Monty knows his stuff. Well, Luka had always liked him as a teacher, and he directed their class plays. Luke hoped that translated to the bigger stage.
Getting the rehearsal schedule going, they all set the dates and times in their phones before they said goodbye. As he left, he ran into Monty. “Damn, I knew I’d be late. How did it go?”
“It was fine. We’re doing smaller rehearsals starting Thursday, on top of those with you.”
“Good! Listen, I’m having a cast party, which is what I wanted to tell you as a group today, but I’ll have to call everyone. I’m hoping you come. You’ll meet the behind-the-scenes people, see some of the wardrobe choices and get fitted, but also, well, just to get to know everyone involved.”
He hated parties, but they were an unfortunate part of the job. “Sure. Let me know when and where.”
“Actually, the producer is setting it up. I’ll let you know when I know. It’s good to have you on the cast, Luka. I think you’re gonna kill this part.”
While he liked someone having faith in him, he was the one who’d judge. “I’ll try not to let you down.”
“I’m sure you won’t.”
Chapter Four
Montysatinhisliving room, sipping his cognac as he watched Benson pace. “Would you sit?”
“I’m going to meet him, and he’ll hate me the moment he finds out all of this was for that very reason.”
“No, it’s not. I loved this play, and I wanted to get it on the stage for a while now, and you having a crush is a very small part of it. Luka is going to play this part so well, he’ll become a rising star, and you…well, you might have a famous boyfriend, or he’ll dump you for a younger, much more handsome man. Stars do that.”
He stopped and watched his friend’s lips twitching as he tried to keep from smiling. “You’re a terrible human being.”
“I know, but I’m married. I don’t have to be nice anymore.”
“I really hate you,” he said as he sat by Monty and took his glass, swigging the rest of the expensive cognac. “He’s not been off my mind since the play. I have no idea what I’ll even say to him.”
“Say hello. Say yes, you can thank me for producing this play by getting naked.”
“Monty! I’m not like that, and you better not be.”
“I’m not. And you’re definitely not. Just…be yourself. Maybe some of your upbeat enthusiasm for life will rub off on him. I thought I’d see a smile from him, getting his dream part, but I think his brow just furrowed deeper. I wouldn’t know how to react if I saw him genuinely smile.”
“Why…the soberness?”
Monty told him a brief history, all he knew. “He was a poor kid. When he first came, he was wearing clothes that were decades out of style, holey shoes, his hair was cut either by some cheap place in a discount store or by himself. I think, like you, he’s just crawling out of poverty, but he’s taken a different route. While you made friends and saw every day as sunshine, he saw the clouds. He’s ready to fight for his shot.”
“Admirable,” he said, remembering how difficult it was to pull himself out of that old neighborhood and that cheap apartment. “I’d have fought too. I’ve done it, but…”
“You have teamed up with others to fight. He thinks he has to fight on his own. This gig will help, I hope, but who knows?”
“I’d love to be the one to make him smile. I wouldn’t know where to begin, though.”
“Rain money down on him. Give him the life he can have once more parts start falling at his feet. He’s young, good looking, talented. He’ll make it, but yeah, he needs to see that fame comes with fortune too, and that might be the thing that finally lets him let his guard down a little.”
Frowning, Benson didn’t think that would work at all. “How about just being good to him? Showing him that there is life outside of perfecting his craft?”
“Boring. Could work, but much more boring that buying him a yacht.”
“A yacht?”
Monty laughed and suggested, “A Jag? A home in the Caribbean? A private plane?”
“I think you’re cheating by looking at your own list of goodies you want someday.”
“Why not? I’m deserving.”
