Chapter 13

Arriving just in time for rehearsal Monday morning probably didn't enhance my stock. "You wouldn't happen to be Joseph?" asked a fey African American man about my age, lean and subtly muscular and about 5'9".

"I am," I said.

He shook his head and smiled wryly and shook my hand. "Lance," he said.

Two other men, white and not much taller and less fey but scanning me conspicuously, also dressed in t-shirts and small gym shorts introduced themselves as Ken and Jordan.

"You might want to let Barb know you're here," said Lance.

Running late, I had stuffed my street clothes in my backpack and wore the workout pants and t-shirt. Shucking off the lightly lined windbreaker, defense against the cool morning, I headed towards the stage and the voices there.

"He is a distraction!" Barb's voice boomed. "I need your focus on the production! I need your critical faculties!"

"I spent three years working on this!" Molly shouted back. Neither one of them needed to shout. They were inches from each other. "I know the script intimately! And we've gone over blocking for months!"

"So what? How can you know if it works without running it with actors in real time?"

"I'm here, Barb. My focus is here."

"You were gone all weekend. I didn't even know where you were. And you come in all glassy eyed and moony. I don't know you! Who are you?"

"Are you jealous?" shouted Molly with surprise. "What would Sarah think about that?"

"I'm worried. You've never disappeared like that ever. And with a man? You don't know this man. He's a fucking p..."

"Shut up!" screamed Molly. "You better keep that to yourself!"

"Or what? You don't need this ... actor. What if I made you choose between him or me? Who do you think is more important?"

"An ultimatum?" Molly shouted, her eyes wide. "You're both under contract!"

"Tear his up! We'll pay the penalties!"

"I won't!" Molly screamed, toppling to her knees and heaving out sobs.

Barb's dagger eyes didn't faze me as I walked swiftly to my love. Molly's body tensed when I enveloped her in my long arms, but when she looked up and saw my worried face, she uncoiled and dove into an embrace that sent me to the floor.

"Oh Joseph," she murmured into my ear while rocking in my lap, her heated genitals under her gym shorts pressing into my groin causing an automatic reaction. "Oh Joseph," she repeated lustily.

"I'll leave the cast," I said.

"I need you," she answered.

"We can work on the songs after you rehearse. I can't be responsible for ending your friendship. And I can't have you fire her over me."

"You're my bully," said Molly, pulling back her head so we could look eye to eye and we chuckled. I rubbed away the tear under one eye and kissed the salty tear under the other.

"God you're beautiful," I said, to which she replied with a deep, moist kiss from emotionally heated lips.

"Grrr," Barb growled.

Ending the kiss, Molly looked up at her friend with a beatific smile. The smile transformed Barb's expression from anger to surprise. "I won't do the show without him," said Molly quietly.

"He means that much?" asked Barb.

Molly nodded and said, "I won't be distracted. In fact the opposite because I won't be terrified either."

"You best get into costume then," Barb sighed.

Shaking her head and steeling her confidence, Molly replied, "We're just blocking. I don't need to wear my costume."

"Are you sure?" asked Barb.

Glancing at her, Molly turned her head to me and nodded with a determined smile. She stood and her petite body somehow helped me stand, pulling me up using her hand in mine.