Thank you for the reaction I have so far, please keep reviewing it really helps.
I don't have all that much to say other than enjoy...

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SMASH

Chapter 2 – Why so Silent?

As the clock stuck seven; Eileen sat at the table waiting for her accomplice, growing more and more impatient by the second. Derek on the other hand was slowly jogging around the corner to the restaurant fully aware of his tardiness. As the restaurant came within a stone's throw away he slowed his pace until he was sauntering; casually he smoothed out his suit jacket and thanked the doorman who was impatiently waiting for him to walk through. He walked up to the maître d and asked where his friend happened to be seated. Soon both Derek and Eileen spotted each other and held out a hand in a wave.

"Thank you," Derek politely acknowledged the waiter who accompanied him to the table, "Ah, Eileen, I hope you are keeping well?" he greeted while leaning forward to grace her cheek with a polite kiss.

"Derek, I see you are as punctual as ever," she replied with a slight condescending tone, "I hope you are not going to do this once workshops start."

"I haven't accepted the job yet," he chuckled as he took his seat opposite the producer.

"You will, I guarantee it!" she replied in such a confident tone. Quickly the dinner went underway, smoothly and without a hitch; small talk was made while their food arrived leaving the atmosphere one which would be presented at any normal dinner; and to both producer and director this was any normal dinner. Meanwhile a similar dinner was taking place three tables down with two very important people to this particular story.

Karen was sitting enjoying a gorgeously presented plate of penne all'arrabbiata while Dev was rambling on about the workings at the Mayor's Office. Of course, Karen loved Dev very much but politics was never a subject that she enjoyed and, despite the fact that she is living with a politician this wasn't a view that was going to be easily changed. Therefore as one does when presented with a subject of conversation that one does not enjoy, she simply smiled, nodded and gave the odd reply here and there. "Karen, are you okay?" Dev asked now fully aware that his company wasn't really enjoying this particular conversation.

"Of course, but Dev politics is not really my thing, could we talk about something else?" she asked as politely as possible.

"I totally agree but we're not here to talk politics, can we move on to the real reason for this dinner?" Derek asked as politely as possible but procrastination was not something that he particularly favoured.

"The Marilyn musical, yes?"

"I don't know I heard unfinished musical and dinner on the phone last night,"

"I see, fine it was two in the morning, here just look at this," she stated unimpressed but slid a brown envelope across the table for his eyes only. Curiously, Derek picked up the envelope and opened it; he lifted the content and froze when he saw the one name on the front page that he thought would never reappear.

Tom Levitt

"Eileen," he stated calmly and closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his composure but after rapidly realising that this calm façade was not something that was going to remain, "If you would please excuse me," he said as he stood and made his way for the restroom.

"How could she do this to me?" was the thought that ran through Derek's mind before he bumped into a young woman, "I'm sorry Love, excuse me," he apologised.

"Sorry my fault anyway," Karen replied and promptly moved out of the way for the man to walk past. "He seemed awfully familiar," she thought as she made her way back to the table at which she was seated. After the politics speech, the couple actually found themselves with very little to talk about; typically they had two topics of conversation: the Mayor's Office and the audition hunt. If Karen was truly being honest with herself then she would come to the realisation that perhaps Dev wasn't the man for her. Even through his undying support for her, she couldn't get over the fact that they did actually have very little in common. It has been known that as time goes on relations get easier but then again it has also been said that with familiarity breeds contempt; and with that knowledge Karen wanted to do everything in her power to stop that from occurring. But is the course of her relationship really in her hands?

Derek arrived in the restroom and promptly punched the tiles in front of him, then held onto either side of the sink bowl as if regaining the balance he never lost. He looked up into the mirror and flashes of his previous encounter with Levitt appeared.

The betrayal. The backstabbing. The accusations.

As Derek thought back to his friendship with the composer all the feelings of hurt, anger and denial came rushing back. He knew that taking this job was going to be a truly royal screw up but, he knew that the script had potential and honestly, he didn't think that Eileen could be so stupid as to approach him if she didn't need him or in fact want him to direct this blank canvas.

Now he had a choice: go through with it or walk away. Both choices were going to change his finale, but in very different ways; one could end with a standing ovation while the other could end in an empty theatre. Which is it to be?

As Karen and Dev walked out of the restaurant, she looked up and all the worry and stress she had been feeling was lifted off her shoulders. Now she truly remembered why she loved New York. It wasn't because of the auditions; it was because every corner she turned she had the pleasure of witnessing a new take on the same city. Through the couples walking hand-in-hand, the musicians without a care in the world, the workers rushing home and the hopefuls with dreams of making it on a grand scale. Of course, the latter is the category she fell into but with constant and unwavering doubts that she may not make it. "Snap out of it!" she told herself but she knew that realistically she would have to get a proper job sooner or later if she doesn't get casted, she didn't want to be reliant on Dev. She already felt as though she owed him everything she owned and once again, if she was honest, she didn't like it.

Now she had a choice: carry on with what she loves or walk away. Both are certain to have effects but these – unlike Derek's - are not written. But the clock is ticking and the longer the decision takes the more drastic the effect. What will be her finale?

"I'll do it," came a voice and Eileen looked up to be graced with the face of Derek Wills, but he looked far more tired now and she couldn't help but wonder what happened in his absence.

"I'm glad to hear it, so I will be hearing from you soon?" she asked wearily but stood up anyway.

"Keep your phone near, I shall be ready in the next few days," he replied and promptly picked up the envelope and walked out. Derek knew that going ahead with this project was going to bring back some truly horrid memories and thinking back he wasn't sure if this was actually the right decision to be made. If he was going to make a decision so monumental to his career he had to make sure that it was going to be the right one, but here he doubted himself. As he carried on the route to his apartment he kept re-thinking his decision and even contemplated calling Eileen. But every time his thumb hovered over the call button, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He had arrived home by this point and as he poured himself a glass of scotch he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. "Good luck to you sir," he said while raising his glass to his reflection staring right back. Derek knew along with everyone else that this road that he had picked was never going to be an easy one and he wasn't even sure if it was the right one, but it was the one he chose. He had to remain with it now despite his unwavering doubts.

"Dev, do you think I'll ever get casted?" Karen asked as her inner turmoil was bubbling over and before she knew it the words escaped her mouth without her permission. She knew what Dev was going to say even before the question had registered in his own mind but then she wondered if getting another opinion was necessary. Perhaps Dev's opinion wasn't the most neutral but it was still another besides her own, if you don't ask you'll never get an answer.

"Darling, of course you will, you just haven't found a part you have connected with yet. Don't worry it will happen," he replied walking over to cup her face in his hands. She loved him or at least she thought she did but he was never impartial and sometimes that really irritated her.

A few hours had passed and Dev was getting on with some work from the office, meanwhile Karen was off on the audition hunt…again. After hours at staring at the laptop screen she looked away and pulled her arms up while arching her back to prevent any pain later, it was then that she had realised that they had in fact spent most of their night in silence. She couldn't help but wonder back to their previous nights in and she came to the conclusion that those had also been spent in silence. There was something comforting at the thought of this but at the same time it didn't feel right. This didn't feel right.

A couple of blocks away Derek was lying on the couch throwing a ball up in the air hoping for any type of inspiration at all. He had been working on this Marilyn musical since he came back and don't take his actions to be a reflection on his work, but he had just come to a dead end. He needed something; anything to hit him so he could call back Eileen and confidently say:

"I'm ready,"

"Good so we will meet at two in my office, yes?" Eileen asked after she got the call from Derek.

"Sounds perfect, see you then," he replied and promptly looked at his watch.

12:34

The perfect time for lunch, or at least a snack anyway. At this moment in time Derek wasn't entirely sure which he was going to go for but grabbed his coat and walked out of his apartment anyway. Walking through the crowded streets of New York he couldn't help but bring forward an Oscar Wilde quote:

Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months

He couldn't figure out what exact relevance it had to his day ahead but rapidly came to the decision that is was a quote based on an observation. And how true it really was, he thought and laughed to himself while walking into a cafe to grab a bottle of water and a packet of crisps. As it so happened he wasn't all that hungry to begin with. It was also something he could have on the go as he could think of nothing more intolerable than sitting alone in that great big apartment of his and staring at the four walls. Don't take this as hatred towards his home, but on a day like this why would you want to stay indoors?

If anything the weather felt to be an outward portrayal of his inward feelings; Derek felt happy and finally felt content with the decision he had made. It had been a few days since that first meeting with Eileen and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't figure why on earth he had punched the tiles? Perhaps it was just the feeling of betrayal that had overcome him and almost forced him to do something to let this feeling out. Well, whatever it was he was happy that it had passed and allowed him to just get on with his life – as best he could anyway.

But on a day like this he wasn't going to think about that and just carried on walking throughout the bustling streets of the city he has now come to think of as home. However, with so much to do Derek just couldn't think of anything to do. Ironic isn't it?

13:25

It would take Derek another fifteen minutes to get to Eileen's office – even at his current pace – that would make him twenty minutes early to their meeting. "I suppose this could make up for my tardiness at the dinner," he thought while crunching up his now finished crisp packet and throwing it, rather gracefully, into the bin near him. After pivoting he carried on at his current pace towards his companion's usual place of work but he wasn't quite sure how much longer this office would remain hers. After all her divorce proceedings were becoming rather dishevelled.

Coming in the opposite direction, Karen was walking into the cafe where she worked and headed into the back to get ready for another pain-staking day of pouring coffees and taking orders. She wanted to get out of this job so much that sometimes it hurt but she needed to earn money somehow and honestly she didn't want to go job hunting as well.

"Good afternoon, what can I get you today?" she asked the blonde woman who was examining the menu in front of her, oblivious to the fact that this woman was Ivy Lynn, her competition.

"Just a Caesar salad and an orange juice thanks," Ivy replied with a small smile on her face.

"I will get that for you right away," Karen replied still oblivious to the woman in front of her. Today was going to be a long day she could already feel it.

"They want me to what?!" Derek asked in disbelief and annoyance.

"Audition Derek, they want you to audition but –"

"No, I am not bloody doing it,"

"Yes, you are and there's no arguing. After they see what you can do there will be no doubt in hiring you," she continued. Derek simply sighed in exasperation but knew that arguing would serve no purpose to him so he just nodded. Like Karen, he could also feel this day beginning to drag.

Review, favourite, follow

Thank you