She crunched through the rest of her chips, washed them down with some water, and made her way back to the stage, hoping Jules and Micki were finished kissing. And apparently, she was in luck. Two theater employees were in the process of wheeling the piano onstage for Jules’s solo. Sophie went down the steps into the audience and sat beside Tabitha and Elena to watch.
“What happened earlier when Jules ran off?” Tabitha whispered.
Sophie shrugged. “She was just nervous about her first onstage kiss.”
“And you talked her through it?” Tab’s eyebrows rose questioningly.
“Yep.” And that was all she was going to say on the matter.
Onstage, Jules began to sing, her rich voice filling the theater. She glanced toward the audience, looking straight at Sophie. A smile touched her lips before she shifted her gaze to the musical director, Francesca.
By the time they’d worked through Jules’s solo, it was almost five, and Kari sent them home for the night. Sophie headed downstairs with Tabitha, who was in a hurry to get ready for a date. Sophie gathered her things and walked down the hall, finding Jules’s door open. “Still on for that drink?”
Jules looked down at her hands as she nodded, a hint of her earlier insecurity reappearing. “Yeah.”
“Cool. I thought Dragonfly might be a good option. It’s kind of on our way home, and—”
“It’s a gay bar?” Jules gave her an amused look. “Yeah, that’s fine.” She slipped into a navy-blue wool coat that belted at the waist and grabbed her purse.
They didn’t talk much as they walked to the bar. Sophie figured their conversation would be easier once they’d had a drink or two to loosen up. She had so many questions, but she knew her role here was to listen and provide support. She had to keep her personal feelings out of it.
Dragonfly was comfortably empty when they arrived, a handful of people at the bar and two tables occupied in the back. A steady hum of conversation mixed with the bar’s jazz music, just enough to keep them from feeling self-conscious about being overheard, but it wasn’t too loud to hear each other talk.
Josie and a male bartender were behind the bar, mixing drinks. She waved them over with a smile. “Hey! How are my two favorite Broadway actresses?”
“Do you actually know any other Broadway actresses?” Jules asked as she slid onto a stool.
“Well, no, but you’d still be my favorite, because you named my theater kittens,” Josie said playfully. “Hey, speaking of theater, what happened with that audition you guys had been on the last time you were in here?”
“Jules landed the lead,” Sophie told her.
“No shit?” Josie looked delighted. “Your first starring role?”
Jules nodded. “Sophie’s in it too.”
“Well, this is fantastic news.” Josie slapped her palms against the counter. “When does it open? You know Eve and I will be there to cheer you on.”
“Previews start the first week of January,” Jules said.
Josie took out her phone and looked upIt’s in Her Kisswhile they talked. “Okay, I’ve got it bookmarked. Now, what can I get you to drink? Actually, do you guys want to be taste testers for something new I’m working on? There’s prosecco in it.” She dangled that last bit with an enticing lift of her eyebrows.
“You had me at prosecco,” Jules told her.
“Sure, I’m game,” Sophie agreed.
“If you like it, maybe I’ll name it after you,” Josie told them as she started mixing their drinks. “Broadway Bubbles or something like that.”
“Love it,” Jules exclaimed. She and Sophie watched as Josie prepared their drinks, adding an orange mixture and a splash of gin before topping it off with prosecco.
“On the house,” she said as she slid them across the bar. “For being my taste testers and in celebration of your new show.”
“Aw, thanks,” Jules told her.
“Just make sure you let me know what you think,” Josie told them. “Honest opinions, please.”
“You got it.” Sophie lifted her drink and sipped. It was sweet and fizzy with a hint of citrus. Josie moved down the bar to check on her other customers, and Sophie caught Jules’s eye, gesturing to an empty table in back. “Want to move over there so we can talk?”
Jules nodded, lifting her drink and following Sophie to the table. “So.”
