“I just came from her dressing room,” Sophie said. “She asked me to get you.”
“How sick is she?” Andrew asked, reaching for his tablet.
“She’s throwing up. I think…I think it’s nerves, but I can’t be sure.” Sophie chewed her lip.
Kari sighed. “I’ve seen her nerves a few times already, but I thought she had things under control. This won’t go over well with our patrons if she doesn’t go on tonight. I’ve got people coming specifically to see her.”
Sophie flinched, not sure what to say.
“Areyouready if she doesn’t go on?” Kari’s dark eyes locked on Sophie’s.
She nodded briskly. “I will be.”
“I’ll go smooth her out,” Andrew said. “Not to worry. I’ve talked far bigger stars down from far bigger ledges.” He hurried out of the room, headed for the stairs.
Sophie turned to leave his office, hating everything about this.
“Do you know why I chose her for Bianca instead of you?” Kari asked from behind her.
“No,” Sophie said, not sure she wanted the answer.
“Your audition was extremely impressive,” Kari said. “You’ve got the talent and the charisma to headline a show, but you were too bold for Bianca. She’s vulnerable, filled with uncertainty and angst, and Jules captured that part of her perfectly. Maybe tonight, you’ll get the chance to show me I was wrong.”
“I won’t let you down,” Sophie murmured.
Kari waved a hand toward the door. “You’d better go start getting ready, then.”
“Okay.” Sophie nodded as she rushed out of Andrew’s office.
A chill ran through her at the idea of headlining tonight’s show. What should have been one of the most exciting moments of her life instead left her with a sickening sense of regret that Jules wouldn’t get the chance, that she might disappoint Kari and the other industry professionals in attendance tonight. She might even damage her reputation if word got around that she had missed her first performance due to nerves. This wasn’t something Broadway performers did, and Sophie could hardly believe it was happening to Jules.
She wished she could hit rewind and try harder to talk Jules through it before she’d gone to get Andrew. No matter how badly Sophie had wanted the chance to take the lead, this wasn’t how she’d wanted it to happen. Covering for Jules for a night sometime later in their run was no big deal. It was almost expected. Stepping into her shoes on opening night was wrong. So wrong. And she hated it.
But there was no undoing it now. Sophie rushed to her dressing room, heart pounding in her chest. She stared blankly at Tabitha, who was already in her robe, ready to have her hair done.
“What were you two doing down there? I thought I was going to have to come break up the love fest.” Tabitha rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
Sophie shook her head, swallowing over her painfully dry throat. “No…she’s…” She gulped. “She’s sick, Tab. She might not go on.”
Tabitha gaped. “Holy shit. You’re her understudy!”
“I know.”
Tabitha leaped out of her chair. “Well, we have to get you ready. Oh my God, Soph, this might be your big break. The understudy going on the first night of previews? This is unheard of.”
“I know.” She grasped the chair in front of her, needing something to hold onto. “It’s everything and nothing I wanted.”
“Let’s focus on the everything part right now,” Tabitha said. “You should put on your robe so you’re ready for hair and makeup, and then we need to start warming up.”
“Okay.” Sophie blew out a breath. This was really happening.Oh, Jules…
She grabbed her robe and ducked into the bathroom to change. It broke her heart that Jules might miss her big night, that Sophie couldn’t be with her right now, helping her through it. But at least Jules was with her mom. Sophie blinked back tears as she knotted the sash of her robe.
She and Tabitha were deep in their scripts, reviewing Bianca’s marks and cues, when Andrew poked his head through the door. “You’re going on as Bianca tonight.”
Sophie stared at him for a moment as a funny sensation rushed through her system, leaving her breathless and cold. She nodded.
He sat with her to run through the schedule for her wig and costume changes as a tech wheeled the rack with Bianca’s costumes into her dressing room. “You can do this, Sophie. Let me know if you need anything,” he told her before he left, closing the door behind him.
