Chapter 7
Emilio looked up into the bare rigging above the stage, surprised at how large the space looked with the mass of lighting fixtures removed. The plans for the playhouse renovation included a complete upgrade and modernization of the lighting, which would include computer control from the projection booth over the lobby. For plays and ceremonies, the lights would still need manual control, due to the vagaries of live theater, but for dance performances the lights could be programmed, which delighted Emilio. The kids from the AV club who handled most of the tech crew responsibilities were good, but theycouldget distracted, as he well knew. He remembered one show when Rayne was handling set pieces and props for one of the drama productions, and Emilio had distracted him with a blowjob that had taken longer than planned, and Rayne missed a cue. Aunt Eller’s butter churn had shown up almost thirty seconds late, but mercifully the only person who had known why was Lori Mason, who was playing Aunt Eller in the production ofOklahoma!. She’d glared at Rayne and then proceeded to pretend to churn butter with a viciousness that had both Rayne and Emilio smothering laughter backstage.
There were a lot of memories in this playhouse. Ones he often wished he could forget.
It was probably a good thing that he and Rayne had cleared the air to some extent before the technical work on the stage area began, so they could accomplish the task without bloodshed. It would make the consultation with the electrician less fraught with tension, and even though it had only been a bit over two weeks since their talk, they had slipped into a relationship that was polite. Emilio missed how well he and Rayne had meshed as friends. They’d even talked briefly a couple of times, although the conversations had been about the renovations rather than anything personal.
And if Emilio found himself looking at Rayne and wishing things could go back to where they were twelve years ago, he knew it was as much of a fantasy as Santa Claus.
Hearing voices in the auditorium, Emilio stepped out from the wings, not surprised to see Rayne entering with the electrician. The auditorium was almost complete, the walls having been recovered with wallpaper close to the original, with geometric fans in gold on a background the color of dark chocolate, accented in ruby red. That same red had been used for the velvet stage curtains, though they hadn’t been hung yet to allow better access for the placement of lights. The new seating was already in place, which combined the comfort of modern design with an Art Deco look. Even the ceiling had been redone, the layers of paint stripped away to reveal the gleaming copper panels that had been hidden for years. Rayne had done a fantastic job so far, and the project was now nearing completion.
Emilio moved to the edge of the stage as Joe excused himself and headed back toward the lighting booth. He wasn’t quite sure what to say, so he decided to start with a compliment. “I like these seats. I think they’ll go a long way toward stopping the complaints about people’s asses getting sore during long performances.”
“Thanks,” Rayne said, giving a little snort of amusement at Emilio’s assessment of the seats as he approached. “They’re plusher than the old ones, and the material is less scratchy.”
“And wider for modern proportions. People in the Twenties must have weighed almost nothing. Even I felt like I was squeezing into the old ones.” Emilio chuckled. One of the joys of working in a small town was how predictable some things became over time, and he knew Rayne shared the same memories. “Mrs. Greer won’t be able to say we’re trying to break her hips anymore. I guess that means she’ll have to find something else to complain about. I’m betting it’ll be how we’re trying to freeze her to death.”
“Is she still haunting the playhouse?” Rayne shook his head, sounding incredulous. “I still can’t believe she tried to get our production ofCabaretshut down because she thought the costumes were too skimpy.”
“Are you kidding? She never misses a show.” Emilio snorted. “She’s still the busiest busybody in town, despite having progressed from a cane to a walker. You know, when she dies, she’s going to find a way to come back and complain about her own funeral.”
“Only if she’s not too busy finding fault with the afterlife.”
Emilio laughed at Rayne’s dry tone. It was too true, and it was a rather bittersweet reminder of their shared history. “Some things never change, do they?”
“Some things don’t,” Rayne said. “Some things do.”
Rayne’s expression was wistful, and Emilio found himself wondering what Rayne could be missing. He didn’t think it had anything to do with him, not after so long. Maybe he was missing the lover who had broken up with him, and Emilio told himself he wasn’t at all jealous that Rayne might be longing for someone the way Emilio had once pined for Rayne.
“Well, if you don’t like how something has changed, you can always try to fix it,” he said. “I can tell you from personal experience that crying for the moon doesn’t work.”
“How do you fix broken trust?” Rayne gave him a piercing look.
That wasn’t the answer Emilio was expecting. “I’m not sure,” he replied slowly, wondering if Rayne was implying he wanted Emilio’s trust again. “I suppose by acting like a decent person would help, and maybe reminding whoever it is of shared experiences that show trust in the past.”
Before Rayne could reply, the back door opened, and Joe came back into the main auditorium. Emilio wasn’t certain whether to be annoyed or relieved.
“Hey, Joe. Don’t tell me you’re going to be hauling your ass up the ladder to hang these monsters.”
“Nah,” Joe, who was approaching sixty, grinned. “Got my son and grandson and a shit ton of scaffolding on the way. Though these new LED systems don’t weigh as much as the old ones did. Don’t need as much juice, either, which is gonna save a bundle on electric bills.”
Emilio pulled a sheaf of papers out of his jacket. “Steve gave me the specs of what was ordered. We just have to determine the placement.”
“You’re the expert,” Rayne said. “I’ll trust your judgment about where it needs to go.”
For the next thirty minutes, Emilio and Joe worked out the details, measuring angles to be sure all parts of the stage could be covered by multiple lights. The follow spots were placed in alcoves on the auditorium walls, and Joe had installed the wiring for those after the old paper had been stripped. Once everything was installed, the AV club would come over to help with the testing, but it would take hours just to get the lights hung and adjusted.
As a last step for this part, the three of them gathered around the breaker box near the stage door, discussing the division of the available circuits for power distribution. Then Joe nodded his satisfaction with the plan, pulling out his cell phone to let his crew know he was ready to start.
“This should do,” Emilio said once he and Rayne were alone again. “With the automation, it means the dancers will get to rehearse with the final lighting design. We won’t have to wing it during performances. The lights won’t be as hot, either, and that’s going to be a blessing.”
“I’m glad you approve of the changes.” Rayne paused and then added, “I know you had doubts about me at first, but I really do want the playhouse to be beautiful again—and successful.”
“So do I,” Emilio said quietly. “As long as we’re working toward the same goal, everything should be fine.”
“I hope so.”
Something seemed to hang in the air between them, but Emilio wasn’t certain what it was. He looked at Rayne, remembering the boys they had once been and wondering if they ever could find a way back—and surprised at how much a part of him wanted to go back. But there were no easy answers, so he shook his head. “I guess I’ll get out of the way so you and Joe can get busy with the lights. It’ll be opening night before we know it.”
“With a lot of long days and hard work between now and then.” Rayne smiled wryly.
“For all of us.” Emilio hopped down from the stage. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’ll be in the studio almost every day, so it’s no problem to come by if I’m needed.”
“And if you have any other suggestions about the tech, you know where to find me,” Rayne said, sweeping one arm to encompass the whole auditorium.
“Right.” Emilio nodded to Rayne and then headed out. He wasn’t sure, but he thought maybe things between he and Rayne might be taking a slight turn for the better.
