Summer in NYC Part I

As the two couples in Europe began to prepare for the journey home, those that they had left behind in New York had been enjoying life to the full in all of its many forms. With no school to worry about, and less work for some due to shorter opening hours, it had been a time to relax and enjoy themselves. Nick had taken full advantage of his new kitchen to experiment with new ideas, and as ever, Jeff and Mike had been his willing guinea pigs. He had focused on fish; he had found an excellent fishmonger on a walk through the village one afternoon, and suddenly realised that he hardly ever cooked it. True, Mike would add shrimp to his stir fries, and he would make a fish pie every so often, but that was about it. He had made his way to Union Square, and had bought a cookbook on fish. Thus began a period of experimentation with seafood in all of its forms. He began by making a chowder, then grilled some tuna steaks with a nice marinade in the first two days. Of course, he could not go over completely to fish for a long period, as it would eventually result in a pizza delivery when his two roommates had decided they had had enough of it. As for Caleb, he decided that fish was quite an acceptable addition to his diet, and wolfed down all the trimmings quite happily.

Then on the middle Sunday of the European excursion, there was an excursion en masse to Port Jefferson on the LIRR, with taxis booked to collect them all at the station. Mike had elected to stay in town, as he had a shift at the Spotlight in any case, but Nick and Jeff had been joined by Beats, Flint, Sebastian, Dave, Kitty and Artie on what was their first proper trip to the beach house. They had all seen the photos, but nothing could quite have prepared the guests for the actual beauty of the place. The fact that the sky was cloudless, and the breeze gentle and pleasant made the whole thing even better. They walked around from room to room as Nick went to work in the kitchen, Jeff proudly showing the place off. They were all pleased to discover their was an accessible bedroom on the ground level, which meant that there would be no issue with Artie staying over, and the fact that there was even a ramp right down to the water's edge at the beach made it perfect.

They all ended up around the pool, sharing the lunch that Nick had prepared. As well as the sandwiches that he had made up on arrival, there were little sausage rolls and small savoury tarts that he had baked the night before, and a selection of cake and cookies. Jeff had ensured that there was ice cream, having used the machine at the Spotlight to make up two special batches the night before, the cold dessert then transported in a cool box to the house. They all soaked up the sun, and generally enjoyed themselves. The temptation not to return home at the end of the day was great, but Artie had filming scheduled for his summer project the next day; Dave and Sebastian had plans; Nick and Jeff had work, and Flint had to be up early the next morning to meet his cousin at the Port Authority. So it was with reluctance that they headed back into the city on the train, then after saying farewell to Sebastian and Dave, they all headed downtown on the same train.

The next morning found Flint standing at the Port Authority bus terminal just after 4am, awaiting the Greyhound bus that his cousin had climbed on board in Kansas some 31 hours ago. He could only imagine how tired he would be having spent more than a day rattling across country from the nearest stop to that other Manhattan in Topeka. Flint couldn't stop yawning as he waited for the bus to arrive, but he had to keep his wits about him. The place was not as notorious as it had been once upon a time, but it still wasn't the nicest place to be at this early hour of the morning. He was glad when the bus appeared slightly early, and even more pleased to see that one of the first people to step off was his cousin. On seeing Flint, Leo ran over and pulled him into a hug, which startled him for a moment, until Leo quipped "Thank God that is over! I might never go home now, not if it means having to face that bus journey again! I think that I need to lie down for a while, if that's okay…"

Flint laughed, then said "It's more than okay by me. My intention was that we went and grabbed a cab, had a quick drink and a bite to eat once we get to my place, then both head to bed for a few hours. Plus you can get a shower if you want."

"A shower," sighed Leo. "Right now, that is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me…"

In no time they were heading downtown in a cab, and Flint was keenly aware that even though he was tired, Leo was still taking in all the sights around him. His face lit up as he glimpsed the Empire State Building along 34th Street, still lit up in the early light, and then as they approached the West Village, he pointed out the skyscrapers at the tip of the island in the far distance. Having shown Leo to the guest bedroom, he went to make him a mug of hot chocolate to help him sleep, but on returning to the room with the mug, he found that he hadn't needed to after all; his cousin was fast asleep, fully clothed, on the top of the bed. Flint chuckled, then left him to it, drinking the hot chocolate himself before he headed back to his own bed.

Ethan had eaten his breakfast and was preparing to head out to check out a few books at the public library when Flint emerged from his room. He walked into the kitchen, wished his roommate a good morning, then headed straight back out again, yawning. Ethan chuckled and put on some coffee, knowing that his trip to the library could wait a few more minutes. As the coffee finished brewing, he became aware that there were now two people at the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hey, so this is my cousin Leo. Leo, this is Ethan Mackenzie, roommate and old Dalton buddy. As you can see, he knows what the most important task of the day is, and he has put the coffee on. So, cereal or toast, or both for that matter, for breakfast?"

"Actually, Flint, I popped out for some bagels when I got up this morning, so there is another option," Ethan replied, smiling at the new arrival. "What would you say to one of those with some scrambled egg. I have time to fix it up before I have to head out…"

"You certainly have your roommate well trained, cuz! A toasted bagel with scrambled egg would be absolutely perfect, thanks. It is also really good of you to let me come and stay here with you guys. I know that the two of you are still settling in, so it was really kind of you to let a stranger come along and complicate things further," replied Leo.

"No, it's cool, and not a problem. Between you and me, Flint doesn't know it yet but half of my extended family will be coming here for Thanksgiving…" responded Ethan with a grin. Flint just shook his head, at the same time hoping that his friend was joking.

"Well, I will try not to get in your way in any case. You'll have work and other stuff to get on with, so once I've found my bearings I will let you guys get on with your lives. As my mom told me a million times before I left, you can't really get lost in Manhattan as all the streets are numbered. I failed to point out to her that you guys live in a part with street names as she would have had a breakdown. She is stressed out at me being here."

"As long as you can find your way to the subway, then you will be okay," said Ethan. "Plus we can show you how to get to Flint's little investment business, The Spotlight Diner, and once you're there, they will get you home."

Leo smiled at that. "I have heard all about that; his mom was really impressed by it…"

"In other words, Ethan, she is bragging about it non-stop to the Ladies Circle, and at Friday night dinner," said Flint, knowing his mom all too well. "It will make a change of topic for them all at least. She had probably been talking about Izzy for months on end…"

Leo nodded, and replied, "Yep. 'My future daughter-in-law, the paediatrician' is the usual start line, no matter how many times your dad points out to her that the two of you aren't even engaged yet."

"In her eyes, I am already married to Izzy, and have a whole string of adorable kids," Flint said with a groan. "She hasn't started to badger me about getting Izzy a ring yet, but she will soon… Still, at least she isn't buying one for me and giving it to Berniece Rubens to save me time…"

Leo looked at him, and then the two of them burst out laughing. As for Ethan, he just shook his head and carried on with his cooking. It looked as if having Leo to stay for a few weeks would be a lot of fun…

By the end of that week, Leo felt completely at home both in the apartment and in New York. He had been introduced to the legendary Beats, as he put it, that first afternoon, when he came down to invite the three of them upstairs for dinner that night. There he had been introduced to Josh and Elliott, and he had taken to both of them at once. In Josh he found someone of the same age, which was always a bonus, and he was also curious to meet Scott, his boyfriend. He had known that he would meet more out and proud gay people here than he was ever likely to meet back in the small town world of Kansas; indeed, he had known only one guy in his high school that had been open about his sexuality, although he suspected that he would not be the only one to come out in the end. Escaping to college was the way for many of them, and those that were heading off to Chicago, L.A. or San Francisco - well he had his suspicions about a few of them…

He was introduced to his cousin's other friends as well. To him, Nick and Jeff were a revelation; they along with Colin and Edward were quite clearly deeply in love, and it made him smile not to just to see the little signs between them, but also how open and honest they were about it. If two guys had dared to hold hands whilst walking down the street back home…

He also fell in love with the concept of the Spotlight. The idea of singing wait staff did seem like a cheesy movie plot, but here it was just a celebration of the way that life was in the big city. Yes it was busy and crowded and in a rush. It really didn't sleep, as the song said. The stores were bigger and there was far more choice, but that did come at a cost. He had done the grocery run to Brooklyn with Flint, and was shocked at the price of some things here, compared to home.

Then on the Friday, he was informed that they were going out to a club. When Flint handed him a perfect fake ID, he was shocked, never imagining that his straight laced cousin would condone such things, but he was also grateful. He didn't expect either that the club in question would be a gay club. After initial doubts, he ended up having a whale of a time, being dragged up first to dance between Colin and Edward, then watching in slight shock as Flint danced shirtless with Beats, lapping up all the attention in the room. Then again, he had felt those eyes on him earlier too, and it had felt good. All things considered, this was definitely the more exciting of the two Manhattans…

Not present that night was Sebastian, who had spent his Saturday night sitting backstage at the theatre, just in case there was an accident that suddenly left the cast short. There had been no such accident, naturally, but Sebastian didn't mind particularly having to hang around in the back. He actually quite enjoyed just being a part of the show. He had spoken to quite a few of the cast that went out there on a nightly basis; indeed the two 'leads', the actors that portrayed Elders Price and Cunningham, had come over and introduced themselves on the first night that he had been there just to sit and watch, and they were great guys; admittedly, some of the others were not quite as friendly. That was only to be expected, he guessed. He was the new boy after all, an interloper waiting in the wings that was actually getting very good at playing all of their parts.

He had spoken to the chief choreographer one morning before anyone else had even arrived, and they had arranged for him to be taken through the whole dance sequence from the big production number Turn it Off! He knew the words off by heart by now, and had even sung it one night on the karaoke in a bar, on a never to be forgotten occasion, when Nick and Jeff had joined in on the backing vocals, whilst Dave had watched laughing his head off at their table. Now he was able to do the entire routine, and had been only too happy to demonstrate that one Monday night in the West Village, on that superb sprung drawing room floor. By the end of that night he had first Mike, then Nick and Jeff, and finally Beats and Flint up there with him, all five of them aping his moves with varying degrees of accuracy. Ethan and Skylar had declined to join in, and had instead sat with Artie and Kitty on the sidelines, laughing loudly.

The crew of the show had developed a soft spot for him, as he treated them with the utmost courtesy and respect, as did Jenny. She was sat at his side that Saturday night, watching the by now so familiar show taking place, and singing along softly at points. At the interval the two of them were only too pleased to help out behind the scenes, fetching things that were needed, and supporting the cast in any way that they could, unlike their older compatriots, who sat in the green room and expected to be waited on. For both of them, it no longer mattered if they never made it onto the stage themselves that summer; just being a small part of the team was more than enough. Still, if the worst was to happen one day, neither of them would be too upset…

Before he left for the theatre the following day, Sebastian had headed upstairs with Dave to check the condition of the house. Mason and Roderick did not seem like the kind of young men that would throw wild parties every night, and that had proven to be the case. The house was more or less spotless as they walked around, full of the scent of polish, with the kitchen gleaming as if it hadn't been used since Cooper and Grace left. It wasn't true of course; the two young men just behaved responsibly. Still, Sebastian had opened a few cupboards just to make sure that there wasn't a stack of dirty dishes hidden away.

"Okay guys, so their flight will get in around one, so depending on security, you can expect them back any time from around 2.30 onwards. Remember they will be tired, so try and keep the noise down," he said as he headed for the door.

"Yes mom!" Mason and Roderick replied together, which made Dave laugh.

Sebastian smiled, then said "I know, I know, I can be frighteningly domesticated these days, but I guess it is all part of having to be an adult. I give it a couple of years, and the two of you will start to behave the same way. I used to spend all my time trying to antagonise people, but now I have realised that it is far easier just to be a good guy. Still, don't push me too far, or Grace might find out about the night of debauchery you had whilst they were away, and how I had to get decorators in…"

"She would never believe you!" said Roderick.

"Probably true, but let's not test it… Tell Cooper and Grace I will be round to see them tomorrow, once they've got over the jetlag…"

As it happened, good winds meant that the flight arrived early, and the two of them arrived home minutes after two. Having paid for the cab, the two of them stood on the sidewalk for a moment, looking up at the house. "Well, it is intact, so that is a good start," said Cooper, making Grace smile.

"It might look it, CJ, but who knows what teenage boy related horrors lurk behind those walls," she responded.

"There is only one way to find out," he replied, and they headed inside. As they closed the door behind them the smell of polish was instantly noticeable, which assured them that cleaning had been done at least. "Hello! We're back," Grace called out.

A moment later there was a reply, shouted by Mason. "You're early! We're in the kitchen…" Leaving their bags behind, they headed to that room, and entered a scene of domestic harmony, the room scented from the coffee that was just being made.

"Our flight arrived ahead of schedule," Cooper said. "So how have things been? Did Sebastian treat you guys okay?"

"Oh yes, he was okay, but to be honest, I have missed you guys a lot," replied Mason.

"We missed you too, as it happens," said Grace. "It was good to be away, but it's even better to come home…"

Over in Bushwick, Santana and Brittany arrived home not much longer after those in Murray Hill. In a scene reminiscent of one that had taken place on the other side of the hall three years before, Santana had insisted on carrying her wife over the threshold, and unlike Nick, she faced no protest from the person in her arms. Then again, she did not attempt to carry her quite as far, just into the hallway. What came as a surprise was that there were two people standing there, watching with amusement - namely Quinn and Puck.

"Puck had a week's leave due, and after we had spent a few days in Lima catching up with family and friends, we thought that we would come here for the weekend," explained Quinn. "Plus with Rachel being on stage, and Sam having a shift at the Spotlight, we thought you might appreciate some kind of welcoming committee."

"Though I did point out that you might appreciate having the place to yourselves when you got back, now that you're married, but Q pointed out you had just had two weeks away in the most romantic city on earth, so you probably wouldn't be that bothered," Puck added, earning himself a smack on the arm for the last part.

Santana laughed, then replied "Actually the welcoming committee was a good idea, particularly as it gives the four of us a good chance to catch up properly; we were a bit occupied at the wedding with family and stuff."

Brittany nodded, then began to tell the two visitors all about Paris, and the unexpected side trip to London, courtesy of the Warblers. That lead neatly into the video of their encounter with the Royal Family on The Mall, and a discussion amongst the young woman about what the Duchess had been wearing. As they went on, Puck just rolled his eyes, which made Santana laugh quickly, although she was pretty sure that he, like most of the men of his generation, found her at least a little attractive. Nonetheless, as the discussion about clothes went on and on, and Brittany began to dig for her dress from Liberty in her case, she could see where he was coming from…

When Rachel arrived home from the theatre, she greeted the newlyweds, then headed up to her room to change, and contemplate the day she had just had. It had been eventful after all; after the usual Sunday performance had finished up, she had returned to her dressing room, feeling a bit flat. It had been a good enough show, but she didn't feel happy. She had noticed that the audiences had been getting a little smaller, which was only to be expected when you were so far along in a run, but that day had been a massive shock; the theatre was half empty. It was warm, there were other new shows, tourist numbers were down… Bookings were strong for the rest of the week though, so it wasn't all that bad. Then there had been a knock on her dressing room door, and she had opened it to see the man that she played opposite every night; the Nick Arnstein to her Fanny Brice…

Ten minutes later she was alone again, and in a bit of shock. He had the right to move on to a new role, of course he did, but it had still come completely out of the blue. At least he had waited until after the show on a Sunday to tell her, when she had a good few hours to recover from the surprise. Now, alone in her room at home, she began to wonder if she too should start to look for an exit strategy. She loved the show, and playing the part that had made her idol Barbra famous had been everything that she thought it would be. However, all good things had to come to an end eventually, and that would include Funny Girl. Worse, there was a separate production playing in London, so there was no possibility of a West End transfer. She needed to start feeling around for a change, even if only for the short term. A new role that could showcase her talent, before she moved on to her next starring one. She would have a word with her agent in the morning…

When she eventually returned downstairs, Sam was back home, and she accepted the hug that he offered gratefully. He knew from looking at her that she was troubled by something, but he said nothing about it then. Later though, once Santana and Brittany had retired to bed early, tired after their long flight, and Puck and Quinn had done the same, he sat her down at the table, and asked her what was going on. The floodgates had opened and she told him about everything that was going on, swearing him to secrecy.

He had crossed his heart, then said, "This new part that you are looking out for; does it have to be a lead, or just a good supporting role?"

"Honestly, not being the lead would be okay. It would just need to be something that showed people that I am not just the one part," Rachel replied.

"Well, strictly between you and me, Sebastian came into the Spotlight just before I left and he had a bit of theatrical gossip. It seems that his friend Ms. Midler is to be returning to Broadway in a revival of Hello Dolly. Now, there has to be at least one good female supporting part in that; maybe you should drop hints about that to your agent…"

The news that another iconic show was returning to Broadway was actually a bit bittersweet to Rachel; she knew that the show had first hit the Great White Way at the same time as her own show, and it had swept up all of the Tony awards that year. But at the same time, Sam was right. From what she could recall, there were parts for two younger women that the titular Dolly tried to help with their relationships, and if there was even a possibility that she might be considered for one of those parts, then it would be fantastic. To say that she had shared a stage with a woman that was considered a legend would be a great boost to her CV, and even better, she was certain that there would be no separate West End production, so a transfer there might not be totally out of the realms of possibility for the show…

She rewarded Sam with a kiss, then despite the lateness of the hour, she grabbed her phone and called her agent. Sure, it was nearly 11pm on a Sunday night, but she believed that you had to stroke whilst the iron was hot; getting her name into the fray before every other actress in town found out that the show would soon be casting could be her masterstroke. She ignored the tone in her agent's voice when he eventually picked up, and just told him straight out about the rumour that she had heard. It was news to him, but he agreed to try and find out what he could by putting out some feelers first thing in the morning. She would rather he did it now, but she agreed to that plan, with reluctance. He had a point she guessed. As for herself, she now had a mission for the following day, namely finding Sebastian and grilling him for more information, and maybe even sweet talking him into having a word with the lady herself on her behalf…

Whilst Rachel had been on the phone, Sam had headed to his room to make a call; his call was to Sebastian, to apologise for telling his girlfriend, and for any upset that it might cause him.

"Let me get this right," Sebastian said after a pause, his voice laden with razors. "I told you something in the strictest confidence, and you went home and decided to tell the biggest gossip in the whole of the USA!?"

"Yes, I did and I am really sorry. I know that I shouldn't have done, and if anyone asks, it was entirely my fault!"

Sebastian chuckled at that point, leaving Sam confused. "Don't sweat it Sam. I should come clean; I was actually asked to get the information to her, and I am afraid that the best conduit for that was you. Bette saw Rachel in Funny Girl, and she wants her in Hello Dolly. Basically, the best of the supporting parts is Rachel's, if she wants it. However, we won't be telling Ms Berry that, will we?"

Sam's initial reaction was to call Sebastian several unpleasant names, but then he found himself laughing. He had to agree; it would be nice to see Rachel fighting for the part. It would not do her ego any harm whatsoever to think that she had serious competition for the role for once…

The next morning Santana woke early, with Brittany curled in tightly beside her. Finally they were sharing the one bedroom, and it was natural, and simpler, that the room in question had been Brittany's. it had slightly better light than her own had had for one thing. She revelled in the pleasure for a moment, until she was disturbed by a sound that she had not missed in the last two weeks at all; the sound of Rachel singing her morning scales. She groaned, and then her ears realised that she wasn't just singing scales, it was a full blown song. It wasn't one she had ever heard her sing before though. Curious, she got up, being careful not to disturb her sleeping wife, and headed down to the kitchen…

In the end she found Rachel in the main living room, with a pair of wireless headphones on, singing along to the soundtrack of a movie that was playing on the television. Silently cursing the advent of Netflix, Santana checked out the screen, as yet unnoticed by Rachel. It came as no surprise to see Barbra Streisand, but this was not Funny Girl - it was a different kettle of fish altogether. Surely Rachel wasn't thinking of playing that part; she looked far too young for that role to start with. Then there was the fact that Dolly Levi was a woman of the world, and Rachel wasn't. This notion had to be nipped in the bud…

She walked across the room to stand in Rachel's line of sight, and when she was noticed, Rachel did jump a little in surprise. She smiled though, and went to take the headphones off. Before she could speak, Santana started on her. "No! Just no! I know that Barbra is your idol, and that you seem to want to play every role that she has ever played, but no! You are far too young for a start off, and people would laugh at the very notion of you playing that role now. I mean, how much stage make up would you need for a start? Your face would be literally dripping under the lights by the halfway point! So maybe in thirty years, but not now! Please, Berry, I am begging you to be rational for once!"

Rachel shook her head, and then laughed. "I am not considering that part, trust me, although I will probably try and have it revived in 2046 now you have suggested it. No, it isn't the lead I want just now…" She paused, and pointed to the young shopgirl that had just appeared on the screen. "That is the part that I want. I'm too young I assume to play a widow, but that I could do. And trust me, I am going to fight tooth and nail to get that part!"