ROLE CHANGE CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cal found he could easily balance his training and rehearsal time. What was more, he embraced his new interest wholeheartedly, even the parts that didn't involve kissing, cuddling or dancing with Sophia.
He wondered if this was it; the turning point in his and Ethan's lives. Things were going well for both of them; he loved his training as well as his panto rehearsals, which Ethan actually volunteered to come to, and his feedback was positive and not just to needle his older brother.
Ben and Sara lay wrapped in each others' arms, trying to preserve the sweetness of the moment while they could. They would have one more breakfast together, then Ben would reluctantly have to leave for the United Kingdom again. The next time he left Corvaine would be his last.
"I'm going to find you and Alex the loveliest presents" he murmured to his wife.
"Sweetheart, they'll probably confiscate anything you buy for Alex that they don't deem entirely suitable" Sara whispered, stroking Ben's arm by way of apology.
"Dear God, what kind of people-?" Ben broke off, ashamed of himself. Sara needed kindness while he could still show that to her, not him snapping and snarling about rules.
"I'm sorry" he whispered.
"Come here" she whispered, and he buried his head on her breast, while she stroked his hair.
He curbed his outrage and began to make love to her. The time was never long enough, and all too soon he made the weary journey by train and then plane home to the U.K.
There were two consolations when he eventually reached his flat. Two tickets for 'Sleeping Beauty, a romantic and riotous pantomime' which was obviously to be performed by Ethan's gym group, and, more importantly for Ben, a letter and script from Nicky Lascelles. Monsieur Lascelles thought Ben was good enough to have a role in his new West End musical and had sent him the script. Rehearsals would start after Easter the following year. Ben would be able to throw himself into the work to forget the inevitable final separation from Sara. Like a child hugging a comfort blanket Ben kept repeating to himself, 'I have one more visit there yet.'
"Hey, look who's back!"
Robyn Miller had no inhibitions about throwing her arms round Ben and hugging him when he walked into the ED a couple of days later.
"Robyn, you look brilliant. Have you had your hair lightened?"
"Highlights. I thought I'd go glamorous for the panto. I've a spare ticket, by the way."
"So have I" Ben said sadly.
"Oh well I'm sure yours won't be wasted. Ask Dylan."
Ben didn't dare ask that yet. He'd already been greeted by Dylan, who had looked at him quizzically then said as casually as possible:
"Oh you're back, are you? Still tied up with red tape?"
Ben smiled.
"I can tell you one thing I've been up to" he smiled, passing the envelope over that held the script.
Dylan read through it and commented:
"Looks interesting, but why the secrecy about the whole thing?"
"I've still plenty I can't discuss."
Dylan threw the packet down on the table.
"Well bugger you, then" he growled, and went out to sulk, braving the usual smokers.
The week of the pantomime came. Sophia had thought she was nervous until she saw Cal. He was pale and hardly registered anything that was said to him as they waited in the wings.
"Cal, it's a panto. You'll be fine. I was nervous last year but ended up having a ball."
Cal looked at her anxiously.
"Do people still boo and throw rotten fruit?"
"Re. the fruit[AS1] ; not since Health and Safety laws. As for the booing, they'll have me to contend with if they're mean to you."
She wanted to tell him that she'd felt a little off colour earlier that week but decided that would hardly help him.
She heard her entrance music, blew him a kiss and walked on to sing a song about how happy she was feeling, a typical crowd-pleaser.
Cal's entrance happened soon afterwards. He was pretending to be Adam, a would-be employee at the palace, which was a sly way of sounding out his betrothed. Prince Edward was still resentful that he couldn't choose a bride himself and was determined to be awkward about it.
Ben, from his seat next to Robyn in the front row, knew just what Prince Edward was going through. Dylan was sitting next to him. "I've bought the bloody ticket now, too late to cancel" was his excuse for still going to the show when he was so enraged with Ben.
Ethan gave Cal a discreet thumbs-up as his brother strode on and sang one of the hit songs of the year, about finding ways to be happy. Cal had expected his voice to come out as a squeak, but to his surprise he was singing away merrily with the chorus. Liza turned to Ethan and grinned her approval.
When 'Adam' confessed his deception to Aurora, Sophia had a wonderful time being haughty while Cal, now well into his stride, did an almost Shakespearian job of showing contrition. They shared a duet and kiss and walked offstage, arm-in-arm.
Ben turned to Dylan at the end of Act One.
"It's pretty good" he began.
"I need air" Dylan snapped, and went outside only to find twice as many smokers as he'd encountered on his breaks at work.
Robyn squeezed Ben's arm.
"Don't let him get you down."
"I'll try not to; but I'm dreading our Christmas dinner together."
"Oh, Ben, please don't back out! I know Ethan would make sure there wasn't much food went to waste but I've been waiting to catch up with you for so long."
"I'm still coming; I love your cooking and we've a lot to catch up on. And thank you for never pushing me to tell you about what I've been doing."
"As long as it's all legal, that's all that matters" she reassured him, just as the curtain went back up and Dylan hastily retook his seat.
Everybody – well, almost everybody- sat patiently while the last-night speeches were made and everybody was thanked, from the cast to the backstage staff.
"Coming to the pub with us all, Dylan?" Ben tried to offer the olive branch as they filed out.
"Some of us would prefer to drink with people they trust" Dylan snapped and disappeared in the direction of the canal and his boat.
He was annoyed with himself as much as Ben. Why was he being like this? Ben was his best friend, true, but Ben hadn't actually confided in anybody else about his trips abroad.
The day after the pantomime, Sophia felt nauseous. She was sure she was gaining weight, too, and for a gym instructor, that wasn't good. Plus, she just felt out of sorts in general when she should have been happy. Christmas was coming and there was that huge party at Robyn's to look forward too… what on earth was happening to her?
The thought glided into her mind.
"No!" she thought, dismissing it, "I can't be!"
She'd go to the chemist, though, just in case…
"Cal, you did say Sue was coming over tonight to sit with Ethan?"
"Yeah, she's happy enough to come and he's having one of his lazy moods. It's a shame Liza's not free, but I think he's happy enough to chill out with Sue for the evening. He says Sue's the only person who's up to his level at Scrabble."
"That's good; I want you all to myself" she said, trying to keep her voice light.
"Ooh, that I do like."
Ethan looked through the window and started laughing.
"Sue, come and look at Romeo and Juliet here!"
Sue came to look and laughed good-naturedly. Sophia and Cal were walking with arms round each other, looking as if they were ready for Christmas right then and not at the weekend.
Sue let them in, handed them a parcel each to open on Christmas Day, beamed at them as she received her gifts, and eventually walked out to her taxi, humming a Christmas carol to herself.
"Ethan, I think you could let yourself go a little tonight. We want you to have a drink with us."
Cal went to get the Champagne, but only poured out a full glass for himself and Ethan. Sophia's drink was part Champagne, part orange juice. Ethan suddenly guessed why.
"Ethan, guess what? You're going to be an uncle next year! You'll be even better by the time our wedding comes round!"
To Cal's shock, Ethan's face collapsed like an angry child's.
He snapped:
"Sophie's pregnant? Oh, just great, where the hell will that leave me?"
Cal and Sophia were speechless.
[AS1]