Let's Put On A Show! Noah Puckerman had interviewed many actresses in his day, from up-and-comers to A-list celebrities. He never expected that a few innocuous minutes promoting a summer theater workshop would introduce him to Rachel Berry, the woman who would finally break through the barriers that life had built around his heart.
In this "AU", Rachel and Blaine have been best friends since high school and still grew up in Lima, Ohio. Noah was born and raised in a Chicago suburb, and the other characters have varying origins, but most of them met under different circumstances than established on "Glee". You know the drill; the characters belong to Ryan Murphy and Company, the OCs, story line, etc. to me. Any use of "real" names is coincidental, unintentional, and completely innocent.
7:30 AM found the little studio in its usual flurry of activity. Lighting and sound checks were taking place and cameras were being fine-tuned for different shots. Even though the show didn't start until 9:00, there always were loose ends to tie up before air time.
Noah Puckerman sat in a makeup chair, a large towel (smocks were just too "girly", in his opinion) covering his shirt and tie, a mug of strong coffee in one hand and today's outline in the other. He took a sizeable sip, eyes scanning the itinerary before he looked up, catching the producer's eye.
"So, Tina, please remind me what this first segment is about…"
Tina Cohen-Chang, headset in place, pushed the mouthpiece up and patiently explained, "The lead actors from 'Once Upon A Mattress' are promoting a summer acting workshop for middle-school students. This is the third year for the program, and we're very fortunate that they decided to come on 'Good Morning Brooklyn!' to spread the word." She paused, smiling gently before continuing, "I know it's not your usual 'cup of tea', but Mercedes is committed to the cooking segment. You'll do great, Puck, don't worry about it."
"I'm not worried," he corrected her, "I just wanna be prepared. Have you met these people, Tina?" he inquired. "Actors can be such divas…"
"I honestly don't know," Tina admitted, "but Kurt is beyond excited."
"He would be…" Noah muttered, primarily to himself. Kurt Hummel, the station manager was a Broadway aficionado and a musical theater geek at heart. However he might feel about the genre (or his manager's obsession…he apparently never missed an opening night), the guy had been nothing but good to Noah and had given him a chance when once open doors had become dead-bolted shut.
Still and all, Noah had been in broadcast journalism (and he considered that term loosely with his current position, no matter how grateful he was for it) a long time, and he had encountered a number of actors over the years, in town to promote their latest project or espousing whatever flavor-of-the-month charity that would up their "Q Score" in the public's eye. They tended to hide between carefully manufactured façades, show-smiles plastered on their faces, bearing the handshakes of aging politicians who had little desire to touch the constituency who had elected them and therefore enabled their livelihood. Sincerity was rare, and given that these people worked on the stage, he imagined they would be cut from the same cloth, probably more over-the-top, but similarly shallow and self-absorbed.
Noah took another drink, looking up at the sound of his co-star sitting down next to him, yawning as she placed her mug of tea down on the makeup table. He smiled and greeted her "Hey, 'Cedes".
"Mornin' Puck," she sleepily responded.
"Late night last night?" he inquired.
"A little," she admitted. "Choir practice ran over, and…"
"And the minister's wife had to stay 'till the end…" he surmised.
"Yeah, basically," she agreed. "A couple of them are so tone-deaf; it's not even funny," she commented with a sigh. "However, praise to the Lord doesn't have to be in tune for Him to hear it," she observed, "so we do our best to work around it."
"You could always cut their mikes off," Noah teased with a wink. Mercedes smiled slyly, diverting her eyes. "Oh, no…you're kidding…wait, you're not…" he incredulously remarked.
"Don't ask, don't tell…" she impishly replied.
Noah chuckled, helping himself to another sip of coffee, which had become tepid. "Say, Sugar…" he called out for his assistant, Sugar Motta, who sat at a nearby table, reviewing his schedule for the day. She looked up, replying, "Yeah, Puck?"
"Would you mind freshening this up for me?" he requested, holding out his mug. "I'd get it, myself," he admitted, "but our friend, Unique, over here," he nodded toward the makeup artist, "…will have my head on a platter if I get up right now."
"That's so right, honey," Unique confirmed. "It's time for Unique to work her magic for the cameras."
Noah smiled softly, saying nothing. He returned to his notes as the foundation was applied, only glancing up to thank Sugar when she handed him his refill.
He placed the mug down on the table, looking over at his costar who was now receiving a significantly more extensive process to become "camera ready". Once he had caught her eye, he inquired, "'Cedes, is there any chance of your swapping segments with me this morning? I've gotta interview these actors about some summer kids program and…"
"Save your breath, Puckerman," Mercedes cut him off. "Everybody loves 'Cooking with 'Cedes'. There's no way I'm turning that over to you."
"I'll have you know that I'm a very good cook," he defended himself.
Mercedes chuckled, replying, "I'm sure you are, honey, but the answer is still 'no'. Now, you hush while I finish getting ready." She took a sip of her tea, setting the mug down and then looking up as mascara was applied.
Once Noah's session in the makeup chair was over and his coffee cup empty, he stood up and made his way to the small kitchenette, where he washed out his mug, dried it, and took it back to his desk. He spent the remainder of his time before the show reviewing notes and returning phone calls. He was about to make another call when Sugar came by, reminding him that air time was in 15 minutes.
On the way to the studio, Noah slipped into his jacket, stopping at a mirror to button the coat and straighten his tie. He looked his reflection in the eye, muttered "Showtime" under his breath, and walked onto the set, taking his place on his designated chair.
"Ready, 'Cedes?" he teased.
"As I'll ever be," she replied with a wink.
"And it's 3…2…1…" Tina spoke into her mike.
"Good Morning, Brooklyn!" Mercedes enthusiastically announced. "I'm Mercedes Jones and this is Noah Puckerman…" Noah smiled and nodded at the camera while Mercedes continued, "Today, Chef James Matthews will be joining me for 'Cooking With 'Cedes'…"
"And I'll be discussing a summer theater program for middle school students…" Noah interjected. "First, our community correspondent Brittany Pierce is live from the Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital to provide some tips on warm weather pet care. Hi, Brittany!"
The show cut over to Brittany at the veterinary hospital, giving Mercedes and Noah a few minutes to stretch their legs and prepare for their own segments. In the background, Noah could hear Kurt's distinctive laughter, and he looked toward the back, where he saw the manager engaged in animated conversation with two people, a man and a woman, most likely his interviewees. Unfortunately, they were too far back to get a clear look.
"Places, everybody," Tina called out. "We're back in 5…4…3…2…"
Author's Note: Comments, questions...what do you think?