He stared at her for so long that she wondered if he'd become catatonic. "Jimmy? Jimmy, are you all right? Say something, please!"

But he continued to stare at her. And suddenly he laughed… loudly, causing her complete and utter confusion. Who laughed after being told that they'd lost the job they'd wanted their entire life? It just wasn't normal… even for Jimmy! This was definitely not the reaction she'd been expecting.

"Jimmy, what's so funny?"

He hugged her tightly. "Annie this is wonderful! Such a creative display of humor! You should be on Broadway doing plays, not just musicals! Oh, or better yet, on the big screen opposite someone really spectacular like… Oh I don't know, Kelsey Grammar or John Mahoney! Now they-."

"Jimmy, this isn't a joke! I'm sorry!"

"Of course it's a joke! I mean could you imagine even for one moment if that were-." His voice trailed away when he noticed that she wasn't smiling. "You're… serious."

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

He swallowed hard and paced in a circle.

"Are you all right?"

"Sure. I'm fine. Well, I guess that's that. It was nice while it lasted."

"You mean you're not upset? You're not angry?"

"Why should I be angry? This is… Oh, wait a minute. This is a joke, right?"

"Jimmy, I told you, it's not a joke!"

He laughed even harder, causing her further anxiety. "This is wonderful!"

Her eyebrows rose. "It is?"

To her surprise he kissed her lips. "Annie, this is genius! Scaring cast members into becoming better performers by telling them that they're fired! It's brilliant!"

"But Jimmy…"

But he continued to go on and on, talking about what a brilliant and ingenious strategy she'd come up with, until she simply couldn't take it any longer.

"God, Jimmy don't you get it? This isn't a joke! At all!" She was yelling now, the result of pent-up emotions. He fell silent watching her and she knew she had to explain but she simply couldn't stop the roller coaster of words that left her mouth. "A-actually it is a joke, Jimmy. All of it and I can't believe you fell for it! God, who does that?"

"What are you talking-."

"The audition, or so-called audition. It wasn't real, Jimmy. It was totally and completely fake! I mean, I don't know how we managed to get you onto the stage to perform when you weren't ever in the show to begin with but it was brilliant, wasn't it? Maybe you're right. Maybe I should be acting on Broadway because that performance was priceless!"

If she had been able to look at him, the sight of his fallen expression would have broken her heart. And so her eyes remained fixated around the stage. "God, it's such a relief to get it all out into the open!"

"So… you used me?"

"Well, not used, but-."

"Then what would you call it?"

"I-I… Oh come on, Jimmy, you must have figured it out. Those two guys, Del and Charlie. They're friends of mine. Well, actually not mine, but Caroline's. This whole thing was a set-up! After all, you just wanted an audition right? And you said that if you had an audition that I'd never have to pay taxes again, right?"

"Right…"

His expression changed, and he ran his hand through his blonde hair, indicating that he finally understood. And then he walked away, exhaling deeply.

"Jimmy, I'm sorry but at least you know now, right?"

He said nothing but disappeared behind the curtain. Just when she thought he was gone, he returned. And the angry expression on his face scared her. "Can't you just say something?"

"Just tell me something, Annie… WHY? Am I that gullible? Do you think I'm stupid?"

He sniffled and the tears on his cheeks made her want to go to him and take him into her arms. But she didn't dare. And at that moment, she realized that she might never be able to hold him in her arms again.

"Of course not! You're not stupid and I would never think-. Jimmy, I'm sorry!" "

"I love you! Isn't that enough? I guess it's not good enough for you, is it? I know about your reputation, Annie, your habit of using men for the pleasure of… well, pleasure. I heard it every day in my dressing room. None of the other Cats would ever talk to me or even acknowledge that I was there, but I heard them laughing and what they were saying about me; about how I was a disgrace and how they couldn't believe that Mr. Nunn would hire someone like me. But I wouldn't listen to anything they said, about me or about you, and all the men you'd supposedly slept with, one right after another. I refused to believe it, any of it. Because you believed in me when no one else would. Even at work, I get passed over for an office with a window. The people I work with think I'm a joke and finally… finally I'd found something that I thought would last a lifetime. I guess I was wrong. I'm just an IRS agent, remember?"

She was crying openly now, silently begging for his forgiveness. "Jimmy, I'm sorry-."

"Damn you! Do you have any idea who much this hurts me?"

"I'm so sorry. I never-

"STOP SAYING THAT!" She jumped at the booming words. "Stop saying I'm sorry! Because you know it's not true!"

"What?"

"Just… Get away from me, all right? You're a pathetic person, Annie Spadaro and I never want to see you again, ever! Do you understand?"

"But-."

"Goodbye, Ms. Spadaro!"

"Jimmy, wait!"

But he stormed away, leaving her on the stage. Oddly enough at that moment the lights dimmed, as though indicating the end of a show and she turned to head for her dressing room. But she remained as she was, frozen in place in the middle of the stage. And it was there that she collapsed into a ball on the floor and cried.