Part One:
The Lights, The Nights, and the Cash
"You know, I came over here to talk," Jesse said, shifting to sit up on the queen bed and letting the sheets fall so his chest was exposed; naturally hairless, with it's young, creamy muscles slightly obscured from too much New York City Chinese food in the wake of high school.
Jade Adams was buttoning her blouse at the foot of the bed. "Good talk."
The smell of sex was muted by low-burning, apple pie scented candles. Her favorite, which Jesse always promised himself he wasn't going to light. Yet there they were, on the nightstand, on the dresser, in a little part of his soul with the past and the music and her. In only the blue blouse and the white panties, she skipped around the bed to sit next to him, and kissed him softly.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"I... wanted to talk to you about this new project I'm working on."
Jade rolled her eyes. She puffed quickly and extinguished the green candle on the nightstand. "You have until I get my pants on. Go."
"Hey, hear me out-." He caught her hand to keep her on the bed with him. She tugged away and started pulling her pants on anyway. "The stars are aligning on this one, I'm telling you. We've got Sue Sylvester producing, she believes in the project, she's just throwing money at it. I'm slated to direct, and we've got Schuester and Pillsbury writing the music and book, I know you love their work."
Jade buttoned her jeans, but shot a sideways look at him. "I do. But you know how I feel about us working together again. It's a publicity thing, I feel cheap. Like the only reason anybody wants me is for us."
"This show is going to be so amazing, nobody could say it's only popular because of us. And we're not a thing, I get that, we'll keep things professional."
"I have been looking for something new. What's the show about?"
"Marilyn Monroe."
Jade turned. "Really? A musical about Marilyn? That's brilliant, how hasn't there been one already?"
"Right? I know she's your hero. I wouldn't have anyone else playing her."
"Well you can't just give me the role," she chuckled, going to sit by him on the bed again.
"I think you're a shoe in. The girls who sleep with the director usually are."
Jade slid along his body, positioning one leg on either side of him so her center was pressed down on his hips, saying with a faint grin, "Well you've got yourself a Marilyn."
"There is... one other thing. Schuester's got a friend from his last show that he thinks should be Marilyn. We're bringing her in to audition as well. But really, who could compete with you?"
She pressed her lips together tightly, fighting the grimace. A girl from Schuester and Pillsbury's last show, who could be Marilyn? She had a bad feeling she knew exactly the one they meant, and it gave her stomach pains. "Who indeed."
Rachel Berry finished applying cherry-red lipstick, and pursed her lips, blowing a kiss to Marilyn, looking back at her in the mirror. She played with blonde curls on her wig, the skin of her face painted white with every makeup trick she could find.
Ethereal, she thought, puffing her chest out and practicing her breathy sigh. Luminous.
"Ha-ppy birthday," she breathed, "To you. Happy birth-day... to... you."
The door opened and she started, as if she'd been doing something wrong. It was only her husband, though, setting bags of groceries down on the kitchen island and starting towards her. When their gazes met, he froze.
"I look ridiculous, don't I?" she whispered, ever insecure.
Finn moved over to her and took her in his arms. "No, no. You look beautiful." He looked at all the white powder and foundation. "But are you playing Marilyn's ghost?"
She smiled her usual smile for him. "I have to be perfect. I have to look the part, and my skin tone is too dark to look like Marilyn without a little help."
"It doesn't matter what you look like. What matter's is that you've got her essence. Her soul. A girl from a small town, who always knew she was meant to be a star. And I'm the lucky guy who doesn't deserve her, but somehow tricked her into marrying me."
"That's why you should go to the casting call for DiMaggio." She wrapped her arms around him in turn. "If we both got the parts, we could be a husband and wife team on Broadway, with real-life chemistry that could translate on stage and we could work together every day."
Finn kissed her on the nose. "I really don't think I'm what Broadway is looking for. Now or ever."
"Well... you did just get laid off," she said gently. "If we both auditioned, there's a good chance at least one of us would get a part, and it would be steady income for a while."
He hardly thought of being a star like her, or wanted to shine up on stage, or could dance at all, but her smile was so precious to him that he found himself saying, "I guess I could go-."
She shrieked happily and jumped to get her arms around his neck, hugging him. He held her up and spun her tiny body around.
Seeing Jade approaching the theater building from the opposite direction, Rachel sped up, heading in at a jog and just barely getting in first. Jade rolled her eyes at the short little girl and headed toward the elevator with dignity, getting there in time though Rachel was frantically pushing the button to close the doors. She huffed silently as they began to ascend.
"Hello Rachel. Will I be beating you today for the role of Marilyn?"
Rachel flashed a brilliant smile. She'd decided not to paint her face, going with the natural tan that made her teeth all the more brilliantly white. "You're so confident, Jade. I really admire that. Especially for someone who's last show did so terribly."
"That production was awful, wasn't it? And yet I still garnered a Tony nomination for supporting actress. Says a lot to the people who'll be deciding Marilyn, doesn't it?"
"Too bad you didn't win. I thought you really should have." She was still smiling sweetly.
"Yeah. It would've looked nice next to my Grammy."
The elevator dinged, at the very top floor where auditions were being held. Stepping into the white hallway, they walked briskly.
"Right. A Grammy from your rock and roll days with Jesse St. James. Do you really think your voice can translate to Broadway the same way Jesse's skills have?"
"There's no voice like mine. Anywhere. We'll just have to let them decide. Say, where's your husband? Shouldn't he be here, being a lap dog?"
"He's meeting me, and he's auditioning for DiMaggio."
Jade held the door open for Rachel, trying not to let herself be shaken. She tried to project confidence, but inside she was insecure. In their teen years, she and Jesse had been each other's escape from troubled lives. They'd made it out of their small towns and into the spotlight with their band Yellow Eye, and their debut album Curly Wigs and Secret Dreams. The sound, unique for the modern time, reflected all of their greatest musical idols; Tom Petty, The Runaways, and Jade's unrequited love: Matchbox Twenty. The album had garnered three nominations including album of the year and song of the year for their number one, worldwide hit, 'The Lion I Used to Be'. The Grammy they had won was for Best Rock Album. But when the relationship fell apart, so did the band. Jesse had wanted to go solo, getting back to the acoustic, folksy roots he had only pretended to have and accidentally fallen in love with, and Jade wanted to pursue her first love: theater. How exactly Jesse had ended up the most sought after director on Broadway was something she realized suddenly she did not know. Natural talent, natural leadership. Maybe he'd followed her to Broadway because a first love was a lasting love.
Walking into the room outside the studio for rehearsals and auditions for Bombshell, Finn rushed to hug and kiss his wife. Sitting in chairs lined up outside the door were two other men; one with geometric features and short, black hair, the other a rounder face and blond locks. He beamed at Jade from behind full, perfect lips.
"Oh my God, it's Jade Adams."
He stood and bowed, falling down at her feet. She smiled. "Whoa."
"My Lady. I am Sam Evans, and I am your humble servant."
"Hello Sam. You may rise."
He stood and shook her hand eagerly. "I'm such a big fan. I heard Jesse's directing this show. You're probably a shoe-in. I'd love to work with you so much."
"Here's hoping," she returned. "What's the hold up? Is someone in auditioning?"
He looked at the closed doors. "No. Some professional looking guy strutted in and we've been waiting ever since."
The doors to the room opened in a grand, sweeping movement, and Jesse walked through, followed by curly-headed Will Schuester and Emma Pillsbury, who took small steps due to the tightness of her skirt.
"Um, Mr. St. James, we really should discuss this. The chorus hasn't had nearly enough practice. Rushing into a performance could be the kiss of death."
"We have no choice, Emma, and please call me Jesse. Good. You're both here." He looked between Jade and Rachel.
The shorter jumped to stand and rushed forward. "Hello Mr. St. James, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Right. Rachel Berry, Jade Adams. Thank you both for coming."
"We have a bit of a problem," Will said. "And we have a need for a temporary Marilyn."
"I prepared the only piece you gave me for my audition," Rachel said, "Let Me Be Your Star."
"As did I."
Emma said, "Well, it seems that won't do. You see, we have a possible contributor to the show here today, unexpectedly."
"We need to put on a show for him, and we need a lead."
Jesse added, "We're not willing to cast anyone finally, this early into the process, but there may not be a show without this funding."
Jade said, "I thought you had all the funding you needed, with Mrs. Sylvester behind you."
"Mrs. Sylvester is well on her way to becoming a Ms. Her assets are frozen until the divorce is finalized."
"I'll do it."
"So will I."
"Easy now," he warned, then addressed the writers, Will and Emma. "Rachel has been in a few shows. We know she has a great stage presence. She's professional and her voice is the epitome of traditional Broadway. Jade's a Grammy-winning artist with the voice of a generation. I know from personal experience she can perform under pressure, for a crowd. What training in dance do each of you have?"
"Ballet and Jazz-tap," Rachel said.
Jade answered a little less confidently, "Contemporary and a little ballet."
"Great. What number have the dancers practiced most?"
Will and Emma exchanged a glance. There was a wordless exchange. He answered, "The ladies have got Smash."
"Perfect. You can both sing it. Will, take the ladies to learn the number, you've got ten minutes. Emma, with me. Come bat your eyes for Mr. Chang."
"That's offensive," she murmured, but her doe eyes blinked a little faster.
"How is it offensive? I'm calling you pretty."
"As far as I'm concerned, this is your audition," Will said, all business. "Good luck." He added softly to Rachel, "Make me proud."
They were positioned in the prop furniture, an office setup, with three other women in their yoga pants and leg warmers. Jade was shaking slightly. The first show she ever auditioned for, before she and Jesse had ever been even looked at by a record company, she'd lost the part to Rachel. It was making nerves come up that she hadn't felt since she was fourteen. At fifteen, she'd taken her first national show choir championship with Jesse by her side.
When the group came back into the studio room, with its hard wood floors and open windows letting in squares of light, she kept her eyes locked on him. He shot her a smile, then mouthed the words, 'You've got this.'
The music started, a demo recording of what Will had written, and the girls bounced with each beat. Two were on either side of the couch, bent at ninety degree angles, and they bumped their hips to the beat. The stand-in for the not yet cast Zanuck, one of the male chorus members named Blaine, was standing to one side with Rachel center-stage.
She started to say, "You ask me how far will I go? You ask me what I wouldn't do... for the sight of my name, as it fills every frame. Yes, I wanna be more than a flash-." She twisted a hand and did a dip.
Jade pulled Blaine away from Rachel, turning him toward her and likewise caressing his chest. "I ask you what I should've done. I tell you I'm willing to learn-." She moved him to sit in the spinning office chair, and climbed into his lap to straddle him. "-So enroll me in school, in your kid-ney shaped pool-." She set her hands on his shoulders and dropped back, letting brown hair fall back. "In a two piece I make quite a-." She pulled herself back up and pressed their chests together, saying languidly, "Splash. Cause I wanna be your... smash."
She stood and moved to one side, while Rachel moved to the other. The other girls were lined up, and they all sang, "Yes I wanna be your... hit and run! 'Til I've won every heart!"
Rachel said, her voice breathy but still strong and classical, "Be a queen to each king, or mechanic."
Everyone whispered, "Plus you Mr. Zanuck. But first, Mr, you have to give-me-the-part-!"
They spun Zanuck around in his chair and he stood, sitting down on the couch. Jade went around the back, while Rachel and the others crowded around on their knees in front of him. She rubbed his shoulders.
"I know all the tricks of the trade. I've even invented a few."
"Now your interest is mounting," Rachel chirped, rubbing his thigh.
Jade folded herself over the couch and landed, laying, in Blaine's lap. Her voice was raspy, bluesy power, not tailored or elegant compared to Rachel's, but she hit every note. "And soon we'll be counting: The lights-."
"And the nights-."
"And the-," they all gasped, then called, "Cash! Cause I'm gonna be your smash! Yes, I'm gonna be your smash! Won't you help me be your-."
Jade rolled and they all stood, in formation, with their hands on their hips, and bopped to the three, distinct beats. When the chorus sang, they were together, but Rachel's voice naturally jumped to the front with volume. Jade's voice rose to a beautiful scream, which she pulled from the tips of her toes and the bottom of her rock and roll roots. "SMASH-!"
Rachel stole a glance at her when the note ended and they all held their poses. A glare colored her pretty face. The scream was definitely off book, and she hoped it wasn't too much. Jesse was smiling. Mr. Chang, who'd been watching silently, stood and started clapping.
"Wow!" He laughed. "You've got your funding. I'd like to double my offer! That was phenomenal. But tell me: which of these beautiful ladies is our star?"
"We haven't cast Marilyn yet," Jesse said, "But you can see we have a plethora of talent to choose from. Thank you so much for your support."
The men exchanged a firm handshake. When Mr. Chang was on his way out, he approached Jade. "I'm a big fan by the way. My wife has the Dave Matthews Band fire dancer on one butt cheek and the lion in the powdered wig from your album on the other."
"Thank you, that's very flattering. Few people know, Jesse actually drew that himself. We liked it so we just made it the album cover."
"Amazing. Great meeting you."
Jesse walked him out, and the air instantly brightened, tension melting away to pats on the back and congratulations. Emma jumped into Will's arms and he squeezed her tightly.
Jade asked, no one in particular, "Are they married?"
To her surprise, Rachel answered, murmuring the gossip with a pretty smile on her face. "No. Will is married to someone else. They've just worked together for most of their lives, and they're best friends and she's madly in love with him and he's too stupid to see it."
"I thought he was your friend."
"He is, but really, it's obvious. He and his pretty, young wife are separated at the moment, though. If little Miss Pillsbury were brave enough to make her move, he'd be hers for the taking. But that's a big if."
"You know, you're kind of a bitch," Jade said, not looking over. "But that's a good thing. Now I won't have to feel guilty when I smoke you for Marilyn."
She practically laughed her response. "Are you kidding me? I just smoked you like a Cuban cigar. My performance was flawless and in character. You throwing your little scream in at the end deviated from the harmonizing, and probably lost you the part."
"I'm not going to argue with you."
"Too bad, I was having fun."