Alexis was feeling great. She sipped her coffee as she read
the newspaper. Politics, she thought. How ridiculous. The subway train
rumbled and she bounced a little, unable to finish the article. She put
the paper down and leaned back in her chair. Alexis was a fairly young
woman, two years out of college. Her career boomed after she graduated,
doing lighting and set design on a friend's small production. When John
Cassidy asked her to design his show, she jumped at the opportunity.
Broadway was a big deal and she absolutely loved the show. She saw it when
it was in workshop and she thought it was beautiful. Two people meet and
fall in love only to discover that the man must marry another woman.
Classic Ricki Lake love triangle. Cassidy wanted a more modern feel then
the original production had. That's where Alexis came in. Actually Alexis
and Ryan. Ryan, she thought as the train halted. What a cool guy. She
thought about last night and how much fun they had together. They were
very compatible and she couldn't help but think about him even after they
departed. She thought about his laugh, his smile … his butt. Okay, so she
didn't deny that there was some attraction to him. She prayed that he
wasn't too good to be true. What if he had a girlfriend, or worse – what
if he ended up being gay? She sank down in her chair. I doubt it, she
thought.
The door to the train opened and a young guy entered. He was probably no older then 21 and carrying a book bag. She recognized him from somewhere. He sat down and put his bag next to him. She glanced at him, hoping he wouldn't notice her staring. Where have I seen him? She thought a moment. Unable to recall whom the man was, she picked up the newspaper and opened it to the entertainment section. The man pulled out a portable CD player and put the earphones on. As he looked up, he saw Alexis and recognized her immediately. He leaned forward and said, "Excuse me." She looked up. "Yes?"
"You're Alexis, right?" She felt a little awkward. "Um yes."
"Hi, I'm Maurice." He extended his hand out to her. "I believe I saw you last night with one of my good friends, Ryan." Of course! She remembered now. The waiter. "Yes, of course."
"I heard you're working on the show too," he said pulling off the earphones. "I'm the lighting director," she said with a smile. "How did you hear about the show?" He leaned back. "I'm in the ensemble. I was in the show early in the production." Alexis was more at ease now. "So what do you think of Ryan?" he asked/ "Oh… well he was very nice. A perfect gentleman and I am excited to be working with him," she replied sounding almost professional. "Eh, that's cool. We were friends in college. I met up with him again when he joined the crew."
* * *
Maurice walked with her to the theater. Props and furniture for the show were scattered around the hallway. "I got to go join the others to get ready. I'll see you later," he said as he walked away to change into his rehearsal clothes. The theater was huge, but you wouldn't have noticed from the outside. The lobby and house was recently refurnished and beautifully painted. Alexis turned the corner and saw Cassidy's office. She slowly opened it and popped her head inside the room. There she saw a desk covered with papers and forms. Sitting behind the desk was the middle-aged, brown haired man known as John Cassidy. Also in the room was Ryan sitting in one of the chairs discussing something with Cassidy. "Alexis, you're here!" He stood and greeted her. He motioned for her to sit down in the empty chair. She did, putting her things down next to her. She looked at Ryan and smiled. "Hello Alexis," he said. "So hearing from Ryan's reaction, I can tell you two will make a wonderful team," said Cassidy. "I was just discussing some of the things we talked about last night," Ryan said. "And I love the ideas, very post modern," Cassidy interrupted joyfully. "Thank you. I'm glad you like them," she said humbly. Suddenly, one of the stage managers, a young, small woman opened the door. "Cassidy, we're ready," she said. "Good," He turned to them. "We've been rehearsing a few days here to get use to the space. We've taken your work to our workshops and they should be ready in time to make our rehearsal schedule before the opening in two weeks."
"Your men work fast, Cassidy," Alexis said. "We have the best," Cassidy smiled. The girl interrupted once again. "Sir, we're ready." Cassidy got up from the chair. "Yes, I am coming."
* * *
All the dancers were warmed up and eager to begin. They waited onstage for Cassidy to come in. Maurice laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Lights covered the view. The sound of the door slamming open filled the room and in walked Cassidy, followed by Alexis and Ryan. "You two can sit in the audience," Cassidy instructed. Suddenly, from out of the crowd of the ensemble members was a cry. "Ryan!" Out of the people ran a blonde girl, young and pretty. She jumped up and hugged Ryan. "Hello Amanda," he said. She was extremely happy to see him. "Hello? That's all you have to say?" She looked next to Ryan were Alexis stood. "Ryan, how rude of you. Not introducing your friend," she said playfully. Alexis smiled at the ecstatic girl. "Alexis, this is my girlfriend, Amanda."
The door to the train opened and a young guy entered. He was probably no older then 21 and carrying a book bag. She recognized him from somewhere. He sat down and put his bag next to him. She glanced at him, hoping he wouldn't notice her staring. Where have I seen him? She thought a moment. Unable to recall whom the man was, she picked up the newspaper and opened it to the entertainment section. The man pulled out a portable CD player and put the earphones on. As he looked up, he saw Alexis and recognized her immediately. He leaned forward and said, "Excuse me." She looked up. "Yes?"
"You're Alexis, right?" She felt a little awkward. "Um yes."
"Hi, I'm Maurice." He extended his hand out to her. "I believe I saw you last night with one of my good friends, Ryan." Of course! She remembered now. The waiter. "Yes, of course."
"I heard you're working on the show too," he said pulling off the earphones. "I'm the lighting director," she said with a smile. "How did you hear about the show?" He leaned back. "I'm in the ensemble. I was in the show early in the production." Alexis was more at ease now. "So what do you think of Ryan?" he asked/ "Oh… well he was very nice. A perfect gentleman and I am excited to be working with him," she replied sounding almost professional. "Eh, that's cool. We were friends in college. I met up with him again when he joined the crew."
* * *
Maurice walked with her to the theater. Props and furniture for the show were scattered around the hallway. "I got to go join the others to get ready. I'll see you later," he said as he walked away to change into his rehearsal clothes. The theater was huge, but you wouldn't have noticed from the outside. The lobby and house was recently refurnished and beautifully painted. Alexis turned the corner and saw Cassidy's office. She slowly opened it and popped her head inside the room. There she saw a desk covered with papers and forms. Sitting behind the desk was the middle-aged, brown haired man known as John Cassidy. Also in the room was Ryan sitting in one of the chairs discussing something with Cassidy. "Alexis, you're here!" He stood and greeted her. He motioned for her to sit down in the empty chair. She did, putting her things down next to her. She looked at Ryan and smiled. "Hello Alexis," he said. "So hearing from Ryan's reaction, I can tell you two will make a wonderful team," said Cassidy. "I was just discussing some of the things we talked about last night," Ryan said. "And I love the ideas, very post modern," Cassidy interrupted joyfully. "Thank you. I'm glad you like them," she said humbly. Suddenly, one of the stage managers, a young, small woman opened the door. "Cassidy, we're ready," she said. "Good," He turned to them. "We've been rehearsing a few days here to get use to the space. We've taken your work to our workshops and they should be ready in time to make our rehearsal schedule before the opening in two weeks."
"Your men work fast, Cassidy," Alexis said. "We have the best," Cassidy smiled. The girl interrupted once again. "Sir, we're ready." Cassidy got up from the chair. "Yes, I am coming."
* * *
All the dancers were warmed up and eager to begin. They waited onstage for Cassidy to come in. Maurice laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Lights covered the view. The sound of the door slamming open filled the room and in walked Cassidy, followed by Alexis and Ryan. "You two can sit in the audience," Cassidy instructed. Suddenly, from out of the crowd of the ensemble members was a cry. "Ryan!" Out of the people ran a blonde girl, young and pretty. She jumped up and hugged Ryan. "Hello Amanda," he said. She was extremely happy to see him. "Hello? That's all you have to say?" She looked next to Ryan were Alexis stood. "Ryan, how rude of you. Not introducing your friend," she said playfully. Alexis smiled at the ecstatic girl. "Alexis, this is my girlfriend, Amanda."
