“Geez, guys, you’re not my parents,” Sophie told them jokingly. “But yeah, I will.”
“Can’t wait to meet her,” Anthony told her. “We have some news too, and unfortunately you may not like it.”
Sophie made a face at him. “What? Spill.”
“Well, you know our lease is up in a few months,” Anthony said.
“The end of February,” Nathan clarified, ever the one for details.
“Yeah,” Sophie said. “Don’t tell me. They’re raising our rent?”
“Well, yes,” Anthony said. “But nothing out of the ordinary. The thing is, some friends of ours are moving out of their loft around the same time, and it’s an amazing space that we’d actually be able to afford on our own.”
“Oh,” Sophie said, taking another gulp of her water.Oh.“You’re moving.”
“Yeah,” Nathan told her apologetically.
“Okay.” She nodded, trying not to feel as if the rug had just been pulled out from underneath her. Their names were the only ones on the lease. They were basically doing her a favor letting her crash on the couch, although it had allowed all of them to get by in this impossibly expensive city.
Now, she had two and a half months to find a new place to live. It wasn’t an insurmountable task. She knew a lot of people in the theater community, and it seemed like someone was always looking for a new roommate, butugh, she wasn’t looking forward to it. And despite her lack of privacy, Anthony and Nathan were actually perfect roommates. They were polite and considerate, did their share of the chores, kept their space clean, and even cooked her dinner on occasion.
“We’ll put feelers out for anyone looking for a roommate,” Nathan offered.
“I appreciate that.”
“And if worse comes to worst, you can crash on our couch in the new space until you find a place of your own,” Anthony told her.
“You guys are the sweetest, but I’ll be out of your hair by the time you move, I promise.” And then, because she really needed a few minutes alone to sort out her emotions, she excused herself to take a shower.
13
Jules sat in the empty theater, watching Sophie’s understudy rehearsal. Jules didn’t have to be here for this. Everyone else had gone home, but she hadn’t been able to resist watching. Andrew was reading for the other characters so Kari could make sure Sophie was ready to take the lead, should the need arise. And she obviously was. Even standing up there with no one but the stage manager, she had a powerful presence as she delivered Bianca’s lines.
Jules lifted her phone and took a few discreet photos so that Sophie could share them on her social media. Since she wasn’t in costume, there weren’t any spoilers involved, and it was good publicity both for Sophie and the production. Jules had been sharing spoiler-free pictures and tidbits for weeks now.
Kari had Sophie run through Bianca’s biggest scenes, ending with the piano solo. Sophie had a beautiful voice, deeper and throatier than Jules’s. It brought a whole new vibe to the song.
“Wonderful,” Kari said when she’d finished. “Now I’d like to have you rehearse as Melissa.”
“I can read for Bianca, if you like,” Jules called out, hoping her offer was helpful and Sophie wouldn’t feel like she was somehow stepping on her toes. But it seemed silly for Andrew to read Bianca’s lines while Jules was sitting here.
Kari, Andrew, and Sophie blinked down at her as if they’d completely forgotten she was there.
“Actually, that would be perfect,” Kari said. “Thank you.”
Sophie’s expression was unreadable.
Jules pocketed her phone and jogged up the steps to the stage, grinning at Sophie as she took her mark beside her. To her relief, Sophie smiled back. Melissa only had four big scenes, and Kari asked them to read all four, including the one with the kiss.
Somehow, this hadn’t even occurred to Jules when she offered to read with Sophie, buthell yes, she would get to kiss her onstage, even if it was only a rushed rehearsal with no one else in attendance but the two of them and a handful of production staff.
“What’s the matter?” Sophie said, speaking as Melissa. “I thought your date with Trevor went well.”
“It did, but…” Jules cast a longing look at Sophie, twisting her hands in front of herself, the way she’d done dozens if not hundreds of times now. Somehow, the entire scene felt different when she was standing across from Sophie instead of Micki.
“But what?” Sophie asked breathlessly, stepping forward, effortlessly hitting her mark without looking down at the strip of red tape on the stage.
“But, he’s not…you.”
