She’s so gorgeous, and she’s so poised. With perfect cheekbones, deep brown eyes that could melt any man’s cold heart, and the body of a Victoria’s Secret angel she stops at Davis, and flashes a classy smile.
“What a delight to see you again, Davis.” Then before he can even respond, she leans in and gives him a kiss on the cheek. I’d love to peel her off of him, but I’m too shocked to say anything, too embarrassed to even move.
“Madeline,” he says coolly, as if he’s completely unsurprised to see her.
“I just arrived in town two days ago to start rehearsals for the Steve Martin play.”
He nods. I seem to recall her being cast, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Then he introduces me, and it’s as if I’m having an out-of-body experience, because everything about this moment is completely surreal. Davis, introducing me to the woman he was once in love with. The actress he fell hard for. The one person who singlehandedly broke his heart. I’m split between the desire to throttle her for hurting him, and the bizarre wish to thank her for leaving him so that I could have him now, three years later.
Instead, I simply go along with the pleasantries, shaking her hand. It’s a lovely hand, a soft hand, but I still feel as if I’m touching an eel, because it’s her hand. She shoots me a gorgeous smile and it’s almost enough to seem real, but I can tell it’s her red-carpet smile, her professional smile. That’s all. Nothing more. She doesn’t even say nice to meet you. Her focus is only on Davis, yet she’s not looking at him as a former lover. Instead, she seems all business.
“Have the Pinkertons got in touch with you about…” She pauses and shifts her eyes to me as if she doesn’t want to say what it’s about, and I get the message. She doesn’t want me around for their work conversation. “Because I think it sounds like a brilliant idea.”
“Yes, they have.”
“Well?”
I’m so agitated right now that I need to make an exit. “Oh, look. I see my friend Reeve. I need to catch up with him about where we’re running tomorrow.”
And I walk away, pushing past other people. A tiny bead of sweat slides down my spine, and I doubt it’s because I’m hot. It’s more because I’m embarrassed. She’s the woman who wrecked him. She’s the reason he didn’t want to date me. She’s here, and she has something private to discuss with him.
I bump into Alexis.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re here?”
“Honestly. Now is not the time, Alexis. So don’t even start with me.”
I continue on, looking for Reeve or Shelby, but I don’t see either of my friends. So I figure a bit of fresh air would do me good. I eye the doorway and count down the seconds till I reach it, like I’m finishing a marathon, when Davis’ sister cuts me off. It’s like I’m being cornered everywhere I go.
“Hi. I’m Michele Milo,” she says and extends a hand. First Madeline. Now Michele. Women connected to Davis everywhere I turn. It’s like whiplash. I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to attend this event.
“Hi Michele. I’m Jill. I’m in the show.”
“I know who you are,” she says, and then she rests her palm against my arm and it’s a strange gesture. But she tips her forehead to the stairs, suggesting we’re to head up to the second level. I go along with her.
“Listen, I know how my brother feels about you.”
“What?” I don’t have to act confused, because I am. I’m surprised he’d talk to anyone.
“You have to know that he’s the most important person in the world to me. The last thing I want is for him to be hurt again. So if you’re not serious about him, if this is some kind of career move, if you’re going to use him, then please, I’m asking you woman to woman, to leave him now.”
I feel like she just dropped from the sky, like she's some sort of benevolent superhero, because there’s something kind in her voice. Kind, but determined.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“If you care about my brother at all, please think seriously about what you’re doing,” she implores me. “I don’t want him to go through that again. He doesn’t do anything halfway, Jill. He doesn’t do his job halfway, and he doesn’t do relationships halfway. He’s nothing or he’s all in. So unless you’re there with him, unless you’re all in, please get out before you hurt him.”
I glance over at Davis and he’s still with Madeline. We’re too far away for me to guess at what they’re saying, but he’s not trying to get away from her, and he’s not looking for me.
“I don’t want to hurt him. I care about him. But he’s with her right now.”
Michele narrows her eyes. She looks like she’s about to bum rush Madeline and tackle her from behind.
Then a loud voice fills the room. “What an honor to be here tonight.”
Michele and I turn to the small stage to see Jane Black with a microphone in hand. “I’m still waiting for my chance to star in a Broadway musical, so any of you big name producers, just call me up. Nah, I’m just kidding. I’m all about the singing, and tonight we have a very special song for tonight’s event. Have you all heard of this musical called Once?”
The crowd cheers its answer, and Michele claps half-heartedly too as she scans the room for her brother. But he’s no longer with Madeline, and my heart goes cold with the possibility that they could be alone together.
“I thought you might have,” Jane continues. “Would anyone want to hear Tony Award winning Broadway star Michael Cerveris, who originated the role of Tommy, sing a bit of "Falling Slowly" with me?”
The room erupts into a chorus of yeses.
“Well, you should all grab a girl, grab a guy, grab a friend, and dance.”
Then Michael joins Jane on stage. He has a guitar slung around his chest, and begins plucking the first notes from the romantic song first made famous in the movie before it became a musical. The notes pierce me, even in the midst of all this strangeness, of Michele’s protective warnings, and Madeline’s appearance out of nowhere and now two gorgeous voices stamp out all the confusion and I feel the music doing what it does. Touching me, even though I don’t want to be affected by anything right now. As Jane’s gorgeous voice fills the room, Michael’s beautiful baritone layering into hers, I see Davis walking toward me. Purposefully, deliberately, with a sly little grin on his fabulous face. He walks up the steps and finds me with Michele.