Chapter Two

Forget Me Not

"Congratulations Cassie, we have decided to cast you as Helena."
Cassandra Ainsworth grinned widely at the man, her butterscotch eyes large with pleasure.
"Oh yes, wow - thank you, Mr. Wolfe, thank you so much!" she shook his hand vigorously and once again admired the silk daisies on his tie.
"It's not me you ought to thank Cass, you got yourself the role. And please, call me James dear," said Mr. Wolfe affectionately, sorting through papers on his desk. Cassie clapped her palms together twice in excitement, this was all quite new to the waitress. She was going to be an actress, how fascinating.

Mr Wolfe was a considerate man in his early-thirties. His hair was thinning at the sides but it remained the rich chestnut colour it'd always been. He had the warmest smile going and two crinkly eyes that reminded Cassie of a pair of blue shorts she'd once owned. Cassie had met Mr. Wolfe in her café that she'd owned for the past three years. He'd popped in to place an ad on their pin-board and grab a coffee.
Cassie, had been serving a lady she inwardly referred to as 'Miss Marzipan' due to the overwhelming sweetness of the woman's perfume. She glanced across at the pin-board, surveying the advert with squinting eyes.

"ACTRESSES WANTED
Established director James Wolfe is searching for two actresses between the ages of 18-25 to audition for the roles of HERMIA and HELENA in his upcoming production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare
Please fill out an application form and send it to the following address…"

The man was tall, friendly and if the advert had much to go by, rather picky when it came to his casting.
He'd ordered a coffee.
"Hello, I hope you don't find this a bit funny but how come you're auditioning in New York? Don't you do your plays in Chicago?" she'd asked, stirring sugar into his latte.
He told her that he'd already held auditions in Chicago in the Appallis theatre.
"Sadly dear, nobody fitted the bill I'm afraid! So hear I am, wandering the streets of New York in search for my next leading ladies."
Mr. Wolfe had a vision for this play and he refused to begin rehearsals until he'd found the perfect duo for the parts.
Cassie, intrigued and slightly attracted to his determination had signed up to audition. She'd read A Midsummer Night's Dream, she knew how it felt to be Helena, when it feels like everybody else in the world is playing some game and you don't know and they'd conveniently forgotten to give you the rules.
It's something new to try, she'd decided. She'd always loved going to see things at the theatre, all those people in those wonderful costumes and silly accents and flamboyant tendencies, oh she really loved it! So why not be in a play?
"Why not indeed my dear! Sign right on up," Mr. Wolfe had said after Cassie asked for a form. She'd scribbled her details onto the paper then handed it back. Mr. Wolfe had tipped his hat, winked at her then left the café – secretly thrilled.

When Mr. Wolfe first spotted the pale, willowy woman that Cassie had grown into – he took in the wavy blonde hair and the eager, childlike brown eyes and stored her in his head. She definitely looked the part. Cassie served him his coffee, chatted to him about the troubles of keeping sunflowers stood up straight in her garden, then left. He didn't see her again until the audition, and he hadn't been sure she'd turn up.

Subsequently, a week later – she'd landed the role.

"Now, we have our Demetrius in the theatre this afternoon to collect his script, would you care to accompany me to the sound room to fetch yours? You can meet the fellow." Offered Mr. Wolfe.
Knowing she had little else to do today, Cassie took his arm and the two made their way through the grandeur of Appalis Theatre. Cassie enjoyed it here. The lighting was dim and cast a vintage glow over the corridors, the curtains were dusty and a deep green velvet. There were portraits of actors and actresses lined across every wall, Cassie took it upon herself to make up little stories about the ones she didn't recognise. She was busy pondering over whether 'Mia Harold' had been tragically murdered before Act Three of Othello (she'd cast Mia as Desdemona in her head), or if she'd attacked the actor who played Iago in a moment of spontaneous insanity – when Mr. Wolfe gently patted her arm indicating they'd arrived.

As they entered a small room on the left hand side of the corridor (Cassie noted this in case they tried to murder her), they were met by the image of two men in the technician booth behind the auditorium. Both men had their backs to Cassie.
Mr. Wolfe cleared his throat,
"Good afternoon gentleman, I have just cast the one remaining role in the show! The role of Helena has gone to-.."
But Mr. Wolfe was cut off by the man stood to the right.
He still had his back turned, but the second his mouth released that confident drawl – Cassie knew exactly who he was.

"She's thin, she's blonde and she says 'wow' a lot."

Cassie's eyes glittered and she felt a jump of recognition in her stomach.
Tony Stonem turned around and smiled at Cassie.
"Hello Cassie, you haven't changed." Cassie was speechless for a second then she jumped into excited chatter.
"Oh wow, Tony! This is just, this is so, so lovely, are you in the show?" she asked, throwing her arms around Tony's neck and embracing him tightly.
Tony felt a slight knock at a place he'd locked in his heart a very long time ago, but ignored it and pattered her back affectionately.
"I am indeed, I am directing half the show and have taken it upon myself to play the role of Demetrius."
"That's brilliant, that's really, really brilliant," breathed Cassie.

Mr. Wolfe quickly caught onto the fact that the two were friends. Clearly they hadn't been reunited for a long time, so he tactfully excused himself and the bemused looking technician for ten minutes to attend to lighting difficulties in Act Two.

"How've you been Cass?" asked Tony finally. Cassie shrugged, still smiling wildly at him.
"Tell me everything Tony, right now. Why are you in Chicago? Why are you even in America? How is Michelle? Did you marry her in the end? Have you heard from-.." Cassie broke off, her wide smile suspended for a few seconds, until it drooped, and her eyes glazed over. Tony felt a pang of compassion for his skinny companion. He had heard from Sid, but he didn't have the heart to tell her what he knew.
He held up his palms and smiled apologetically at her.
"Woah, calm down love! Still the same old Cass. Listen – I need to get back to my apartment, I'm already late. You should pop round tonight, in fact – I insist that you do."
Cassie watched contently as Tony stole a scrap of paper from the sound-desk and scribbled down his address.
"I'll be there Tony."
Tony glanced at Cassie for a second, then kissed her on the cheek and made to leave the room.
"Wait," said Cassie, grabbing his wrist. Tony stared at her.
"How did you know?" she added with a slight smile.
"How did you know it was me, playing Helena?"
Tony looked at her seriously.
"I've been stalking you."
Cassie blinked, then smiled at him, eyes wide.
"Wow." She responded. Tony let out a wonderfully loud laugh and patted her shoulder, "I saw you on the audition list. I knew you'd get it Cass."
And with a wink, he was gone.