Hi Guys,

Thank you so much for your kind reviews over the last two chapters. Here another to keep you going. I managed to spend a decent amount of time writing for Risk over the Christmas holidays so look out for a few installments coming up.

Enjoy...

Chapter Thirty Six – Another openin' another show

That was odd, Jimmy was finally exiting the theatre after a long, hard day of rehearsing. He'd hung around at least 45 minutes after the rest of the cast going through some final melodies in his changing room. Yet as he left he swore he had spotted Karen sneaking out the side door of the theatre. He would recognise her anywhere, but she should have been gone way before him. Jimmy was going to call out her name but she was too far ahead of him and now he'd lost sight of her around a corner on the busy street. Perhaps she'd just forgotten something.

The sound of the door behind him squeaking open caught Jimmy's attention. Derek was also just leaving the building through the grand front entrance. "Evening," the director called down the steps as he came level with Jimmy on the side walk. "A late one for you too?"

Jimmy replied with a nod. Derek just shrugged in response. "Are you joining everyone for drinks?" the song writer asked him as the pair started walking down the street in the direction of the hotel where the whole cast and crew of Hit List had been hold up for the last week.

"I'm calling it an early night, lots to look over before tomorrow, you know," Derek responded. The two men chatted lightly until parting ways in the hotel lobby, Jimmy heading up to his room for a quick change of clothes and Derek heading to the news stand to grab a copy of that day's paper.

Meanwhile, Karen was just about ready to get down to the hotel bar where the rest of the cast had congregated after rehearsals. She was now rather late, but hoped in the excitement of the night no one had noticed her tardiness. She'd pass them all on her way in but managed to hold off on shots with Jax and Ana until she'd at least changed.

She had thrown on tight jeans and a loose cream blouse and quickly and reapplied her makeup, shaking out her long hair from the bun it had been tied in. She really needed to get her hair cut soon, it was ridiculously long at the moment and though she loved it, it was a nightmare for styling on show nights.

Karen shouldered her purse and zipped up her ankle boots that she'd paired with her outfit. She skipped down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button a couple of times to call the lift to her floor. After a couple of minutes the bells chimed and the double doors in front of her slid open, Karen was surprised to see Jimmy inside.

"Hey," she said in a sing-song tone, hopping in and pressing the G for ground floor out of habit even though the button was illuminated.

"Hi, you look nice, meeting the rest of them?" Jimmy asked, taking in her appearance and flicking a strand of her hair.

"Yep, running late as usual. I'm surprised you're not already there," Karen told him.

"You too," Jimmy replied, "Were you at the theatre late? I thought I saw you leaving just ahead of me. And then Derek was there too, we walked back here together.

"Oh, no I don't think it was me," Karen lied smoothly, there was a slight tone of accusation to Jimmy's sentence that made her want to deny her whereabouts. "I've back here a little bit, got distracted though. Didn't realise how long it had taken me to get ready."

The elevator reached the lobby and Jimmy gestured for Karen to exit before him and the pair made their way over to the rest of the cast. Saved by the bell, was all Karen could think.

The audience were on their feet, clapping and cheering. The whole room was alive with the noise. Karen was waiting in the wings watching members of the ensemble line up and bow. Then Jimmy took center stage – the crowd roared when he took a bow. He threw his arm out in her direction gesturing for her to join them on stage. Karen's mind was there but her feet hadn't quite caught up, the noise was so loud and appreciative and the vibe throughout the hall was so excited. Everyone one was buzzing with sheer delight. A hand on the small of her back gave her a gentle shove out onto the stage and then Karen was skipping out the join Jimmy, she bowed before staring out into the faces of everyone watching them. It was an amazing moment, she felt exhilarated.

Glancing back Karen saw a very smug looking Derek Wills standing where she had been waiting moments before, he was clapping and nodded in her direction.

They had done it. Opening night was coming to a close. There were a few hiccups as there always is at the very start of a new performance – but overall it had been a success. Now they just had to wait on the reviews. Karen couldn't find it in her body to care about that right now though. As she left the stage for the final time that evening, giggling and hugging anyone near her, all she could think about was doing it all over again. And then again after that.

There really was nothing like live theatre.

Back in her dressing room, Karen changed into her own clothes and wiped away her heavier stage makeup. She was sat by the mirror when I knock came at her door.

"Come in," she called watching in the mirror as Jimmy came into the room. Karen couldn't help herself, she just squealed, leapt off of her stool and jumped him in a huge hug. "We did it, oh my god we did it!"

Jimmy hugged his friend back just as tightly, spinning her around once, lifting her feet off of the ground. "You were amazing," he whispered into her hair, before pulling back slightly to look her in the eye. Karen was about to tell Jimmy what a fantastic job he'd done too, but she was caught off guard by the look in his eyes. Suddenly he felt far too close to her, but as she tried to pull back he leaned in slowly.

Then, breaking the spell Jimmy seemed to be under, the door flew open and Ana ran in. Karen quickly untangled herself from Jimmy and turned to grabbed the small girl in a tight hug. Together they bounced up and down giggling.

"That was amazing!" Ana praised them both. "You were on fire Jimmy, and Jesus Karen you looked freaking hot, until you know, you died."

Karen just laughed at her silly best friend. Within a couple of minutes they were joined by a very enthusiastic Kyle, who arrived armed with a bottle of champagne and four glasses. They toasted to a successful night of their show live in Boston, together in Karen's dressing room. Then the four of them joined the after party in a fancy restaurant not too far away. Eileen introduced Karen and Jimmy to anyone and everyone, they in turned pointed to Kyle and Ana as key factors in the creation of the show. Karen had never felt so proud.

She'd barely had a chance to speak to Derek all night, when she finally managed to corner him in the back of the restaurant she didn't speak a word instead pulling him down for a long kiss.

"Well, that was quite a greeting," Derek laughed against her mouth.

"I missed you, today has been crazy," Karen told him, pulling him close once more. "Wanna get out of here," she whispered in his ear.

"As tempting an offer as that is, our presence might be missed at this current time. In fact we're pushing our luck a little bit now," Derek said in warning. Karen sighed and made to move away from him, but Derek grabbed her chin and laid his lips forcefully on hers once more. "You were phenomenal tonight, truly."

"Thanks," she said finally pulling away and looking down shyly at his complements.

"I knew it," the pair of them, already standing apart slightly both moved away and turned to the voice that had just spoken.

"Evening Daisy, that was a great show," Derek jumped straight in, ignoring whatever Daisy thought she had seen between him and Karen.

"Yeah, you were great." Karen added, "I should probably get back, Eileen hasn't quite finished introducing me to every person here," Karen said in jest, making her way back into the main restaurant. As she passed Daisy, the red-headed girl grabbed Karen's wrist tightly. "He'll never love you, you know that right," she said maliciously. "You're just a dirty slut who gave it up at the drop of hat. You don't have enough to keep him entertained for long," Daisy paused, looking Karen up and down openly, "trust me," she finished with a smirk.

Karen pulled her arm free from Daisy grasp, rubbing the red marks and nail indentations that lay there. "You have no idea what you're talking about," Karen spat at her. "Excuse me," she said over her shoulder to Derek before strutting away.

Derek watched her go, wanting nothing more than to run after Karen and kiss her wrist, her cheek and tell her not to listen to a word his ex-girlfriend had to say. But he couldn't do that yet. And he knew Karen could handle herself, it was one of the many things that drew him to her. She was fierce and unapologetic – like a fiery siren being full of power and zest.

Derek looked instead over to Daisy, he shook his head and crossed her path on his way back into the party. "Desperation is truly an ugly trait," he told his ex-fiancé as he passed her. Leaving Daisy stood alone in the dark hallway Derek went to join Kyle at the bar. He clapped the young lad on the shoulder and congratulated him once more.

Daisy, seething, stormed off in the direction of the cloakroom. She'd had quite enough of Karen Cartwright for one night. There was just something about the girl Daisy couldn't stand. And they could deny it until they were both blue in the face, but she knew something was going on between that new town wannabe and Derek. There had to be.

A bit of a shorter one but like i said there's more to come. Thanks for reading. Xx Sparks.