite of one more brief moment together as a family.
Although she and Frank had parted on relatively good terms since the last time they spoke, Julia was still uncertain about the divorce proceedings and the impact they would have not only on her, but on Leo as well.
Michael shifted slightly under the covers, turning to Julia, awake, his eyes now open. "Mornin', Jules..."
"Morning, Michael..."
Ever since she had given Michael the letter, the one that was intended to be used to support her and end Frank's case, she had been staying with him, eating with him, sleeping with him. Neither Eileen nor Tom had heard from her since the Tonys, and although she was worried about what Tom would think considering their bond and everything, as Julia stared blissfully into Michael's eyes, it seemed as though all her worries would drift away and never return.
"So what's on the agenda today?" Michael asked.
"Well I've got a College thing with Leo in the afternoon, but I'm free until twelve."
Michael's thoughts hung on what Julia had said, as he recalled when Julia had informed him that Leo had found out about the affair. Having read the letter firsthand, Michael knew the effect that the affair had not only on the relationship between Frank and Julia, but also between Leo and Julia. He had caused an upset in their relationship once, and he didn't want to do it again. "Have you told him about... us...?" Michael asked softly.
"No... I haven't. I didn't think it would be right to tell him over a phone call. He's been staying with Frank for the past few days and... I don't really feel comfortable going over there at the moment..."
"Okay..." Michael yawned. "If you want to hold off on telling him for the time being, that's fine with me." He shifted on the bed once more, reaching around and pulling Julia closer to him. "But he needs to know eventually..."
"I know..." Julia muttered, before leaning over and kissing Michael on the cheek. Julia knew full-well how her affair with Michael effectively destroyed her family. Now she had another chance, not only with Michael, but with Leo as well. She had no idea how Leo might react to finding his mother and Michael once again in a relationship, but she knew that she couldn't screw this up. She had to tell him, lest risking that he find out on his own...
"That was quite the stunt you pulled, stealing Daisy's Tony performance." Jerry sighed, swiveling around in his chair. "I hope you know that because of what you did, there is now an issue at hand that we need to take care of."
"You mean besides the issue of payment?" Derek remarked.
Jerry laughed. "If you think I'm going to pay you when you basically hijacked the Tony Awards like that, think again. You're lucky I don't have you and the rest of the cast fired!" Jerry sighed. "That's not the issue I was referring to though..."
"Which issue are you referring to...?" Karen asked.
"Casting. You and the Ensemble have made it very clear that you don't want to work with Daisy, and we don't have an understudy for her. Now, I don't want to go through all the trouble of hiring another actor to play the Diva, only to have you all refusing to work with her, so I'm going to leave that all up to you."
"What do you mean?" Karen asked.
"You have until next week to find me a replacement for Daisy Parker, or I'm shutting down Hit List."
"Shut it down?" Derek asked.
"You can't do that!" Karen insisted. "Not after everything that's happened!"
"I'm the one that's investing the money into it, so actually, I can do that. And you've all decided that you don't want to work with her. If you want Hit List to run on Broadway, if you want to be a part of Hit List running on Broadway, you will find me a Diva. By next week. That's all."
"What about the shows for this week?" Derek asked.
"The people who have bought tickets for the shows this week will have their money refunded to them." Jerry explained.
Derek scoffed, turning and storming out of the room as Karen trailed after him.
"This is bloody ridiculous!" Derek ranted. "We can't find another Diva in one week!"
"You found Ivy and me in one week!" Karen objected.
"If you ask me, I just think he's still pissed at me because of what happened with My Fair Lady!" Derek sighed. "Look... I have to see Ivy in a few minutes, but I think that we need to get together later on and start looking for a potential Diva. What do you think?"
"Well... yeah, sure. I mean, Ana's moved out now so we can do it at my apartment."
"That sounds brilliant. Alright, I'll call you a bit later then."
With that, Karen and Derek departed. Karen going to see Jimmy, and Derek going to see Ivy. Although Karen was unsure if she and Derek would be able to save Hit List, she had to stay optimistic, she had to stay hopeful, but she had to tell Jimmy as well.
Jerry's phone vibrated against the desk. Jerry shot a casual glance at the phone before rolling his eyes, immediately rejecting the incoming call from Scott Nichols. Jerry pressed a button on the intercom beside him, lowering his head slightly. "Henry, I need you to go ahead and call the ticket-holders for this week's shows and notify them of the cancellations."
"Yes, sir. Anything else?" a voice broke through the intercom.
"Yes... Let's keep this on the down low for now, okay? We don't need any more negative press, especially with word going around that our composer and lyricist is a drug addict."
"Understood."