I hope you will enjoy this chapter as well!
Thanks again for Lalizi for editing, she did a wonderful job :D
closer to fairyland
The next morning, Anna woke up exhausted and late. She got up quickly and bought herself a cup of tea on her way to the tube station. She was just in time for the morning meeting of the cast.
"Had a late night out, Anna? You have bags under your eyes!", Ethel asked in a mocking tone. Anna raised her eyebrows.
"Just couldn't sleep, that's all", she answered fast.
"Yeah right… I'd better ask Mr. Bates", Ethel responded to her in a snarling way.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mrs. Hughes intervened. "Leave the girl alone Ethel, she's not like you", she sneered.
Anna thanked her with a smile. Ethel walked away and found a seat on the other end of the room, grinning. Mrs. Hughes took a seat beside Anna.
"Never mind her, she doesn't know a thing." Elsie tried to cheer her up.
"It wasn't late last night at all Mrs. Hughes, we…", but she couldn't finish her sentence.
"It's good to get to know your colleagues a bit. And you're young. Have some fun once in a while. I wish I had taken more time for that when I was young", Elsie interrupted.
"You're right, but I'm not the youngest anymore. I've just turned thirty last month", Anna confessed.
Elsie laughed, "It doesn't show."
After that, Robert started his speech to begin the day. Anna looked around; everyone was there except Bates. Mary smiled and looked hopeful at Anna when their eyes met. Anna questioned Mary with her eyes, looking at Matthew and back to Mary. Now Mary smiled even more. After that, they both focused on what Robert had to say. She only wondered why Bates wasn't there, but didn't dare to ask.
Anna didn't find much to do. She sat and walked around a bit with her script. She wrote some things down on it and tried to say her lines in her head. Every time a door opened, Anna looked up to know if Mr. Bates walked through it. But he didn't. After a while, she went to Robert to ask where Bates was. She couldn't rehearse properly without him because almost all her scenes were to be with him and… because she couldn't concentrate without knowing why he wasn't there.
"He called me last night. He sounded distracted, said he needed to go up north. Needed to do some business I'm not aware of", Robert informed her. Anna nodded.
"He'll be back in a few days. You and Mary can go home early if you wish. I haven't scheduled anything for you both today. If you learn your lines, we can go through all your scenes when John is back", Robert added. Anna was already looking forward to it. After that, she walked over to Mary, who she hadn't really spoken to after last night. She was sitting on her own, reading her lines. "We seem to be allowed a half a day off", Anna interrupted her. "Would you like to go for some coffee? I can use some!"
Mary agreed immediately.
They took a cab to the center of the city. Mary needed to do some shopping and after that, they decided to talk over a meal. Anna was very curious and as soon they had left the building, she'd started asking questions.
"So Mary,… what happened when we left the pub?"
"Well, we had another drink at my place. Talked a while. And when he left,… he kissed me." Mary giggled a bit.
"And…?" Anna wanted to know more.
"Nothing more actually; it was a nice kiss… he's kind of sweet and nice…"
"But...?" Anna felt something coming.
"I don't know. We've just known each other for a few days. It was a nice evening. We'll have to see."
Anna remembered what Bates had told her about Mary. She's not easily in love. She only hoped Mary wasn't going to hurt Matthew. After the shopping, they went to a little restaurant and ordered drinks and pasta. Sipping their wines, Mary started interrogating Anna. The wine had made Anna open up to Mary a bit and distracted her from really thinking about Bates.
"Hadn't seen John have so much fun in a while. He really enjoyed talking to you last night", Mary mentioned.
"Did he? I liked it as well. He's great to talk to. We can't seem to stop talking…. and,…we couldn't really talk to you two,… you guys had only eyes for each other", Anna joked.
"Did anything happen when we left?" Mary continued.
"Not really. He offered me to share a cab, and when I declined, he gave me his phone number to let him know when I arrived home safe."
"And, did you use it?"
Anna showed her the messages. She laughed because of Anna's text, but looked grumpy when she read John's. "Doesn't sound like him. He was in a good mood when we left. He's always in for a little joke. Maybe he doesn't want you to think he's into you", Mary explained to herself and Anna.
"I don't know Mary,... and why should he be interested in me? And why I in him?"
"I see it on your face Anna, don't deny it. You smile and blush, and you don't look at me when we talk about him. Be honest!" Mary had a hopeful look on her face.
"I might fancy him a bit… I think he's quite attractive… but just what you said about Matthew... I don't know him well enough. I'm sure we'll both find out more soon", Anna said, knowing well enough she wasn't honest with Mary. I do like him. I wish I knew him more intimately. I just can't stop thinking about him.
Mary had stayed the night at Anna's place. They drank some more wine, fitted their new clothes, Mary gave Anna some clothing tips, they danced on some music and baked muffins in the middle of the night. Anna hadn't had so much fun in a long time. Together they somehow landed under some blankets on the bed and slept straight until the alarm sounded. Again, they started laughing when they saw each other.
"We had a nice night, from what I remember!" Anna giggled.
"Yeah, and we have some really good muffins for breakfast, I guess?" Mary said, still sleepy.
"And for lunch, and for dinner… we made like… forty of them?!" Anna added. "Lets take some with us today, for the other cast members. I'm never going to eat them on my own."
Together they entered, with some boxes full of muffins and their tea from around the corner. As soon as they walked in, Anna saw Bates standing at the other end of the room. He'd seen her come in and came now walking towards them. Somehow Anna was not prepared for his presence. She felt her stomach turn, suddenly feeling nervous. She took a deep breath, but it felt like her lungs were unable to absorb any oxygen. To make things worse, he put his hand on her back. It was burning through her clothes. After his apologies for not being there the day before, Mary left them alone. Anna hadn't said anything yet, but John continued before she could even begin.
"I've spoken to Robert. He wants to go through all our scenes today. He will tell us where to stand on the stage and where we really have to put in some emotion."
"He sent me and Mary home early yesterday, to study our lines. But to be honest, we didn't do a thing. I'm glad I studied very hard the first couple of days. I hope he doesn't notice."
John smiled after hearing that. "I'm happy you two get along and it's good not to be always working, Anna."
Anna was looking forward to spend the day with Bates, but was feeling more nervous compared with their first rehearsal. She was afraid he would notice.
Robert told them what he expected of them and Anna was the one to start with the second part of the meeting between Fay and Thomas.
She walked around Bates in a slow circle and said with a teasing voice, "And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know. There are faeries everywhere: under bushes, in the air, playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day. So listen, touch, and look around - in the air and on the ground."
Bates followed her with his eyes, watching the childish faery tease him. He looked serious but with a little smile, like he couldn't believe he saw the faery…...Like he was dreaming.
After a few seconds, Robert coughed to get his attention. "Bates, it's your turn now. You're in a daze today!"
"I'm really sorry Robert, Anna,… I was so caught up it the moment….sorry!", he apologized, but grinned when he looked at Anna.
I'm glad I know my lines! Maybe there's something on his mind today,... wonder what it can be?… Anna thought.
But then, when Robert wasn't watching for a second, Bates whispered to her; "I'm impressed. You bewitched me little faery, stop it! You make me look like a fool."