Opening night had finally arrived. Red made sure Parker worked with everyone to ensure that the choreography was perfect, especially for the lavish embassy ball scene. If nothing else, Red wanted that scene to be perfect. While the rest of the company didn't know the intricate details of why, the added security allowed everyone to relax, especially Lizzie. Since the assault at The Greens, Red had limited the exposure that Lizzie had to the press, and there was to be no photography until the issues with Tom were resolved. She was only doing one-on-one interviews with a select group of reporters that Red had checked out before they could do their story. She'd just finished with one when Kate came and got her for hair and make-up.
Lizzie was in the dressing room applying the finishing touches to her make-up when she heard a loud thump against the far wall, next to the door, that made her jump. She slowly cracked the door open enough to see Eliot standing over a body. Unsure of what had happened she quickly closed the door and went back to her dressing table. She heard Red in the hall, barking orders to remove the body, making her jump again in her seat. After what seemed like an eternity, he entered the room.
"Who was that, Red?" she asked in a shaky tone.
She watched his face from her mirror and could tell that he was choosing his words carefully. "No more secrets …" she warned.
He walked over and sat on the small couch next to her dressing table. "No more secrets … It was Tom." he said deflated.
Stumbling over her words she managed to say, "What? How? I thought …" She shook her head. "How did he get past everyone?"
"I'm not sure. His actions have gotten more brazen and out of control. I put a tail on him after the apartment attack, but unfortunately my tail is no longer with us. He was found in an abandoned warehouse, that looks to have been used as a safehouse of sorts. I've just spoken to Baz, and we think he came in with the catering crew. There was another body found behind a dumpster about a block away, his throat was slashed." He paused and composed himself again. "Lizzie, Eliot is the one that found Tom and knocked him out. Eliot and Baz are with Tom now, so let's put this behind us for now. We have a show to do. Remember, as long as I'm here, you are safe." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, and kicked him out so she could change.
The issue with Tom was the first of many that night. Things were wonky from the start. Aram was having the hardest time keeping the technical aspects of the show going. The lighting was off, the sound was distorted and cues were missed. Next, despite all of the rehearsals that Parker had with the cast, everyone was out of sync during the dance routines. Luckily no one was injured, the cast escaping with just a few bruises and scrapes. The biggest issue of the night, however, that infuriated and angered Red no end, was that the backdrop for one of the final scenes began to falter and the main beam came flying across the stage, barely missing Lizzie and Red. It was a miracle that the show received any good reviews at all.
Despite the aggravation of opening night, the subsequent shows managed to be perfect and sold out. The one thing that seemed to work the way it was supposed to was Lizzie's hard learned Cockney accent. She nailed it night after night, and he swore that she sounded better than Audrey Hepburn when she spoke.
In the days following the disastrous first performance, Red did his own digging into the issues. Aram found that his system had been hacked and controlled remotely throughout the evening. Red knew that Kate, having knowledge of the night of the fire, took any and every precaution to ensure the safety of the stage. She found that the ropes that held the rigging and the beam had been tampered with. After running the fingerprints through every database, they discovered that Meera was to blame. Red confronted her and learned that she was also employed by none other than The Clandestine Production Company. Meera was quickly removed and Red brought in his own trusted publicist, Samar Navabi. She was a beautiful Iranian-American publicist and actress. She had long curly, dark brown hair, and the physique of a model who walked the catwalk and worked out regularly at the gym. Red had found her about ten years back and helped her get into the business, assisting her from the shadows, pulling whatever strings he needed to.
Closing night proved to be worth all of the pain and frustration that had gone before. It was sheer perfection; everyone was on their marks, the dancing was flawless, and Lizzie was exquisite in her embassy gown. Thanks to the distractions and worries of the previous shows, Red had not found the opportunity to truly enjoy the sight. But tonight, watching the spectacle, as she descended the stairs, wearing her perfect replica of the original dress designed for the film by Sir Cecil Beaton, it was utterly breathtaking. Where have I been the last two weeks? Has she always looked this good in that gown? I need to give Saline a bonus for his amazing work. How I have missed this? Oh my, she is angelic, eat your heart out, Audrey Hepburn, he thought to himself. The beads and sequins sparkled gloriously in the light against the cream background of the dress; and the jewelry, if it had been real diamonds and not just fake gems, would have been worth millions. Even her hair and makeup were identical to Audrey's. As the lights blackened for a backdrop change, Red leaned in and whispered softly, "Lizzie, you look ravishing, oh my… I think I need a drink to calm my nerves." He nipped at her ear, right before the lights came back up. The curtain calls were numerous and the standing ovations made his heart leap. He was glad that after this show they could take some much needed time away from the hectic life of the theatre.
They had planned the after party together and she'd begged him to reserve the USO style club in the East Village, he of course granted her wish. Time period attire was a must. They went shopping for a new dress earlier in the week, this time a black Rockabilly 1950's style dress. It had a low cut mock blouse bodice, collared lapels, belted waist, and a wide flared skirt with red tulle peeking from beneath the hem. She paired the dress with red stiletto pumps that strapped at the ankle.
Red arranged to have only a few members of the press present that night. Wanting to limit the cast to any unnecessary exposure. The company ate, danced and drank the night away. After a few interviews Lizzie retreated to the table where Red was seated. He excused himself from the table a short time later and headed to the bar for a refill on their drinks.
Lizzie sat and admired the view, mainly of Red's backside; it was a lovely sight. He was talking to a few reporters and she overheard his boasting. It struck her hard; she'd never heard him talk so arrogantly before. Was it the alcohol talking again, or was he just trying to be funny sticking somewhat to his character?
"She's a marvelous creature, is she not? It's all thanks to my teaching. She would truly be nothing without me, don't you agree? I have made Miss Milhoan famous, don't you see. Perhaps I should start my own school for linguistics. I could be just as good, if not better, than our dear professor."
That was it, she'd heard enough. She didn't care if it was the alcohol or just Red being Red. She retreated to the women's bathroom where she found an upholstered bench in a dim corner and began to cry angrily. After a while, Sophie entered to freshen up, and Lizzie caught her eyes in the mirror.
"Elizabeth! What in the world are you doing in here? Raymond is looking everywhere for you. Oh no, what's the matter? How long have you been in here crying?"
"It's nothing. Just a bad night I guess," Lizzie said, between quiet sobs.
"Well, that's a lie if I'd ever heard one, and trust me, I've heard them all being married to Nate," she chuckled. "This is about Raymond isn't it? He was out there boasting like a giant gorilla pounding on his chest. I've seen him do it before with other casts. It's simply maddening. Funny though, I've never seen him do it to this extreme, and it's never been about just one person. It's almost like …" Her words trailed off and she sat next to Lizzie as she began to think, and it was like she suddenly had an epiphany. "You know, I had a hunch about the two of you. Even Nate said something to me about it, and he is completely oblivious to matters of the heart. I think this confirms it though. Elizabeth, there can only be one explanation for his prideful behavior. He's undoubtedly in love with you."
Lizzie looked skeptically up at Sophie. She'd figured that he loved her, but she never thought about him being in love with her. There was such a subtle difference between the two; a simple line drawn in the sand, that with a breath of air would disappear. Those damn words came back to haunt her once again. "When you love someone, you have no control. That's what love is, being powerless." He'd talked about starting with a clean slate weeks ago, and they had been more open with their feelings, but she still felt something was missing. Was this it? Was it just a simple paradigm shift that needed to occur?
"Still that's no excuse for his behavior," Lizzie spat.
"You're right. But if anyone knows what it's like to be with someone like Raymond, it's me. I swear at times I honestly believe Nate and Raymond were separated at birth," Sophie joked. "You haven't been with him long enough to really get to know him, and he has a very 'complicated' past. But once you do, and you get past that suit of armor he puts on everyday, you will see just how wonderful he truly is. I've only seen him in love with one other woman and that was his wife. When he loves someone, they are his everything; he worshiped the ground his wife walked on and he would have laid down his life for her in a heartbeat. I think it's safe to say that he's ready to do the same for you. "
"I'm not that special, trust me. I'm pretty broken. What do you know about his past? You two grew up together, you must know quite a bit about him," Lizzie probed.
Sophie laughed. "More than I care to admit at times, but there are things that are better left for Raymond to tell you. It's not my place to divulge those details. Trust me, Elizabeth, he will come around. There is a method to his madness. That's what makes him so good at what he does, not just in the theatre, but in all aspects of his life." Sophie paused before continuing. "And, you are clearly very special, to him. Everyone can see it. The way he looks at you, the way he treats you. Do you think he would have opened up his home to just any actress? Look, I know that we've only worked together for a short time, but if you need anything, even to talk, just give me a call, okay?" She gave Lizzie a hug and left.
Lizzie cleaned herself up and had a talk with herself in the mirror before heading back out. "Alright, Liz. You can continue to be mad at him, which you know doesn't do much good, or you can slap a smile on your face and deal with this. For once tell him how you feel. Tell him how he pissed you off. You are both adults, stop acting like a stupid prepubescent brat."
Red was back at their table waiting for her. As she approached she tried to put a smile on her face and appear to be having a good time, but she knew that Red would see right through it, or so she thought.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you alright? You were gone for quite a while."
"I'm fine, just tired, I think," she lied, forcing the smile. Deal with this, Liz! Don't let it fester.
"Do you want to head home? We don't have to stay. Perhaps a massage will help ease you?" he suggested flirtatiously.
Lizzie nodded and they left. The car ride home was one sided as Red did most of the talking, mainly about the questions the reporters had asked him. As hard as she tried she couldn't tune out his bragging, and her anger and frustrations began to surface again. She was beginning to taste the metallic flavor of blood in her mouth as she continued to chew the inside of her cheek. It took every ounce of restraint she had not to punch him in the face.