The Audition – Chapter 8

After Zoey and Loren finished their desserts, Zoey turned off the cd player on the shelf and cleared the table while Loren finished his glass of wine. When the table was cleared, Zoey got her own glass from the table and they headed to the living room to talk more. As they set their glasses on the small coffee table in front of the couch, Loren swept Zoey into his arms as a slow waltz like number began to play through the speakers of the stereo that he had turned on with the remote on the table.

Taking her hand he led her out to the more open part of her living room and they danced as the soft slow waltz played. Zoey marveled at Loren's skill as he led through the waltz. He was amazingly graceful and skilled at dancing. While they waltzed in time to the music, they stared contentedly at each other as they had done at dinner. When the song ended, Loren led Zoey back to the couch and they sat down.

Since the casting directors for the production had told them that they wouldn't be needed for at least a few days while they casted the rest of the parts and that they would call them when they were ready for them, they knew they had some time to relax before they needed to begin rehearsals. They talked about their plans for moving in together, and how to tell everyone the good news. Loren's place was in a nice neighborhood, and they decided that Zoey should move there with him since it was also a little bit bigger than her apartment. She would miss her large walk-in pantry, it was a small price to pay for the larger kitchen she would have at Loren's place. After deciding that, they talked about how to announce their engagement, and decided that a party to celebrate their leading roles, would also be their engagement party. Zoey knew she wouldn't be able to keep her secret from Grandma Redbird when she called her tomorrow, so they agreed to tell her, but no one else until they got the party details worked out. Together, they decided that they would each take the next day to do their errands and clean their apartments in preparation for moving, and maybe see each other for dinner again that night.

After they had planned out their day tomorrow, Loren noticed the time and decided he'd better head home so they would both be fully rested for the busy day each would had ahead of them. Zoey walked with Loren to the door and got his coat for him from the closet. Once he had his coat on, he swept her into his arms, and with urgency they pressed their lips together passionately but gently as they hugged each other tightly. Reluctantly, they released each other and broke their kiss.

"Good night my sweet darling angel. Until the morrow..." Loren said in his silky smooth sexy voice, as he opened the door to leave.

"Good night Loren, I miss you already." Zoey answered as he walked toward the elevator.

She waited in the doorway as Loren waited for the elevator to open. Stepping in, he turned around and with a flourish of his hand, he blew her a kiss. She smiled as she caught it while the elevator doors closed. Once Loren was out of sight, she shut and locked the door and ran to the windows overlooking the parking lot to watch him leave. She got to the window as he was walking down the walk to his car. When he turned around to get in his car, he caught sight of her in the window, smiled, and blew her another kiss. Smiling back, she watched as he got into his car and drove away.

Still smiling to herself, Zoey went to the kitchen to put away any leftovers and clean up the dishes from dinner. Washing the dishes, she could not help but notice the sparkle of her ring in the light above the sink. It was so perfect and she couldn't help but smile as she rinsed the dishes and put them in the drying rack and continued cleaning the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Loren made his way home, his head swimming with thoughts of Zoey and their plans. The drive home was smooth since the hour was late enough that most people were either home or already out to the clubs and bars. Arriving home safely, he parked his car in the lot behind his condo, and made his way upstairs. Once inside locked the door and hung his coat in the closet. Closing the closet door, he made his way upstairs to his bedroom unbuttoning his shirt as he walked. Once he was in his bedroom, he kicked off his loafers, threw his blazer, belt, and scarf on the bed and threw his clothes into the laundry basket by the door. Loren decided to take a quick shower before heading to bed. Once out of the shower, he threw a towel around himself and walked back to his bedroom and carefully hung up his blazer, belt and scarf, and put away his loafers. Once dry, he put the towel in the laundry and climbed into his silk sheets and fell fast asleep.

Once the kitchen was clean, Zoey went made her way to her bedroom to change for bed. Pajamas on, she put her clothes into the laundry basket, put her shoes in the closet, and put away her lariat in the jewelry armoire. She then went to the bathroom to remove her make up and put on her night moisturizer. Finished with that, Zoey went back to her bedroom and changed her alarm for 8 am and climbed into bed to read another chapter or two of her book. Excited by what had happened tonight, Zoey breezed through 4 chapters of the book without realizing the time had flown by and it was now almost midnight. Marking her place at the end of chapter 5, she laid the book down and turned out the lamp.

Sleep once again found Zoey quickly and this time the sweet dreams it granted were of her wedding day. It was magnificent. Everything was perfect and it was all for her and Loren. Loren's dreams were filled with images of himself and Zoey making their life together.