Intermission did not come quickly enough for Carrie. She was only in two other scenes in the first act – three if you count the finale – but they went pretty much the same way as the opening. She entered the stage, saw them, her stomach danced and she barely remembered her cues. So when it was finally time for intermission, rather than change into her outfit for the big dance number that opened the second act, Carrie ran straight for the stage door leading outside to the parking lot behind the theater.

Everyone else was inside, presumably changing costumes as Carrie normally would have, so she had a few minutes to herself before anyone else came out. She paced back and forth, her body outwardly displaying the agitation in her mind.

You were completely freaked out until you saw his friend. Don't get stupid over a pretty face.

But what did he even do to creep you out like that? She argued with herself. Ask for you by name? What's so threatening about that? You were just being silly.

Shut up. You're just saying that because you want to meet his friend. Remember, he lied about being your uncle.

He might be my uncle.

The last thought startled her. Yes, of course. A long lost uncle. How... not likely.

The stage door banged open and Carrie's friend Melissa and another cast member, Chris, came out, laughing about something or other that had happened backstage before the finale of Act I.

"Carrie!" Melissa called as she walked down the stairs toward the parking lot. "Here you are!" She frowned as she got closer to Carrie. "Why do you have an unlit cigarette in your mouth?"

Carrie hadn't even realized that she forgot to light up. "Oh. Um," she stalled. "I forgot my lighter inside. I figured you'd be out sometime."

Chris lit her cigarette for her before lighting Melissa's and his own. The stage door opened again and Scott and the director came out, arguing about a missed lighting cue.

"CJ!" Melissa called out, starting to laugh again. "Come over here! You have GOT to hear what Chris did!"

"Shut up!" Chris yelled, good-naturedly as CJ and Scott came over to join the small group forming in the parking lot. Normally Carrie would be intrigued – and probably amused – to hear what went on backstage, but her thoughts quickly wandered elsewhere; namely, back to her earlier argument with herself.

Had she been over-reacting? Was this guy harmless? Or was her judgment being addled by the fact that she had had a stronger reaction, a stronger attraction, to his friend than she could ever remember having over anyone?

Chris's voice brought her back to the here and now. "Earth to Carrie; where are you?"

"What? Oh, sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Oh please," said Melissa, rolling her eyes. "You've got that blond guy from the first row on your mind." Carrie stared open-mouthed at her, and then quickly looked to the other three standing there. Scott was not meeting her gaze. She smacked his shoulder. Hard.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"

"You have a big mouth!" Carrie threw the butt of her cigarette on the ground and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at him.

"I do not!" he protested.

"Oh, please." Melissa rolled her eyes. "Scott didn't say anything; not to me, at least. We ALL saw you staring at him every time you were on stage." She giggled. "It was quite obvious."

"And amusing." Chris added.

Carrie turned on him. "You too?"

"I can't say I blame you." Chris smiled.

"Me neither," Melissa went on. "I mean, he is gorgeous."

CJ threw his cigarette butt down and crushed it with his foot. "Later, drama queens." He glared at Carrie. "Just remember; no visitors backstage and no sex in the lighting loft."

Carrie scoffed as CJ jogged back to the stage door, taking the steps two at a time.

"Well thank goodness he's gone," Melissa sneered at the door CJ had just disappeared through. "He should follow his own rules."

Everyone's reaction was immediate.

"What?"

"What did he do?"

"Oh, come on Mel, you've GOT to tell us!"

Melissa's smile was entirely too sweet and Carrie knew she was up to something.

"I will gladly tell you exactly what I heard." She looked smugly at Carrie. "As soon as Carrie, Miss Level-Headed-Never-Do-Anything-Rash-Or-Fun, admits she's gaga for some guy she's only ever seen from onstage."

"I am not gaga for..."

"Too bad, then." Melissa interrupted, shrugging and feigning a look of innocence. "No gossip."

"Ok fine," Carrie answered sharply. "I was staring at the blond guy in the front row." Melissa and Chris smirked at each other. Scott seemed very interested in a small rock near his foot. "I also saw the two men sitting with him, one of whom came back stage before the performance looking for me."

"What!" Melissa and Chris's reaction were almost identical pictures of shock. Melissa turned to Scott.

"Did you know about that too?" she demanded.

Scott nodded at her and then looked at Carrie.

Chris looked confused. "Why would he come backstage looking for you?"

"Ooh!" Melissa sounded excited. "Maybe he's a talent scout!" Carrie saw Scott struggling not to laugh.

"Yeah, I doubt it. Especially since he said he was my uncle. But I have no clue who he is."

"So, what happened?" Melissa asked softly, her demeanor changing as quickly as her costumes did.

Carrie took a deep breath. "I was the only one in the dressing rooms and I heard someone come in the back door. I went to see who it was. He said he was looking for Carrie Waters. I freaked out because he was looking for me and I was there all alone, so I said 'she' would be in later. I said I'd deliver a message, but he just said he was 'her' uncle and would be waiting for 'her' after the show."

Melissa and Chris looked at each other silently. Scott cleared his throat.

"You'll be fine, Carrie. Just stay with us after the show, make sure you're not alone, and you'll be fine."

"I mean," Carrie continued, thinking of the blond man and trying to remember anything redeeming about his friend, "he did say to tell 'her' that he meant 'her' no harm."

"Right." Scott was regarding her with a clearly skeptical look on his face. "And you know he's not lying because…?"

"Great!" said Carrie. "So, you're saying that now some crazy guy is going to be waiting for me after the show."

"But you didn't tell him who you are." Chris sounded hopeful.

"Yeah," Carrie answered bitterly. "That's where our lovely headshots come into play." She sighed and shook her head. "No. After the performance he will know who I am and that I lied to him, and that I obviously know he's not my uncle."

"I knew who you were when I saw you." Carrie jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. She thought her heart was going to stop beating or else pound right through the front of her chest. Trying to take deep breaths to calm herself, she slowly turned around, but did not look up to meet his gaze. How did they not hear him approach?

"Hey buddy." Chris stepped in between the two of them. "You're not supposed to be back here."

"Where's your blond friend?"

The man ignored Melissa's question and addressed Chris. "I do not mean to harm, or frighten, anybody." He stepped to the side of Chris so he could address Carrie directly. His manner softened considerably but his words were piercing. "I wondered why you were not honest with me."

Carrie let out a short bark of laughter, incredulous at the nerve this man had. "Why I was not honest with you?" She laughed again. "I have about a million reasons to have lied, least of all my own safety."

Something about his eyes put Carrie at ease, so she avoided looking at them, even when he spoke.

"As I said before, I mean you no harm."

Scott stepped forward protectively and stood next to Chris, putting himself as a barrier now between this man and Carrie. If Carrie hadn't been so unnerved by the whole situation, she would have been honestly touched by their concern for her and her safety.

"And as he said before," Scott inclined his head towards Chris, "You do not belong back here."

"Very well," the man said, nodding politely at Chris and Scott before turning once more to Carrie, "I would still like the opportunity to speak with you after the show. He took a step backwards and addressed both her and Melissa. "Good day ladies," he nodded again at Chris and Scott. "Gentlemen."

He turned and began to walk away but he only made it a few steps before stopping and turning back to Carrie.

"I have my reasons for claiming we are family." He paused, glancing from Carrie to Chris to Scott and then back. Something about his mannerisms struck Carrie suddenly as being very familiar. "Until later?" he asked, looking directly at Carrie.

Carrie blinked, his eyes both unsettling and soothing her at the same time.

"Yeah. Sure." Her voice was a bare whisper. A small smile crossed his face before he walked off around the building, back to the front, to the main entrance. When he had disappeared, Melissa turned to Carrie.

"Well, that was odd, but I wouldn't mind meeting his friend."

Judging by the way things were unraveling, it looked as if Carrie might do just that. She bit her lip nervously thinking about the whole situation but before her mind could run away again, Scott draped his one arm casually over her shoulder and turned her so they were both facing Chris and Melissa.

"So," he said, smiling broadly at Melissa. "Do tell what secrets our esteemed director and the lighting loft are keeping from us."