“She’s replacing the woman who’s head my drunk date almost took off.”
“Your drunk date?”
“I thought I told you that story?”
“Maybe…?” Kirk questioned. “But I’m pretty sure I would have remembered someone almost losing a head on stage.”
I told him all about my evening at the Irish pub and the aftermath. “But as for today. Poor Quinn must come up from below the stage on an elevator, but the thing had been calibrated for the previous actor’s height and weight. Quinn was lifted up through the stage about boob height when the thing stuck.”
“What did you do?”
“We ‘hold,’” in my best imitation of Serafina. “Some of the crew ran out and helped her out. Basically, pulled her up through the stage.”
“Why not lower her back down?”
“The motor burned out. Again, they calibrated it for a tall, thin woman. And Quinn is short and not as thin.”
“That seems like a really bad mechanical design.”
“It should have worked with a range of people and differing heights and weights. Someone above my pay grade made a decision, and now the mechanism is going to cost thousands of dollars to replace.”
I went on to entertain Kirk with all the crazy antics flying around the stage. Tech week is always a comedy of errors, but this week was incredibly crazy.
The oven beeped. Forty-five minutes had flown by. Kirk pulled out the meal, and Carissra came out of her bedroom. She helped set the table, and we all sat down and ate. I continued telling them stories about the show.
“This is better than a comedy routine,” Kirk noted.
“And it’s my actual life,” I said with a smirk. “Sometimes, you can’t make this stuff up.”
“Can I be excused?” Carissra asked, having finished her meal.
“More gaming?” Kirk asked.
“Just an hour more. Then I promise to get my reading done for school. I only have like two chapters tonight. And it’s a book I read when I was in DC, so I already know it. Just need a quick refresh.”
Kirk looked at her for a second before saying, “Tell your friends I said hello.”
“Will do,” she said, spinning around and wheeling herself back into her bedroom.
Kirk leaned back in his chair. “I’m lucky. She practically takes care of herself.”
“She’s very mature for her age.”
“She grew up fast after her parents died. I wish she didn’t have to grow up that quickly, but I’m glad she did. Makes my life easier, too.” He let out a sigh before saying, “Well, I should get this cleaned up.”
“Let me help you.”
“No, you’re a guest.”
“I eat over here more than I do at my house these days. At least let me dry something.”
“There’s a new invention called a dishwasher…it dries for me.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. He stood and started carrying stuff back into the kitchen. Against his wishes, I stood up and handed him stuff through the living room window into the kitchen.
When the dishes were all in the dishwasher, I looked at my watch. “Oh geez, it’s already 9:30. The night flew by.”
“I should get some grading done. Then I need to go to bed,” Kirk said.
