“Probably best not to—you’d have to apologize and be honest. Messy business, that.”
“Exactly.”
“Then, you’d have all that happiness to deal with, possibly for the rest of your life.”
“Sounds horrid.”
“Oh, it is,” Arthur says. “Believe me. It can be a little much sometimes. I mean, there are literally moments when my heart is so full of love, it feels like it might burst. You don’t want that.”
“Definitely not.”
“Excellent, then carry on.”
“I fully intend to.”
“Good show.”
“Shut up.”
29
The Lonest of the Lone Wolves…
Will
Well,I guess that’s it then. I told myself if she didn’t call by the time we showed up to film the finale after-show, that I’d give up on her. And since Dwight and I just pulled up in front of the studio, it really is over. He parks the car, then takes the key out of the ignition, but instead of getting out, he leans back and looks at me. “You okay?”
“I will be once I get this over with.” I stare out the window at the brick wall in front of us. There’s a sign posted on it that says visitor. Although, it’s referring to who can park their car here, it seems very appropriate for the moment, considering I was no more than a visitor in her life. Oh, wow, that was both pathetic and dramatic.
Dwight sighs. “I wish I could tell you that you didn’t have to do this, but you do.”
“I’ll be fine, so long as I can get through taping without embarrassing myself by….” I stop myself before I say begging her to come back. Luckily, Dwight doesn’t finish my sentence for me. At least, not out loud.
I tap my fist on my knee a few times, trying to distract myself from the tsunami of emotions I know is about to bear down on me. “Could you do me a favour, Dwight?”
“Anything for my favourite client.”
“Oh darn, I thought you were going to say your favourite roommate,” I say with a slight grin.
“Not a chance,” he says. “Now, what do you need?”
“Can you stay with me in the dressing room before the show? Last time they had us in a shared green-room, and since we haven’t made it public yet that we’re not together anymore, I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen again.”
“Sure thing,” he says with a nod. “Let’s go get ‘em.”
We open our doors, and before we get out, I say, “Hey, I’m sorry you had to deal with me while I was temporarily pathetic.”
“That’s all right,” Dwight says. “It actually made me feel slightly better about my own foibles.”
“Glad I could help,” I say with a little chuckle. “You’ve been a good friend to me.”
“It’s been an honour,” he says. “Not one that I want to repeat…but still.”
We get out of the car and start toward the studio doors. I find myself moving slowly for reasons I don’t care to analyze. It’s gotnothingto do with the fact that she hasn’t called yet. Really, it’s probably because I have to steel myself for the evening ahead. “How long do you think this whole thing will take?”
“About three hours. Maybe three and a half, I suppose, if you end up chatting backstage after, which I would definitely suggest since all the bigwigs are going to be here.”
“Right, brilliant.” Maybe she’ll leave. She’s good at that.
