Between the Lines.

Before There was a Story

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:32:41 GMT

Title: Before There Was a Story
Pairing: none; Lucy/Ava friendship
Rating: G
Summary: Lucy and Ava in college, before there was a LucyandAva.

“Can I get a caramel frap with no whipped topping?”

Ava was already waiting at the bar for her strawberries and cream frap, and when Lucy glanced over at her, Ava raised her eyes from her phone and smiled.

“No whip,” she commented over the grinding from the coffeemaker.

“I can’t stand it,” replied Lucy, folding her arms over her stomach. “It has a weird texture in my mouth.”

Ava frowned sympathetically as she took her frap off of the bar and licked the whipped cream from around the rim.

“I’m sorry. I should probably learn to drink fraps without whip, but –”

Suddenly Ava stopped and wrinkled her nose.

“What?” asked Lucy.

“It really does feel weird! Gross!”

Lucy ducked her head to hide the smirk on her face.

“Told you,” she said quietly, but Ava heard her and elbowed her in the ribs.

“Vicious little thing,” she said, forgetting the offense Ava took to that, and Ava huffed off to claim the last table open by the window.

“So, do you want to exchange emails?” asked Lucy as she slid into the chair across from Ava. “That way we can divide the work and send it back and forth so the other can revise it.”

“Emails?” asked Ava, leaning forward. “Emails? I want to exchange phone numbers, Miss Lucy Scott. I want to receive phone calls and texts, not some silly emoticon-filled email.”

“At least I didn’t offer to Facebook you,” Lucy pointed out.

Ava laughed, acknowledging Lucy’s point, and opened her tote bag.

“Anyway, I went ahead and started some of the research last night,” she said, sliding the papers across the table to Lucy.

“Wait,” exclaimed Lucy, inspecting Ava’s writing. “You use pink pens, too?”

Ava reached into her bag and pulled out a pink RSVP pen.

“Yeah. Why? Does that color bother you?”

Lucy searched through her purse until she found her own pen, which she held out to Ava.

“I do, too.”

“Let’s switch!” cried Ava, grabbing Lucy’s pen and switching it with her own. Lucy’s pen had more ink, but she didn’t point that out. She just took Ava’s pen and started to proofread the paragraphs that Ava had already written.

“Too many commas,” she muttered as she edited.

“Grammar Nazi,” quipped Ava.

Lucy looked up at Ava and frowned.

“I’m Jewish.”

Ava smiled angelically and pushed her hair over her shoulder.

“And I’m Austrian. Whaddya know.”

“Austrians. Always small and loud,” replied Lucy, and Ava kicked her in the shins. “And violent.”

“That’s why it took almost the whole rest of the world to stop us,” returned Ava.

Lucy shook her head as she continued to read the paper, in which Ava described the way that oysters digested various chemicals found in kelp.

“Where did you find this information?” she asked. “I didn’t have you pegged as a science geek. Didn’t you say you were-”

“A musical theatre major,” interrupted Ava. “But I’m a closeted geek.”

“Not so closeted anymore,” murmured Lucy.

Instead of reacting with violence, Ava just smiled.

“I’m not ashamed of my researching skills. Besides, if it gets us an A on this project, it’s worth it. No final exam, and no more science for the rest of my life.”

“Science is something you’re bad at?” asked Lucy, searching for something, anything, under the playful, smiling face that Ava wore like a mask.

“Science, math, working on little sleep,” listed off Ava, shrugging.

“Did you lose sleep to do this research?” asked Lucy.

Ava blushed. “I was just messing around on NYU’s library database. There are an obscene number of papers on oysters. You’d think they were important to the ecological environment, or something.”

Lucy couldn’t quite tell if Ava was being humorous or not, so she settled for, “I just hope that I can live up to your standards of research quality.”

“Do you want to go to the library?” asked Ava. “We could do research together. That would, you know, make this a true group project, rather than just a project that we share.”

“Which library?” asked Lucy.

“Well, I guess we could go to the school’s library. Or we could go to the main library-”

“Where they filmed the Sex and the City movie,” interjected Lucy.

“Exactly!” exclaimed Ava.

Lucy looked up from the papers and smiled at Ava, and when Ava smiled back, it didn’t seem like she was playing a part anymore. For the first time, she seemed completely genuine.

“Do you want to come over to my place?” asked Ava suddenly.

“What?” said Lucy, startled.

“We’re having a movie night,” Ava hastened to explain, “My roommate and I. We’re watching chick flicks and eating grotesque amounts of chocolate. I’d like for you to join us.”

“Yeah,” said Lucy after a second. “That’d be cool.”

“Sweet,” agreed Ava. “Come over at 8. I’ll text you directions.”

*/*/*

Lucy did go to Ava’s movie night, and they stayed up until ten the next morning, watching every movie that Meg Ryan had ever made and eating raw cookie dough. But two years later, when they shared an apartment and a dog and a love wider than the continental United States, they would both forget about that one night of intimacy, that brief coffee date where they had been on the verge of becoming accidental soulmates.

Some things just can’t happen before their time. Some stories don’t have prequels. But this story, fortunately for all of us, is only just beginning.

Song Drabbles, Set Two

Wed, 06 May 2009 03:06:35 GMT

Title: All We Are, and All We Want
Pairing: Lucy/Ava, Sophia/Alyx, various and sundry others
Rating: PG-13

[we’re takin’ it slow, these tiny legacies]
i. I Stand – Idina Menzel Soundstage Special

Ava blinked, her eyes going cross-eyed as Lucy’s face got closer to hers. Lucy put one hand on Ava’s shoulder and the other on her waist, tugging her closer, and Ava closed her eyes. Her breath hitched when Lucy’s lips met hers, and her heart thumped, but the feeling was more pleasant than anything she had felt in a while, so she held on to Lucy’s waist and concentrated on kissing her back.

Lucy’s tongue prodded Ava’s lips, and she opened her mouth, tightening her grip on Lucy as Lucy’s tongue slid into her mouth.

Her first time making out with a girl. She had kissed a girl once in acting class, when they had done a kissing exercise and it was between kissing Jordan Harper, the gay guy, and Lindsay Alford, her friend. She had even kissed Lucy. But this was her first time making out with a girl, and they were in an alley in New York City, for god sakes. Ava knew she should pull away or freak out, but she couldn’t. It was Lucy, who she loved, and it was –

- it was wonderful.

[we who wish to reach the light]
ii. Panis Angelicus – Josh Groban

Lucy and Ava slipped into a pew and sat down quietly as the priest made his way to the pulpit and held up his hands. The congregation began to sing in Latin, and Lucy and Ava listened in awed silence. Sophia sang, as well, and reached for Ava’s hand, squeezing it.

The song was beautiful, the type of thing Ava imagined people singing in churches in the 15th century, and tears sprang to her eyes. Here, in this church full of people, it didn’t matter that she wasn’t Catholic or that Sophia was a Broadway star, singing in the midst of hundreds of other people. It didn’t even matter that it was cold in the cathedral, or dark.

When Ava turned to Lucy, she saw that Lucy had tears in her eyes, too. She reached for Lucy’s hand, and Lucy squeezed it. They may not have been of the same religion or understood the language, but here, in this place, they were overwhelmed with the beauty of love.

[just say that we agree and never change]
iii. Over My Head (Cable Card) – The Fray

“Why did I do this?” Lucy asked, looking at the dozens of pictures that surrounded her on the floor. “I have no idea which pictures are the best. They all suck.”

Ava stood on the coffee table, looking down at the pictures and tilting her head.

“I like them all,” she proclaimed, squatting to get a closer look at a clump of she and Sophia laughing together. “I especially like these. We look happy.”

“You’re not supposed to look happy!” exclaimed Lucy in frustration. “This photo shoot was supposed to be in character. Why did I get the job as production photographer? Everyone is going to say I just got it because I’m dating the producer’s son, because let’s face it. I suck.”

Ava stood up and hopped off the table, grabbing a picture at the edge of the mass. She handed it to Lucy.

“See this?” she asked. Lucy looked at it, at the way that Sophia looked at Ava with trust, her hand on Ava’s arm, and the way that Ava looked to the camera defiantly.

“I see it,” said Lucy finally. She wasn’t sure if the lighting was quite right in that one, and she wanted to play with the colors.

“This is in character. This is the picture. I’m telling you.”

Months later, when the review was printed in the New York Times, that picture was the one on top of the article.

[lover you knew you had to let me go even after all these years]
iv. Spring Street – Vanessa Carlton

“We’ve walked this street before.”

Ava looked up at the street sign.

“We have,” she agreed. “We got lost on the way to Union Square because we took the wrong subway. We ended up at Sophia’s apartment.”

“We held hands,” remembered Lucy. “Even when we buzzed Sophia to ask her directions.”

“And Alyx answered,” added Ava. “They opened the window and shouted down at us.”

“Do you remember what they were wearing?” asked Lucy.

Ava paused on the sidewalk and wrinkled her nose.

“I don’t think so. Sophia was in lavender. I do remember that.”

“Bathrobes,” said Lucy. She pressed her lips together to suppress her smile.

Ava’s mouth fell open. “Oh my god. Really? They were! Do you think-”

Lucy lifted Ava’s hands to her lips. “Definitely.”

Ava grinned. “I thought we were the only ones.”

Lucy stepped backwards, still looking at Ava.

“No. I guess we’re not. But soon they will be the only ones.”

“Don’t start,” pleaded Ava, dropping Lucy’s gaze and shuffling her feet. “It hurts. Already, it hurts.”

“I’m going to miss you,” said Lucy softly, using her free hand to brush the hair back from Ava’s face. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I have to go,” said Ava simply.

“And I’ll wait here, missing you.”

“And I’ll fly to LA, loving you. And then I’ll come home to you.”

[all I really want is you, you to stick around]
v. Follow Through – Gavin Degraw

The apartment was empty, as it had been for two months. Ava’s room was dusty, and the blinds were closed. Her plant had wilted because Lucy had been too sad to go into the deserted room to water it.

Lucy sat on the fire escape, leaning back against her elbows. The sun set somewhere on the other side of the buildings, painting the sky pink, and she bit her lip, imagining how excited Ava would love to see it. But Ava wasn’t here. She was in LA, previewing her musical, getting notes, forgetting to eat, being interviewed by internet reporters and bloggers from all over the country.

Talking on the phone every day wasn’t enough. Spending Sunday nights moping with Josh wasn’t enough. Talking to Vincent on webcam wasn’t enough. She missed her friend. How was it that she lived in the theatre capital of the world, and yet her Broadway acting best friend was three thousand miles away?

Suddenly Lucy heard footsteps from below her on the fire escape, and when she spread her legs apart and peered between the slats below, she saw Ava’s smiling face grinning back at her.

“Boo!” shouted Ava, sprinting up the final steps.

“Oh my god,” gasped Lucy. “You – But you’re in LA!”

“False. I am on my fire escape. And my dead plant is on the windowsill of my room.”

“We’ll get you a new plant,” promised Lucy.

Ava threw herself into Lucy’s lap and pressed her cheek against Lucy’s.

“I don’t want a new plant. Not now, anyway. I didn’t come home for that.”

“Oh yeah?” asked Lucy.

“Yeah,” said Ava, turning her head and kissing Lucy’s cheek. “I came home to see the New York sunset. So pink and lovely.”

“Much pinker than LA’s,” agreed Lucy, trying to hide the sting that Ava’s comment left.

“Oh yeah,” said Ava softly, pressing her lips against Lucy’s. “I also came home to see you. I told you I’d come back to you.”

Lucy blinked hard to keep back the tears in her eyes. She should have known that Ava would follow through.

Gay Chicken Three: Now or Never

Sat, 02 May 2009 15:00:13 GMT

Title: Gay Chicken Three: Now or Never
Pairing: Lucy/Ava
Rating: R-NC-17
Summary: Lucy and Ava enjoy Ava's new dressing room
A/N: This timeline for this is confusing, because it takes place both in the spring after The Crucible's out-of-town try-outs and in the fall just before the tryouts.

They were assigned dressing rooms one week before previews began, when they were rehearsing in the theatre past midnight and Ava was found asleep on pieces of scenery on more than one occasion. Everyone laughed at her for falling asleep, but secretly thanked her, because having a door with their name on it made them feel at home in this place that they were getting to know better than they knew their own families.

Ava’s dressing room was small; smaller than Sophia’s, at least, and she had to sacrifice her 20-inch television in favor of the small white couch that Alyx gave her as a dressing room gift, but the fact that she had her own dressing room made both she and Lucy giddy. They arrived together at the theatre early one night before the evening run through, when backstage was so empty that their footsteps still echoed off of the walls in the hallway.

They arrived at Ava’s dressing room, which was across the hall from Sophia’s and a flight of stairs down from the man playing John Proctor’s, and froze. There, on a piece of pink paper and written in a glitter pen, was Ava’s name, all three parts.

“Sophia,” they said together, reaching out to touch the glitter.

Glitter from the “B” in Blythe stuck to Lucy’s finger, which she immediately touched to Ava’s cheek, and it was with a cacophony of shrieks and giggles that they tumbled into Ava’s dressing room.

“Nice couch,” noted Lucy as Ava washed her finger for her. “Though I don’t think Alyx took into consideration how cramped the Palace dressing rooms are.”

“Still, don’t we want to be close in here?” asked Ava, releasing Lucy’s finger and wiping her cheek with a damp washcloth.

Lucy’s face loomed next to Ava’s in the mirror, and Ava barely had time to register the broad smile on Lucy’s face before she felt herself being spun around the room and pushed onto the couch. Lucy extracted the washcloth from Ava’s fingers and threw it into the bathroom before climbing onto the sofa over Ava and straddling her waist.

“Yes,” purred Lucy. “We want to be very close.”

Lucy’s shirt gaped away from her body, and Ava slid her hands inside of it, running them over Lucy’s stomach and laughing as Lucy twitched and collapsed on top of her.

“Oh, look, my hands are trapped against your breasts,” she purred, molding her hands to Lucy’s bra cups.

Lucy lifted her head and smiled at Ava.

“You’re evil,” she said.

Ava smiled back.

“I know.”

Lucy dropped her head, pressing kisses to Ava’s collarbone and down to the skin that Ava’s v-neck shirt left exposed. She nudged aside the fabric with her nose, proceeding closer and closer to Ava’s nipple, when Ava gasped, “Lucy? What are you doing?”

Lucy’s tongue brushed against Ava’s nipple, causing her to smile when she realized that Ava had foregone a bra, before she lifted her head and said, “Christening your dressing room.”

“Oh, god,” breathed Ava, tilting her head back against the sofa, and Lucy pulled up her shirt and pressed her lips to Ava’s nipple before sucking on it and feeling it grow hard in her mouth. She thought that she had won until she felt Ava’s fingers inside her bra, touching her breasts, squeezing her nipples, causing her to squirm.

She turned her head and pressed her cheek to Ava’s breast, breathing hard.

“Ava?” she asked.

“Hm?” asked Ava as she slid her hands out of Lucy’s bra and placed them on Lucy’s hips.

“What are we doing, exactly?”

Ava’s hands drifted to the button on Lucy’s jeans, and when Lucy felt it come undone and the fabric pull away, she felt like part of her was coming apart, too. Would Ava really do it? Would they cross the line that they had managed to teeter on the edge of for so long?

“Are you-” began Lucy, but she couldn’t finish the sentence before Ava’s hand slid into her pants and cupped her through her underwear, so she settled for, “Christ.”

Just one touch, and already Ava was turning her into a religious person.

“Shhh,” crooned Ava, craning her neck and pressing kisses to Lucy’s chest. Her free hand slid back under Lucy’s shirt and up, sliding into Lucy’s bra and rubbing her nipple until it was hard. Ava’s other hand moved lower, brushing across Lucy’s underwear, and suddenly there was no fabric anymore, only Ava’s fingers moving across Lucy and exploring her.

“Oh god,” whispered Lucy, “God.”

“Lucy,” breathed Ava, her breath gusting across Lucy’s chest.

Lucy couldn’t think of what to say in response, so she settled for groaning, a noise she pulled from back in her throat, something that Ava had never heard before.

Ava grinned against Lucy’s chest, pleased with herself.

“Stop being so smug,” grumped Lucy, but then Ava’s fingers moved against her, parting her, and Lucy forgot that she was trying to be sullen.

“I can’t help it,” said Ava breathily. “You’re just s

“Ava?”

Ava looked up quickly to find Sophia standing over her shoulder, smiling at her.

“Um, yes?” asked Ava, taking a deep breath to slow down her speeding heart.

“What are you doing?”

Sophia put her hand on Ava’s shoulder and changed her angle so that she could read over Ava’s shoulder, and Ava hastily stood up and clutched the papers to her chest.

“I was just, um, writing.”

“Writing what?”

Ava’s eyes darted around, but she couldn’t come up with a suitable lie, so she sighed and sank back into her seat slowly.

“Do you ever write things to people to…drive them crazy?” she asked.

Sophia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think that I know what you’re saying.”

“I’m writing a story. For . . . Josh. About my dressing room. If you get what I mean.”

The light of understanding dawned Sophia’s eyes, and she smiled broadly.

“Oh, you mean like a suggestive story?”

“Exactly. It will probably cause him to go mad.”

“He’ll be sad that you’re gone from Phantom,” said Sophia knowingly.

“But glad that I have my own, private dressing room,” amended Ava.

Sophia pressed her lips together and shook her head before patting Ava’s hair.

“I love you, A, but I am thanking God that he put your dressing room across the hall from mine.”

“Me too,” agreed Ava, snagging Sophia around the waist and pulling her down into a hug. “This way, when I leave my door open, you get a full show.”

Sophia’s resulting groan was drowned out by Ava’s giggles.

*/*/*

Later that night, when Ava got home from the theatre, Lucy’s room was empty.

Perfect, thought Ava, putting the newly finished story on Lucy’s bed. Then she heard the apartment door unlock again, and she ran across the hall to her room and dove under the covers before Lucy could catch her awake and involve her in a conversation that she wouldn’t be able to have while keeping a straight face.

Five minutes later, though, it wasn’t Lucy’s squeal that Ava heard from Lucy’s room.

It was Vincent’s.

“Lucy, what is this story on your bed?”

Suddenly Ava was glad that she had kept the last two pages to herself for Lucy’s later viewing.

The bathroom door squeaked open, and Ava heard Lucy’s footsteps patter across the room, then a shocked, “Jesus Christ! I’m going to kill her!”

“Well,” said Vincent more quietly, “It is kind of hot.”

Ava buried her head into her pillow to muffle her laughter.

Mission accomplished.

Two Girls in the City Verse Drabbles

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:36:58 GMT

1. Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.
2. Turn your music player on and turn it on random/shuffle.
3. Write a drabble/ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterward!
4. Do ten of these, then post them.

<<will someone care?>>
I. Will I – Cast of Rent

“What if I can’t make it?”

Lucy ran her fingers through Ava’s hair gently, and Ava turned her face into Lucy’s throat.

“What if I fail everyone? What if I screw up on stage, or forget a line, or mess up the blocking, or totally blank, or call Sophia Sophia instead of Elizabeth Proctor?”

Lucy pressed a kiss to Ava’s temple.

“You’re not going to. You’ve been rehearsing for months. You’ve done a preview in Los Angeles. You’ve practiced more. This is just another step. Another preview.”

“Another preview in New York. All of my friends will see me. All of my colleagues. All of my future bosses and coworkers and fans. If I suck, I won’t have any future colleagues or bosses or fans.”

Lucy unclasped the bracelet from around her wrist and put it on Ava’s.

“You won’t mess up,” she promised. “I’ll be there with you. You will beast it.”

<<always on time and never the same>>
II. A Day In My Life – The Love Willows

“You didn’t make your bed.”

Ava’s hands were on her waist, and she looked too alert for 7 a.m.

“So?” replied Lucy sleepily, pushing her hair out of her face. She shoved another bite of Cheerios into her mouth and kicked the fridge on her way past. Stupid fridge.

“So? So you’re going to get dressed and go to work and leave it like that, and Sophia and Alyx are coming over after rehearsal!”

Lucy dumped the extra milk from the cereal down the drain and turned to look at Ava dubiously.

“A, darling, they’re not going to see my room.”

Ava grinned mischievously.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Lucy paled.

“No way, A. Don’t tease. They’ll be in our house. You can’t make insinuations.”

Ava tossed her hair.

“Nevertheless, I made your bed for you. No insinuation added.”

<<push out, sell out, die out>>
III. I’m So Sick (Acoustic) – Flyleaf

“Maybe you should sit down and take a break.”

Ava shook her head, but even as she did, she doubled over. Her coughs shook her body.

“Ava, darling. Please.”

Ava crumpled to the ground, wrapping her arms around her chest as if to hold it together. Sophia knelt on the floor next to her, holding her in her arms, and the director threw up his hands in disgust. Another delay. Just what he needed with previews right around the corner.

“I’ll be fine. Promise!” gasped Ava. She tried to take a drink of water, but just started coughing again.

“You’re burning up,” protested Sophia, pressing her hand to Ava’s forehead. “You should be in bed.”

“This rehearsal is important! Previews!” argued Ava.

“Take a break,” insisted the director. “Sophia? Get her off my stage. Take her to her dressing room. I want her back on the stage in half an hour, or at home.”

As Sophia led Ava off of the stage, there were tears rolling down Ava’s face.

“What can I do for you, sweetheart?” asked Sophia.

“Lucy,” whispered Ava, her lips trembling. “Get me Lucy.”

<<a place where we can fly away>>
IV. Dream a Dream – Charlotte Church and Billy Gilman

Lucy leaned backwards, arching her back, and wound her legs around the fire escape railing. The sun set above them, reflecting off the windows of skyscrapers, and if she had chosen a scene out of an urban fairytale, this would have been it. But it was too lovely for her to get up and find her camera.

“What is your dream?” she asked Vincent.

Vincent leaned over her and watched the bustle of the city below as people hurried home from work or to meet friends or business partners or lovers.

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” he admitted. “I like what I’m doing now, but…”

“But?” asked Lucy. She was suddenly worried. What if he wanted to do something like live in the countryside or across the country or own a farm? Could she give up the city for him? Could she give up her own dream for him?

Vincent took Lucy’s hand from her lap and laced their fingers together.

“But now I think that this moment is my dream.”

“This?” asked Lucy, thinking he meant the city below and around them.

Vincent kissed her knuckles gently.

“Yes, this. You.”

“Oh,” said Lucy, softly.

So maybe his dream was her dream come true.

<<when you see me leaving, baby, just let me go>>
V. Madly – Tristan Prettyman

“Why are you crying?”

Ava refused to take her face out of the pillow, and that really scared Lucy. Normally Ava told her what was wrong.

“Ava, please, I need you to tell me what’s wrong,” pleaded Lucy, perching on the edge of Ava’s bed and stroking her back. Ava flinched from her touch and began to cry harder.

When Ava finally lifted her head out of the pillow, her nose was dripping and her eyes were smeared. Her hair was plastered to her skin. Lucy almost cried from the sight of it.

“Darling?” she asked.

Ava absentmindedly wiped her nose on her sleeve, something she never would have done in her right mind.

“I’m just being silly,” she said.

“Ava.”

“Josh is leaving,” she whispered quickly.

Lucy froze.

“What?”

“To go to Chicago to help out in Phantom there.”

“He’s leaving?”

“For a whole month,” wailed Ava. “A whole month!”

Lucy sighed in relief.

“Oh darling, it’s just a month!”

Ava shook her head. “No. It’s not just a month. It’s a whole month. And if he’s able to do it, it proves that he doesn’t need me like I need him. I can’t survive a month. I am so unhappy, Luce. What if this is the beginning of the end?”

<<but til then I like it this way – it’s my way>>
VI. Single – Natasha Bedingfield

“Do you think there’s something about me that makes people not want to be with me?”

Ava nearly dropped her bagel.

“What?”

Sophia continued to spread cream cheese on her bagel and carefully avoided Ava’s eyes.

“I haven’t had a boyfriend – or a girlfriend – in nearly two years. Two. Years. I haven’t even been asked.”

“That’s a lie,” said Ava automatically.

Sophia raised her eyebrow.

“What?” she asked.

Ava grinned around a bite of bagel.

“I’ve seen your fan mail,” she admitted. “I’ve written you some fan mail. I’m pretty sure that I proposed marriage in fan mail to you.”

A smile appeared at the corner of Sophia’s lips, encouraging Ava.

“In fact,” she continued, “I think there’s a whole Facebook group about wanting to marry you. And perhaps a musical on the Internet where people have planned your life and cast themselves as your spouse.”

“So you’re saying that I should marry a fan?” asked Sophia.

Ava shook her head quickly.

“Definitely not. I’m saying you should marry me.”

“A, seriously,” pleaded Sophia.

Ava reached across the table and covered Sophia’s hand with her own, disregarding the cream cheese that got on her hand from Sophia’s knife.

“Seriously. I think you’re perfect. And if stupid men and stupid women don’t realize that, then it’s their fault. And it’s all the better for me, because I get to buy you lunch instead of them.”

<<is this the best I can be?>>
VII. A Little Over Zero – Elisa

“I feel like I’m in college, trying to decide my major again.”

Ava rested her head on Lucy’s stomach and groped for her hand.

“Why’s that?” she asked.

Lucy squinted at the glow stars on Ava’s ceiling. She wondered if there was a hidden meaning in them that could tell her what her life was meant to be.

“I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.”

Ava rolled over, settling her chin on Lucy’s chest and peering into Lucy’s eyes.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Lucy breathed extra deeply just to watch Ava’s head bob up and down. It was oddly entertaining.

“I’ve quit my job at Photography Phrenzy. I’ve finished taking production photos for The Crucible. What do I do now? Try to worm my way into the world of professional theatre photography? Open my own studio? Go back to taking pictures of toddlers?”

Ava smiled down at Lucy.

“I think that having a plan for life is stupid,” she confided. “I think you should do whatever makes you happiest. And if that means taking pictures of ducks in Central Park and hanging them on abandoned buildings, I think you should do it. And if you like having toddlers put lollipops in your hair, go for it. And if that means fighting to be the best darn photographer on Broadway, well, I know you can do that.”

“But how will we survive if I fail?” asked Lucy.

“We’ll take nude photographs and sell them on the Internet.”

“Ava,” admonished Lucy.

Ava grinned.

“Oh, Luce, we’ll survive. Even if it means getting into porn. I’d do anything to keep on living here with you.”

<<if you want me, you’re going to have to break the bank tonight.>>
VIII. If You Can Afford Me – Katy Perry

“I think he took out a loan.”

Ava took the bracelet from Lucy’s fingers and inspected it in the light.

“Or he stole a small sports car.”

“Or got adopted by Donald Trump.”

“Or inherited a bank.”

Lucy took the bracelet back and clasped it around her wrist, admiring it.

“Why do you think he got it? My birthday was in December. Valentine’s is half a year off.”

Ava shrugged.

“No idea, but it’s gorgeous. I am so jealous.”

Lucy winked.

“Maybe I’ll let you wear it once in a while, when Vincent’s not around to see.”

Two days later, at Ava’s birthday party, Josh handed her a small box from Tiffany’s.

“Tiffany’s!” she squealed. She pealed back the paper to reveal a shining diamond bracelet.

“Oh my god,” said Lucy in shock.

She and Ava burst out laughing, leaving Vincent and Josh immensely confused. They had never seen the humor in thousands of dollars worth of fine jewelry. But when they saw the bracelet around Lucy’s wrist later that month, they did learn the meaning of true friendship.

<<you took my hand and danced with me>>
IX. Almost Lover – A Fine Frenzy

Alyx wound her fingers through Sophia’s curly blonde locks. Sophia pressed her fingers into Alyx’s back. They leaned closer, their heads tilting, and Sophia could almost hear the drum roll that ended in the fireworks. She had imagined this a thousand times; she had dreamt of it for countless nights.

And for some reason, right before their lips pressed together, Sophia froze. Alyx froze too, sensing the tension in Sophia’s body, and moved back a fraction of an inch.

“Soph?” she asked quietly, her breath gusting across Sophia’s lips.

Sophia wanted nothing more than to surge forward and kiss Alyx and never let go.

But was she ready for it?

Sophia buried her head in Alyx’s shoulder instead, and when Alyx stroked her back soothingly, she felt the tears leak out of her eyes and onto Alyx’s blouse.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, tasting the perfume that Alyx had spritzed onto her neck. “I’m sorry.”

Alyx pressed a kiss to her hair, and to her temple, and to her cheek, and every press of her lips felt like a kiss goodbye.

<<oh baby, look around, look around, lookin’ up and down>>
X. House of Love – Shoshana Bean

Neither of them slept that whole night. When the other women finally left and the apartment was strewn with champagne glasses, noisemakers, and napkins, Lucy and Ava fit together into the Snuggle Chair for what was possibly the last time. Together they watched the sun rise over the city. Their last night together was ending.

“Bachelorette parties are so crazy.”

“Mmm.”

“That male stripper was a little much. At least he was hot.”

“Alyx seemed to like him.”

“Alyx was drunk. At least Sophia was here to take her home.”

“Those two have been a little weird lately. Do you think something’s up?”

“I think they’re just growing together, and changing.”

“Like us?”

“Like us.”

They were silent for a moment, until a slight movement brought their lips together and they held perfectly still, lingering.

“But I will never leave you.”

“Never.”

“This isn’t the end.”

“We don’t have an end.”

“I love you.”

Girls with Punch Buggies and Cargo Pants

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:38:23 GMT

Title: Girls with Punch Buggies and Cargo Pants
Rating: R
Summary: Lucy and Ava play Gay Chicken
A/N: This is a Lucy and Ava story that takes place post-novel (with spoilers for said novel) and in the fall/winter of 2011.

Ava yawned and leaned her head on Josh’s shoulder as he spun the wheel.

“Have twins,” he read aloud as his car stopped on an orange spot. “Not again. My car is full!”

“You should have used birth control,” said Lucy helpfully as she allowed Vincent to feed her popcorn.

“Yes,” agreed Vincent, smiling at Lucy. “It will be hard for Ava to carry all of those babies.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Please. I have had zero babies. Those twins are from the mistress.”

Vincent coughed in shock, and Josh rubbed the back of his neck. Lucy just grinned at Ava.

“You’re going to let Josh have a mistress?” Vincent asked Ava, his eyebrows raised.

“Yep,” said Ava casually, tilting back her head as Lucy threw her a piece of popcorn. She caught it with her mouth and chewed noisily. “Just like you’re going to let Lucy have a mistress.”

“I don’t understand.”

Ava shrugged. “Lucy’s going to be my mistress. Naturally.”

There was silence for a moment, during which time Lucy threw Ava two more pieces of popcorn and hit Josh in the forehead with one, before Josh and Vincent laughed uneasily.

“That wouldn’t be funny if we didn’t know that you were bluffing,” said Vincent finally, spinning the wheel on the Life board.

Ava pointed her foot and flexed her toes, and Lucy grabbed them and tugged, nearly succeeding in pulling Ava out of the Snuggle Chair.

“We’re not bluffing,” promised Ava as Josh wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her securely onto his lap. “You guys just haven’t seen us at work yet.”

“I would beg to differ that we have,” said Josh in a husky voice, his lips brushing Ava’s ear.

“She meant with each other,” said Lucy quickly, grinning as Vincent’s fingers tickled her side.

Vincent surprised everyone, including himself, by saying, “Prove it.”

Ava looked up and met Lucy’s eyes. Lucy raised her eyebrow in challenge, and Ava shrugged.

“Fine,” she said, scrambling out of Josh’s lap. “We’ll prove it.”

Lucy pulled away from Vincent and held her arms open, and Ava carefully straddled Lucy’s lap and lowered herself, wrapping her legs around Lucy’s waist.

“Whoa,” said Vincent, scooting to the far end of the couch. Before he could even get the word out, though, Lucy had her fingers threaded through Ava’s hair, and Ava was lowering her lips to Lucy’s.

“God,” whispered Josh as Lucy leaned forward, her lips pressing firmly against Ava’s. Ava wrapped her arms around Lucy’s neck and tugged on Lucy’s lower lip, and Lucy willingly opened her mouth, inviting Ava’s tongue inside.

“You’d think that they were used to this,” said Vincent in an undertone.

“They do seem to do it with remarkable ease,” replied Josh when the girls showed no signs of stopping.

“I guess we’ll let you two be alone,” teased Vincent, making a move to stand up. “I would tell you to get a room, but this is your apartment. Now we know what you do during “girl time.””

Ava pulled away from Lucy just far enough to flash a smile at the boys. Already her lips were looking swollen.

“No, don’t go,” she protested. “We have to finish our scintillating game of Life.”

Josh shrugged. “I don’t know, I thought you were getting bored of it.”

“Are you saying that she has to be bored to make out with me?” demanded Lucy, affecting a hurt look. “I’ll have you know that her natural reaction in the best moments of her life is to grab me and –”

“-hug you,” finished Ava, patting Lucy’s head consolingly. “I save the kissing for private. No need to give the kiddies a peep show.”

Lucy stuck out her lower lip, and Ava kissed her one final time before extracting herself from Lucy’s arms and returning to her place on Josh’s lap. It felt weird to go from Lucy to Josh; they were so different. But then Lucy smirked at her, and Ava knew that what they had begun in front of Josh and Vincent wasn’t over. After all, the guys had to leave some time.

Ava hadn’t known that it was possible for Life to take as long as Monopoly, but it was nearly midnight by the time Vincent was declared the winner for retiring with the most money, becoming president, curing the common cold, and writing the Great American Novel.

“Well, ladies,” said Vincent as he stood up and stretched his legs, “As much as I would like to grace you with my presence for hours more and hear you call me Mr. President, I do have to go to work in the morning. And if I recall correctly, you, Ava, will be in attendance.”

Ava sighed dramatically. “Yes. Unfortunately, instead of doing a dance sequence for hours upon hours tomorrow, I will be sitting in your office and listening to you discuss the financial aspect of the production. As if I care.”

“They’re having Einstein Brothers cater it. I heard that they ordered chocolate chip cookies.”

“Are you bribing me?” asked Ava, lifting her eyebrow.

“Well, you and Sophia. I overheard you two and Lucy discussing cookies the other night at Alyx’s party.”

“So you do listen!” exclaimed Lucy. Vincent rolled his eyes and reached for his coat.

“And with that, I’m off. You coming, Josh?”

Josh retrieved his coat from the hook by the door and shrugged it on.

“I sure am. I would kiss you goodnight, Ava, but I wouldn’t want to be compared to Lucy.”

“That’s a good point. Nobody compares to Lucy,” agreed Vincent.

Ava stepped onto the coffee table and pulled Josh by his coat collar until their faces were inches apart.

“You can’t leave here without kissing me,” she growled, pressing her lips to his roughly before stepping back and pushing him away. “There. Now you are free to leave.”

Josh stumbled away with a wink, and Vincent bent down to kiss Lucy quickly before heading for the door.

“We’ll let ourselves out,” he announced. “And we will see you tomorrow.”

“At least, we’ll see you tomorrow if you aren’t too wrapped up in each other to notice that we’re around,” added Josh as he closed the door behind them.

The door shut with a click, and both Ava and Lucy stared at it for a moment before turning to each other.

“So that was…” began Ava, trailing off. She twisted the hem of her shirt in her hands and smiled shyly at Lucy.

“Yeah,” agreed Lucy, kneeling to clean up the board game. “That certainly was. Do you think we should-”

“Tell them that we made out for hours after they left, then fell asleep topless on the sofa?”

“I was going to say ‘actually do it.’”

Ava paused on her way into the kitchen with the plates and glasses. She turned around slowly and waited until Lucy looked up and met her eyes.

“Bring it,” said Ava quietly. The challenge in her tone was evident.

Lucy didn’t stop to think; she left the Life board where it was and stood up.

“You’ll regret saying that.”

“Doubt it,” Ava shot back.

Lucy crossed the room and took the glasses and plates out of Ava’s hand, setting them on the counter.

“No. You will. I always win.”

She put her hands on Ava’s waist and pulled up the hem until her fingers were stroking just inside the waistband of Ava’s jeans.

“Not this time,” amended Ava, wrapping her arms around Lucy’s waist and grabbing her ass. “This time you may have met your match.”

“Prove it,” demanded Lucy.

“I will.”

Ava placed her hand squarely over Lucy’s breast, and Lucy inhaled so quickly that she choked. That started Ava laughing, and Lucy let go of her in order to stumble into the kitchen and stick her head under the faucet in hopes of stopping her coughing. When she managed to catch her breath again, Ava was already at work cleaning up the kitchen.

“So…” said Lucy, leaning against the counter.

Ava looked at the dirty wine glasses in her hands and the plates waiting to be rinsed.

“Truce?” she asked.

“Truce,” agreed Lucy, putting the plug in the drain and starting up the dishwater.

*/*/*

Ava had the tendency to forget to close her door when she changed clothes. Tonight was no exception, and as Lucy walked down the hall to find where Ava had hidden the Oreos, she caught a glimpse of Ava pulling her shirt off and shooting it into the hamper. Suddenly Oreos didn’t seem very important after all.

Lucy slipped into Ava’s room and came up behind her, placing her hands squarely on Ava’s breasts and pulling Ava to her until their bodies were pressed together.

“Hey gorgeous,” she whispered into Ava’s ear.

Ava stood stock-still.

“Lucy?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, darling?”

Ava reached back and grabbed Lucy’s ass.

“This means war.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” replied Lucy, pushing aside Ava’s hair and kissing her neck.

Ava turned around in Lucy’s arms and released Lucy’s ass in favor of holding Lucy’s face still as she placed kisses across it.

“I’m still winning,” taunted Lucy, wrenching herself away. “You’re topless. Soon you will be braless. I am fully dressed.”

Ava pulled the drawstring on Lucy’s pants and pushed them to the floor.

“Or, you know, not,” Lucy amended. “But still. I am going to take off your bra. With my teeth.”

Ava frowned. “You don’t know how to do that.”

“Turn around,” dared Lucy.

Ava put her hands on her hips.

“This is a front-clasp bra,” she announced.

“All the better,” purred Lucy. She directed Ava back to the bed, and when Ava was sitting on the edge, Lucy knelt between her legs. She placed a kiss between Ava’s breasts, smiling when Ava squirmed.

Lucy didn’t actually know how to take a bra off with her teeth. She had never had reason to do it before. But she had seen it in movies, and Lauren had demonstrated the skill at a sleep over when they were in high school.

“What’s taking so long?” asked Ava. Lucy didn’t have to look up to know that Ava was smirking.

Lucy put her hands on Ava’s hips and went about her task with her teeth bared. She nipped Ava’s skin, and Ava squeaked.

“Oh sweetheart, if that makes you squeak, just wait ‘til later,” promised Lucy, her lips spreading into a smile and pressing into Ava’s skin.

“Such a – tease,” gasped Ava.

Lucy turned her head and flicked out her tongue, managing to get the clasp partially undone. It was a lot harder than it looked.

“Give up?” asked Ava.

Lucy shook her head, then reached up and popped the clasp with her fingers.

“No way. I still consider this success.”

It felt odd for Lucy to pull Ava’s bra off. She had caught glimpses of Ava naked in the shower or dashing to her room afterwards, but she had never been this close to a naked woman, nor had she seen Ava topless. But now Ava’s breasts were exposed and touching the tip of Lucy’s nose. It was an odd sensation indeed.

“You froze,” whispered Ava. Her tone wasn’t as teasing as Lucy expected it to be.

“I-” began Lucy. She broke off as Ava grasped her arms and pulled her up onto the bed, too. Her nose and her arm and her stomach all managed to brush against Ava’s nipples in the process, and Lucy briefly wondered if she would go to Hell for this. Here was Ava, topless with mussed hair and wide eyes, innocent in this whole matter. What if Lucy had overstepped her bounds? After all, she had basically assaulted Ava while Ava was in her room, expectant of privacy. It wasn’t as if she had said, “Lucy, please, come touch my nipples.”

If she had said that, this probably wouldn’t be happening. If she had said that, Lucy would still be on the floor of the hallway, laughing.

Ava leaned forward, forcing Lucy to lean back, and when Lucy was fully reclined against the pillows, Ava loomed over her and smiled shakily.

“I like you in this position,” she said softly. Then she placed her hand on top of Lucy’s panties, between her thighs, and squeezed.

Lucy swallowed hard.

Ava didn’t move.

A picture fell off of the wall in the hallway.

“If that was the picture for the exhibition-”

Ava fell sideways, freeing Lucy, and Lucy stumbled the hallway to check on her picture. The last thing she needed was a bent picture, broken frame, and glass in the carpet. She didn’t want to have to size the picture again before Saturday.

The picture lay facedown on the ground, and Lucy checked for cracks and marks before hanging it back on the wall. When she returned to Ava’s room, Ava was in the same position as before.

“Were we-” she began.

“It’s really late,” said Ava. “I don’t know what we were doing. I am inclined to believe that I’m dreaming right now, because I am oddly comfortable, and I am never comfortable with being topless in front of people. Not that I’ve had a lot of experience with it.”

Lucy collected her pants from the floor and approached the bed slowly.

“Should we call it a tie?” she asked.

Ava held out her hand. “Tie. We’re even.”

Lucy shook Ava’s hand and bent down, kissing her cheek softly.

“We’re even for this time. Just you wait, though.”

Ava shoved Lucy’s arm, and once again, Lucy’s hand brushed against Ava’s nipple.

“And put on a shirt,” she added as she turned on her heel and left the room.

That night, for the first time since Ava had moved in, Lucy closed her door before she went to sleep. She couldn’t bear the thought of Ava, topless and flustered, in the room across the hall. And she didn’t want Ava to creep up on her in the night when her face was unguarded and her thoughts were public information.

She shouldn’t think so much about what had happened. It was late, like Ava had said. There was wine involved, and hormones, and a dare that had made her body tingle.

But maybe that wasn’t the only thing that had made her body tingle.

“Fuck,” moaned Lucy, rolling over and burying her head in the pillow.

*/*/*

When Vincent came to the apartment the next afternoon, he had Ava with him. It was the first time that Lucy had seen Ava since the night before, and when Ava met Lucy’s eyes, she blushed.

“So, did you two have a scandalous night last night?” asked Vincent as he perched on the edge of a bar stool at the kitchen counter.

“You could say that,” said Lucy lightly, trying to catch Ava’s gaze. Ava studiously scraped the Chinese she had brought home from a take-out container and onto three plates.

“Was there a lot of ripping and shrieking?”

Ava shoved a plate at Vincent and leaned against the counter, looking him in the eye seriously. The tension in the room made Lucy feel like a bomb was about to drop. What would Ava say? Was she upset about last night? Would she be passive aggressive and let Lucy know what she was feeling by telling Vincent about it?

“Lucy can unclasp a bra with her teeth,” said Ava solemnly, never breaking Vincent’s gaze.

At first Vincent’s face showed no expression. And then he laughed, but when Ava didn’t laugh with him, his eyes widened incredulously.

“Did she – did you and she – did she try it out on you?”

Ava whirled around and picked a plate up off of the counter and sauntered out of the kitchen, calling, “What happens during girls’ night stays at girls’ night,” over her shoulder.

“Is she being serious?” asked Vincent as Ava’s door closed with a loud click.

Lucy picked up the remaining plate of Chinese and shrugged.

“You know Ava. She’ll say anything to get a rise out of people.”

Vincent squinted at Lucy for a moment, then dug into his Chinese.

“Then she must be a really good actress. I haven’t ever seen anybody deliver a line that well.”

“You’d better hope that she’s a good actress,” said Lucy as she speared a piece of chicken, “Since she’s opening in your father’s musical in a few weeks.”

Vincent grinned. “After that, I have no doubt that she’s capable of winning the Tony. If only they gave Tony awards for insinuations about what went on behind closed doors. I know she’s only kidding, but damn. The picture of you undoing her bra with your teeth? That’s hot. I’d pay to see that happen.”

“I would, too,” muttered Lucy underneath her breath.

“What was that?” asked Vincent.

From Ava’s room came the club version of “I Kissed a Girl” at a volume that made the walls pulse.

“Nothing,” said Lucy sweetly, stabbing at her chicken. She would kill Ava later. Ava would wish that it was just her bra that was being removed with Lucy’s teeth.

The End

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Seventeen

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:10:46 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Seventeen
A/N: This is the last chapter. It's been a good ride. I hope you enjoyed my first novel!

Chapter Seventeen

Lucy opened Ava’s dressing room door in reply to the knock and smiled when she saw who was on the other side.

“Josh, hi.”

“Lucy,” replied Josh, his eyes widening in surprise. “It’s lovely to see you. How are you?”

“I’m doing very well. Are you looking for Ava?”

“I am, actually. Is she inside?”

Lucy opened the door wider, revealing Ava twirling back in forth in her dressing table chair as she spoke on the phone.

“Oh, I’ll come back after the show,” said Josh quickly, taking a step backwards.

Ava looked up when she heard Josh’s voice and held up a finger to stop him.

“Yes, I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. Goodbye.”

Ava snapped her phone shut and stood up.

“Come in, Josh.”

“Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you privately.”

“I’ll just go walk around the block,” offered Lucy. “Vincent will be here soon, anyway.”

“No, that’s all right, I’ll come out,” decided Ava, standing up and crossing the room.

Lucy offered Ava a tight smile, and Ava smiled in return.

“Tell Vincent that I am still waiting for those chocolates to appear in my dressing room,” she instructed Lucy.

Ava pulled the door shut behind her, and Josh put his hand on her back, guiding her outside.

The sun was just setting in the summer sky, and the lights cast shadows on the sidewalk. Josh guided Ava to a pool of light from a streetlight half a block from the theatre where they had relative privacy.

“You’re leaving,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

Ava fought against clasping her hands like a repentant schoolgirl.

“I am.”

“When?”

“A couple of weeks. That’s when rehearsals start for me.”

“You won’t have any time off between shows?” asked Josh, his hand automatically reaching out to touch Ava’s shoulder.

Ava looked at his hand, then shook her head slightly. “No. I don’t want time off.”

“You’ll run yourself-”

“I’ll be fine. I swear.”

There was silence for a moment, and it made Ava uncomfortable. She felt like there were a thousand words she should be saying, but she couldn’t make sense of this odd distance between her and Josh. What was going on? Was he angry that she was leaving?

“I’m happy for you,” said Josh.

“Thank you,” answered Ava, smiling and searching his eyes.

“But I’m not happy that you’re leaving. I didn’t see it coming.”

“I wasn’t happy, Josh,” Ava tried to explain. “I can’t just stay here.”

“I know,” said Josh shortly, and Ava wondered if he would yell or rant. She had never seen him do either, but she had never seen him angry, either, so she had no idea of what to expect.

“Josh,” said Ava pleadingly, wanting to reach out to him but not knowing what to do.

Josh’s face softened, and he stroked her arm gently.

“Will you have dinner with me on Sunday night?”

“I will,” said Ava automatically.

“Good. I’ll pick you up at your apartment at seven.”

Josh turned to leave, but Ava grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Wait, Josh. Is this a date?”

A strange smile that Ava had never seen before flickered across Josh’s face.

“Yeah, I guess that it is.”

“Oh,” said Ava softly. “Cool.”

And it was. Very, very cool.

*/*/*

When Josh picked Ava up, he was wearing a suit. She was suddenly glad that she had allowed Lucy to talk her into wearing her black dress. It wasn’t white, but she felt alluring and beautiful in it, so she supposed that it was acceptable.

They had reservations at a small steakhouse near Central Park, and when Josh wrapped his arm around Ava’s shoulders as they followed the maitre d to their table, she felt as if they were in a scene in a romantic comedy. She was so preoccupied by trying to pick out the cheesy pop song that would play over the dinner montage that she didn’t notice Josh ordering champagne.

“I hope you like champagne,” said Josh with concern. “I haven’t ever seen you drink, but tonight is a special occasion.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Ava assured him. “I’m a total lightweight, though, so if you have to carry me home, don’t say that you weren’t warned.”

“I’m sure I won’t mind,” commented Josh softly, looking over his menu.

The server appeared with the champagne, and Josh poured some into their respective glasses.

“To your success in your new show,” he said, raising his glass.

Ava smiled uncomfortably and raised her glass as well, clinking them and taking a sip of the champagne. The bubbles tickled her nose, and she fought the urge to sneeze.

“What’s wrong?” asked Josh, attentive, as always, to Ava’s mood.

Ava stared into her glass for a moment, then finally met Josh’s eyes.

“It’s nothing serious. I just . . . I’m leaving my family, you know? The cast is made up of my close friends, and when I leave, I feel like I’ll be losing them.”

“You’ll always have me,” promised Josh.

Ava smiled sadly and lined up her silverware on the edge of the table.

“Oh, Josh,” she said softly, chewing her lower lip. “You say that, and I know you mean it, but really. I know that you and Rebecca aren’t together now, but maybe you will be again, or there will be somebody else, and you’ll forget-”

“Ava, stop,” said Josh sharply.

Ava dropped her hands onto the tabletop and met Josh’s eyes hesitantly, expecting to see anger there. The tenderness that she found confused her.

“How many times do I have to tell you that Rebecca didn’t mean anything? She was attractive, yes, but I didn’t love her.”

“Was there somebody else?” Ava surprised herself by asking.

Josh shook his head and gently placed his hands over Ava’s, turning her palms over and lacing their fingers together.

“You really are blind, aren’t you?”

“No!”

“Yes!”

Ava frowned, and Josh swept his thumbs over Ava’s knuckles.

“I brought you here tonight because I think I’ve been . . . I mean to say that I am . . .”

“You think I’m pretty and you want to kiss me?” asked Ava teasingly.

Josh rolled his eyes. “Yes. Precisely. But also, I want to be with you, romantically.”

Ava grinned. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

Josh nodded, and Ava nodded in response.

“Okay, sure.”

“You will?”

“I will. I mean, over the past few months . . . or the past year . . . I’ve developed feelings that I wouldn’t call platonic.”

“And you wouldn’t call them hatred.”

“Definitely not.”

“Good. So it’s settled?”

“It is,” confirmed Ava.

Josh raised Ava’s fingers to his lips and kissed them gently.

“When we get out of this restaurant, I’m going to kiss you legitimately.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Ava. “I’ll attempt not to bite you.”

“Well, you know, if you can’t help it, I’ll understand. I am coming into this relationship with my eyes wide open.”

“Oh, gosh,” breathed Ava in pretend worry, “I’ll have to make sure that I dress well, in that case.”

Josh chuckled and squeezed Ava’s fingers, and Ava began counting the minutes until they could be alone together. Suddenly she wasn’t so worried about starting a new show and originating a role. She had Sophia to help her at work, Josh to whisk her off of her feet, and Lucy to hold her when things became too stressful. What more could she ask for?

Later that night, when Josh held her face in his hands and kissed her for the first time without the stage lights shining, she felt tears fill her eyes. When Josh wiped them away with his thumb and asked her what was wrong in that impossibly sweet voice of his, she just shook her head.

How could she explain to him that her New York fairytale was genuinely coming true and she thought that her heart might burst from happiness?

“Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night, before the show?” asked Josh as he ran his thumb across Ava’s cheek.

“Yes,” she said immediately, her cheek dimpling as she broke out into a grin.

“And the next night?”

Ava held out her arms, “You can have all the nights.”

Josh kissed her again, and again, and when she finally let herself into the apartment and touched her swollen lips, she couldn’t help but think, “Things are starting to change so quickly, but at least they’re changing for the better.”

*/*/*

Sunday nights had become the sacred date night, and the Spice Girls sang out loudly from the stereo as Lucy and Ava went back and forth between their rooms to get ready.

“Do you think I should wear the dark blue one, or the red one?” asked Lucy, coming into Ava’s room with two tops on hangers. Ava had a sense of déjà vu, and she shook her head briefly before she pointed to the dark blue one.

“Dark blue. It makes you look mysterious. Plus, it reminds me of that song, you know, the one by Jack’s Mannequin?”

Lucy grinned. “I love that song! But I preferred them when they were Something Corporate.”

The doorbell rang, and Ava glanced frantically at the clock.

“Crap, that will be Josh.”

“Do you want me to go stall?” asked Lucy.

“No,” said Ava, swiping on lip gloss, then wondering why she had even bothered. It would disappear soon, anyway. “No, I’m ready. Just let me put on my shoes and put my keys in my purse.”

Lucy scrutinized Ava’s dress and shook her head. Pink. Typical. At least Ava hadn’t ducked into the white section of her closet for her date wear.

Ava spritzed on body spray and shoved her feet into her shoes and her keys into her bag. She hurried down the hall to buzz Josh up, then turned around.

“Hey, Luce, what time will you be back?”

Lucy leaned against the hallway wall and shrugged. “Around two?”

“Okay, two o’clock, my bed, snuggle time?”

Lucy grinned, “Perfect.”

And then Josh rang the doorbell, and Ava greeted him with a kiss and waved goodbye to Lucy. When the door closed behind them, Lucy was still smiling. Her little pixie finally had a man that cared about her almost as much as Lucy did.

Suddenly Lucy straightened and shook her head to dislodge her thoughts. She had fifteen minutes to get ready for her date with Vincent, and he hated being late for dinner reservations. Crap.

Still, she thought as she changed into the dark blue blouse and straightened her room, it was nice to know that, no matter what changed in their lives, and no matter how many boyfriends they had or nights of the week they spent apart, some things would always be the same. They would always come back to each other.

The End

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Sixteen

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:07:25 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Sixteen
A/N: Second to last chapter!

Chapter Sixteen

“Ava, guess what?”

Ava rolled over in bed and covered her face with her pillow.

“Go away, Lucy. It’s the middle of the night. Just because you have to be up doesn’t mean that I do, too.”

“It’s only midnight, you big baby,” protested Lucy, inviting herself into Ava’s bed. She wiggled over to Ava and dug her fingers into Ava’s sides, causing Ava to shriek and squirm.

“Stop!” squealed Ava. “I mean it, Lucy Addison Scott, get out of my bed!”

“But I have a surprise to tell you about,” protested Lucy.

Ava grabbed Lucy’s hands and sat on them.

“Fine, you may tell me, but your hands stay where they are.”

Lucy whimpered in pretend pain, and Ava sighed and freed Lucy’s hands, clasping them tightly in her own.

“Well, what is it?” asked Ava when Lucy simply grinned at her.

“Vincent and I . . .”

“Are going to get married?” guessed Ava.

“No, loser,” pouted Lucy, swatting Ava, “Though I do like him. A lot.”

“Has he even kissed you yet?” asked Ava.

Lucy blushed and avoided Ava’s eyes, and Ava leaned forward eagerly.

“Oh my gosh, tell me everything. Now. Right now.”

“We went to his apartment tonight. He cooked for me.”

“He cooks?” asked Ava, raising her eyebrows. “Impressive.”

“Well, he can make scrambled eggs. I’m not sure how impressive that is.”

“So what did you do at his apartment?” asked Ava, waggling her eyebrows insinuatingly.

“Nothing like that,” said Lucy in a scolding tone. “We just kissed. It was . . .nice. Nice in a soothing, low-intensity kind of way.”

“No fireworks?” asked Ava sadly, her face falling.

Lucy tugged one of her hands from Ava’s grasp and used it to muss Ava’s hair.

“Don’t sound so disappointed, pixie. More like no atomic bomb explosion. But I’ve learned that atomic bombs can be really destructive, especially in ways that you don’t expect them to be. Long ranging effects.”

“Still.”

“Stop, Ava,” instructed Lucy, squeezing Ava’s hand so tightly that Ava winced. “I like Vincent a lot. I’m happy, okay? And he and I are taking things slowly.”

“So you’re okay?” asked Ava.

“I’m okay,” confirmed Lucy. “Now we just have to find a guy for you.”

“I’d prefer a detective, or maybe a stock broker. Some guy who is smart and wears a suit. There are plenty of those in this city, right? So how come I haven’t found one?”

“You’re ridiculous,” laughed Lucy, wrapping her arms around Ava’s waist and pulling her back to a horizontal position.

“And you’re going to sleep with me,” decided Ava, throwing her arm around Lucy and closing her eyes. “So shhhh. Sleep time.”

There was silence for a few moments before Lucy remembered why she had gotten Ava up in the first place.

“Oh!”

“Hush,” growled Ava. “I’m sleeping.”

“But I forgot to tell you!”

“What?”

“Vincent saw some of my photographs of the city and my subject study of my niece and nephew, and he’s asked me to do the photography for The Crucible.”

Ava sat up and squealed. “What? Really? You’re going to be the photographer? Like, the official photographer for a Broadway show?”

“It looks that way,” answered Lucy.

Ava hugged Lucy so tightly that Lucy lost the ability to breathe.

“Ava,” she gasped. “Please, breath-”

Ava kissed Lucy’s temple and smoothed her hair down.

“Shhh,” she instructed. “Rest, darling Lucy. You have to save your eyes for the camera. You’re going to be taking pictures of beautiful sets and lighting and Sophia, who is the fairest of them all.”

“You sleep, too,” said Lucy, “Because I didn’t mean to wake you up in the first place.”

And although they stopped talking, neither fell asleep for hours.

*/*/*

Ava wore white to the benefit. She looked breathtaking, though not as innocent as she normally did, in her v-necked, sleeveless white cocktail dress. Lucy wanted to ask Ava if her little angel was growing up, but she didn’t want to endure the swat that Ava would doubtless bestow on her for what she would see as a demeaning question.

Alyx, in contrast, wore dark purple, and after the benefit she held Ava’s hand as they spoke to friends and refused to let go of it. Lucy was sad that she had missed when Ava had played Alyx’s daughter; she was certain that they would have been more convincing than Ava was with her real mother.

The benefit fell on Ava’s birthday, a fact that Ava refused to believe was a coincidence, but when flowers appeared for her in her dressing room, she was nonetheless surprise. She wasn’t surprised at their presence so much as she was their volume. There were four bouquets: One from Lucy and Vincent, one from Alyx, one from her cast mates at the Majestic, and, unexpectedly, one from Sophia.

“I hear it’s your birthday.”

Ava whirled around quickly, not fully believing that the voice that she heard was addressing her.

Sophia smiled and stepped into the room, holding out her hand.

“Ava. Hello, darling. I don’t believe that we’ve been properly introduced.”

“Sophia,” said Ava, accepting Sophia’s hand. But, instead of shaking Ava’s hand, Sophia surprised Ava by pulling her closer and wrapping her arms around Ava in a hug.

“You were wonderful tonight.”

Ava blushed. “You kind of have to say that. Alyx is your best friend.”

“She told you?” asked Sophia, seeming surprised.

“She didn’t have to. Signs of you are all over her apartment.”

Sophia grinned, causing her eyes to crinkle, and reached for Ava’s hand.

“So, darling, since I’ll be seeing a lot of you in the future, I thought I’d take you out for a special birthday dinner if you didn’t have plans.”

“Oh, I don’t. I was just going to go out with Lucy-”

“Well, then, I’ll let you two enjoy-”

“No! I’m sure Lucy would love to go out with us, as well, if that’s all right.”

“Of course it is,” said Sophia easily. “I wouldn’t dream of asking you without her. I’ve seen how you two are.”

“Have you?” asked Ava, a hint of irony in her voice.

“What, did you think you were the only one with eyes?” asked Sophia playfully. “I’ve been watching you, Ava Doyle.”

“Oh, gosh,” gulped Ava, almost wishing that Sophia’s eyes weren’t twinkling like that. She tried to think back over the past six months to discern what Sophia could have seen, but nothing came readily to the front of her mind. When had she done something completely humiliating? When hadn’t she?

“Hey, pixie dust, are you ready to boun-”

Lucy froze in mid-sentence when she found noticed that Sophia was holding Ava’s hand.

“Oh, excuse me,” she said quickly, blushing.

“Lucy,” said Sophia warmly, moving to hug Lucy.

“Sophia,” answered Lucy in a slightly stunned voice, looking over Sophia’s shoulder at Ava and widening her eyes. Ava clamped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

“I’ve just asked Ava if you and she would like to come out to celebrate her birthday,” said Sophia, pulling away from Lucy and smiling when Ava reached for Lucy’s hand. “Alyxia and I would love to treat you two to dinner.”

“Alyxia,” snickered Ava.

“Hey,” said Alyx sharply, coming into the room with her bag slung over her shoulder. “There will be none of that.”

“But Sophia-” began Ava.

“Sophie is the only one,” interrupted Alyx. Ava lowered her head meekly, and Alyx tugged on her hair. “Come on, pixie, let’s celebrate.”

“Excuse me,” said Ava, lifting her head. “Thank you very much, Alyxia, but same rules apply.”

“No pixie?” asked Alyx.

“Only for me,” answered Lucy, buttoning Ava’s bag and handing it to her.

*/*/*

“So you two went to college together?” asked Alyx as she took some pasta off of Sophia’s plate.

“Yes,” confirmed Lucy, handing Ava the napkin that had fallen to the floor from Ava’s lap. “We had the same ballet class during Ava’s freshman and my sophomore year.”

“And now you’re roommates,” said Alyx.

“How long have you been best friends?” asked Sophia, clearly more interested in the emotional side than Alyx was.

“Not long,” admitted Lucy at the same time that Ava said, “Feels like forever.”

The server delivered more breadsticks, and Ava dipped one in the sauce on Lucy’s plate. When Lucy frowned, Ava offered the breadstick to her.

“Are you going to feed it to me?” asked Lucy.

“Open wide,” teased Ava.

When Lucy did, Ava shoved it inside, causing Alyx to snort with laughter.

“You two are cute,” she said.

“You should see us when we’re not in public,” replied Ava, winking.

Lucy nudged Ava sharply, and Sophia leaned forward, gesturing with her fork.

“Lucy, you’re dating Vincent Giordoni, right?”

“Correct,” replied Lucy, barely refraining from adding the “omundo.”

“I remember when Vincent asked me about you. He was smitten.”

“He still is,” added Ava quickly, and Alyx smirked. When Ava kicked Alyx under the table, and they both burst out laughing.

“They’re sophisticated,” Lucy commented to Sophia.

“Theatre types,” said Sophia, shaking her head. “You can’t take them anywhere.”

“Didn’t you and Sophia meet doing a show?”

“Yes, actually,” said Sophia, “And somehow we stayed friends. Some days, I wonder how that is.”

“Enough bashing,” complained Ava, sliding over in the booth until she was leaning against Lucy. “There will be enough of the critics later.”

“But we’ll show them, won’t we, Ava?” asked Sophia.

Ava smiled at her, and Lucy looked between them in confusion.

“Ava? Sophia? What’s going on?” she asked suspiciously.

“Go ahead, Ava,” encouraged Sophia.

Ava took a deep breath and twisted her napkin in her lap.

“Well,” she began, biting her lip to keep her grin from giving her away, “It just so turns out that I decided to take Alyx’s advice and audition for The Crucible. And, um.”

“Um?” asked Alyx.

“I got the role of Abby,” blurted Ava.

Lucy shrieked and pulled Ava into her arms, and Alyx leaned over the table to clutch Ava’s hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” demanded Lucy. “How long have you known?”

“Give poor Ava a break,” said Sophia, laughing and pulling Alyx’s hand away from Ava. Ava flexed her fingers, watching the whiteness leave her fingertips.

“It wasn’t confirmed until today,” said Ava, prying Lucy’s fingers away from her arm and holding her hand. “Today I told the producer at Phantom that I wasn’t renewing my contract, and I signed one with The Crucible with Vincent’s father, actually.”

“Vincent knew?” asked Lucy, outraged.

“No. Nobody knew. Well, nobody except Sophia, I guess.”

Sophia smiled innocently. “What? Sometimes a girl just hears things.”

Ava smirked. “Right. Anyway, all I have to do now is break it to my friends at the Majestic and put in a few more weeks until they find a replacement, and I’ll be throwing myself into The Crucible.”

Lucy wrapped her arm around Ava’s waist and kissed her forehead.

“I can’t believe that you actually did it.”

Alyx smiled in satisfaction from across the booth, where she sat with her arm looped through Sophia’s.

“I can,” she said. “I had Ava pegged from the start. Sophia, you were right. She is the girl to watch.”

“Come on, guys,” said Ava, growing a little uncomfortable with all of the attention. “I haven’t won the Tony yet.”

“Yet,” repeated Alyx, Sophia, and Lucy as if on cue.

“I hate all of you,” grumbled Ava, burying her face in her arms.

“No you don’t,” comforted Lucy, pulling Ava up again. “How could you? We ordered you a birthday cake.”

Ava lifted her head to see a birthday cake with candles and the whole waiting staff coming towards the table, complete with a violin player.

She couldn’t even think of the words to say other than, “No, you didn’t.”

*/*/*

Lucy turned to lock the door behind them as they got in, and Ava turned on the living room lamp.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you found out?” asked Lucy, trying not to sound hurt.

Ava swept her hair over her shoulder and presented her back to Lucy.

“I don’t really know,” she said as Lucy unzipped her dress. Ava walked into her room to finish undressing, and Lucy followed her and perched on her bed.

“When were you going to tell me?”

Ava slid the straps of the dress off of her shoulders and let it pool to the floor, stepping out of the heap of fabric gracefully. A year of playing a ballerina on stage, and she was finally leaving it behind. She pointed her toes and frowned to herself. As much as she wanted this new opportunity, a part of her would always regret not getting to be Christine full time. That had been her dream role since childhood.

“I . . . don’t know. I think I was just trying to process it, you know? There’s a lot to think about.”

“Yeah,” said Lucy. “I am proud of you, you know. You’ll have a starring role on Broadway at the age of 23. That’s crazy.”

“Well, costarring,” corrected Ava, taking off her bra and searching her dresser for a tank top and pajama shorts. She found them and pulled them on, then sat on the bed next to Lucy. “But originating a role, anyway, and doing it in my own right. I’ll be the one with the understudy this time.”

“Does all of this excite you?” asked Lucy, touching Ava’s cheek.

“It terrifies me,” admitted Ava. “It’s not the first thing I’ve auditioned for since landing Phantom, but it is the most prestigious. There are so many ways that this could go wrong. It could never leave the ground.”

“Risks,” murmured Lucy, caressing Ava’s cheek.

“I know,” sighed Ava. “I know. It’s the nature of my job.”

Lucy stood up abruptly and pulled down the comforter on the bed, gesturing for Ava to crawl inside.

“Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”

“Will you sing me a lullaby?” asked Ava, as she did every night.

“You don’t want to hear me sing,” answered Lucy, same as always.

“But it’s my birthday. Please, Lucy? The photograph was lovely, and I’ll hang it up tomorrow, but can’t I have one last gift?”

Lucy sighed. “Fine. I’ll sing it, but you have to tell the cast tomorrow that you’re leaving. You can’t wait to tell them until the last minute.”

Ava chewed on her lip, considering the offer, and finally held up her hands.

“Fine, all right. You drive a hard bargain.”

Lucy sat on the edge of the bed and sang, “You are my sunshine,” cringing to herself with every note, but when she stopped, Ava smiled up at her sleepily.

“You can do that every night,” she decided.

Lucy handed Ava her stuffed bunny and brushed her hair back from her forehead.

“Or not. Goodnight, darling.”

She kissed Ava’s forehead and cheek, then slipped out of the room, leaving the door open a crack.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Fifteen

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:33:27 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Fifteen
A/N: Getting close to the end. Two firsts for the girls.

Chapter Fifteen

Ava shifted nervously from foot to foot as she listened for footsteps from inside. They thudded across the floor, and Ava straightened in anticipation. Twelve seconds after she had rung the doorbell, the door swung open to reveal Alyx’s smiling face.

“Ava!” she exclaimed, stepping forward and pulling Ava into her arms and squeezing her. “You’re looking thin. Have you been eating well?”

Ava squeezed Alyx in return, and then frowned when Alyx held her by the shoulders and looked her up and down.

“Alyx,” she said plaintively, “Stop. You’re like my mother, only I could have sworn my mother was hundreds of miles away.”

Alyx pinched Ava’s cheek and said, “Come on, come inside.”

Ava took a step inside, then froze. She had never been to Alyx’s apartment before, so she hadn’t known what to expect, but whatever she had expected, it hadn’t been a crammed living room with a grand piano shoved against the wall.

“You have a piano in your apartment,” stated Ava, gravitating towards it.

“I do,” said Alyx, following Ava to the piano. “Do you play?”

Ava slid onto the bench and peered at the sheet music that was spread across the music tray. She began to play the melody, roughly approximating chords in the left hand.

“I guess that’s a yes,” commented Alyx, looking at the music over Ava’s shoulder.

Ava took her hands off of the keys and grinned up at Alyx.

“Yes, I do. My mother made sure of that. Piano lessons from five years old on up to when I was eighteen. There was no way to get out of them. Rehearsals weren’t an excuse, nor were projects or soccer games. Nothing. Always lessons.”

“You had a good mother,” said Alyx, mussing Ava’s hair. “Anyway, duets. We’re supposed to do two: one comedic and one dramatic. For the comedic, I was thinking “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better.” And for the dramatic-”

“Every Day a Little Death?” asked Ava, glancing at the sheet music.

“Yes,” said Alyx. “Do you know it?”

“I’ve never performed it, but I do know it. Though I must say, I’m disappointed that there’s no Wicked.”

Alyx smiled at the hint of teasing in Ava’s voice and squeezed her shoulder.

“You’ll be Glinda before you know it, sweetheart. But for now, Sondheim. You like Sondheim.”

“I do,” confirmed Ava. “Do you want to play?”

“No, you can do it,” acquiesced Alyx, sliding onto the bench next to Ava so that their shoulders were pressed against each other. “Now, let’s see what happens.”

Ava played the music as it was written this time, occasionally stumbling over a section, and sang with Alyx. It was surreal, singing with one of the more famous actresses on Broadway, but Ava tried not to let the thought unnerve her. She couldn’t afford to be unprofessional right now. Alyx was providing her with an important opportunity; she couldn’t afford to blow it.

“Good,” proclaimed Alyx at the end of the song. “You sight read well.”

“Thanks,” mumbled Ava, flexing her fingers over the piano keys.

“It’s so rare to find a young woman today who doesn’t belt all of the time. I’ll bet your voice teacher is proud of you,” mused Alyx, squeezing Ava’s knee.

“I’ll bet my voice teacher would chase me down with a shot gun if she ever heard me belting. Thank god that she’s in Charleston and not here,” commented Ava wryly.

“You don’t have a voice teacher here?” asked Alyx, concerned. “I can take you to mine; your voice is still in its formative years, so you can’t lapse on your training.”

“I have one that Phantom sends me to every week to make sure that I’m okay for the show, but I don’t have a private one that I’m using consistently. Anyway, when I leave Phantom, I guess I’ll have to find a new one.”

“You’re thinking about leaving Phantom?” asked Alyx, turning to straddle the piano bench so that she could face Ava.

“Shh!” exclaimed Ava, pressing her finger to Alyx’s lips. “You can’t tell anybody. I just feel like being the Christine alternate forever isn’t getting me anywhere. I’m going to audition for a few shows and see what happens; that’s all.”

“What shows?” asked Alyx slyly. “Any that I might know? For example, any that I would know people in?”

Ava sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. “Why yes, Alyx, I am thinking of auditioning for The Crucible. You get an F in subtlety, though.”

“Good,” said Alyx in satisfaction.

“What, the F, or The Crucible?” asked Ava.

“The Crucible, of course,” said Alyx. “I was hoping you’d audition.”

“I play a pretty mean little girl,” quipped Ava.

“I was hoping that you’d audition for Abby, actually,” replied Alyx seriously. “Though I guess mean little girl works for her, too, if that’s the only character you’ve got up your sleeve.”

Ava reached out to swat Alyx, and Alyx caught her wrist.

“Ah, ah, ah, save the violence for the comedic song. Speaking of which, we’d better get to work. You can’t be out too late, because you have to save that soaring soprano for tomorrow, in case the illustrious Ms. Thompson decides that she wants you to show her up again.”

“Speaking of which,” said Ava, grabbing the music from the top of the piano, “Anything she, or you, can do, I can do better.”

“No way,” replied Alyx instantly, shoving Ava down the piano bench and spreading her legs to take up more room, “I can do anything better than you.”

Ava stayed to drink hot tea with Alyx and look at her most recent project: a scrapbook that was almost ready to fall apart, despite Alyx having just glued the pictures in. She saw pictures of people that she only previously seen on stage or on TV, and whenever she gasped, Alyx laughed.

“What?” asked Ava when Alyx laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks, “What’s so funny?”

“You are!” explained Alyx. “You’re so innocent. I had forgotten what that was like.”

“I’m sorry,” said Ava, feeling color rise to her cheeks. She felt like such a child when she was around Alyx.

“Don’t be. I’ve missed it.”

“Is this the part where you ask if you can keep me in your pocket forever?” asked Ava teasingly.

Alyx patted Ava’s cheek with unexpected tenderness.

“I wish, darling, but no. Now it is late, and it’s time for you to cross the big, scary city and go home to your bed.”

“Puh-lease,” said Ava, drawing out the word. “The night is young. I could go to a club, or a bar, or a strip club.”

At Alyx’s sharp look, Ava folded her hands demurely and smiled.

“Or, you know, I could just catch the subway and go home to my bed.”

“That’s my girl,” said Alyx, following Ava across the room and unlocking the door as Ava collected her bag and hat.

Alyx took Ava’s face in her hands and kissed her cheek gently.

“Be safe,” she said.

“I will,” promised Ava, turning to wiggle her fingers slightly as she backed to the elevators. “I promise.”

Alyx stayed in the doorway until Ava got into the elevators, and even then, Ava imagined Alyx watching her cross the city until she got to her apartment safely. It was nice to be looked after. Ava had almost forgotten how nice it was.

*/*/*

When Ava got home, she was surprised that Lucy wasn’t waiting up for her. The only light on was the one above the kitchen sink, and when Ava passed Lucy’s door, it was partially closed.

“Lucy?” whispered Ava loudly.

“Hmmm?” asked Lucy groggily from the bed.

Ava pushed the door open and slipped inside, feeling her way to the edge of the bed and perching on it.

“Why are you in bed?”

“Because it’s almost midnight.”

“Were you asleep?”

Ava’s eyes adjusted to the dark, and she saw Lucy rubbing her eyes.

“Yeah, barely.”

“Oh, Luce, I’m sorry,” whispered Ava, instantly contrite. “We’ll talk later.”

She began to stand up, but Lucy grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

“How was your night?” she asked.

“It was good.”

“Alyx’s apartment was cool? Singing with a Broadway star?”

“It was amazing. She has a grand piano, and she thinks that I should audition for other shows.”

“You should,” murmured Lucy. “You should originate a role and win a Tony.”

“All right,” laughed Ava. “I’ll get right on that.”

Lucy grinned, and Ava leaned over her and began to stroke her hair.

“So, how was your date?”

“It was nice,” sighed Lucy.

Ava waited for a moment, and then frowned.

“Wait, that’s not all I’m gonna get, is it? I want details!”

Lucy sighed again. “He was nice, the food was good, we talked, there were lulls but they were pleasant. He didn’t make a pass, he brought me flowers, he kissed my cheek at the door.”

“Is that all?” asked Ava.

“Ava, it’s late!” protested Lucy.

“All right, all right!” surrendered Ava, holding up her hands. “I’ll let you sleep.”

“Good,” murmured Lucy, “Because if you talk much longer, I’ll wake you up at seven when I get up.”

“Nooo!” shrieked Ava, and Lucy whacked her with a pillow.

“Go to bed, Ava,” she growled.

“Everybody keeps telling me to do that,” grumbled Ava, tumbling off of Lucy’s bed and stalking to her room.

“Goodnight!” called Lucy.

“Goodnight,” said Ava sulkily, turning on her light and stripping off her clothes.

Ava quickly threw her dirty clothes into the hamper and changed into her pajamas, gazing around at the walls as she did so. There was an autographed picture of Sophia that she had gotten when she had written to Sophia in high school. Next to it was a picture of Alyx and Ava when they had done the workshop months ago, and across the room from that was a picture of Bernadette Peters and Ava that had been taken at a concert that Ava had gone to while in college.

Ava whirled around, looking at the posters from productions she had done and her framed, autographed playbills that lined the wall. All around her, her theatre dreams stared her in the face, encouraging her to go on and take a leap of faith. She had to do it. She had to pursue her dream of having a role in her own right rather than just being an understudy.

But Ava was comfortable at Phantom. She knew the Majestic Theatre like the back of her hand, and the cast had become her extended family. She knew what to expect from her life, and in the theatre profession there was something to be said for stability.

And yet, recently Ava had felt disconnected from the cast. Their petty fights and quirks grated on her nerves, and she clutched at every opportunity to go on stage. Even hearing Elin’s voice down the hall made her stomach sink, because it meant that it was another night for her to sit alone in her room, biding her time until she hit the big time.

So would she do it? Now that she had told Alyx that she was thinking about it, there was really no way to back out. And she would keep her contract with Phantom until she got something else, just to ensure that she had a job. But there was no need to grow complacent. There were so many opportunities out there, just waiting for her to snatch them.

Ava took one final look around the room, her eyes falling on the picture of her with her parents and brother at her college graduation. Her mother had believed in her from the start. She had driven her to rehearsals and shows and lessons, and never once had she made Ava feel guilty for it. If she called her mother right now and woke her up, her mother would tell her to go for it, to audition for the show of her dreams.

What did she have to lose?

Ava turned off the light and stumbled to her bed, hitting her knee on the edge of the mattress and tumbling headfirst onto the pillows. She crawled underneath the comforter and hugged her stuffed bunny to her chest, staring at the glow stars on her ceiling. Somewhere up there in her artificial constellations, there was an answer.

“Ava?”

At first Ava thought that she was hearing things. When she heard the whisper from across the hall again, she whispered back, “What?”

“Are you still awake?”

“No,” whispered Ava. “I’m asleep. Goodnight, Lucy.”

“Goodnight, Ava. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Ava turned over and buried her face in the pillow to muffle her laughter. Suddenly everything was hilarious, and she felt herself growing giddy and exhausted. Sometimes she loved her life, or at least her ridiculous roommate.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Fourteen

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:05:17 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Fourteen
A/N: It is mine. It has three chapters left after this. I like this chapter.

Chapter Fourteen

Ava sat curled in the corner of the couch in her dressing room, completely absorbed in a book. She was alone for once, her door only partially open, and the backstage area was calm because it was just the middle of the first act. All of the leads were on stage today, and Kyle had signed in on the bulletin board back stage before informing Ava that he had a coffee date down the block. Isaak and Ava hadn’t talked much since he had parted ways with Lucy, though she heard rumors about him and various women constantly. Isaak, Ava had decided, had an insatiable appetite for attention. He always had to be in the spotlight, and he always had to be adored. That was precisely why Ava didn’t date actors. Give her an accountant or stockbroker any day.

The knock on the partially open door was quiet, and Ava was so absorbed in her novel that she didn’t hear it. When it came more loudly, she jumped out of her skin, dropping the hardback onto the floor with a thud.

“Whoa, there,” said the guy who had knocked on the door.

Ava pressed a hand to her chest and motioned for him to push the door the rest of the way open and enter the room.

“Sorry about that,” said the guy, a dimple digging into his cheek as he smiled sheepishly at Ava. He was tall, and his muscles were visible despite his brown button down shirt.

“It’s all right,” said Ava breathily, bending over to retrieve her book and unfolding her legs slowly. “Can I help you?”

“Are you Ava Doyle?”

Ava motioned to the door, where there was a piece of paper with her name and “Christine alternate” written underneath it.

“I am. What do you need?”

The man suddenly seemed embarrassed. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and shuffled his feet.

“Actually, Sophia Sawyer told me that I would find you here. She didn’t have your phone number, so I had to come down here instead of calling.”

“All the better!” exclaimed Ava, wondering why somebody had asked Sophia about her. It wasn’t as if she and Sophia were friends; they hadn’t even ever been properly introduced. “If you hadn’t come down here, you wouldn’t get to enjoy my company. Would you like to take a seat?”

The stranger stepped forward suddenly and held out his hand. Ava grasped it, and he shook it firmly in a businesslike rather than flirtatious manner. Ava’s hopes of banter and conversation were dashed.

“I’m Vincent Giordini,” he said.

“It’s nice to meet you, Vincent. You seem vaguely familiar. Do I-”

“The benefit earlier this week. You were sitting at the table next to mine.”

“Yes, I remember now. Were you sitting next to Sophia?”

“I was. You see, my father is the producer of The Crucible, and Sophia brought me to the benefit to allow me to become acquainted with people of interest in the theatre scene. She spoke very highly of you.”

“Did she?” asked Ava, raising her eyebrows.

“Yes. She said you’re poised to be something great.”

Ava blushed and chewed the edge of her lip. She didn’t know what Vincent was getting at; beating around the bush had never been her specialty. She preferred her subtext and innuendos to be scripted.

“So you decided to come down to my dressing room and talk to me?” she asked.

“Well, not exactly,” said Vincent, smiling charmingly. “You had a friend with you at the benefit – Lucy Scott?”

Ava nodded slowly. “Yes. Do you know Lucy?”

“No,” said Vincent quickly. “No. Well, yes. Kind of.”

Ava tilted her head, and Vincent sighed.

“I met her at the benefit, but only briefly. I – well, I saw her in a picture with you on broadwayworld.com. That’s how I learned her name. Sophia said that you were in Phantom, so I came down here to see if you knew of any way that I could get in touch with her.”

Ava burst out laughing.

“You came all of the way down here just to get Lucy’s number?”

“And to meet you and prove that I’m legitimate!” said Vincent defensively.

Ava placed a hand on Vincent’s arm to mollify him.

“It’s okay, I’m not laughing at you. Lucy’s a great girl; she’s totally worth coming all the way down here for. It’s just kind of ironic.”

“Ironic?” asked Vincent. “How so?”

Ava ignored Vincent’s question and stood up to grab her cell phone out of her bag. She didn’t know how many more men looking for Lucy that she could handle. Soon she would just start a Matchmaking Lucy business and quit acting for good; fixing Lucy up with guys would clearly prove to be more lucrative.

“Anyway, funnily enough, Lucy’s my roommate. So you were wise to come down here and get my approval first; if you hit it off with Lucy, you’ll be seeing a lot of me.”

“You’re her roommate?” asked Vincent in surprise. “I’ll bet that’s a fun room.”

“Well apartment, actually, but the bedrooms are fun, too,” said Ava, grinning at Vincent and handing him her phone with Lucy’s number highlighted.

Vincent put the number in his phone and handed her phone back to Ava.

“Thank you so much,” he said, standing up.

“What, leaving already?” asked Ava, pouting.

“I have to,” he said, “If I’m going to call Lucy before you have the chance to tell her about my amazing sleuthing abilities.”

“You mean your amazing stalking abilities?” asked Ava, smiling innocently. “Why would I do that?”

“Don’t lie,” admonished Vincent, “I know you were planning on calling her the second I left the room.”

Ava grinned and pulled her knees to her chest, and Vincent reached for the door.

“Just give me a five minute head start, okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” grumbled Ava, putting her phone on the cushion next to her and holding up her hands. “Five minutes. But I’m timing you.”

“Thank you,” said Vincent, flashing her a dimpled smile and disappearing.

Ava threw a cushion at the door, causing it to fall shut, and buried her face in the arm of the couch to hide her sidesplitting laughter.

*/*/*

“Ava, you aren’t gone yet!”

Ava looked up from her book to find Josh leaning against her door.

“Oh, no, I’m not,” she said, momentarily thrown by the oddity of Josh coming to find her in her dressing room.

“Normally you duck out as soon as the last note is hit.”

Ava held up her book, “Almost finished. Anyway, Lucy’s gone insane with excitement back at the apartment, so I figured I’d give her a few minutes to calm down before I go interrogate her.”

Josh was still in his costume, the ruffled collar giving him a feminine air that Ava didn’t normally see off stage. She caught herself staring at his smooth chest, and she forced herself to look at his face.

“If you’ll wait a couple more minutes, I’ll change out of this and walk you to the subway.”

“Thanks,” said Ava, smiling in surprise, “I’d like that.”

Ever since Lucy and Isaak’s breakup, Ava had felt isolated from the others in the theatre. Mellie had become inexplicably close to Elin, and Ava didn’t feel as comfortable just hanging out in Isaak and Kyle’s dressing room as she had before. Kyle had been busy lately, avoiding the tension in the theatre, and Ava had found herself in seclusion in her dressing room more often than not. Elin had even made the effort to miss less shows, which meant that, for Ava, going to the Majestic sometimes felt like going to detention.

Ten minutes later, Josh reappeared at Ava’s door, and she had her bag packed and was waiting for him.

“Did you finish your book?” he asked as he held the stage door open for her.

“I did,” said Ava, “Thank god, because it was super suspenseful until the end.”

The line of fans at stage door shouted Josh’s name, and Ava slipped to the end of the line and watched as Josh began to sign autographs. Elin came out a few seconds later, and the murmuring of the crowd turned into a roar. Elin and Josh posed for pictures and signed playbills, and Ava backed into the shadows, unnoticed. It didn’t even matter that her picture was in the playbill; these people had no reason to know that she existed. She hadn’t performed for them; she hadn’t stolen their hearts. So what was she doing here?

Josh hurried through the final autographs, and Ava pushed herself off of the brick wall that she had been leaning against and stepped to his side.

“Ready to go?” he asked. A couple of the fans watched them curiously and took a few steps towards them, so Josh wrapped his arm around Ava’s shoulder and guided her down the sidewalk, farther away from the stage door.

“We’ll go the long way to the subway,” he decided.

“That sounds good,” agreed Ava. The July night was warm but not hot, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Ava was glad for Josh’s arm around her shoulder; thunderstorms usually scared her to death. But here in the city, they hardly seemed to be a problem. Maybe it was all just a part of her Manhattan fairytale.

“So, what’s Lucy so excited about?” asked Josh.

“Well, you remember the benefit, right?”

“Right,” confirmed Josh.

“I vaguely remember a guy escorting her back to her seat from the bathroom. Anyway, he turned up in my dressing room tonight and asked for her number.”

“What?” asked Josh, tightening his hold on Ava’s shoulder. “How did he know who you are?”

“Apparently he’s connected to Sophia Sawyer. His dad is the producer of Sophia’s new show or something. Anyway, she told him who I am, and he came to me to find a way to Lucy. He seems to be enamored already.”

Josh shook his head in disbelief.

“Lucy really does get all the guys, doesn’t she?” he asked.

“Apparently,” agreed Ava. “I don’t know how she does it.”

The subway entrance was half a block away, and Josh slowed down, stroking Ava’s shoulder with his thumb.

“But you’re still happy, right?”

“Sure,” said Ava, smiling at Josh quickly before looking at the sidewalk ahead of them. “Why wouldn’t I be? I’m happy for Lucy; she’s my best friend. After the Isaak debacle, I just want her to have a healthy relationship.”

“All right. As long as you’re happy,” said Josh, appearing mollified.

They paused at the subway entrance, and Josh moved his arm from Ava’s shoulder.

“Be careful on the way home,” Josh instructed.

“I will,” said Ava with a smile. Josh obviously didn’t care that she made the same trip alone every night. She was used to it by now, and it took a lot less time than it had to go all of the way back to Brooklyn, like she had previously.

Ava took a few steps, then turned around.

“Josh?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for walking me. It’s nice to know that, even though things are changing, I still have friends.”

“I’ll always be your friend, Ava,” promised Josh. “Now hurry; I hear the train coming.”

Ava wiggled her fingers at Josh and hurried down the stairs, swiping her metro card and arriving on the platform right as her train pulled into the station. She didn’t let herself think about the walk to the subway or Josh’s worry over her feelings. She had more important things to consider, like how to score a background check on Vincent to ensure that he was good enough to date Lucy without letting Lucy know.

*/*/*

Lucy was waiting up for Ava when Ava got home.

“Oh my god,” said Lucy.

“I know,” replied Ava. “When is it?”

“Sunday night,” said Lucy. “We’re going out to this new Thai place. I’ve heard that there’s been a waiting list to get reservations. I wonder how he scored them.”

“His dad is the one producing Sophia’s new show,” answered Ava, dropping her shoulder bag onto the coffee table and sitting on the couch next to Lucy, leaning against the arm of the couch so that their knees touched. “So, tell me everything.”

“Well, he said he meant to get my name at the benefit, but he didn’t want to interrupt-”

“He should have.”

“That’s what I told him. Anyway, so he asked Sophia about us, since he saw us talking to her.”

“This means that Sophia knows who we are,” interrupted Ava.

“I know. Or at least, she knows who you are. Vincent said she talked about you when he asked. Anyway, so he told me that he got my number from you. How?”

Ava grinned at the memory, but remained silent until Lucy kicked her foot.

“So there I was, totally engrossed in that book that Kyle loaned me, and he knocks on the door and scares me out of my senses. And he asked for your number, and I was all, ‘What the heck?’ But I gave it to him anyway, because hello, he’s hot.”

“Good choice,” said Lucy. “I really, really like him, from what I can remember. And I don’t remember much, except that he’s polite and hot. But do you know how weird this is? I’m never the type of girl to get hit on just from a chance encounter at a function. This is so crazy.”

Ava shrugged, unable to stop smiling. She hadn’t seen Lucy this happy since she had broken up with Isaak. She had missed gushing about guys with Lucy.

“Maybe your luck is turning around,” said Ava, placing her feet on top of Lucy’s and wiggling her toes. “And you know, Vincent sounds legit. I mean, his father is a freaking producer on Broad-”

Ava’s phone started playing Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You,” interrupting Ava’s thought, and both Ava and Lucy froze.

“Who’s that the ring tone for?” asked Lucy at the same time that Ava said, “Holy crap!”

Ava dove for her phone and flipped it open, taking a second to breathe before asking, “Hello?”

Lucy leaned forward on the sofa, her mouth falling open when Ava said, “Hi, Alyx. No, this isn’t too late; I actually just got in . . .Sure. Yes. . .Okay, Sunday night sounds great. . .Where is your apartment again? . . .Oh, okay. Yes, I’ll be there . . .Right. Seven o’clock. Got it. . . See you. Buh-bye.”

Ava hung up the phone, and Lucy shook her head in disbelief.

“Oh my god. Alyx Coleman?”

Ava grinned triumphantly. “In the flesh. Or, I guess, technically over the phone, but you know what I mean.”

“She called you.”

“To rehearse, not to be her best friend or anything.”

“You wouldn’t want to steal Sophia’s spot,” said Lucy slyly, and Ava rolled her eyes.

“I wouldn’t steal Sophia’s spot. I was just thinking that we could be the Three Musketeers.”

“What about me?” asked Lucy, affecting an air of hurt. “I see now. Now that you have big, important friends, I’m just your nobody school chum who gave you a home when you were sexiled. I saved you from living in an alley in Alphabet City. Now that you’re big and important, you’ll leave me to take pictures of toddlers while you rub elbows with the Broadway elite.”

“Hardly,” snorted Ava. “I’m just going to Alyx’s apartment to practice a duet. Remember, I’m doing the benefit with her? Anyway, everybody goes to Alyx’s apartment. She’s notorious for her lame parties.”

“You’re going on Sunday night?” asked Lucy.

“Yes,” confirmed Ava.

“That’s the night of my first date with Vincent.”

Ava and Lucy looked at one another solemnly.

“So, this is a big night for us,” said Ava finally.

“It is,” agreed Lucy.

“You know what that means . . .”

“I’ll get the CD.”

“I’ll clear the furniture.”

Lucy popped the worn Mamma Mia CD into the stereo, and Ava pushed the coffee table back against the couch. Lucy grabbed hairbrushes from the bathroom, and Ava turned the volume up. Soon the base was pulsing through the apartment. Hopefully the neighbors weren’t sleeping.

The opening chords filtered out of the speakers, and Ava and Lucy struck their starting pose, their feet tapping in anticipation. Ava played the air piano, and they both broke out with, “You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life. . .”

Half an hour later, after Mamma Mia and Madonna, Lucy and Ava stumbled over the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch, breathing hard and giggling. Their ears were buzzing, and the neighbors were probably cursing their names, but they didn’t even care.

“No matter what happens over the next week, we will still have dance parties together at midnight,” said Ava, breathing heavily.

“Agreed,” gasped Lucy, pressing her hand to her chest. Her knees felt weak; she hadn’t danced that obnoxiously since Charles’ bar mitzvah. “We’ll do things differently this time. We won’t ignore each other or forget to communicate or anything like that.”

Ava pushed her hair back from her face and smiled at Lucy, grabbing Lucy’s knee and shaking it back and forth.

“We’re having the time of our lives, right? I feel like so many things are about to change.”

“Well, that’s the nature of life,” said Lucy sagely.

“C’est la vie,” answered Ava.

“So, my bed or yours?” asked Lucy.

“Oh gosh,” said Ava. “We’re never going to sleep tonight.”

Lucy’s answering laughter was even louder than the music had been.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Thirteen

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:15:47 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Thirteen
A/N: Mine, please enjoy reading. There are two characters in this chapter who you may recognize, and I would just like to say that I have no idea why. And Kristin Chenoweth gets a shout-out.

Chapter Thirteen

Ava grabbed Lucy’s hand as they got out of the taxi and didn’t let go, not even when they were stopped at the door and asked to show their complimentary tickets.

“Aren’t you glad that I’m here?” asked Lucy as they were led into the main room and she noticed the way that Ava’s breathing sped up and her mouth opened in awe..

There were several round tables set up around the room, and everything was decorated to resemble the 1940’s and 1950’s. Suddenly Ava’s sleeveless white dress with an A-line skirt seemed perfect, and Lucy wished that she had paid more attention when Ava had mentioned that the theme was the Golden Age of Movie Musicals.

“This is really nice,” whispered Lucy as they found their table. “What do we do?”

Ava shrugged delicately, furtively watching the others around them.

“I don’t actually know. This is unlike every benefit I’ve ever been to. I think it’s supposed to mimic the Golden Globe’s, but I’ve never been to those, either. I don’t think that anyone here has.”

“Where’s Kristin Chenoweth?” asked Lucy, and Ava glared.

“That’s not funny. Anyway, there are Benji and Josh; we’ll talk to them. They’ll know what to do.”

“Elin’s not coming?” asked Lucy as the current Phantom and Raoul walked to them.

Ava shook her head sheepishly. “No, Josh said something about her not wanting there to be competition. Little did she know…”

“Ava,” said Lucy sharply, “Be nice.”

“Ava, Lucy,” said Josh warmly, bending down to kiss their cheeks in greeting. “Lucy, this is Benji Stern, our Phantom. I don’t believe you two have met. Benji, this is Ava’s roommate, Lucy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Lucy,” said Benji in a higher voice than Lucy remembered from seeing him on stage. He squeezed Ava’s shoulders in greeting, then froze when there was a camera flash.

“Ah, sorry,” said a man quickly, lifting up his camera. “Just getting some shots. Would you four mind posing?”

Benji and Josh quickly moved to flank Lucy and Ava, and they smiled and spelled their names for the cameraman.

“Be sure to look for these on broadwayworld.com!” said the man cheerily, waving as he walked away.

Benji frowned. “Elin will be livid.”

“She could have still come,” protested Ava. “She didn’t have to stay away just because I’m here.”

“You know that Elin doesn’t want to cause speculation,” said Benji, and Ava frowned.

“She’s causing more speculation by not being here,” pointed out Josh, patting Ava’s back reassuringly. “But don’t worry yourself about it, A. I’m glad you’re here; this is the craziest benefit I’ve been to in a while. Apparently the performers are wearing vintage gowns. This was not the benefit to miss.”

“Thanks, Josh,” said Ava, smiling up at him. She saw Bailey waving at her from across the room, and she struggled to keep her smile on her face. “I guess I should go mingle now.”

“That’s right, dear, get your face out there,” said Benji, squeezing Ava’s arm.

Ava grabbed Lucy’s hand, and when she froze halfway through the room, Lucy placed her hand on the small of Ava’s back and guided her.

“Come on, pixie, you can be the bigger person,” murmured Lucy comfortingly.

Ava scowled obstinately. “That’s what you think. You haven’t met Bailey yet.”

“Ava, darling!” chirped Bailey.

Ava forced a smile onto her face and allowed Bailey to grab her arms and kiss her cheeks.

“Bailey,” she said, her voice shrill with false happiness, “How nice to see you. And what a lovely dress.”

Bailey lowered her eyes in mock humility and fingered the skirt of her pink dress.

“I know, isn’t it? Rumor is that it once belonged to Debbie Reynolds. Of course, I don’t know, but how perfect would that be, especially with me singing her song?”

“Perfect,” echoed Ava, pulling back her lips to show her teeth. The effect was more menacing than friendly, and Lucy had to swallow hard to choke back her laughter.

“And who is your friend?” asked Bailey, turning to look at Lucy. Lucy frowned, instantly disliking Bailey for her bleached blonde hair and gleaming white teeth. The woman looked as if she belonged on Wisteria Lane – her eyes had the same feral gleam as the women in Desperate Housewives.

Ava captured Lucy’s elbow and drew her close. “This is my best friend, Lucy Scott. Lucy, this is Bailey Hammond.”

“And what is your profession?” asked Lucy, smiling slightly when she felt Ava stifle a giggle.

Bailey frowned. “Ava doesn’t talk about me?”

“I’m afraid not,” replied Lucy.

“Oh.” Bailey shrugged and forced a smile. “I’m an actress on Broadway. I’m in Wicked right now.”

“I’ve met both of the women playing the leads,” said Lucy, squeezing Ava’s arm, “They are coming to Ava’s birthday party at the Majestic Theatre. Who do you play?”

Bailey faltered. “I, well. I understudy, just like Ava.”

“How many shows are you scheduled a week?” asked Lucy blithely. “I always worry about poor Ava, sometimes having to do nearly all of the shows.”

Ava stared at Lucy in wonder. She had never seen Lucy do anything like this before, and it was amazing. Who knew that Lucy could be so crafty?

“There’s not a set schedule,” said Bailey frowning. Then she smiled and raised an eyebrow at Ava. “However, I am in tonight’s show. I come at the end of the first act, when it gets to the musicals from the 1950’s. Maybe Ava told you about it?

“You see, Ava, I had heard through the rumor mill that you wanted to sing this song. I think somebody even told me that you were singing it. But don’t worry! I know how you hate gossip about yourself, so I set them straight. I always try to look out for you, darlin’.”

Ava’s hand tightened around Lucy’s elbow, and Lucy reached out and gently touched Bailey’s arm, mimicking Bailey’s sugary false Southern charm.

“So, Bailey, it must be nice to have some guaranteed stage time. Ava’s friends are always telling me about how tedious it is to stay backstage and never know how long it will be until they get to go on stage again.”

“It is nice,” said Bailey, her bright smile faltering. “So. Nice. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m expected backstage before the show starts. Warming up, and all that. If ya’ll will excuse me.”

Bailey spun around and hurried away, her too-short dress smacking against the back of her knees.

“Ten second rule,” said Lucy quickly. She watched Ava count to ten, then braced herself for the questions.

“How did you do that?”

Lucy shrugged. “I guess I’ve learned some things from you.”

“You were amazing!”

“Yeah.”

“You win!”

Lucy grinned. “Thank you. What do I get for winning?”

Ava glanced to the exit quickly.

“We could ditch this joint and find a real groovy party.”

“As much as I enjoyed that throwback to the 1970s, no. You have a job to do here, Ava. Now, I’m going to go to the ladies room, and you’re going to go see what Benji wants. He’s been trying to catch your eye for the past two minutes.”

“Fine,” sighed Ava dramatically, reaching up and patting her hair gently to make sure that it was all in place. “But hurry back, okay? I hate being paraded around here like a show horse.”

“Don’t lie,” admonished Lucy, “You love it. Getting all dressed up and having a famous Broadway star introduce you to all of his friends as the most talented girl that he knows? It’s your dream come true.”

Ava smiled sheepishly. “That may be, but I’d still like to have you with me for the parading. You’re my most essential accessory. I even made sure that you coordinated with my outfit.”

“You just want me to protect you from the big scary blonde actresses,” teased Lucy.

“That may be,” said Ava, squeezing Lucy’s hand and letting go to move to Benji’s side, “That may actually be.”

Lucy turned around, slipping through the room quickly until she found the bathroom. Once inside, she was stunned by the general splendor. There was plush carpeting, and couches lined the walls. After she used the bathroom, she used soap and lotion and mouthwash in quick succession while watching herself in the vanity-style mirrors.

Lucy felt a little bit like a child playing dress up. Her green dress – the one Ava had found in her closet – was one that she had forgotten that she had. It was silk and hit above her knees, the bodice tight and cool against her skin. She spun slowly, watching the skirt flair out around her, then leaned closer to the mirror to inspect the curls that Ava had teased out of her usual waves.

While Ava looked like the goddess of purity in her sleeveless white dress, Lucy was the picture of sophistication. Her parents had taken her to parties with them while she had been growing up, but none of them had been like this. Those parties had been fancy, of course, but this party was more than just fancy. It held the air of hundreds of adults playing a game of pretend together, and with the added word of “benefit” tagged on, it seemed too good to be true.

Somebody else entered the bathroom, and Lucy pulled back from the mirror quickly, blushing when she realized who had caught her. Sophia met Lucy’s eye in the mirror and smiled before continuing to the stalls, and Lucy exited the bathroom before she had a chance to make an even greater fool of herself in front of an actress that she admired.

*/*/*

When Lucy left the bathroom, she found the room a lot fuller than it had been when she had left. She saw faces that she had seen frequently throughout the evening, and although she searched for several minutes, she was unable to find the elusive slip of white that was Ava.

“You seem confused.”

The voice belonged to a tall gentleman in a tuxedo, two things that Lucy vastly approved of. He had short brown hair that was gelled to look naturally chaotic and dimples that dug into his cheek even though he wasn’t smiling. Lucy caught barely caught herself before she swooned.

“I am confused,” she said, mentally slapping herself for the breathy quality that her voice had mysteriously acquired.

“Are you?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

Lucy smiled. “Yeah. I’ve lost my . . .” she almost said “date,” then quickly revised her words, “friend.”

“Friend?” asked the man teasingly.

“All right,” sighed Lucy, “You’ve caught me. She’s my roommate.”

“Ah,” said the man. “I’m going to assume that’s a lot less dirty than it sounds.”

Lucy smiled mysteriously.

“She’s the one in white with brown hair, about this tall,” she said, holding her hand up just above her shoulder, “And I last saw her over near the stage.”

The stranger craned his neck, using his height advantage to peer over heads and look for Ava.

“I see her over there, sitting at a table. Here, let me take you to her.”

The man put his hand gently on Lucy’s back and guided her across the room to the table where Ava was sitting, turned slightly in her chair as Sophia said something to her.

“Lucy!” exclaimed Ava, looking up as Lucy and the stranger appeared. “I was wondering where you had gone.”

“I told her that I had seen you in the bathroom,” said Sophia, leaning against a chair at the table behind them and smiling at the girls. “I remembered you when she mentioned your dress.”

The stranger slipped away without notice, and Lucy fell into her seat, trying not to gape at the fact that Sophia had slipped into conversation with Ava so easily. So much for Sophia being shy around strangers. Of course, with the amount of times that Lucy and Ava had seen Sophia around the city, was she really still a stranger?

“I told you that was the perfect dress to wear tonight,” Ava told Lucy.

“It’s gorgeous, actually,” said Sophia. “Where did you get it?”

“It was in my closet with the tags on,” admitted Lucy. “I don’t even remember buying it. Ava was the one to see it there; it was crushed between two other dresses.”

Ava winked at Sophia and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “How lucky for you that I found it. Like magic.”

Lucy missed the wink, and she rolled her eyes at Ava. “After seeing your closet, I don’t know how you could think anybody else’s was magical.” She turned to Sophia. “Ava has eighteen –”

“Seventeen! One has a wine stain that renders it unwearable!”

“-Excuse me, seventeen white dresses in her closet.”

“Wow,” said Sophia, raising her eyebrows. “That’s impressive. Have you been a bride seventeen times?”

“I wish,” laughed Ava. “I’d settle for being a bride even once. White is actually my signature color. For dresses, that is. Other than that it’s pink.”

“Still, seventeen?” asked Sophia. “How do you keep track of them?”

“Oh, she labels them,” said Lucy quickly. “She has index cards on them that tell her when and where she wore them as well as the people that were present at the event.”

Sophia’s eyes widened, and Ava quickly held up her hand.

“You may well laugh, but I believe that fashion is important.”

“I completely agree,” said Sophia, “And you both look beautiful, so your hard work clearly paid off.”

“I still wonder where my dress came from,” mused Lucy.

The lights on the stage rose as the lights in the room dimmed, and Ava hid her smile as she patted Lucy’s knee.

“Don’t worry about it, darling. Let’s just watch the concert.”

“It was nice talking to you two,” said Sophia as she slid into a chair at the table behind them. The servers came around with food, stepping between them, and Sophia leaned backwards in her chair to be heard. “We should do it again sometime.”

Sophia righted herself, and the salad course found its way in front of Lucy and Ava.

“I can’t believe that Sophia was talking to you,” whispered Lucy. “You’re supposed to wait for me when these things happen!”

“I can’t believe you were in the bathroom with Sophia, canoodling behind my back!”

Ava grabbed Lucy’s hand under the table, and they squeezed each other’s fingers as they struggled to breathe evenly.

“What are you two girls whispering about?” asked Josh from Ava’s other side as he speared his salad with a fork.

Ava let go of Lucy’s hand and delicately unfolded her napkin across her lap.

“Oh, nothing,” she said casually, cutting her salad up into manageable pieces. “A favorite song of ours, you know, the solo that was partially cut from Singin’ in the Rain? Anyway, it’s on the program.”

“In that case, I can’t wait to hear it,” commented Benji, smiling benevolently at Lucy and Ava.

“Oh, we can’t, either,” said Lucy.

Ava kicked her ankle gently, and Lucy kicked her back, and they both stared at their salads to keep from dissolving into giggles that would alert the whole room to their insanity.

Alyx Coleman appeared on stage to introduce the benefit and sing the first song, and Josh leaned over to Ava.

“Hey, A, isn’t she your favorite singer or something?”

“Oh, right! Lucy, I forgot to tell you that Alyx Coleman would be here tonight. You’ve never seen her perform; you’re in for a treat.”

Lucy twirled her fork in her salad and tilted her head.

“Alyx Coleman . . . Alyx Coleman . . . I think I know that name.”

“She and Sophia did a show together a few years ago,” volunteered Ava. “Anyway, I did a workshop with Alyx last year. I played her daughter. It was a lot of fun.”

“Wow, Ava, you did a workshop with Alyx? How was that?” asked Josh.

“Intimidating,” said Ava shortly, and Benji and Josh laughed.

“Alyx has become the Queen of Benefits,” noted Benji as she moved back from the microphone and nodded to the musicians to start playing. “I would love to see her in a show again, rather than just singing single songs.”

“Be quiet!” hissed Ava, her eyes not moving from Alyx’s face, “She’s singing.”

Josh leaned backwards to speak to Lucy. “Heaven forbid we speak while Alyx is singing. I remember once last year when Sophia Sawyer and Alyx sang a duet at Joe’s Pub. Ava squeezed my hand so hard that I still don’t have feeling in my fingertips.”

“I’m familiar with the feeling,” Lucy whispered back, wrenching her hand from Ava’s grasp and showing Josh her white, bloodless fingertips.

Ava swatted both of them without taking her eyes off of the stage, and when Alyx squinted into the spotlight and seemed to smile right at their table, Josh and Lucy straightened and listened to her song.

Bailey’s song wasn’t until the middle of the show, and when she flounced onto stage in her vintage “I think this belonged to Debbie Reynolds” dress, Ava tensed in her seat.

“Isn’t this the song you said you liked, Ava dear?” asked Benji from across the table, where he had migrated when his wife had come back from the ladies room.

“Uh huh,” replied Ava, tightlipped, as Bailey smiled at the audience and clasped her hands around the microphone.

Lucy offered her hand to Ava, which Ava gratefully took, and they listened to Bailey’s song in silence. She belted the song in a loud, clear voice that reminded Ava more of Elphaba than of a 1920’s starlet, but she had to admit that Bailey had done a good job.

“Ava.”

Ava forced herself to look away from the stage as Bailey bowed her head with the appearance of humility to accept her applause. Josh pushed back his chair and held out his hand to her.

“Yes?”

“Come outside with me. It’s getting warm in here, and you look like you could use some air.”

Ava took Josh’s hand and allowed him to lead her through the maze of tables and serving carts that lay between their table and the exit. Josh led her out of a side door and onto a sidewalk that was thinly populated by benefit guests who were smoking.

“So,” said Josh, leading Ava away from the smokers and sticking his hands in his pockets, “How are you doing?”

Ava shrugged, staring at her feet to avoid Josh’s gaze.

“I’m fine.”

“You look a little peaked.”

“It’s just warm in there, that’s all,” said Ava quickly.

Josh reached out and cupped Ava’s cheek, forcing her to raise her head and meet his eyes.

“You can tell me anything, A, you know that? And I can tell that you’re upset about something.”

“I’m fine,” mumbled Ava, though she didn’t protest when Josh wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“I heard through word of mouth that you were going to sing that song. Then I didn’t hear anything from you about it, and we turn up tonight to find Bailey singing it.”

“I’m happy for Bailey,” lied Ava.

“I saw your face, Ava,” said Josh.

Ava bit her lip to keep her mouth from quivering.

“I just really wanted the song, and then I had to watch somebody that I thought was my friend sing it. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t rubbed it in. But whatever, at least it’s over.”

“It’s not whatever,” said Josh automatically.

“I hate Wicked,” muttered Ava. “I hate Wicked and how its actresses draw tickets and how it dominates everything. It’s not magic.”

Josh pulled Ava to him and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, stroking her back gently.

“You don’t hate it,” he said, a touch of amusement in his voice. “You’re just saying that. If they asked you to be Glinda right now, you’d accept.”

Ava sniffed delicately, and Josh laughed.

“So what if I would,” she said.

“You know, it took me four different rounds of auditions over the course of three years to get the role of Raoul, and that was just to get the part on the national touring company.”

“Really?” asked Ava, craning her neck to see Josh’s expression. “I didn’t know that.”

“Well, you were probably still in high school.”

“You’re not that old,” scoffed Ava.

“All right, college,” conceded Josh. “Anyway, I was upset. Guys who I knew weren’t as good as me got the part. But rejection is a major part of our jobs. That doesn’t make it hurt less, but there you have it. I kept trying out, and I kept getting rejected, and finally, when I thought I would die if I had to play Link Larkin for another six months, I got the part of Raoul on tour.”

“And then you moved to Broadway, and then you got a beautiful girlfriend and conquered the world,” Ava finished for him.

Josh sighed and let go of Ava, keeping a grasp on the fingers of her left hand.

“What is your fixation with Rebecca? I already told you, she and I are over.”

“I’m sorry,” said Ava automatically.

“Don’t be,” said Josh. “She may have been beautiful, but she wasn’t the woman for me.”

“That’s because Christine’s the woman for you,” answered Ava without thinking. When she realized what she had said, she blushed, but Josh just squeezed her fingers.

“Especially when she bites me during the kiss,” he teased.

“That was an accident!” huffed Ava. “It’s not like I did it on purpose! And it’s happened, what, once out of the hundreds of times we’ve kissed?”

“I don’t know if it’s been hundreds,” corrected Josh gently.

Ava smiled up at him and bit the edge of her lip as the music from inside hit a crescendo.

“I guess we should get back inside,” said Josh, blinking at the onslaught of noise.

“Yeah,” said Ava guiltily, “The others will wonder where we’ve gone.”

“And Alyx will want to see you after curtain call,” commented Josh without a hint of irony in his voice.

“I doubt it,” replied Ava automatically. “She’s got so many friends here tonight. I’m going to duck out quickly, anyway.”

“Before Bailey can get to you?” asked Josh.

Ava didn’t bother to answer; she just looked at Josh with one raised eyebrow and followed him through the door and across the room, back to the middle of the crowd and their table.

The room was sweltering by the time the show ended, and rather than stay and chat, everybody hurried to exit, creating a giant mob by the doors. The Phantom of the Opera group had been at a table at the front, and consequently they were still waiting to exit when Bailey caught up with them.

“Ava! Ava Doyle! Wait!”

Ava froze and looked around quickly, wondering if anybody knew that she was Ava or had heard Bailey calling her name. When she caught Sophia’s amused smile, she knew that she was stuck. There was no way that she could blow Bailey off in front of Sophia.

“Bailey,” said Ava, cringing at the false excitement that laced the word. Lucy got caught in the crowd ahead of her and grinned back through the press. Ava desperately wanted to lift her middle finger in response, and she would have if she hadn’t been a lady and in public.

“I’m so glad you came tonight,” said Bailey, grabbing Ava’s hand and squeezing until it hurt. It was all Ava could do to hide her grimace.

“Yeah, me too. Some of my favorite songs were featured in the show,” said Ava sweetly, deciding not to mention Bailey’s performance until Bailey forced her to.

“I know you like Singin’ in the Rain. You told me once that if it ever came to Broadway, you’d kill to be Kathy Selden.”

“Well, we all have our dreams,” said Ava shortly, conscious of the flow of bodies around them. She didn’t know where Lucy had gone, or Josh, or Benji, and she wondered how long Bailey would hold her hostage. Didn’t Bailey realize that they weren’t friends anymore? Friends didn’t force other friends to pretend to be happy when they lost the role. Friends didn’t do everything in their power to make each other miserable.

“So, do you want to kill me now?” asked Bailey, sounding too delighted for the context of the conversation.

Ava was too shocked to speak. She was worried that, if she opened her mouth, the truth would come tumbling out for all of the Broadway community to hear.

“Ava? Would you mind if I spoke to you for a moment?”

Ava’s head jerked to the side, and she found Alyx Coleman standing beside her. She hadn’t even noticed Alyx walk up. Alyx put a hand on Ava’s arm as if to draw her away, and Ava’s heart thudded in relief.

“Um, sure. I’ll see you around, Bailey.”

She allowed Alyx to take her arm and lead her through the now empty room away from a dumbfounded Bailey.

“I thought you could use a little help,” commented Alyx wryly, squeezing Ava’s elbow before releasing it.

“You have no idea,” said Ava, closing her eyes and breathing deeply as they stepped outside into the cool night air. “You’re my savior now. I am forever in your debt.”

“Perfect,” said Alyx, leading Ava halfway down the block and stopping, “Because I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Oh?” asked Ava, her mind racing.

“Yes. I’m doing a benefit in a few weeks, and it’s all duets. My assigned partner dropped out, so it’s up to me to pick who to sing with. I was wondering if you would do it.”

“Me?” asked Ava, her voice nearly disappearing.

Alyx smiled and touched Ava’s cheek briefly.

“Yes, you. You need to be introduced to the benefit circuit. I saw you perform in Phantom a few weeks ago, and of course I was with you at that workshop ages ago. Your voice is one that should be used to sing something other than Andrew Lloyd Webber.”

“I would love to do a benefit,” said Ava, ignoring the barb to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

“So that’s a yes?” asked Alyx.

“Yes,” confirmed Ava. “Just tell me where to be, and when, and I’ll be there.”

“Fantastic,” said Alyx, glancing at something above Ava’s head. “And now I’ll let you go. I can see that you are wanted.”

Josh had appeared behind Ava, and he put his arm around Ava’s shoulders as Alyx returned to the theatre entrance where Sophia was waiting for her.

“The others are up the block waiting,” he told her, steering her by her shoulders. “Benji and some of his friends want to go to the Starlight to get some real food. Are you feeling up to it?”

Ava sagged against Josh, allowing him to support her weight. Her heels were making her feet ache, and she felt as if tonight had lasted a thousand years.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m exhausted, and with my luck, Elin will decide that Monday is her new day off.”

Josh grinned. “Yeah, I was planning on letting Kyle go on for me tomorrow. I guess you don’t have the luxury of calling out.”

Ava made a face, and Josh laughed at her.

“Where’s my date?” asked Ava, suddenly alert as they turned the corner. “She and I were supposed to have a post-benefit party that consisted of Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, and lots of chocolate.”

Lucy turned around from the circle of Benji’s friends and raised her hand.

“Here I am. What was that about Meg Ryan and chocolate?”

“Do you have a radar for me, or something?” asked Ava, amazed at Lucy’s hearing.

“Don’t you know it, babe. Now what do you say we go home and have some quality snuggle time?”

“I call top!” said Ava.

Josh clamped a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter, and Lucy shook her head.

“I don’t understand why you always get to be on top.”

Ava hugged Josh quickly, whispering “Goodbye,” as he bent to kiss her cheek. Then she grabbed Lucy’s hand, swinging their arms as they walked down the sidewalk to their post-formal benefit subway ride.

“I always get to be on top because I’m smaller. It’s easy to maneuver things when I’m on top.”

“You have a good point,” mused Lucy. “Some of those things are very hard to reach.”

Josh turned away quickly to force his eyes away from their retreating figures and his mind away from double entendres.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Twelve

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:27:19 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Twelve
A/N: Mine. But you can read :). I love you, Charlottey.

Chapter Twelve

Lucy set down her Chicken Pesto and slid into the chair across from Ava, who smiled at her around a bite of pizza.

“What was so important that it was essential for me to take my lunch break right away?” asked Lucy, beginning to cut up her chicken.

Ava frowned and swallowed her pizza.

“If you’re going to be rude, I just won’t tell you,” she said.

Lucy bowed her head contritely.

“Forgive me, Your Benevolence, and please impart upon me the dire information that made this meeting necessary.”

“You mean that seeing me isn’t reason enough for you to come here?” asked Ava. “What happened to being best friends? Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Ava,” said Lucy flatly.

Ava stuck out her lower lip.

“You’re no fun,” she said, spreading her napkin over her lap.

“Ava,” repeated Lucy, her tone holding a note of warning.

“Sophia’s doing a new show,” blurted Ava, a smile threatening to split her face.

“Sophia Sawyer?”

“Of course Sophia Sawyer. What other Sophia is there that matters?”

“Touché,” remarked Lucy, leaning forward in her seat. “So, what is this new show that Sophia is doing?”

“It’s a musical version of The Crucible, and it’s brand new. Sophia helped develop it at its workshop stage, when it was just being written, and years later it’s finally coming to fruition.”

“That’s amazing! I’m assuming that she’s not Abigail?” asked Lucy.

“No, she’s Elizabeth Proctor. I can’t even imagine her in that role; it’s so different from everything she’s ever done.”

“It will be amazing to see her in. And in that costume, and on stage eight times a week again. We’ve been waiting for so long! You’ll have to take off work to come see her with me,” said Lucy, immediately formulating a plan of dinner before the theatre and going to a show with an actual Broadway actress sitting next to her.

Ava was silent for a moment, playing with her pizza, and Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“A, what happened? Why aren’t you squealing?”

“Actually,” said Ava slowly, taking a deep breath, “I might not have to take off work.”

“You’re leaving Phantom?” asked Lucy. “What?”

“They’re holding auditions for The Crucible, and I want to audition for it.”

Lucy shook her head slightly. “Wait. So you are leaving Phantom?”

“Not yet! I mean, I haven’t handed in my resignation. I’m under contract for another two months still, and I’m going to stay until then.”

“But you’re thinking of leaving.”

“Only if I get another show,” explained Ava. “If I don’t, I’ll renew my contract.”

Lucy was quiet for a couple minutes, eating her chicken methodically. When she finally spoke, she took the time to form her words carefully.

“Are you going to audition just so that you have the chance to do a show with Sophia?”

“No,” said Ava immediately.

“Ava,” said Lucy skeptically.

“No, listen to me, Lucy. I’ve been the Christine understudy for a long time, and I’m a little bit tired of it. I love the role, but I never know if I’m going to get to play it or not. To expand my resume and stretch my limits, I need to audition for new shows. But I don’t know if I want to leave Phantom. Josh told me that I’m getting good reviews. If Elin doesn’t renew her contract, or if she keeps calling out of the show so often, they’ll need a new Christine. Who better to pick than me?”

“So you have a dilemma,” commented Lucy.

“Yes,” agreed Ava, twisting a paper napkin between her hands, “A big one. I can stay with Phantom and remain an understudy forever with the possibility of getting the lead in one of Broadway’s most famous shows, or I can leave Phantom and struggle to get bit parts in shows that might not even make it, but that will help me grow as an artist.”

“What are you going to do?”

Ava pushed her pizza away and put her head in her arms.

“I don’t know,” came her muffled reply.

Lucy reached over and ruffled Ava’s hair, laughing to herself when crumbs from the table got caught in Ava’s straight brown locks.

“You don’t have to decide right this second. And anyway, isn’t this what you looked forward to when we were in college? We used to sit in that coffee shop in Greenwich Village, the one that you insisted was more quaint than Starbucks –”

“And you agreed!”

“- And you would always tell me that you couldn’t wait to have all of those amazing roles within your grasp. Well, pixie dust, here you are, twenty three years old next week, and you have your dream.”

“I didn’t know that my dream would be so stressful,” moaned Ava.

Lucy laughed and hooked her leg around Ava’s under the table, rubbing Ava’s calf with her foot.

“Oh come on, you like it. And anyway, choosing which path you want to pursue isn’t as stressful as what you’ll have to do after you choose.”

“What do you mean?” asked Ava, lifting her head.

“You’ll have to get a new dream.”

Ava waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, that. I already know what that is.”

“Hmm?”

“To win a Tony, naturally.”

“Well, then, I guess you have your answer,” said Lucy, her eyes sparkling. “To get a Tony, you have to be in a new production.”

Ava drew her leg back, upsetting Lucy’s balance, and crossed her arms.

“I hate it when you’re right,” she said, scowling.

“Aw,” teased Lucy, “So sad.”

“In retribution,” interrupted Ava, “You have to come to the benefit with me next Monday night.”

“The benefit?” asked Lucy. “You mean, the one with your former friend and current rival Miss Bailey Hammond?”

Ava growled under her breath. “Don’t say that name.”

“If you wanted that role and didn’t get it, why are you going? Are you going to scope out the competition?”

“Please,” said Ava snottily, “I have more class than that.”

“Then why are you going?” asked Lucy.

“To see and be seen,” replied Ava. “Why else does anyone go to these things?”

“For the charity?” asked Lucy.

“As if,” Ava scoffed. “This is Broadway. There are divas galore. If there’s nothing in it for you, why do it?”

“Don’t tell me that you’re turning into one of those,” begged Lucy.

Ava grinned and reached over the table to grasp Lucy’s hands.

“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, what little faith you have in me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Cheyenne Jackson is also going to be there.”

“Cheyenne Jackson?” asked Lucy.

“In a suit,” added Ava, “In the flesh. With no barricade, like they have at stage door.”

Lucy gulped. “I approve! So, um, when are we going shopping for dresses?”

Ava grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I thought you’d want to come.”

“And you’re not going to be upset to see Bailey in your role?”

Ava’s smile immediately disappeared, and she quickly gathered the trash and stood up.

“Let’s just take this one step at a time. And who knows, when the benefit comes, maybe Bailey will forget to gloat.”

“Maybe,” agreed Lucy, taking Ava’s lead and leaving the table.

But from the look on Ava’s face, she didn’t believe what she had just said. This would be a very interesting benefit, and not just because Lucy would finally see Cheyenne Jackson off of the stage.

*/*/*

“Ava, what color dress are you wearing?” called Lucy from the depths of her closet.

A moment later, Ava arrived at the door of the closet in a knee-length white dress with strappy white shoes.

“Stupid question, huh,” said Lucy, and Ava giggled.

“You should have known the answer. You’ve seen my closet.”

“What color do you wear in winter?” asked Lucy.

Ava shot Lucy a look. “What color do you think?”

“But isn’t white a summer color?”

“Snow, duh,” said Ava, plucking a green dress from Lucy’s closet. “Wear this one; it still has the tags on it.”

“I thought we were going to buy new dresses,” muttered Lucy as she pulled off her shirt and slid the dress over her head.

“The point of going to a benefit that supports charity is to give money to the charity, not to spend all of your money on a dress,” pointed out Ava practically as she zipped up Lucy’s zipper.

“You just don’t care because you still have three dresses in your closet that have never been worn,” said Lucy, “And we didn’t pay for tickets, anyway. Which, by the way, thank you for that.”

Ava tossed her hair over her shoulder and backed out of the closet.

“You’re welcome. It turns out that there are some perks to being an almost-celebrity. Apparently enough people want to see me that the producers want me to be there without having to pay or anything.”

“So why aren’t we going in a limo with sunglasses to hide the flash from paparazzi cameras?” asked Lucy.

Ava turned on her heel and left the room.

“You and your sarcasm are not appreciated,” she threw over her shoulder.

“I bet we will be when we get to the benefit and you don’t want to be alone,” Lucy called back as she looked in the mirror. Yes, that dress would look good. Maybe she should think about making green her signature color. After all, green worked for every season just as well as white did.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Eleven

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:04:50 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Eleven
A/N: There is girl kissing in this chapter. They get really, um, friendly.

Chapter Eleven

Isaak called Lucy at lunchtime, and it took everything in her not to demand an explanation right then and there. But Lucy subscribed to the belief that breakups over the phone were one of the most inhumane things ever, so she bit her tongue and smiled into the phone, reassuring Isaak that she would stop by the theatre to see him tonight and earning odd looks from Ryan.

“What’s going on, Lucy?” asked Ryan when Lucy snapped her phone shut and angrily threw her sandwich wrapper into the break room trashcan.

“Nothing,” muttered Lucy as she buttoned up her Photography Phrenzy-issued shirt.

“Liar,” said Ryan gently, and Lucy spun on him, holding up one finger.

“Don’t push, Ryan. When a girl says that it’s nothing, that means that she has no intention of telling you, which may be for the best.”

Ryan held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “Sorry, Luce, didn’t mean to upset you. Just know that, if you need someone to take care of the bastard, I’m here.”

The corner of Lucy’s mouth lifted into a smile.

“Thanks, Ry. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ryan passed by Lucy on the way to the door and squeezed her shoulder.

“Tell Ava I said hi, all right? She hasn’t been down here in a while. I had some, um, questions to ask her. About her job and stuff, you know.”

Lucy couldn’t hold back her laughter at his failure at subtlety.

“I’ll ask her to come down soon,” Lucy promised, and Ryan winked at her over his shoulder as he left the room.

“Though, you know, if you were to become free, I wouldn’t mind going out with you, either.”

“Shut up, Ryan,” Lucy called down the hall after him, stopping to tuck in her shirt and straighten her chair. Tonight was going to be awful, but at least she had a few hours to live her normal life before she had to face Isaak.

*/*/*

“Hey gorgeous,” said Isaak, catching Lucy around her waist and kissing her. He grasped her wrist and pulled her to the couch, but Lucy yanked her arm away and remained standing. Isaak froze and raised his eyebrows, staring at her in shock.

“Luce?” he asked.

Lucy rubbed her wrist self-consciously and wished that she didn’t still want to kiss Isaak so much.

“I need to talk to you,” said Lucy in a low voice, and Kyle looked nervously at her.

“I’ll, um, go see how Ava’s doing out there,” said Kyle quickly, standing up from the couch and brushing by Lucy and Isaak. “I’ll be at stage right with the ballerinas if you two need me.”

“Thanks, Kyle,” said Lucy softly, not breaking eye contact with Isaak.

When Kyle had gone, Lucy pushed the door closed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’ve heard some things,” she said without preamble, watching Isaak’s face closely. His expression betrayed nothing; he merely leaned back against the dressing table and kept his eyes on her face. “I’ve heard that you were making out with another woman at a club this week, and that it wasn’t the first time you’d done that while we’ve been dating.”

Isaak shrugged. “I may have. But Lucy, it’s just kissing, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Doesn’t it?” asked Lucy, digging her nails into her skin. “Because you kiss me, and I thought it meant you liked me.”

“It does,” said Isaak quickly, reaching out for Lucy. “Baby, it does. But I was lonely, and my ex turned up, and we had a few drinks, and next thing I know, we’re kissing. It was no big deal. I kiss Ava all the time, at rehearsals and in the show, and that doesn’t mean anything.”

“Did you go home with her?” asked Lucy tonelessly.

“No way,” said Isaak emphatically.

“Then why did somebody see you get in a taxi with her?”

“We just, we – Lucy, please,” pleaded Isaak, holding out his hands beseechingly, “It was one time. Okay, one indiscretion. I’m sorry, all right?”

“But it wasn’t one time,” contradicted Lucy. “Somebody saw you several times. You said that we should take a night off to spend time with our other friends, and I thought that you meant that you wanted me to spend time with Ava. I didn’t know that you wanted to do it so you could balance me with your other girlfriends.”

“They weren’t my girlfriends!”

Lucy gritted her jaw. “Then what were they? Fuck buddies? Sluts? Do you even care about me, or am I just one of many?”

“Lucy, I . . .”

“What?” asked Lucy softly. “What, Isaak? I’m waiting for your explanation. I want to understand why you would cheat on me when I trusted you.”

“I . . .” began Isaak. Finally he threw his hands up and slumped against the dressing table. “Fine, I’ll tell you. I’m polyamorous. That means I love more than one person at a time. I do love you, Lucy, but I still love Regina, too.”

“So you slept with her.”

Isaak nodded. “Yeah. But you and I weren’t sleeping together yet-”

“Thank god.”

“- and she and I had some really great times together. I was feeling low, and she was there for me. Listen, Lucy, I can’t help the way I am. I love many people; that’s just how I was made. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” said Lucy slowly, “I understand.”

“Good!” exclaimed Isaak. “I mean, you know I like you the best. You’re beautiful, and your photographs are gorgeous, and you’re so even-tempered.”

“That doesn’t mean that I don’t get angry,” said Lucy.

“Of course it doesn’t. But you’re so objective. It’s one of the things I love about you. I know! I’ll take you out to a special dinner tomorrow night, somewhere romantic, and then we can take a walk and just talk for a while.”

“That does sound nice,” conceded Lucy, “But I can’t.”

Isaak sighed. “That’s fine, I guess. I mean, if you’re busy, we can do it Wednesday instead.”

“I don’t think you get it,” said Lucy. “I’m not going out to dinner with you again, ever. We’re over, Isaak.”

“But I thought you said you understood!”

“I do,” said Lucy, her hands shaking as anger flowed through her veins. “I understand that you’ve devised the perfect excuse for being unfaithful, because there’s no way for me to pin it on you without seeming like I’m being insensitive about your condition. But you said you were my boyfriend, Isaak, and boyfriends don’t sleep with girls who aren’t their girlfriend.”

“Lu-”

Lucy held up her hand. “Goodbye, Isaak. I hope you have a nice time with Regina, and with whoever the others are.”

“Please,” said Isaak, reaching for Lucy’s hand.

“No way,” said Lucy. “Game over. Have a nice night, Isaak.”

Lucy left the theatre quickly and walked briskly down the street, thinking better of sitting in Ava’s dressing room until the show let out. She didn’t want to run the risk of giving in to Isaak. One more kiss would lead to one more date, and one more date would trap her in an unhappy relationship. She wouldn’t be the other woman. She didn’t deserve to be the other woman. If there was one thing that Isaak had taught her, it was that she was attractive enough to find a boyfriend on her own. She didn’t need the closeness of college to find guys for her. And she wasn’t going to settle for somebody who was going to hurt her. Lucy was twenty-two years old with a job and an apartment and a best friend. She was going to experience life and love it, single or in a relationship. After all, wasn’t that what being young was all about? At least, that was what Sex and the City had taught her, and if Lucy had learned one thing, it was that Carrie Bradshaw did not lie.

*/*/*

Lucy wrapped herself up in an afghan and curled up on the couch, intent on staying awake until Ava got home from the theatre.

It was 11:30 when Ava finally got home, closing and locking the door quietly behind her and moving through the dark apartment. When Lucy whispered Ava’s name, Ava nearly died of fright.

“Holy crap, woman, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” asked Ava, her hand flying to her chest.

“Sorry,” said Lucy contritely. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Sure you didn’t,” said Ava, falling onto the couch next to Lucy and stretching her toes until they hit the coffee table. “So how are you doing?”

Lucy shrugged. “I’ve been better.”

“I saw Isaak at the theatre. He was making out with one of the dressers.”

“Glad to know that I had such a lasting impact on him,” muttered Lucy sarcastically.

Ava brushed Lucy’s hair aside and rested her cheek on Lucy’s shoulder.

“Don’t take it to heart, Lucy-Lou. That’s just the way Isaak is. He always has a hundred girls.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before I had my heart broken?” asked Lucy teasingly.

Ava sat up quickly and turned to Lucy, squinting in the darkness to see Lucy’s expression.

“Is your heart really broken, Lucy?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“No, I promise,” said Lucy, although her laughter held a note of bitterness. “Isaak was just one guy, and this city is full of millions. He was hot, true, but Cheyenne Jackson is hotter.”

Ava sighed. “That he is. Although Cheyenne Jackson is gay, so . . .”

“And that’s a problem?” asked Lucy. “Gay guys kiss just as well as straight guys, and they’re better dressed.”

Ava smiled, pressing her lips against Lucy’s shoulder and lacing their fingers together.

“I’m glad that you’re all right.”

“I am a little bit hurt,” whispered Lucy. Ava squeezed her fingers, and she continued. “I mean, I liked Isaak. Knowing that he was cheating on me when I thought he liked me the same way back hurts.”

“I know, sweetheart,” crooned Ava.

“But I’m not going to cry about it,” continued Lucy. After a moment of reflection, she laughed. “Well, not right now. Give me a little time to fully remember what being single feels like.”

Ava threw her legs over Lucy’s, effectively putting her body in Lucy’s lap.

“Being single isn’t that bad. And think of it this way: now we have the time to take care of the things that really matter.”

“Like what?” asked Lucy.

“Like the bathroom,” said Ava darkly.

“The bathroom?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, the walls of the bathroom are white and bare. It depresses me to see that when I go in there in the mornings or before I go to sleep.”

“So what do you want to do about it?” asked Lucy.

Ava grinned at Lucy, her face taking on a mischievous glint as the light fell through the slats in the blinds onto it.

“We’re going to decorate it.”

“We’re going to decorate the bathroom?” repeated Lucy.

“And the rest of the apartment,” added Ava quickly. “But mostly the bathroom.”

“I-” started Lucy, but Ava pressed her fingers over Lucy’s lips, effectively hushing her.

“Don’t say no, Luce. I live here too, now, and as we both know, when left on your own, you’re inclined to leave the walls bare. But I don’t like it that way. We’ll pick out a scheme and make everything match, and when this is the most gorgeous apartment north of 80th Street, we’ll invite all of our friends over and throw a party to show it off.”

“We’re going to throw a bathroom party?” asked Lucy dubiously.

A grin threatened to split Ava’s face.

“Yes. We’re going to throw the best bathroom party that Manhattan has ever seen.”

“Dear god,” muttered Lucy under her breath, but secretly she was kind of excited to see what Ava’s bathroom party plans would entail. Ava had a knack for decorating with whimsical schemes, and Lucy needed some ridiculousness in her life.

*/*/*

Living in Manhattan meant getting used to the constant background noise that accompanied life on a tiny, overpopulated island that never slept. In the four years that she had been there, Ava had forgotten what true silence sounded like. College years spent in a dorm in the heart of the Village had taught her to sleep through everything. But when Ava heard sobs playing like a soundtrack to her dreams, she immediately woke up. Sobbing wasn’t a normal Manhattan nighttime sound.

Ava tumbled out of the bed and stumbled to Lucy’s room, pushing her hair out of her face and squinting to find Lucy curled up in a ball in the middle of her bed.

“Lucy?” asked Ava, her knees hitting the edge of the bed with a thud. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” rasped Lucy, her words broken by a sob.

Ava rubbed her eyes and bounced her knees against the mattress.

“Do you want me to go away, or to stay?” she asked.

“You said you’d be here when I cried,” choked Lucy, and Ava sank onto the mattress, rolling to the center until her body framed Lucy’s back. She wrapped her arms around Lucy and held on as Lucy’s sobs shook both of their bodies.

Ava didn’t say anything; she just held Lucy tight, and when Lucy said, “It’s been days. I should be over this. I thought I was fine,” Ava merely kissed her hair.

“You’re okay,” Ava assured her, and Lucy turned around, clutching Ava’s nightgown in her hands. “Your heart is just letting go.”

“I feel like I’m drowning,” whispered Lucy.

“I’ve got you,” Ava promised. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Lucy began to sob again, and there was nothing that Ava could do to comfort her. Ava just held her, curled around her protectively, and stared at the ceiling.

What would this be like if I could see it from above, she wondered. Would she see two women in a bed together, or would she see two hearts breaking and being put back together again? But omniscience didn’t come, so Ava surrendered her heart to Lucy, knowing that she wouldn’t move until her best friend, her roommate - her Lucy - had come back to her safely.

*/*/*

“Ava, grab the door, will you?” called Lucy from the kitchen where she balanced platters of sandwiches and cookies in her hands.

“You two really live here?” asked Ryan, turning around slowly to take in the whole room. He bent to pick up one of Lucy’s snow globes, then put it down when he realized how heavy it was.

“Yes,” confirmed Ava, diving for the door and smacking the button when the buzzer buzzed again. She opened the front door, admitting some of Lucy’s friends from high school, and left it open as she went to rescue the platters from Lucy’s arms.

“Everybody, this is Lauren, and this is Charles,” announced Lucy as her friends hugged her. “They went to high school with me.”

“And middle school,” added Charles.

“And elementary school, and nursery school,” continued Lauren, grabbing Lucy around the waist and squeezing her tightly. “We’ve never been apart. Well, until now, of course.”

Ava’s throat tightened as she watched Lauren reclaim Lucy, and she quickly turned and began arranging the platters and drinks on the coffee table. Candles flickered on the end tables, the new pictures hung straight on the walls, and everything down to the throw pillows on the couch were perfect. She had spent all afternoon fixing everything, and now the apartment was ready to be shown off.

Ryan was introduced around, and the door buzzed again and opened to reveal Mellie, Josh, and Kyle. Lucy froze next to Lauren, waiting for Isaak to follow them in, but he hadn’t been invited, nor did he come. When the door clicked shut, Lucy relaxed and made introductions, and Ava straightened and gravitated to her friends.

“Ava, will you get the chips?” called Lucy from across the room, where she was stuck between Lauren and Charles on the sofa, and Ava disentangled herself from Mellie’s grasp and disappeared into the kitchen.

“You’re being ridiculous,” she told herself as she emptied the chips into a bowl. “Lauren and Lucy just haven’t seen each other recently. It’s fine. Lauren will go home at the end of the night, and Lucy will be yours again.”

“Talking to yourself?” asked Ryan, leaning against the counter and tossing his empty Coke can into the garbage.

Ava almost dropped the chips in her embarrassment.

“Well, you know,” she recovered quickly, holding the bowl with two hands, “Sometimes it’s the only decent conversation to be had.”

Ryan gestured with his head into the living room, “So, Lucy’s friend, Lauren.”

“What about her?” asked Ava.

“She’s pretty.”

“Yeah,” said Ava.

“And she’s all over Lucy. I mean, I know Lucy dated Isaak, but it looks like she and Lauren are dating.”

Ava coughed in shock, and Ryan quickly moved around the breakfast bar to pat her back.

“Lauren . . . and Lucy? Is that what you think?”

“I mean, they’ve been entwined ever since she came in . . .”

Ava shook her head emphatically.

“No way. They’re best friends; that’s all. They have been since they were toddlers. Lauren’s boyfriend couldn’t come with her tonight, or you would see the main reason why Lauren isn’t dating Lucy. Her boyfriend is gorgeous.”

“So then why-”

“Ryan, Ryan,” said Ava sadly, patting Ryan’s arm. “You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“That’s how girls tend to be. They’re handsy. They like hugs and holding hands and snuggling.”

“So what do you and Lucy do when none of us are around?” asked Ryan insinuatingly.

“Don’t you wish you knew,” said Ava with a wink, exiting with the chips quickly before he could make her question her relationship with Lucy and the normalcy of it.

Back in the living room, Mellie grabbed Ava’s arm and pulled her down onto the sofa.

“Isaak’s not here,” said Mellie quietly, snatching chips from the bowl that Ava held and stuffing them into her mouth.

“He wasn’t invited,” replied Ava, glancing quickly at Lucy. Lucy was still with Lauren, but she saw Ava’s look and winked at her.

Mellie nodded sagely. “That’s probably good. Not that Isaak minds. I’m sure he’s gotten into some other girl’s pants by now.”

Ava made room for the bowl of chips on the coffee table and leaned back into the cushions, observing the guests as they mingled. Josh and Kyle were both strangely silent, listening as Ryan told an animated story, and Charles and Lauren were teasing Lucy about something. Mellie leaned against Ava and patted Ava’s thigh, reclaiming her attention.

“How are you doing, Pixie?” she asked.

“I’m good,” said Ava quickly, meeting Mellie’s eyes and smiling. Mellie was right; they hadn’t spent a lot of time together since Ava had moved in with Lucy, and Ava realized that she missed Mellie. Mellie was perceptive and kind, and more than that, she had been the one to teach Ava the ropes of being in a Broadway show when everyone else had just scorned Ava for being young and clueless.

“This is a really nice apartment,” commented Mellie approvingly, inspecting the framed photographs on the walls and the candles and baubles on the various surfaces. “I’m glad you moved out of your old one.”

“This one’s a lot more convenient,” said Ava, “It’s in Manhattan, it’s larger, and I have my friend as a roommate. I know they say that rooming with your friends is bad news for the relationship, but it’s just made Lucy and me closer. Well, I guess we did have a rocky start, but we got over that.”

“Just don’t forget about your other friends, okay?” asked Mellie, squeezing Ava’s knee. “I feel like I hardly see you anymore, and you haven’t even been dating since you moved in here. It’s like this apartment and Lucy have become your whole life.”

Ava shifted uncomfortably, wondering if what Mellie had said was right. And then she saw Lauren lean in and kiss Lucy’s cheek, and she felt jealousy simmer in her stomach. Lucy hadn’t spoken to her at all during the party; in fact, they had remained on opposite ends of the room.

Without knowing what she was doing, Ava stood up and began to move across the room to Lucy. Then she felt a hand grasp her elbow, and she turned around to find Josh smiling down at her.

“I’m really glad you invited me,” he said, his hand lingering on Ava’s elbow.

“I’m really glad you came,” replied Ava, reaching out impulsively and hugging Josh. He didn’t hesitate, just hugged her back, and when they parted, Ava felt both Lucy and Mellie’s eyes on her.

“I am, too. I miss when you’re Christine and we get talk before the show. Surely Elin doesn’t need to keep doing so many shows a week,” said Josh.

“I think she feels guilty about giving me six shows last week,” replied Ava quickly.

“Or maybe she doesn’t want you to keep getting good reviews,” countered Josh, his lips curving into a knowing smile, and Ava felt her heart skip.

“Do you really think that’s it?” she asked.

“I think that, if Elin keeps calling out, you’re up to be the main Christine.”

“But Elin’s done it for years!” protested Ava.

“Exactly.”

Ava frowned, trying to process the information, and her cell phone buzzed in her pocket.

Bathroom. Now. the text message said.

Ava looked up quickly to find Lucy staring at her from across the room. When their gazes met, Lucy jerked her head towards the bathroom. Ava raised her eyebrow, and Lucy squared her jaw.

“Um, I have to go,” Ava told Josh quickly.

“Go? But this is your party,” said Josh practically.

“I’ll be back,” promised Ava. “Try not to miss me too much.”

“I’m pining already,” replied Josh.

“Think of me fondly,” Ava threw over her shoulder, and she fled to the bathroom before Josh could reply.

The bathroom door shut as soon as Ava cleared it, and Lucy grabbed her hand.

“You came,” said Lucy.

“Are we going to make out in the bathroom while we have guests?” asked Ava teasingly.

“Were you flirting with Josh?” asked Lucy in reply.

Ava frowned and pulled her hand out of Lucy’s, leaning against the counter. They had repainted the bathroom so that it was different shades of dark purple and blue, and glow in the dark stars covered the walls. The rugs were purple and plush, and Ava had even gotten towels with their initials embroidered on them. Lucy thought that it was all endearingly southern and slightly dorky.

“You were flirting with Josh,” stated Lucy when Ava didn’t reply.

“You were practically having sex with Lauren and Charles. Group sex. In front of other people. That’s poly-sexness and exhibitionism. That’s much worse than flirting with Josh.”

Lucy grinned and crossed her arms in satisfaction.

“You’re jealous.”

“No, I’m not!”

Lucy nodded. “Yeah, you are. You wish it had been you that I was having sex with.”

“No, I –”

Lucy turned off the light, and Ava was momentarily stunned by the design that appeared on the wall courtesy of the glow stars. Then she felt Lucy’s arms slide around her waist, and Lucy whispered, “You wanted to make out while we had guests out there?”

“Um,” replied Ava, her arms sliding around Lucy’s neck of their own accord, “I guess we could.”

Lucy kissed Ava gently, and Ava kissed her back. They kissed again, longer this time, and then Ava rested her head on Lucy’s shoulder and watched the glow stars. Her heart hadn’t sped up, and her lips weren’t swollen, but it was still the most surprising pair of kisses that she’d experienced in a while.

“Am I just a rebound from Isaak?” she asked, only half-teasing.

“No,” said Lucy seriously. “You’re my best friend.”

“We have the weirdest friendship in the world,” said Ava.

“I love you,” answered Lucy.

Ava grinned, her smile tickling Lucy’s throat.

“I love you, too, especially because it’s me in here and not Charles or Lauren.”

“Pfft,” scoffed Lucy. “Charles and Lauren would not force me to use a monogrammed towel and spend hours turning on and off the light as they positioned plastic stars on the wall in patterns that resemble Matt Damon’s face. They are clearly not as cool as you are.”

Ava squeezed Lucy’s neck, then ran her fingers through Lucy’s hair.

“Let’s just stay like this forever,” she said softly.

“Mmm,” murmured Lucy. “I wonder how long our guests would wait our there for us.”

Ava giggled, which made Lucy giggle, and soon they were laughing so hard that they couldn’t breathe.

There was a knock on the door, and then Ryan said, “What are you two doing in there? Can I come in? I thought this was supposed to be a bathroom party.”

Ava pulled away from Lucy and wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes from all of her laughter.

“Threesome?” she asked.

Lucy just opened the door and pushed Ava out before turning the lights on again and following.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Ten

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:31:33 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Ten
A/N: Time for the sadface.

Chapter Ten

“Ava.”

Josh caught Ava’s arm as she passed him in the hallway, and she spun around and stumbled back to him.

“Josh.”

“You seem like you’re in a hurry. Do you have a minute?”

Ava glanced down the hallway to Elin’s dressing room, which was hers for the next two nights, then shrugged.

“I was, kind of. There was a tear in my first costume, but they’re supposed to be fixing it. I’m supposed to try it on before the show. But I can spare some time for you.”

“Thanks. I’ll just take a minute of your time.”

Ava followed Josh into his dressing room, raising her eyebrow as he shut the door behind her.

“Well,” she said, perching on the arm of the couch, “I may be able to let you have more than a minute. What’s up?”

Josh put his hands on his hips, then dropped them to his sides. He smoothed the front of his jeans, then cuffed his shirt sleeves. Ava had never seen him so nervous.

“Josh?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

Josh pulled over the chair that was in front of his vanity and sat on it backwards, leaning over the back of it towards Ava.

“Your friend Lucy is dating Isaak, right?”

“Right,” confirmed Ava. “But if you’ve decided that you don’t want Rebecca anymore, I’m sure Lucy would consider –”

“Rebecca and I have broken up,” said Josh shortly. “But that isn’t the point.”

“What is the point?” asked Ava curiously, tilting her head to one side. She skillfully kept her pleasure over the news about Rebecca hidden; she wanted to know what Josh had to say about Lucy. He was probably in love with Lucy. It seemed like everybody was falling for her these days.

“I just-” began Josh.

“Josh,” scolded Ava. “Tell me. Whatever it is, just blurt it out, or I may throttle you.”

Josh leaned even closer to Ava and spoke quickly. “I saw Isaak at a club last night, and he was with a woman who I don’t think was Lucy.”

“It wasn’t Lucy,” confirmed Ava. “Lucy was out with me.”

“Right. So, he was with another woman.”

Ava blinked in confusion. “All right. He has other female friends. I’m sure it was nothing.”

Josh reached out and took Ava’s hand gently.

“A, I don’t think you understand. He and this other woman weren’t being friendly. They were making out.”

Ava blinked rapidly. “Oh.”

Josh squeezed Ava’s fingers, and she shook her head slightly.

“Well, maybe they were just having a quick hook up.”

“I don’t think so. They left together and got into a cab.”

Ava looked up at Josh pleadingly.

“Josh,” she said softly.

“I know, A. I didn’t want to tell you, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen him doing this. How long have he and Lucy been dating?”

“A few weeks?” said Ava vaguely, swiping her hair back from her face in her distress. “I’m not too clear on when it started. Lucy and I, um, didn’t talk much for a while.”

“Over the past two weeks, I’ve seen him out with other women three times, including last night.”

“No,” said Ava.

“Yes,” said Josh gently.

Ava fell off of the couch arm and landed on the cushions, pulling her legs up to her chest. Josh immediately stood and went to her, smoothing her hair down soothingly.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered.

“It’s not your fault,” murmured Ava, staring at the wall. “I suspected it myself; I just hoped my suspicions were wrong. Normally I’m totally off about people.”

“Well, it looks like you were right about Isaak.”

Ava chewed the corner of her lip. “But what do I tell Lucy?”

“The truth?”

Ava frowned at Josh, and he squeezed her shoulder.

“You can do it, Ava. It will hurt her, but she needs to know.”

“I know,” said Ava dejectedly. How would she tell Lucy that the man that she was dating, who was one of Ava’s close friends, wasn’t being faithful to her? What if Lucy got mad at her?

“I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you,” offered Josh.

Ava stood up and edged to the door, looking a little bit lost.

“Thank you for telling me, though. I, um, should go.”

“Yeah, your dress fitting,” said Josh.

Ava reached for the door, and Josh stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

“You can do it, A,” Josh assured her.

Ava rested her head on Josh’s chest for a second and let him support the burden he had given her. When he released her, she backed into the hall and lifted her hand to wave goodbye.

“Thank you again for telling me,” she said softly. Then she turned around and disappeared down the corridor as if the past five minutes hadn’t happened.

*/*/*

The apartment was dark and quiet, and the first word that came to Ava’s mind was “foreboding.” The light was off in Lucy’s room, and her door was partially open. Ava peeked her head in and saw the lump in the middle of the bed that she knew was Lucy’s body.

“I can’t,” whispered Ava to herself, backing away from the doorway. Lucy was sleeping so peacefully. Maybe she could wait until tomorrow to tell her. Maybe she wouldn’t tell her at all; she would just allow Lucy to remain blissfully ignorant. After all, what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her, right?

Ava sighed and dropped her shoulder bag to the ground. She toed off her shoes and left them in the hallway, too, then pushed her way into Lucy’s room.

How to tell her?

Lucy’s bed looked warm and inviting, so Ava pulled back the covers and slid in. Lucy sensed the change, her nose wrinkling in her sleep, and she shifted slightly.

“If you wanna rob me, the jewels are in the safe,” she murmured from underneath her pile of hair.

“I only want to steal your happiness,” muttered Ava, stealing the pillow from on top of Lucy’s head.

“Ava?” asked Lucy, cracking one eye open. “You’re home? In my bed?”

Ava managed to smile, and Lucy opened her arms, grabbing Ava and pulling her closer.

“You’re cold,” announced Lucy. “Come warm up. And I approve of this top. I’ve missed your cleavage.”

“Lucy,” said Ava gently, easing away, “This isn’t funny.”

“You don’t want to snuggle?” asked Lucy confusedly. “Oh! Do you want to change into your pajamas first? Because I’ll wait here.”

“No, actually, I –”

Lucy froze. “Ava, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt? Did somebody die? Did you mess up again?” Her voice sounded too alert for somebody who had been sleeping a minute before, and Ava felt the guiltiness seep into her bones.

“No,” said Ava, hugging the pillow to her chest.

Lucy sat up.

“Ava Blythe Doyle, spill or I’ll use Ticklefingers on you.”

“Please, Lucy, this isn’t funny,” protested Ava.

“So tell me!” exclaimed Lucy.

Ava reached for Lucy and pulled her until they were lying side by side. She wrapped her arms around Lucy’s waist and rested her chin on Lucy’s shoulder.

“Josh told me about something he saw last night, and um, it has to do with you.”

“Oh, really? But I was with you last night.”

Ava took a deep breath and tensed by reflex.

“Yeah, you were, but Isaak wasn’t.”

“I know. It was the first night all week that I hadn’t spent with him. I think we needed some time away from each other. Things were moving too fast.”

Ava turned her head, burying her face in Lucy’s shoulder, and Lucy gasped.

“Oh my god. Oh my god, Ava, is Isaak all right? Is he hurt?”

“No, no, he’s fine,” said Ava quickly. “Well, physically. Lucy, I have something to tell you, but I want you to know beforehand that I don’t want to. I believe that knowledge is power, though, and so . . .”

“Ava,” said Lucy sharply.

“Josh saw Isaak at a club last night and he was making out with a girl who he later left with,” said Ava rapidly.

Lucy was silent, and Ava lifted her head. When she saw Lucy’s blank face, she was more worried than she would have been if Lucy had thrown things or cried.

“Lucy, say something,” encouraged Ava.

“Okay,” said Lucy, blinking. “So Isaak was hooking up with another girl. According to Josh. But how did Josh know? I mean, why was he even looking? Why did he care? And he could have been wrong. They probably didn’t even go anywhere together. Isaak was probably just drunk. They left, parted ways, and Isaak went home to vomit alone.”

Ava shook her head, and Lucy pounced.

“What? Why are you shaking your head, Ava? What does this mean?”

“He saw Isaak out with other girls more than once. He saw Isaak leaving with other girls, getting into taxis with them.”

“No,” said Lucy.

“I’m afraid so,” said Ava.

“Then it’s over between me and him,” said Lucy flatly.

“Lucy-” began Ava.

Lucy held up one hand.

“Please, Ava, let’s just go to sleep, okay?”

“But you’re upset!”

“I’ll still be upset in the morning. Let’s just sleep now. I need time to process things.”

Ava nodded rapidly, her eyes filling with tears. She wished that Lucy would cry, or scream, or do something. But Lucy was stoic, so Ava reached out and caressed her cheek.

“Do you want me to leave?”

Lucy shook her head rapidly. “No. No, stay here. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Luce,” whispered Ava as she turned into Lucy’s body and splayed her hands across Lucy’s back, holding her as tightly as she could.

“It’s okay, Ava. I’ll be okay. Just sleep.”

Lucy stroked Ava’s hair until she heard Ava’s breathing even. Ava moved restlessly as she slept. Lucy didn’t sleep. Lucy didn’t move. She just listened to her heart beat and wondered if all of Manhattan could hear it breaking.

*/*/*

Lucy carefully uncurled Ava’s fingers from where they were clasped around her waist. She eased out of Ava’s arms and dropped her feet over the side of the bed, standing up slowly so that the bed didn’t shift and wake Ava up. She knew that if she alerted Ava to what she was doing, Ava would be awake and asking her questions within seconds. But Lucy didn’t want that. She just wanted peace for a little while.

The tile of the bathroom floor was cool against Lucy’s feet, and she stood still for a moment, letting the sensation flow through her body. She pulled off her pajamas and let them pool onto the ground around her, then turned on the shower. She still hadn’t turned on the light.

When Lucy did finally turn on the light, it took all of her self-will to force herself to look into the mirror. She was surprised to see that, other than the darkness beneath her eyes that came with her lack of sleep, she looked the same as she had the night before. This was not the face of a woman who had been cheated on by her second boyfriend in a row. This was not the expression of a person who was about to dump said boyfriend.

Steam began to fill up the bathroom, and Lucy climbed into the shower, turning her face to the spray and letting it pelt her. She didn’t shampoo her hair or wash her body; she just stood there as the water flowed and flowed. It seared her skin, but she was glad for the pain. It gave her a reason for the tightening in her heart and the angry tears that slid down her cheeks.

The water gradually became cooler, but Lucy hardly noticed. She had slumped against the wall, and now she sat curled up on the floor of the tub, her fingers and toes pruny and covered in gooseflesh. It was the knocking on the door that jarred Lucy out of her thoughts, and she blinked rapidly, surprised to find herself staring at her razor.

“Lucy? Lucy, what are you doing?”

Ava’s voice sounded worried, and Lucy wondered what she had done to provoke that.

“Lucy, you’ve been in the shower for over an hour. What are you doing? Come out here!”

Lucy was too tired to form the words to reply to Ava. Let Ava worry. Lucy wasn’t doing anything. She wasn’t cutting herself; she wasn’t that far gone. She wasn’t beating her head against the tile wall or hanging from the showerhead. She was just sitting. Didn’t Ava understand?

Apparently not, because the doorknob twisted, and Lucy saw Ava’s shadow moving outside of the shower curtain. When had Ava gotten so skinny, or so small? She was as tiny as Lucy felt. Wasn’t it Lucy’s luck that her savior was too small to save her?

“Lucy, I’m coming in,” announced Ava, pulling back the shower curtain. Lucy turned her head away, staring at the wall, and Ava reached for the shower knob, turning off the water.

“Come on, sweetheart,” said Ava gently, grabbing a towel off of the rack and holding it out for Lucy. “Come on, it’s time to get out of the shower.”

When Lucy didn’t move, Ava bent down and wrapped her arms around Lucy’s slick hips, pulling her up to her feet. Lucy leaned forward, allowing Ava to support her weight, and obediently lifted her feet when Ava instructed. She wasn’t even embarrassed by her nudity, or by the way that she had soaked Ava’s clothes.

“I’m going to dry you off,” explained Ava, sitting Lucy on the toilet seat and toweling off her body. Then she wrapped Lucy in a towel and proceeded to brush and blow-dry her hair. That completed, she pulled Lucy up and walked her into the bedroom.

“I need to go to work,” said Lucy dully, standing next to the bed as Ava straightened the blankets and changed the pillowcase.

“No, you don’t,” contradicted Ava. “I’ll call Ryan and tell him that you’re ill. I think you just need a day to yourself.”

Lucy frowned and turned to her dresser, searching for her underwear.

“I’m going to work, Ava. It’s not like anything has happened yet. I’ll call Isaak later and tell him that we’re over. I’ll go on with my life. You don’t have to baby me. I can take care of myself.”

Ava froze where she was, the dirty pillowcase dangling from her fingertips.

“I – I’m sorry,” she stuttered. “I just thought you’d want some time to yourself, and you didn’t sleep last night. But if you want to work, go ahead. I’ll give you some space.”

Ava began to edge to the door, and Lucy lunged at her and grabbed her into a fierce hug. Ava stiffened, as if expecting Lucy to hit her, then relaxed into Lucy’s arms, rubbing her back gently.

“It’s okay, A. I’m not mad. I just want to work, you know? I can’t break it off with Isaak until I see him tonight, and there’s no point in moping around here and worrying you all day.”

“Okay,” agreed Ava, her words muffled by Lucy’s shoulder.

“Now look at you, still wearing your outfit from last night. It’s only 6 a.m.; you change and go to bed, and I’ll take a nap before I leave for work, okay? And tonight I promise to cry and let you hold me.”

Ava pulled back from Lucy and frowned. “I don’t want you to cry. I don’t want you to be hurt. But I guess that going to work will be good for you. Call me, though, if you need me?”

“I will,” said Lucy. “I promise. Now, let’s get you into your bed. Your stuffed animals told me that they missed you last night.”

Ava rolled her eyes.

“You are so ridiculous,” she muttered, obediently going to her room. She paused in her doorway, glancing back to Lucy’s room. “I mean it, Luce. Call me, and I’ll be down there in a jiff. I’m here for you.”

“You’d better be,” said Lucy as she dropped her towel and slid into bed. “You’re my tenant. I’ll evict you if you slack off.”

“Yeah, right,” called Ava as she pulled on her pajamas. “You can’t evict your best friend.”

Best friend, thought Lucy as she turned her head into the pillow. She was going to need her best friend in the days to come. She had a feeling that it was going to be an emotional break up.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Nine

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:11:06 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Nine
A/N: Mine, yours, but ask nicely. Ava and Lucy have girltime and Sophia makes a return.

Chapter Nine

“Wake up, Ava.”

Ava groaned and rolled over in bed, and Lucy crossed the room and shook Ava’s body.

“Ava! Get up!”

Ava opened her eyes and squinted at the clock, then put her pillow over her head.

“What has gotten into you?” she asked from beneath the pillow. “You must have gone crazy. It’s only 9 o’clock – go back to bed.”

Lucy laid down next to Ava and pulled the pillow away from Ava’s head.

“I made omelets,” she whispered into Ava’s ear.

Ava sat up quickly, her blankets and stuffed bunny falling onto the floor. “Omelets?”

Lucy slid off of the bed and offered Ava her hand. “Omelets. In the kitchen. Come see.”

Ava allowed Lucy to pull her out of the bed, but balked at the door.

“Wait! Let me get dressed and make my bed, then we’ll eat.”

“Perfect,” said Lucy. “That gives me time to pour your orange juice.”

“Fantast- Lucy!”

Lucy winked over her shoulder as she left the room.

“Just kidding.”

*/*/*

Ava pushed back her plate, clutching her stomach with one hand.

“Gosh, Lucy,” she breathed, propping her feet up on an empty chair, “I never knew you could make omelets. But now that I do, I am hiring you as my personal chef.”

Lucy smirked and downed the rest of her orange juice.

“Don’t get used to this treatment, Doyle. I prefer my eggs scrambled, so that’s the way I normally cook them. If you are planning on wanting omelets a lot, I’ll teach you how to make them for yourself.”

Ava stuck out her lower lip and grabbed the empty plates, taking them to the dishwasher.

“That’s not fun. They’re not surprises if I make them for myself.”

“Aww,” said Lucy, wrapping her arms around Ava’s waist and squeezing her before grabbing the dishrag. “That’s only the first surprise of the day. Don’t be sad just yet, baby.”

Ava’s face brightened, and she asked, “Where are we going?”

“I can’t tell you that,” replied Lucy secretively.

“But then how will I know what to wear?” asked Ava smartly.

Lucy put her hand on Ava’s shoulder and spun her around, looking Ava up and down quickly. She wore a white sundress and brown sandals, her customary single teardrop pearl necklace around her neck.

“You look fine,” Lucy assured. “More than fine.”

Ava fanned her face in a mocking manner. “Don’t flirt with me, Lucy-lou, or I won’t know what to do. You make my insides all jiggly.”

“I’ll make your insides all jiggly in a minute if you don’t grab your bag and meet me at the front door,” threatened Lucy, wiggling her fingers.

Twenty minutes later, Lucy was opening the door of The Strand bookstore in Union Square and leading Ava in.

“How did you know that this is my paradise?” asked Ava, spinning around to take in the miles of books.

“Maybe because I’ve seen your room,” said Lucy.

Ava grabbed Lucy’s hand without thinking and pulled her down the aisles, running her fingers against the bindings of the books.

“So much knowledge,” she commented, pausing at the Jane Austen shelf.

“No,” said Lucy automatically as Ava began to take numerous copies of Pride and Prejudice off of the shelf. “You cannot buy all of them. You have to leave some of the copies for other people, you know.”

“I’m not going to buy all of them!” exclaimed Ava as she piled the books into Lucy’s arms. “I just have to find the perfect one.”

Ava craned her neck back and scrutinized the shelves, then froze.

“Lucy,” she whispered.

“Yes?” asked Lucy.

“There, on the top shelf, do you see it?”

“See what?”

Ava jumped and pointed. “That copy, the one with velvet. That’s the one I want.”

“Ava,” said Lucy flatly, her tone laced with disapproval. “You cannot be serious.”

“Can you reach it for me?” asked Ava.

“No.”

“Lucy, please.”

Lucy put the books on the ground, stood on tiptoe, and reached. She was a couple of inches too short.

“Again, no.”

“Fine,” sighed Ava. She kicked off her shoes and carefully began to climb up the shelves, clinging to the edge by the pads of her fingers as she stretched up and barely managed to grab the book. When she took her hand off of the shelf to reach the book, she wobbled, and Lucy shrieked.

“Ava, be careful!”

“I think I’m going to fall,” announced Ava calmly. “Catch me?”

Lucy put her arms out, and Ava dropped neatly into them, landing them both on the ground with the impact.

“I could have just gotten that for you, you know,” said a male voice.

Ava and Lucy looked up simultaneously to find Josh Chandler standing over them, grinning.

“Josh!” exclaimed Ava, surreptitiously pulling down the bottom of her dress so that it covered her thighs.

“How do you always manage to get into these messes, Ava?” asked Josh teasingly, offering a hand to both her and Lucy. They both accepted, and Ava held up the book that she had managed to keep with her, despite the fall.

“I was trying to get this. I swear to you, Jane Austen is the reason for my biggest messes.”

Josh mussed Ava’s hair good-naturedly, then turned to look at Lucy.

“Hi,” he said, smiling in a way that made his eyes crinkle. He was more handsome in the artificial lighting of the shop than he had been in the darkness outside of the Majestic Theatre, and Lucy was struck by the genuine kindness that she saw in his eyes.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” exclaimed Ava. “You two don’t know each other. Josh, this is Lucy Scott, my roommate and photographer extraordinaire. Lucy, this is Josh Chandler. He plays Raoul in the Phantom. You were both at Cynthia’s party, but I don’t believe you’ve met before.”

Lucy blushed at the memory of that night and her behavior, and she quickly ducked to pick up the copies of Pride and Prejudice that had become scattered across the aisle.

“I saw you in the show a few weeks ago,” said Lucy quickly, stacking the books in her arms and straightening to face Josh again.

“And did you enjoy the show?” asked Josh.

“I did. You have a really good voice. I actually enjoyed Raoul.”

Josh raised his eyebrow, though his eyes still sparkled with mirth. “Do you not normally?”

“She’s a Phantom lover,” said Ava darkly, glaring at Lucy.

“Hey, missy, you’re not supposed to take sides!” exclaimed Lucy, wagging her finger at Ava.

“She only likes the Phantom because she’s dating Isaak,” Ava told Josh, and Lucy nudged Ava with her elbow.

“That’s not true. Dating Isaak is just an added bonus.”

“You’re dating Isaak Larson?” asked Josh, looking interested.

“Yes,” confirmed Lucy. The expression that had briefly crossed Josh’s face worried her, but it had disappeared as quickly as she had noticed it.

“That must be fun,” commented Josh pleasantly, and Ava coughed insinuatingly. “Anyway, I will let you ladies continue to browse. I have to run some errands; I just stopped to make sure that Ava didn’t break anything. Elin’s daughter is sick this week, so Ava’s on in her place. I’d prefer to have my Christine in one piece.”

“Even if she bites your lip during the kiss on accident?” asked Ava.

Josh reached over and tugged the end of Ava’s hair.

“Especially then,” he said gently. “It keeps things interesting. So, I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope you’re on your A-game.”

Josh disappeared down the aisle, and Ava hit her forehead.

“So corny,” she groaned.

“So sweet,” said Lucy, poking Ava’s arm.

“So not gonna hear the end of that today,” answered Ava. “If you call me A-game, I will go back home. Anyway, let’s buy this book and get out of here before I decide to tumble off of any more bookshelves.”

“I think it was quite gracefully done, actually,” commented Lucy. “Your dance teacher would be proud.”

“Why thank you,” said Ava, managing to curtsey without falling down, “I try.”

*/*/*

“Let’s wade in the fountain.”

“Ava, no.”

Ava frowned and adjusted her sunglasses, pushing them back up her nose. They covered a large portion of her face and lent her the air of mystery that she liked to pretend she needed while in public. While she wasn’t famous enough to be recognized by fans, sometimes she liked to imagine that the stares she received were from her adoring public.

“Lu-”

“Look, hotdogs. Didn’t you say you were hungry?”

Ava allowed Lucy to distract her with hotdogs and pretzels, her favorite New York food, and they sat on a bench in the sun and ate.

“If you keep feeding the squirrels, we’ll have a swarm,” warned Lucy as Ava tore off pieces of her hotdog bun and threw them to the waiting squirrels. “And it won’t be like you’re Amy Adams. You know you’ll run screaming.”

Ava had a fear of squirrels that she insisted went back to trauma in elementary school, and Lucy took joy in reminding her of that fact.

Ava frowned. “You know, I always thought that if I had that happen to me, I’d sing. My life has always had a strange resemblance to Disney movies.”

Lucy laughed and rested her head on Ava’s shoulder, imagining Ava singing her terror as an operatic aria as squirrels followed her through the park. Ava closed her eyes and tilted her head back, breathing deeply.

“What are you doing?” asked Lucy when Ava hadn’t spoken for several minutes.

“I’m feeling the sunshine,” said Ava softly.

“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” asked Lucy insinuatingly, and Ava swatted her shoulder.

“Stop it. You know what I mean. It’s so dark in the city. There are so many shadows. Sometimes I feel the sun on my face, and it feels foreign. That scares me.”

Lucy slid across the bench so that her head was in Ava’s lap and her legs were draped over the armrest. Ava began to play with her hair, and Lucy hummed in contentment.

“Do you miss Charleston a lot?”

“Yes,” said Ava automatically.

“What do you miss about it?”

Ava chewed her lip in thought but kept her eyes closed. Lucy squinted up at Ava, watching as her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek, and observed her friend from an angle she had never been at before.

“I miss riding my bike places. I miss waving when a car let me cross the street. I miss houses that weren’t all stuck together, and I miss getting sand in my shoes no matter where I went. In Charleston, the storeowners always talk to you when you purchase something. Sometimes there is country music on the radio, and even though I hate it, I kind of miss hearing it sometimes. Your life is never as bad as life is in a country song.”

Lucy grinned and reached up, stilling Ava’s hand and lacing their fingers together.

“I just realized that I don’t know anything about your family or your past. It’s like you just came into being in college, and your life didn’t exist before that.”

“Well,” began Ava, opening her eyes briefly and watching a family walk by, “I’m twenty two years old. I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and I lived half a mile from the ocean. And I have a younger brother named Jonathan who is in college now. And that’s basically it.”

“Ava,” protested Lucy, poking Ava’s side.

Ava shrieked and continued, “All right, all right! I went to a private school for a while, then went to the performing arts school. I’ve always known that I wanted to be an actress on Broadway, so I never really pursued everything else. Well, I was the only girl on an all boys’ soccer team for a while. They stuck me on defense because I liked to wear pink to the practices.”

“What did you do for fun?”

“Played Barbies and did musicals,” said Ava without hesitation. “Or had my Barbies perform musicals.”

“I’ll bet you were adorable,” cooed Lucy.

Ava made a face. “I was chubby. I didn’t lose my baby fat until high school; it was awful.”

Lucy plucked Ava’s bony wrist and poked her ribcage. “That doesn’t mean that you have to starve yourself now, you know,” she said.

“Ouch!” complained Ava. “And you’re one to talk, miss Mini Model. Three more inches, and I’d expect to see you on the runway.”

“Oh please,” muttered Lucy, and Ava tugged on her hair.

“Your turn,” she instructed.

“You’ve already met my family,” protested Lucy. “You’ve seen the pictures in my father’s office. You live in my apartment. You know everything.”

“No,” contradicted Ava, “I know what I’ve seen with my own eyes. I want to look at it from your perspective.”

“Actresses,” muttered Lucy, rolling her eyes. She toed her shoes off and stretched her toes, trying to decide where to begin.

“I’m also twenty two years old,” she began, squinting at the sky, “But I’m a few months older than you, plus a whole grade ahead, so I win. I am wise in the ways of the world, and you are only a young grasshopper.”

Ava wiggled her fingers as if to tickle Lucy’s stomach, and Lucy held up her arms.

“Don’t do it, Ava Blythe Doyle. If you do, I won’t tell you anything else today.”

Ava obediently returned her hands to playing with Lucy’s hair, and Lucy began talking again.

“I was born in New Rochelle, New York, which is right outside of the city. I had the best of both worlds: I grew up in a suburb in a two-story house with a dog and backyard, but I went into the city with my parents every chance I got. I had the same group of friends from preschool all the way up through high school.”

“When did you start taking pictures?” asked Ava.

Lucy blew air into her cheeks, then released it. “I don’t actually remember. I think I got my first camera when I was seven or so. I didn’t take a class in photography until high school, but I was the photographer for the school paper. People told me that I was really good, and I liked it, so I decided to pursue photography as a career.”

“What else did you do as a kid?”

“I swam a lot,” revealed Lucy. “I life guarded in the summers. I took ballet and hung out with my friends and went to the library with my mom. Normal kid things, I guess.”

“Sounds idyllic,” murmured Ava.

“So does yours,” Lucy pointed out. “You practically lived on the beach, and it wasn’t cold in the winter. However, I don’t know if I could handle the heat in the summer.”

“You big baby,” teased Ava. “You always have had issues when it got above 80 degrees.”

“It is unnatural for it to be that hot,” declared Lucy.

“So let’s go wading,” prompted Ava.

“Ava-” started Lucy, but she was cut off by her cell phone ringing.

Ava raised her eyebrow as Lucy ignored the call.

“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“No.”

Ava grabbed the phone and examined the display.

“Oh, Isaak. You can take the call, Luce. I won’t mind.”

Lucy shook her head, “No way, A. Today is about you and me and the city, just like it was in college.”

“Just like in college,” repeated Ava. She grinned down at Lucy.

“No,” said Lucy automatically.”

“Lu, please?”

“No, Ava. I have a boyfriend. It would just be awkward.”

“But it’s what we did in college!”

“We were crazy in college. I like to think that we’ve grown up by now.”

Ava sat back again and frowned. “Ever since I let you read Stop Kiss, you haven’t gone to a lesbian bar. Nothing’s going to happen to us if we don’t make out in public, like they did in the play.”

“Yes, let’s keep that behind closed doors,” said Lucy sarcastically.

Ava raised one eyebrow.

“All right, if you’d like,” she said, a smirk playing at the edges of her mouth.

“Boyfriend,” Lucy reminded Ava.

“I’ll wait,” purred Ava, caressing Lucy’s cheek playfully. “I’m patient. Also, I know where you live.”

“Across the hall from you,” said Lucy.

“Perfect distance for a booty call,” replied Ava smugly, slipping her hand from Lucy’s head to Lucy’s back. Lucy sat up quickly and straightened her shirt.

“What do you want to do?” she asked quickly, her face flushed.

Ava smiled in triumph and stood up, stretching languidly.

“5th Avenue is only a short walk away, and there’s a sale at Gap.”

“You and Gap,” said Lucy, shaking her head. “That is a relationship that is unhealthy. Seriously, I saw your closet the other day, and it looked like you had their entire fall and winter collections.”

It was Ava’s turn to blush.

“I, um, have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said carefully, her voice taking on an unnaturally high note.

“I think you do,” said Lucy in a teasing voice. “Trouser jeans, flare jeans, skinny jeans, sweaters, basic t’s, belts, scarves, silk tops, camisoles, hats, skirts, dresses, leggings, tights, ballet flats, boots, overcoat, blouses…”

“Stop, stop!” begged Ava, placing her fingers over Lucy’s lips. “I know what’s in my closet. You don’t have to name it. And I may have a slight addiction, but if we don’t go to Gap soon, I will go into withdrawals, and then you’ll have an even bigger problem on your hands. Besides, I already have most of the stuff that is on sale. That means that I will get to dress you!”

“I like the way you think!” exclaimed Lucy.

“I know, I know. I’m a genius.”

Ava slung her bag over her shoulder and looped her arm through Lucy’s, leading the way out of Central Park and up to 5th Avenue.

“Shopping on 5th, just like the good old days. Only, now that we have jobs, we have actual money to spend!”

“Being an adult rocks,” commented Lucy.

Ava leaned her head against Lucy’s shoulder.

“Sometimes it does,” she agreed. She let go of Lucy’s elbow and slid her hand down, clasping Lucy’s hand and entwining their fingers. “Sometimes it does, indeed.”

*/*/*

The subway was full at midtown where Lucy and Ava boarded, with standing room only. Lucy wrapped her arms around Ava’s waist to hold her up, since Ava couldn’t reach the handhold, and Ava leaned into Lucy and sighed in contentment as the train jerked forward.

“Did you have a nice day, A?” asked Lucy, squeezing Ava’s waist.

“I did. It made me forget everything for a little while, which was really nice.”

Lucy placed her hand on Ava’s forehead and tilted her head back, forcing Ava to meet her gaze.

“Did something happen, Ava?” Lucy couldn’t keep the twinge of anxiety out of her voice; if something had happened to Ava while she had been caught up with Isaak, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. Growing up, she had always hated when her friends had gotten boyfriends or girlfriends and proceeded to totally forget that she existed. She couldn’t do the same thing to Ava.

“Yeah,” said Ava dejectedly, and the way she admitted it so quickly alarmed Lucy more than Ava’s tone of voice. Ava wasn’t one to give in so easily. Normally she would have made Lucy prod her for hours before she admitted to what was really the matter.

“What is it, baby?” asked Lucy, stroking Ava’s hair. She didn’t even care that they were on the subway anymore. Let the people around them look; Ava was more important than their stares.

“Well, there is this benefit that I really wanted to do. They’re taking songs from movie musicals in the 1940’s through 1960’s and performing them with full costumes and everything. And they had picked the big names to do the headliner numbers, but they wanted an ingénue to do Singin’ in the Rain, so my director told me about it. Who better to play an ingénue than the understudy for Broadway’s most famous ingénue?”

Ava fell silent as the subway skidded to a halt, and Lucy tightened her hold on Ava as everybody slid forward. The subway began to empty, and two men stood up and offered Lucy and Ava their seats. When they were sitting, Lucy took Ava’s hand.

“So . . .?”

“So I found out from a source that I was being considered for the part, because they had heard good things about me and I’m not well known. I thought that meant that I had the part, but apparently it didn’t. I found out at the show yesterday that I didn’t have the part after all.”

Lucy squeezed Ava’s fingers and rubbed her thumb over Ava’s knuckles.

“I am so sorry, A. I know that hurts.”

“That’s not the worst part,” muttered Ava, staring at her lap.

“Uh oh,” said Lucy.

“Yeah. The part went to Bailey Hammond, the Elphaba understudy at Wicked.”

“Oh, Ava.”

“That’s not even the worst part,” continued Ava. “The worst part is that Bailey and I used to hang out at workshops and readings and stuff. We never really competed directly for roles to any high degree, and when we both got parts understudying, we started getting coffee together some nights.”

“So your friend got the part?”

Ava shrugged. “I wouldn’t call her my friend. I mean, she may have been my friend at one time, but when she found out that my understudying meant that I got to go on stage several times a week while hers meant that she had to wait through both the main Elphaba and the standby Elphaba to call out of the show before she could go on, she wasn’t as keen to talk to me.”

“Still,” murmured Lucy, pressing her cheek against Ava’s and absentmindedly running her fingers through Ava’s hair, “It must have hurt when you found out.”

“It did,” admitted Ava, staring at her hands.

There were no other conversations going on in the car around them, there was just the rattling of the train, and Lucy and Ava sat in silence for a moment while Lucy tried to think of what to say. She felt as if she had failed Ava in some way, since she hadn’t realized that anything was wrong, but Ava was an actress on Broadway. She knew how to hide her emotions.

“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” asked Lucy finally.

Ava shrugged, watching her reflection in the opposite window of the train.

“I don’t know. You just seemed really happy with Isaak, and I didn’t want to get in the way of that. I’ve never seen you the way you are now, Lucy. You smile a lot, and you constantly talk to him and spend time with him. Earlier today you even made conversation with a stranger in Gap. You’re like a totally different person.”

“I’m the same person!” protested Lucy. “And I still care about your life. Having a boyfriend doesn’t change the fact that I love you. You should have told me.”

“I know,” whispered Ava, biting the corner of her lip, “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll fling myself onto your bed at two a.m. and sob and throw a fit.”

“And if it’s a weeknight, I’ll pull you under the covers and put a pillow over your head so that I can still sleep.”

“You wouldn’t!” exclaimed Ava, jerking her hand away from Lucy.

Lucy snatched Ava’s hand back and linked their fingers.

“You’re right; I wouldn’t. I would hold you and listen to you and cry with you until you went to sleep. And then I’d watch you to make sure that you were all right.”

Ava smiled slightly and pressed her cheek into Lucy’s shoulder.

“You’re the best friend that I’ve ever had,” she whispered barely audibly enough for Lucy to hear. “I’ve always wanted a friend like you.”

Lucy mussed Ava’s hair. “You’ll always have me,” she promised.

Ava rubbed her cheek against Lucy’s sleeve, then froze.

“What’s wrong?” asked Lucy, immediately feeling the tension in Ava’s body.

Ava turned her attention to her hands and began idly playing with Lucy’s fingers.

“It’s nothing. I mean, it’s something. I mean, don’t stare, but look across the aisle and down three seats.”

“Across and down,” muttered Lucy, glancing to the left.

“The other way!” hissed Ava.

Lucy turned her head slightly the other way, conscious of the pressure Ava was exerting on her hand. She could barely make out blonde curls, so she turned her head a little bit more, wincing as Ava squeezed her hand so hard that her knuckles popped.

“Is that-?” she began, then broke off and looked carefully at the hand that Ava was squeezing.

“Yes,” said Ava. “Yes, it is.”

“Oh. Has she-”

“Noticed us? I’m pretty sure she was staring.”

“We were the only ones talking. That’s normal.”

“But it’s Sophia!” exclaimed Ava, dropping her voice in reverence when she said Sophia’s name.

“Yes,” replied Lucy, “And she’s curious about what we’re talking about, just like everyone else who is pretending not to listen.”

“Oh gosh,” whispered Ava, horrified. “She heard me talking. What if she knows what I’m talking about? She knows Bailey; she and Bailey worked together for a while. She probably thinks that I’m a petty brat. She probably hates me.”

“Ava,” said Lucy sharply. This time it was her turn to squeeze Ava’s knuckles until they popped. “Calm down. Sophia is staring at you now because you’re hyperventilating.”

“What should I do? I can feel her eyes on me.”

“Look at her,” encouraged Lucy.

“No!” exclaimed Ava. “Should I?”

“Do it.”

Ava took a deep breath, then looked in Sophia’s direction. She let her eyes slide down the row of people across from her until she reached Sophia. Sure enough, Sophia was staring at her. When Ava caught her staring, Sophia didn’t turn away. She merely smiled.

Lucy let go of Ava’s hand, and Ava lifted it and waved slightly at Sophia. Sophia wiggled her fingers back, and Lucy and Ava giggled nervously.

“I have to get off of this train,” said Ava through tight lips.

“But Sophia’s on it,” Lucy reminded her.

“Precisely,” said Ava. “And I am about to explode with glee.”

Finally the subway slowed and stopped, and Ava and Lucy stood up and burst through the doors, running up the stairs and breaking out in high pitched giggles as soon as they hit the street. It wasn’t even their stop.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Eight

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:54:18 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Eight
A/N: Mine, mine, mine. Yours to enjoy.

Chapter Eight

Lucy put her bag down on the coffee table and moved to turn on the lamp, and when she turned around, Isaak snagged her around the waist and pulled her onto the couch next to him.

“This is a really nice apartment,” he commented, looking around. “How did you score it?”

“Connections,” said Lucy vaguely. When Isaak lifted his eyebrow, she begrudgingly continued. “My dad got it with rent control in the 1960’s, and he’s kept it ever since.”

“Nice,” said Isaak, whistling softly. “I wish my old man had had the foresight to do something like that.”

“What’s your family like, anyway?” asked Lucy, nestling into Isaak’s arms. “I know almost nothing about your life, other than the fact that you’re the Phantom understudy and are really passionate about your video games.”

Isaak chuckled, a warm, full sound, and stared out the window.

“Well,” he began, his voice growing softer is it traveled further into his memory, “I have three sisters, all older than me. They all have “I” names too: Irene, Ivory, and Ilsa. My father is the manager of a grocery store, and my mother was the nurse at an elementary school before she had my sisters and me. As I grew older, she moved up with me, volunteering in my schools and driving carpool. Now that I’m gone, she has a book club and her grandchildren to tend to. My dad still manages the grocery store, and he and my mother go to church every Sunday. It’s just a typical, small town America story.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” asked Isaak.

“Likes, dislikes, city of origin, college major and roommates’ names.”

Isaak sighed. “I don’t know if I can remember my roommates’ names,” he admitted. When Lucy raised her eyebrow, he held his hands up. “No, I’m not that old! I just have a bad memory.”

“So…” prodded Lucy.

“So,” continued Isaak, “I played Little League before I dropped it for dance classes. All of the other guys laughed at me, but when we were in middle school and they were trying to score girls and were too awkward to do it, I always had girls flocking around me, asking me to lift them in ballet.

“I was born in Ohio, and I actually went to Oberlin Conservatory and got voice training before I graduated and decided to hit up the city. I started out with Phantom on tour, and eventually I moved to Vegas, then here to New York.”

“Has Phantom been your only show?” asked Lucy.

Isaak laughed and shook his head. “No way. Not all of us have been as lucky as Ava has. She’s done relatively few shows to have the job security that she does. As for me, I’ve done a dozen or more, but I wasn’t an Equity member until about three years ago.”

Lucy tilted her head back and scrutinized Isaak’s face. He was older than her; she could tell that much. She knew that Equity was the actor’s union, and that it was sometimes hard to break into. Isaak made it sound as if he had been struggling as an actor for years, but he didn’t look to be any older than thirty.

“And where do you want to go from here?”

Isaak gestured vaguely with his hand. “Where does any actor want to go? I want a leading role, I want a Tony, I want job security so that I don’t have to worry about what I’ll do when my show closes or my contract isn’t renewed.”

Lucy frowned. She hadn’t thought about acting in that light; she had only begun to look at it in any other way than the people who got glory for telling a story the same way night after night. In some ways it was a lot more stressful than her 9 to 5 job, even though in other ways it seemed like a lot more fun.

“Enough about me,” said Isaak when he noticed the frown on Lucy’s face. He pressed his thumb to her lips and bent down to kiss her temple. “Tell me about you.”

“Well,” began Lucy, her eyes searching the room for clues of where to begin, “I practically grew up in the city. I mean, my family lives in New Rochelle, but my dad works here, so I came here all the time when I was a little girl. Actually, my first memory is of riding in a taxi in my mother’s lap and going to Macy’s to get a winter coat.

“I have two stepsiblings from my father’s first marriage: Cameron and Megan. And then I have nieces and nephews: Brody, Julie, Emily, and William. They all live on Long Island, and they’re absolutely adorable.”

“Do you like kids?” asked Isaak.

Lucy’s face softened into a smile. “Yeah. I love them. Sometimes I take Julie and Emily shopping, even though Emily’s only seven and really too young to care, and we always have so much fun. It reminds me of running through FAO Schwartz as a child. I always thought that it was what Santa’s workshop must look like right before Christmas.”

Isaak stroked Lucy’s face softly. “You’re so beautiful when you’re smiling,” he commented, nuzzling her cheek. She turned her head and pressed her lips to his, opening her mouth obligingly when his tongue skimmed over her bottom lip.

Isaak’s hands slipped to Lucy’s waist, and he ran his fingers up and down her sides, making the muscles in her stomach twitch. Lucy clung to Isaak, digging the pads of her fingers into his muscular back, and she felt light-headed when his hands brushed the undersides of her breasts.

When Lucy couldn’t think to breathe anymore, Isaak abandoned her mouth and moved to her neck, kissing lightly and nipping at her pulse point. One of his hands moved to her bare back, slipping down until it rested on her butt, and she allowed herself to be pulled into his lap.

It was easy to get wrapped up in the way Isaak’s hands were roaming over her body, and Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his touch, forgetting about the window that was open and the night that was growing later and the way her heels were lying right in front of the front door. When the front door opened and closed, her mind barely registered.

“Lucy? You left the door un – What the heck?”

There was the sound of somebody falling, and Lucy pulled away from Isaak in time to see Ava trip over the heels that she had left in front of the door. When Ava looked up, she carefully looked everywhere in the room except for the couch. Even with just the dim lamplight, Lucy could see the blush on Ava’s cheeks.

“Are you all right?” asked Lucy, desperately trying not to sound breathless.

“Yeah,” said Ava distractedly, bending down to pick up Lucy’s shoes. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just gonna, uh, put these in your room and go to bed. You have a nice night. You too, Isaak.”

Ava moved quickly down the hall, tossing the shoes into Lucy’s room and closing her bedroom door loudly.

“Well, that was awkward,” commented Lucy, absentmindedly playing with Isaak’s hair.

“I’ve never seen Ava blush so much,” chuckled Isaak.

“Which is weird,” continued Lucy, “Because her last roommate apparently had sex with her boyfriend all of the time, and walking in on them was a regular occurrence for Ava.”

“We definitely aren’t that bad,” declared Isaak.

Lucy looked down at her legs, which were thrown across Isaak’s lap, and his hands, one of which rested on the side of her breast.

“No, we’re not,” she agreed. After all, they still had all of their clothes on.

Isaak glanced at the wall on the clock and sighed. “Anyway, it is getting late, and I promised I would let you get some rest before you have to work tomorrow.”

Lucy frowned. “Having a normal job sucks.”

“Having a job that requires you to work every Friday and Saturday night sucks, too,” Isaak pointed out.

Lucy slid off of Isaak’s lap and padded to the front door barefoot. “I guess that every job has its downfall,” she conceded. “However, you don’t have to get up on Monday mornings, so I still think that you got the better end of the bargain.”

“Touché,” remarked Isaak, leaning down and kissing Lucy’s lips softly. Lucy pulled away before they could get sucked in again and opened the door.

“Goodbye,” said Lucy gently as Isaak stepped through the door. Partway down the hall, he turned back to her.

“I’ll call you,” he promised. “I’ll call you sooner rather than later.”

Lucy smiled. “I’d like that. Have a good night!”

With that she closed the door and turned around, looking down the hall to the closed door that was the symbolic and literal barrier between Ava and herself. She had some quick thinking to do.

*/*/*

“A?” called Lucy, knocking on Ava’s door.

“It’s open,” said Ava distractedly.

When Lucy pushed the door open, she found Ava curled up in the middle of the bed with her stuffed bunny and a thick novel.

“What’cha reading?” asked Lucy, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’ll bet it’s Harry Potter.”

“Pride and Prejudice,” murmured Ava, pushing her reading glasses back up her nose. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders messily, and she looked roughly twelve years old.

“How many times have you read that book?” questioned Lucy, picking up Ava’s stuffed elephant from where it had fallen on the floor and playing with its legs.

“’Bout a billion,” answered Ava distractedly, turning the page.

Lucy reached over and squeezed Ava’s kneecap. “Then would you mind putting it down, just for a minute so that we can talk?”

Ava lowered the book and searched for her bookmark, inserting it and closing the book with a snap.

“Talk? About?”

Ava looked too serious in her glasses, so Lucy reached out and plucked them off of her face.

“About me and Isaak.”

“Obviously you two are doing rather well,” remarked Ava without a hint of malice.

“I – yeah,” stumbled Lucy, surprised by Ava’s statement. “We, uh, are.”

“You like him a lot,” commented Ava, pulling her legs in to her chest.

Lucy lay back on Ava’s bed and stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

“I do,” she said, her face softening. “I haven’t had a boyfriend in a while, and he’s . . .”

“He’s?” prodded Ava, poking Lucy’s leg with her foot.

“He’s not what I want to discuss. I mean he is, but. . .”

“Just spit it out,” encouraged Ava.

Lucy reached out and grabbed Ava’s hand, pulling it close to her chest.

“I just want to make sure that you’re okay with me dating your friend,” said Lucy in a rush.

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” answered Ava too quickly.

“Ava,” said Lucy sternly.

“Lucy,” replied Ava in the same tone.

Lucy sat up and faced Ava, holding Ava’s chin so that their eyes met.

“Tell me the truth, Ava. How do you feel about me and Isaak being boyfriend and girlfriend?”

If the news of the titles of boyfriend and girlfriend surprised Ava, she didn’t show it. But that was the difficulty with having a professional actress for a friend, Lucy decided. She rarely knew if Ava was showing her real emotion or wearing a mask for safety.

“I’m glad that you have a boyfriend,” said Ava evenly.

“A,” whined Lucy, and Ava sighed.

“I’m not angry, if that’s what you’re asking. I want you to be happy, and if Isaak makes you happy, then I’m glad for you.”

“But how does that make you feel, in your heart?” asked Lucy, playfully tapping Ava’s chest above her heart.

Ava looked at her hands, her hair falling around her face.

“Sometimes I get jealous,” she said softly.

“You get jealous?” repeated Lucy.

“Not in that way!” said Ava quickly, horrified. “I mean, you just spend a lot of time with him, and you have a boyfriend when I don’t. That kind of thing. It’s really just petty.”

Lucy leaned over and grabbed Ava into a hug, holding her tightly until Ava clawed her shoulders and gasped for breath.

“I’ll make more time for you, darling, I promise,” swore Lucy. “This weekend my behavior was unforgiveable.”

“Maybe we could go out and do something?” asked Ava.

A smile lit up Lucy’s face. “I have the perfect idea. On Sunday, the day belongs to you and me, so don’t make any plans, all right?”

Ava nodded. “That goes for you too.”

“Deal,” agreed Lucy. She leaned over and kissed Ava’s forehead. “And now I am going to go to bed. Goodnight, A.”

“Goodnight, Luce,” said Ava, putting her glasses back on and picking up Pride and Prejudice.

Lucy turned around at the door and smiled. That had gone better than she had expected.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Seven

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:36:08 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Seven
A/N: This is a mixture of Ava's pranking, some romantic sappiness, and a twist of angst.

Chapter Seven

The silence in the apartment was deafening as Lucy moved around in the grey light of the rainy morning. She pulled on her pants and her work-issued button down shirt, tugging at the hem in an attempt to make it fit correctly. She was ready early this morning – she hadn’t slept well. Thoughts kept consuming her mind. There was Isaak to think about, the ghost of his kisses still lingering on her lips, and her heart raced whenever she thought of tonight. Was it a date to go hang out with him during the show? But being at the theatre was his job; dates didn’t take place at job sites, did they?

And then there was Ava to consider. Ava, who had waited up to watch a movie with her. Ava, whom she had abandoned at a party on Saturday night. If she got technical with herself, she had stood Ava up two nights in a row, and after their first week of silence and the subsequent week of tentative co-habitance, she should have thought more carefully before she put their relationship on the back burner.

Lucy paused as she passed Ava’s door, then backtracked and pushed the door open. Ava was curled up in the middle of the bed, a stuffed bunny hugged to her stomach, and her long hair was strewn chaotically across the sheets. Rain pattered on the windowsill, and light peeked around the edges of the curtains. Lucy toed off her shoes and lay down on top of the comforter next to Ava.

At first Ava didn’t awaken, so Lucy leaned over and stroked her hair gently.

“Mmm?” asked Ava, abandoning the stuffed bunny to roll onto her other side. Without opening her eyes, she wrapped her arm around Lucy and pulled her body closer, trapping the comforter between them.

“I want to apologize,” Lucy whispered into Ava’s ear.

“Whufor?” asked Ava, her lips barely moving.

Lucy ran her knuckles across Ava’s cheek and bit her lip. She wished that she had her camera with her right then so that she could capture the way that Ava’s hair was tangled in her eyelashes.

“For last night. I lost track of time, which I know is unforgivable, but I really am so sorry-”

Ava reached out blindly until her hand collided with Lucy’s face. She pressed her fingers to Lucy’s lips and made shushing noises.

“Too early for apologies,” she mumbled, laying her face against Lucy’s neck. “Sleep.”

Lucy smiled and tilted her head, kissing Ava’s forehead. “I’d love to sleep, but some of us work normal hours. It’s Monday morning, sweetheart. Wake up and smell the coffee with the rest of the masses.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Ava’s lips, and she shook her head. “That’s why I do theatre. No Monday mornings – ever. I win.”

“Yes,” laughed Lucy, “Yes, you do. But I lose, so I have to go to work.”

“Okay. You go. I’ll stay here.”

“Try not to sound so heartbroken about it,” muttered Lucy sarcastically as she disentangled herself from Ava’s grasp and rolled out of the bed.

“Boohoo,” sobbed Ava theatrically as she pulled her legs up to her chest and groped sightlessly for her bunny.

Lucy sighed and grabbed the bunny, handing it to Ava and nearly cooing as Ava tucked the stuffed animal carefully against her chest, supporting its head protectively as she sank back into sleep.

“Have a good sleep, sweetheart,” she whispered as she backed to the doorway.

Ava didn’t answer, but this time her silence didn’t hurt so much.

Lucy grabbed her bag and a bagel as she headed down to the subway to begin her work week. She idly wondered why she, too, hadn’t chosen a profession that didn’t require her to work on Monday mornings. And then she remembered Ava’s late nights and 18 hour rehearsals, and she realized that, while her job wasn’t glamorous, at least it was better than being a bartender or stripper, which is what she’d have to be to avoid working on Monday mornings.

*/*/*

Music filtered loudly through Ava’s room, and she groped blindly for her alarm clock, punching the snooze button several times before she realized that she hadn’t set her alarm the night before. When she opened her eyes, she realized that it was her cell phone that was ringing.

“’Lo?” she asked groggily, her voice rasping in her throat.

“Ava, were you sleeping?”

Lucy’s voice sounded too chirpy for Monday morning, and Ava scowled.

“No, I was just doing my morningly Darth Vader impression,” said Ava dryly, pushing the hair out of her face and glowering at the clock. It wasn’t even ten o’clock; what could Lucy possibly need?

“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry to wake you up. I’ll let you go back to sleep in a minute, I promise.”

Ava pushed back the blankets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, taking a moment to orient her body to the upright position. “No, it’s fine, I should probably get up anyway.”

Lucy took a breath so audible that Ava could hear it over the phone. That instantly made her suspicious.

“Well, since you’re up anyway, do you think you could bring me a change of clothes? A little boy just vomited on me, and I don’t really have time between appointments to run home and change.”

Ava scratched her leg and considered. “So what are you wearing right now?”

“You don’t want to know,” said Lucy in a husky voice that made Ava giggle.

“Not much, I take it? Running about the studio in your underwear and a trench coat? Yes?”

“Come down and you’ll see,” promised Lucy.

Ava stood up and stretched out first one leg, then the other. “All right,” she promised. “Give me a few moments to get ready, and then I’ll be over.”

“I’ll be waiting,” promised Lucy.

“I’ll be anticipating,” replied Ava before closing the phone with a click.

She dropped the phone back onto her nightstand and made her bed methodically, taking advantage of the menial task to remember earlier that morning when Lucy had come in to apologize. She knew that she had no right to be, but she was jealous of the way that Lucy’s life suddenly revolved around Isaak. Of course Ava wanted to see Lucy happy; they were close friends, so that was only natural, right? But was Isaak really the one to make her happy?

The clock in the living room chimed ten o’clock and startled Ava out of her thoughts. With a sigh, she went to her closet and pulled out a skirt and sweater that were clean and convenient. She thought about skipping make up, then decided that a trip through Midtown merited at least a little effort. In a shorter amount of time than should have been possible for a woman, Ava was dressed and ready to go to Photography Phrenzy.

Now there was just the issue of what to get Lucy to wear. Ava crept into Lucy’s room, feeling weird about being there alone. Lucy’s bed was unmade, and without thinking Ava laid herself across it and buried her face in Lucy’s pillow. Already she was learning Lucy’s scent.

She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, which was bare in comparison to the other surfaces of the room. The walls were covered with photographs that Lucy had taken and pictures of her friends and family. Posters and newspaper clippings covered the remaining space, and the top of the dresser held iPod speakers and pottery that Lucy had designed. Lucy’s variations of visual art made Ava feel like a failure in that area; even her stick figures lacked in artistic appeal and tended to look more like trees than humans.

When Ava opened Lucy’s closet, her eyes were immediately drawn to a tiny dress that was tucked in the corner. It was dark purple, low cut, and gauzy, exactly the type of thing that Ava had never seen Lucy wear. When she pulled it off of the rack, she discovered that it was backless, as well.

“Perfect,” said Ava, a plan formulating in her mind. She crawled in the bottom of the closet, making a mental note to buy Lucy a shoe rack that went over her closet door, and rooted around until she found silver stilettos that matched the outfit. She decided that it didn’t merit a bra, so she packed the dress and shoes in a bag to give to Lucy. Then she grabbed a dress shirt that said Photography Phrenzy on the breast and pants and folded them neatly, tucking them into her shoulder bag. She would get Lucy back for waking her up so early in the morning.

There was a smile on Ava’s face during her entire subway ride downtown. She thanked the barista at Starbucks profusely for remembering the direction of no whipped cream, and as she rounded the corner to Photography Phrenzy, she was actually humming.

“Well, hello again.”

Ava stopped at the front desk and grinned broadly at Ryan, who was once again on desk duty.

“Hi there. Do they always put you on door duty?”

Ryan glanced at the back of the shop, then leaned secretively towards Ava. “Sometimes I prefer swiping credit cards and answering phones to taking hundreds of shots of petulant children.”

“You used petulant in a sentence,” remarked Ava. “You must be a big dork.”

Ryan smiled easily at Ava. “You’ve caught me. I was the kid who always got 100% on vocabulary tests.”

“I’ll bet that you did amazingly on your SATs,” teased Ava.

“Best in my school on the language section, don’tcha know,” Ryan shot back.

Ava lowered her head and gazed up at Ryan through her eyelashes. “Well, then, maybe you could tutor those of us who weren’t as gifted with language.”

“You need help with your oral skills?” asked Ryan, and Ava laughed.

“Precisely.”

“Well, maybe we should set up a study session. But before we do, let me grab Lucy. I’m sure she’s anxious to be back into her own clothes.”

Ava’s eyebrows raised of their own accord. “Why? What is she wearing?”

Ryan laughed and disappeared into the back of the studio, leaving Ava bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. When he returned a minute later, his shoulders shook with laughter.

“She’ll be here in a minute,” he promised, “And you’ll regret bringing her clothes at all.”

“Oh, that’s doubtful,” Ava assured him.

When Lucy appeared through the doorway to the back of the studio, Ava didn’t know whether to fall on the ground laughing or take out her cell phone to capture a picture.

“That’s, um, an interesting fashion choice,” she remarked, her voice choked with silent laughter.

Lucy folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “Go ahead, Ava. You can laugh.”

Ava promptly clutched her stomach and doubled over with laughter that shook her whole body. When tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was gasping for breath, she stood up again for another look.

“You’re right, Ryan, I do regret bringing her clothes.”

Lucy stood awkwardly in the waiting room in a pair of boxers and a man’s white t-shirt. Black socks were pulled up to her knee, and a tie was wrapped around her head to keep her hair out of her face.

“Ava,” said Lucy flatly.

Ava shook her head, “You know, when people say evening wear, this isn’t really what I think of, but it’ll work. Next time, let’s try not to wear Christmas boxers out of season though, all right?”

“Ava, the clothes,” said Lucy, holding out her hand expectantly.

Ava bit back a grin and held out the bag obediently. “Here you are. It’s a shame, really, that you can’t just wear that all day. It’s oddly attractive on you. Aren’t you glad you shaved?

Lucy scowled and grabbed the bag, whirling around and stomping to the bathroom, which led to another round of laughter as Ryan and Ava caught sight of Santa’s smiling face on the rear end of the boxers.

“You gave in too easily,” protested Ryan when he could finally speak again.

Ava leaned against the counter and hooked her right foot around her left ankle.

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean?” asked Ryan, intrigued by the mysterious smile that played at the edges of Ava’s lips.

Ava glanced at the clock on the wall and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“Lucy woke me up twice this morning. She will pay for that. Nobody wakes me up twice in a row and gets away with it.”

Suddenly the sound of clicking filled the air, and Ava stood up straight in anticipation.

“Ava Blythe Doyle!”

Ava grinned at Ryan in triumph. “Vengeance,” she whispered as Lucy stomped into the room in stilettos. Ryan’s mouth fell open when he saw what Lucy was wearing.

“You look nice,” commented Ava, leaning back against the counter and tilting her head to scrutinize Lucy’s body. “That shade of purple is pretty on you. It brings out your natural tan.”

“I look like a slut,” exclaimed Lucy.

“I like the dress,” said Ava mildly, leaning on one elbow casually. “It’s actually pretty. Why don’t you ever wear it when we go out?”

“Because. . . because . . .” sputtered Lucy. For lack of words she spun around, revealing her bare back.

“You have a really nice back,” was Ava’s only remark.

Ryan leaned on his forearms and took up Ava’s casual approach. “I don’t see what the big deal is, Luce. You have some teenage guys scheduled for this afternoon. I’m sure that outfit is perfect for getting a smile out of them.”

“I will not be fodder for their fantasies,” hissed Lucy.

The bell on the door jingled as new customers came in, and Lucy shrank behind the counter to hide her exposed legs and back.

“Ava!” she pleaded in a whisper as Ryan took their information.

“Relax,” said Ava, finally taking pity on Lucy’s situation. “You should know me better than to think I’d leave you like this.” She bent down and got the folded shirt and pants out of her bag.

“You had these all along?” asked Lucy.

Ava smiled prettily. “You’re welcome.”

Lucy closed her eyes briefly and breathed deeply, then whirled around and disappeared into the back of the studio again.

“Nice job, Doyle,” congratulated Ryan.

Ava curtseyed quickly. “Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.”

“Now there’s a dream come true.”

Ava’s smile lingered on her lips, and she straightened and pushed her hair over her shoulder.

“Isn’t it, though?” she asked, placing her hand strategically on the top of the counter. Ryan scooted his hand closer to hers, and they both looked up.

“Maybe we could-” started Ryan.

“I think Lucy and I-” said Ava at the same time.

They both broke off in midsentence and waited in awkward silence until Ryan gestured with his hand for Ava to go ahead.

“No, please, continue,” she begged, allowing her voice to become more breathy.

“Maybe sometime we could go out to dinner,” said Ryan casually, watching Ava closely.

Ava guarded her face to make sure that no sign of her hopefulness slipped out. As an actress, she had a personal rule that she never dated men who were in theatre. She couldn’t handle men with a natural flair for the dramatic, and she had once been told that actors never got along with each other romantically because they both had an innate desire to be the one in the spotlight. She had taken that advice to heart, avoiding anything more than flings with fellow cast mates, and although it saved her from dramatic relationships, it also greatly restricted her dating pool. But here was Ryan, a guy who had only met her twice, asking her out. Maybe being Lucy’s roommate really would broaden her prospects. Maybe that was the magic of Manhattan.

“That would be great,” said Ava, allowing Ryan a half-smile. “We couldn’t go too late, because of my job, but I’d love to have dinner with you.”

“What’s your job?” asked Ryan, lifting his eyebrow.

“Obviously not a typical 9 to 5,” said Ava vaguely. She didn’t like to advertise what her job was, because people immediately assumed that she was famous and wealthy. That, however, was far from the truth. Her fan base consisted of her family and friends and the occasional Phantom Phan who had seen The Phantom of the Opera so many times that they had begun to recognize when it was Ava on stage and when it was Elin.

“So…” drew out Ryan, clearly intrigued. Ava hoped that he didn’t think she was a stripper or a prostitute or anything.

“She’s an actress,” announced Lucy as she breezed into the room, “On Broadway. Thank you for bringing me clothes, darling. If you don’t mind, I’ll keep the dress.”

“Hot date tonight?” asked Ava, ignoring Ryan for the time being.

“You could say that,” conceded Lucy, not wanting Ava to know about her plans to be in the theatre. She would tell her later, when she dropped by her dressing room. There was no use in creating potential drama now. “I have an appointment now, but I’ll see you later, all right?”

“Sure,” agreed Ava, tilting her face up as Lucy pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You don’t have to wait up.”

“I’m sure you’ll be brilliant tonight. Break a leg!”

Lucy squeezed Ava’s arm and waved slightly before going back to work.

Ava turned back to Ryan, surprised to find that his face still held a neutral expression.

“Are you surprised?” she asked him.

“That you’re an actress?” he asked.

When Ava nodded, he smiled sagely. “Not exactly. I had it down to that or companion to wealthy old men.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Please. I have more class than that.”

“So, which show is it?” asked Ryan.

“Phantom of the Opera,” said Ava quietly.

“Broadway’s most haunting love story,” finished Ryan, repeating the show’s tagline.

“Tonight belongs to Phantom,” replied Ava, shrugging her shoulders.

“I’ve not actually seen the show,” admitted Ryan. “Are you the star?”

“Hardly,” snorted Ava. “I’m the understudy. But it’s a job, you know?”

“I’m sure you’re a good actress,” said Ryan.

“No, you wouldn’t know,” said Ava quickly, “But I try my hardest. How good or not I am is left to the opinion of the casting directors and the critics. And if you listen to them, Phantom’s been around too long anyway.”

“I’m sure that’s not the case,” protested Ryan.

Ava shrugged. “I hope it’s not. I enjoy being employed. Anyway, I do hate to dash, but I’ve got to meet a friend for lunch.”

“A guy?” asked Ryan.

Ava decided to take pity on Ryan and threw him a bone. “A girl. I’m single.”

“Well-,” began Ryan, but Ava was already on her way out the door.

“Goodbye, Ryan!” she called.

“Bye!” he called after her. Then he took his cell phone out of his pocket and sighed. “Thanks for letting me get your number.”

*/*/*

Mellie leaned across the table and scrutinized Ava’s face.

“You look good,” she proclaimed. “Have you actually been sleeping?”

Ava cut up her pasta with her fork and smiled. “Yes. It’s amazing what a little sleep will do for you.”

“It’s not just that, though, is it?” asked Mellie.

Ava finally looked up from her pasta and saw the curiosity on Mellie’s round face. Mellie was the perfect physical fit for the role of Meg Giry, which she played in the show, and Ava found that she couldn’t help spilling her guts to Mellie.

“I really like living with a friend,” confided Ava. “I haven’t kept up with Lucy as well as I should have, and at first living together was bumpy, but I think it’s going better now. It’s just nice to know that you’ll see your friend, you know? It’s like college, only it’s like being an adult at the same time.”

“You didn’t like Brooklyn?” asked Mellie.

Ava shook her head. “No. No, no. I was sexiled much too often.”

“You should have said something!” exclaimed Mellie, reaching across the table and squeezing Ava’s hand. “You could have stayed with me!”

“And three of the other ballerinas. No, Mellie, I appreciate the offer, but you guys are so cramped as it is.”

“All right,” said Mellie quietly, sitting back in her seat and picking at her salad. When she had been quiet for a while, Ava started to become concerned. Mellie was never quiet for so long; she was normally bubbling with things to talk about.

“Mel, what is it?”

Mellie sat forward and snagged her lip between her teeth.

“It’s just,” began Mellie softly. Then she fell silent, only speaking again when Ava nudged her foot. “It’s just that I’ve not seen you a lot since you moved in with Lucy. I mean, you’re still going to be my friend, right? Or is Lucy replacing me?”

Ava slid out of her seat and moved around the table quickly, wrapping her arms around Mellie so tightly that Mellie clawed at her hands and struggled for breath.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Mel-Belle,” promised Ava. “Besides, when Lucy and I have fights, aren’t you the one I come to?”

“You’re just like a married couple,” said Mellie. Suddenly her eyes lit up. “And if that’s the case, can I be the woman on the side?”

“Like, my torrid affair?” clarified Ava.

“Naturally. The woman in the green silk negligee with the long, elegant cigarette holder.”

Ava tilted her head in consideration, then held up her hands to create a frame for Mellie’s face. When she was satisfied, she nodded. “Yes, that can be arranged.”

“What are my duties as “The Other Woman?”” asked Mellie.

“For starters,” said Ava, “You have to go shopping with me. I need some new dresses for the summer. And then you have to tell everyone backstage that you saw me out last night with some tall man that resembled a model, but that I didn’t want anyone to know we were together.”

“Why would I tell them that?” asked Mellie.

Ava grinned and swirled some pasta around her fork. “So they don’t know that I really fell asleep on the couch at nine while watching Spice World.”

Mellie gasped. “Did you really?”

When Ava nodded, Mellie took a deep breath.

“Right, then. Tall man, are we going Brad Pitt or Matt Damon?”

“Matt, definitely. Or wait, you know that underwear model in Times Square? That one.”

“The guy in boxer-briefs?”

Ava smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Yes. Just call me Mrs. Boxer-Briefs.”

There. Now nobody would know that she had been stood up and spent the night wallowing in self pity and Oreos without milk, which may have been even more lame than falling asleep before the second act would normally have started.

*/*/*

Lucy tugged at the hem of her dress as she followed a stagehand down the corridor. Everything was chaotic and frenzied around them, though there were no signs of panic, which led Lucy to believe that the busyness was commonplace in the theater.

“Right through that door,” said the stagehand quickly, pointing to a door ahead and on the right. Lucy recognized it from her previous experience backstage, though she had approached it from the opposite direction before. The door was partially closed, and when she knocked, it opened further.

“Hello?” she asked tentatively.

Isaak and Kyle were once again sitting on the edge of the sofa with video game controllers in their hands. When the door had opened, Isaak had been tensed, ready to spring as his character fought Kyle’s. Kyle had been sitting back on the couch, a smug smile on his face. Kyle’s character killed Isaak’s, and Isaak immediately jumped up and began to protest his tactics.

Lucy found the whole set up odd. She would have expected Kyle to be the competitive one, but Kyle remained in his seat, calmly refuting Isaak’s arguments. Lucy wondered briefly if this was what Isaak was always like when she wasn’t around, but if that were the case, wouldn’t Ava have said something to her?

“Lucy!” exclaimed Kyle, catching a glimpse of Lucy in the mirror. “Sorry, I didn’t see you. You should have said something!”

“I knocked,” said Lucy, stepping hesitantly into the room, “But I guess you guys were too busy to notice.”

Isaak immediately relaxed when he saw Lucy, putting down his game controller and moving to her side.

“Hey,” he said, smiling and touching her arm awkwardly, “How are you?”

“I’m good,” answered Lucy, smiling self-consciously. All of the sudden the space and Kyle’s proximity to them seemed too small, and Lucy was torn between wishing that Isaak would kiss her anyway and being thankful that he was conscientious of others’ eyes.

“Well, then,” said Kyle, jumping up, “I’m just going to see what’s going on with my costume repair. My masquerade costume is supposed to be done by now, but I haven’t seen it at all.”

Lucy stepped back from the door to let Kyle pass and watched as he nearly ran down the corridor.

“That was nice of him,” commented Lucy, turning to Isaak and smiling as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“He just wants me to return the favor in the future,” replied Isaak, pulling Lucy out of the way of the door. “Please, take a seat.”

Lucy sat gracefully on the sofa, crossing her legs to make sure that her dress didn’t slip up too high, and Isaak sat next to her. Almost instantly his hands were on her waist, pulling her closer, and she tilted her face up in anticipation.

“I love that dress,” murmured Isaak, sliding his hand around to Lucy’s bare back and kissing her mouth.

“Ava picked it out,” gasped Lucy when Isaak pulled away from her to catch his breath. Then they both decided that conversation was too difficult, so they settled for kissing without any attempt at pleasant conversation.

Isaak’s fingers moved gently across Lucy’s back, causing her skin to break out in goose bumps, and her nerves were tingling so much that she didn’t hear Kyle’s awkward cough at the door until Isaak pulled away and looked at it.

“It’s almost intermission,” Kyle informed them, leaning against the dressing table and raising his eyebrow pointedly.

Lucy looked down at her dress and immediately blushed. The skirt had ridden up so far that almost all of her thigh was exposed, and the neckline plunged more than it had when she had come into the theatre. A quick glance into the mirror revealed that her lips were swollen, and her hair was tangled from Isaak’s fingers.

“I, um, should probably go see Ava,” murmured Lucy, standing quickly and pulling down her dress.

“Do you want me to show you to the dressing room?” asked Isaak, standing up with her.

Lucy shook her head, her mind still a little foggy from the last hour.

“No, I think I can remember the way.”

She was afraid that, if she allowed Isaak to accompany her, Ava would run back to her dressing room after intermission to find her roommate and her cast mate entangled on her couch. That was something that could be potentially scarring. Ava had been understanding about everything so far, but Lucy was conscientious of the line that she toed. She didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for Ava in any way. After all, if not for Ava begging her to come backstage, she never would have met Isaak.

*/*/*

“Lucy?”

The surprise was evident in Ava’s voice, and she threw her arms around Lucy’s neck and hugged Lucy so tightly that she struggled for breath.

“A,” gasped Lucy, grasping Ava’s hips and attempting to pull away. The beading on Ava’s costume bodice scratched her hands, and she yelped and struggled until Ava set her free.

“Why are you here?” asked Ava. “Did you come to see me? Did you miss me?”

“I, well,” began Lucy, but Ava interrupted her again.

“Wait. Is there payback for this afternoon? Is there a booby trap? Because if there is, I don’t have time during intermission to be sabotaged.” Ava looked around the room suspiciously, sniffing her jars of make up and checking beneath the couch cushions and behind the bathroom door.

“Well, actually,” said Lucy, scratching her neck, “Isaak asked me to come.”

Ava froze, her head sticking out from behind the bathroom door.

“Oh,” she said, coming back into the room. “In that case, I guess I’m fine. Could you unzip me, please?”

Ava turned around and pushed her hair over her shoulder, giving Lucy access to the zipper that ran down her back.

“Are you mad?” asked Lucy as she grasped the zipper and pulled it down gently, exposing the corset that Ava wore underneath.

“Why would I be mad?” asked Ava, pushing the sleeves down her arms and stepping out of the dress. Lucy closed the door automatically, keeping Ava’s changing from being seen by those passing by, and Ava stepped over to the closet and reached for her masquerade costume.

“Well, I mean-”

“You came to see your boyfriend. It’s natural.”

“But I wanted to see you, too,” protested Lucy. She was a bit thrown by the term “boyfriend,” but she guessed that it was true. Isaak had consumed the past three days to the point that, if she wasn’t with him, she was preparing to see him.

“You did?” asked Ava, smiling and drawing Lucy’s attention away from her thoughts. Ava crossed the room and grasped Lucy’s arm gently, standing on tiptoe to kiss Lucy’s cheek.

“Yes,” said Lucy. “I want you to know that I’m not ignoring you or anything.”

“I understand,” said Ava quickly, sinking into the chair in front of the dressing table and touching up her make up. Lucy frowned at her reflection, and Ava put down the make up brushes and turned to face Lucy. “Really, I do. You have a guy who is interested in you, and you reciprocate. You’re so lucky.”

“I know,” whispered Lucy, smiling.

Ava stood up abruptly and took a swig out of the water bottle on the dressing table. The two-minute call came over the loudspeaker, and she adjusted her skirt and grabbed her mask, turning around quickly to make sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything.

“I have to go now. The demanding masses, the adoring public, you understand. So get back to Isaak and give him my apologies for stealing you away. You can tell him that it’s not my fault that my beauty is more captivating than his.”

Lucy grinned. “Always. That’s why I spend my nights with you.”

Ava winked and spun around, disappearing down the corridor to the stage in a whirlwind of skirts and curls. Lucy waved to her departing back, then went back to Isaak and Kyle’s dressing room.

*/*/*

Lucy’s lips were still swollen when, an hour later, Isaak and Kyle finally put down their game controllers and began to clean up their dressing room.

“Is the show almost over?” asked Lucy drowsily from her position between Isaak and the arm of the couch.

“Yeah,” said Kyle, throwing out their soda cans and running his hand over the counter, “And we’ve got to get out now if we’re going to avoid the crowd.”

Isaak offered Lucy his hand and helped her off of the sofa.

“What about Ava?” she asked.

Kyle laughed. “Ava’s a big star tonight. She’s got autographs to sign and pictures to pose for. She won’t be out of here for a while.”

“C’mon, baby, let’s go,” said Isaak gently, squeezing Lucy’s hand and picking up her purse. “I can tell that you’re tired, and you have work tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me,” she protested, allowing Isaak to lead her from the building.

Kyle followed them from the building, turning left to head down the block when they turned right. Isaak laced their fingers together and escorted Lucy to the subway.

“I’ll walk you home and then let you get some sleep,” promised Isaak as he swept his thumb over Lucy’s knuckles.

The jostling of the subway lulled Lucy into a state of content, and as the brakes squeaked and jolted everyone, Isaak slid his arms around Lucy’s waist and held her securely against him. It had been a long time since Lucy had been held that way, and she couldn’t help but draw comparisons between Isaak and her last boyfriend. Blake had been tall and smart and made Lucy laugh. Things had been perfect with him until she had found out that he was dating another girl. That was when Lucy had learned the difference between dating and having a boyfriend.

“Isaak?” asked Lucy as they ascended to the street, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, baby,” he said, and the gentleness in his tone almost made Lucy bite her tongue. Isaak wouldn’t do what Blake had done. He was older than Blake, and surely by now he knew how important it was to be honest with somebody. But the Blake mistake lingered in the back of Lucy’s head, so she took a deep breath and blurted her question.

“Are we just dating, or are we boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“Is there a difference?” asked Isaak, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

“Well, yes,” began Lucy, her stomach clenching. “You can date more than one person, but if you’re boyfriend and girlfriend, you’re exclusive.”

They were at Lucy’s apartment door, and Isaak stopped in front of it and reached out to stroke Lucy’s cheek.

“I guess I don’t understand these things properly,” he said, smoothing his thumb across Lucy’s cheekbone. “But I like you a lot, Lucy. You’re so gentle and sweet and beautiful. I’d really like it if you’d be my girlfriend.”

Lucy didn’t even bother to conceal the smile that spread across her face.

“Done,” she said.

Isaak moved his hand to Lucy’s chin and tilted her head up before kissing her gently.

“I guess I should let you go,” he said reluctantly, squeezing the hand that he still held tightly.

Lucy squeezed back and rummaged in her purse for her keys.

“You don’t have to,” she assured him. She didn’t want to let him go so soon after their relationship officially began.

“Are you sure?” asked Isaak, his eyes lighting up.

“Yes,” said Lucy, winking over her shoulder as she opened the apartment door. “Come inside.”

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Six

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:55:59 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Six
A/N: This story is mine. The characters are mine. The plot is mine. Bueno.

Chapter Six

Lucy smelled food when she woke up in the morning, which surprised her. Who was cooking in her kitchen? But the scent wasn’t enough to inspire movement, so she turned over and dozed until the need for food became greater than her need to stay under the covers.

When Lucy stumbled into the kitchen in her rumpled pajamas and mussed hair, she was surprised to find Ava fully dressed and in command of a skillet. She had never seen Ava cook before, and hadn’t even known that she could, so this was a new development.

“What’re you doing?” asked Lucy, sliding onto a bar stool and resting her head on her arms. She squinted at Ava with one eye, debating falling asleep again right there.

“Making brunch. One piece of bacon or two?”

“Two,” replied Lucy, pushing herself upright in order to accept the plate that Ava handed her. She was just about to get up to get orange juice from the fridge when Ava beat her to it.

Ava leaned against the counter and picked at the food on her own plate, looking regal and tired in the morning sunlight.

“How was church?” asked Lucy conversationally.

“Good. Short.”

Lucy nodded and looked at the scrambled eggs on her plate. How had Ava known that she loved shredded cheese and ham on her eggs?

“You made scrambled eggs. See, we do like some of the same food!”

Ava shook her head. “Actually, I prefer omelets.”

“You’re kidding,” frowned Lucy.

“No.”

When Ava didn’t offer any other explanation, Lucy was at a loss for what to say. It was still too early for deep conversation, and her thoughts kept straying to last night. Would Isaak really call her today, or would he wake up and realize that he had just been lonely and flirtatious at the club? Her cell phone was on the counter where she had left it, and she itched to check her messages. What were the chances that he would call before noon?

“How was your night last night?” asked Lucy.

When she was met with stony silence, Lucy looked up at Ava. That was when she realized that what she had mistaken for tiredness was actually something more like sadness.

“It was fine,” said Ava quietly, turning around to scrape her remaining food into the trash. Lucy noticed that she hadn’t touched her eggs at all.

“Did you get home all right?”

“Clearly,” said Ava, running the warm water in the sink and adding dish soap.

“Ava, what’s wrong?” asked Lucy, leaning over the counter.

At first Ava didn’t say anything, she just scrubbed her plate vigorously. When she did finally speak, her voice was low and edged with an emotion that Lucy had only heard from her on stage.

“How was your time with Isaak? Did you two enjoy yourselves?”

“Yeah, we did.” Lucy finished her eggs and played with her orange juice. “Are you angry?” she finally asked.

Ava put her plate on the drying rack and moved on to washing out her glass.

“Why would I be angry?”

“Ava, please,” pleaded Lucy.

Ava put down the glass and wiped her hands on the dishtowel before turning back to Lucy and folding her arms protectively across her chest.

“Do you remember in the bathroom last night?”

“After Kyle’s saliva got on your hand?”

Ava nodded. “You said that you’d remember that I was your date. You said you’d come home with me.”

Lucy was floored for a moment, wondering if the glimmer that she saw in Ava’s eyes were tears.

“Ava, darling,” she began, leaning on her elbows and reaching her hands towards Ava, “I didn’t know that it would upset you if I went out with Isaak. We just got ice cream, and you looked so tired. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to come. Besides, I really like Isaak. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Ava bit her lip and examined her pink painted toenails. “You didn’t even tell me you were leaving,” she said quietly, obviously struggling to keep her voice from wobbling.

“You were with Josh. I thought you were sleeping. Isaak said that you would be fine.”

Ava looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing. “So you just take his word for it now?”

“Ava-” began Lucy, but Ava interrupted her with a raised hand.

“No, Lucy. It’s fine. I’m glad for you, really, I just . . . ever since we fought, I thought we were going to try to communicate. When Josh told me that you had left with Isaak, I thought he was kidding. But he wasn’t.”

Lucy was silent for a moment, processing what Ava had said. Finally she gathered the courage to ask another question. “But you got home all right?”

Ava pushed away from the counter and chewed the edge of her lip vigorously. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

“When?”

“Didn’t you see me waiting up for you?”

Ava was halfway out of the room before her words registered in Lucy’s mind, and when Lucy finally moved to hug Ava and tell her how sorry she was, all she heard was the click of Ava’s door as it closed behind her.

“Ava,” called Lucy, following Ava down the hall. She paused outside the door and debated knocking, then just opened it and walked in. After all, the apartment was still in her father’s name, making it more hers than Ava’s.

Ava’s room was clean, and everything in sight seemed to be pink save for the white walls and white carpet. Posters from Ava’s shows were framed and hung on the wall with the Phantom of the Opera poster hanging over Ava’s bed. Pictures of her friends and pretty notes were stuck onto memo boards next to the door, and a white board covered in Ava’s neat cursive handwriting was tacked onto the closet door.

Ava stood in between the closet doors, her dress pooled at her feet. She turned to face Lucy in only her bra and underwear. When Lucy noticed the way that Ava’s hair tumbled into her face and how her jaw was set firmly, she just wanted to give Ava a hug. She looked like a child who was trying not to cry.

“Yes?” asked Ava tightly.

Lucy wrapped her right foot around her left ankle and leaned against the edge of the desk.

“Let’s talk,” said Lucy conversationally.

“All right,” agreed Ava, making no move to put on clothes or sit down. She crossed her arm behind her body and grabbed her opposite elbow as if to prove to Lucy that she was perfectly comfortable in her own skin.

Lucy sat down backward in Ava’s desk chair and rested her chin on her arms.

“About last night,” began Lucy. Then she stopped. She didn’t want to start with a point of contention. Ava shuffled her legs slightly, her eyes trained intently on Lucy, and Lucy swallowed. At least Ava was letting her speak her mind.

“I really like Isaak,” Lucy said, changing gears. “The more time that I spend with him, the more time that I want to spend with him. I think he might like me too.”

Lucy paused to give Ava the chance to pipe up, but Ava remained silent, her gaze never wavering.

“I’m trying to say that I’m sorry,” said Lucy softly. “I got caught up with talking to Isaak. I haven’t had a boyfriend for a couple of months now, and I kind of miss it. It’s nice to have a guy act like you’re the person he wants to be around.”

Ava’s eyes softened, and she dropped her arms to her sides.

“I guess-” began Ava, but she fell silent when music began to play from the other room. Lucy cringed. It was her ring tone.

Ava looked to the door pointedly, but Lucy was careful to look away. She wanted Ava to continue. She wanted Ava to forgive her and for their friendship to be back where it had been the night before when they had left for the party with their arms linked. She wanted . . . she wanted to answer her phone.

“I’ll be right back,” promised Lucy, holding up one finger. “I promise. Just hold that thought, okay? It’ll just be a second.”

Ava nodded once, and Lucy left the room and managed to reach her phone on the last ring.

“Hello?” she asked, pretending not to know that it was Isaak. She had gotten his number from Ava’s phone, so that she would know when he called, but she would never admit to anything that lame.

“Hey, Lucy, it’s Isaak.”

Lucy leaned against the counter and idly played with the dishes that Ava had left on the drying rack.

“Isaak, hi,” she said, glancing at the clock. 11:48. Score.

“So, I know that you have today off, and there’s a photography exhibition down at this park near my place. I was wondering if you wanted to go. Nobody famous is going to be there, but I thought it might be a cool thing to check out.”

Lucy rubbed her lips together to keep from blurting out her acceptance. “That sounds cool. I, um, I should be available. I mean, I am. I have nothing planned.”

“Great,” said Isaak, sounding immensely pleased. “I’ll pick you up at one?”

Lucy almost dropped the phone. One. That didn’t give her a very long time to get ready. She would have to do something with her hair, and find something to wear, and –

“Sure, that sounds great.”

“Awesome,” said Isaak, “I’ll see you at one.”

“See you at one,” repeated Lucy, closing her phone and staring at it for a moment. Then she remembered her hurry, and she dropped the phone and rushed to the laundry closet. The pants that she wanted to wear were in the dirty clothes, so she would have to Febreze and iron them before she could put them on.

Ava appeared in Lucy’s bedroom door a few minutes later dressed in sweatpants and an old sweatshirt from her elementary drama class days.

“Isaak?” she asked as she watched Lucy lean closer to the mirror and spread concealer across her skin.

“Yeah,” confirmed Lucy as she straightened. Then she caught sight of Ava’s expression and frowned. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. Isaak is picking me up at one to go to some photography exhibition. We’ll talk later, I promise, okay? This won’t take long.”

Ava nodded and chewed the corner of her lip. “Sure, no problem. I’m not going anywhere today.”

Lucy smiled widely at Ava, and Ava smiled back hesitantly.

“We’ll have a girl’s night tonight,” Lucy promised. “I’ll let you pick the movie.”

“All right,” said Ava quietly as she backed out of the room. “I hope you like Spice World.”

Lucy listened as Ava’s door closed and her music came on. When Isaak buzzed up at 12:55 and she called goodbye at Ava’s door, there was no response.

Everything will be all right after we talk, Lucy told herself. And then she swung open the door and found Isaak waiting for her, and she forgot to feel guilty for putting Ava on hold. Besides, Ava understood that their schedules conflicted. She would want Lucy to be happy.

*/*/*

The sun was sinking in the sky, and it was starting to get cool outside. Lucy had thought that they would be back before the sun went down, and she shivered, inwardly lamenting not bringing a coat.

“Cold, ba-Lucy?” asked Isaak.

Lucy froze for a moment, surprised at Isaak’s slip. When he smiled widely at her and took off his jacket, she remembered how to move again. He put it on her and straightened the lapels, his hands brushing against her throat and chest. Her heart thumped wildly, and she stood perfectly still, wondering what was happening.

“Thank you,” she said softly, pulling the coat tighter around her body and inhaling Isaak’s scent. It was a scent that was vaguely familiar – men’s cologne, the city, and something that reminded Lucy of Ava. That must be the scent of the theatre.

“Look at the sky,” murmured Isaak, tilting back his head to gaze at the expanse of sky that spread out before them over Central Park. The skyscrapers framed the picture perfectly, and Lucy wished she had time to set up the shot.

“It’s perfect,” answered Lucy. Isaak had taken her hand without her realizing it, and now he squeezed her fingers and turned from the sky to smile at her.

“I’m glad that you came with me today, Lucy.” Isaak fell silent and looked at their hands, unconsciously stroking his thumb over Lucy’s knuckles. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while, but I guess . . . I mean, I get nervous.”

“You?” asked Lucy jokingly. “You play the Phantom on Broadway in front of thousands, but you’re scared to ask me out?”

“I only play the Phantom when Benji can’t do it, which comes out to like, two times a month. Not all of us are as lucky as Ava, who has built in days to go on every week. Besides, I don’t have to speak to all of those people face-to-face.”

Lucy looked down at her shoes quickly to hide her grin, but Isaak caught her and lifted her chin with his finger.

“What, are you laughing at me?” he asked, pretending to be outraged. “You’ve never heard of a shy actor? It’s hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. I can perform on stage all you want, but get me one-on-one and I come unglued.”

“You’re doing pretty well right now,” conceded Lucy, unconsciously biting her lip as she studied his eyes.

“That’s because I like talking to you,” replied Isaak.

“I like talking to you, too,” admitted Lucy.

Isaak hesitated for a moment, then stroked Lucy’s cheek with his knuckles. “Would you mind if I-”

He didn’t finish his question; he simply threaded his fingers through Lucy’s hair and lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers gently. When Lucy pressed back, he dropped one hand and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Isaak sucked Lucy’s lower lip between his, then prodded her lips with his tongue, and she opened her mouth, accepting his tongue and clinging to him.

The cars rushed by on the street and pedestrians brushed past them, but Isaak and Lucy merely held onto each other more tightly. It was like a fantasy – being kissed like this in the middle of Manhattan, surrounded by the tranquility of the park and twilight and the chaos of 5th Avenue. It was the perfect New York fantasy that Lucy harbored in the back of her mind to take out on rainy days or when she felt like she couldn’t stand being in the city for another second. Maybe the fulfillment of her dream was what made her breathless, or maybe it was the way Isaak stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as he pulled away to look at her.

“It’s getting late,” said Isaak finally, stepping back and reaching for Lucy’s hand. “You have work early tomorrow. I’d better get you home.”

Lucy hummed in agreement, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of their fingers tangled together. Isaak talked easily as they walked to the subway and rode it to Lucy’s block, and she talked more freely, too, finding that he drew stories and thoughts from her that were funnier and more vibrant than she remembered them to be.

When they reached her apartment door, Isaak kissed her as he had before, but this time his kiss left her breathless and wanting more, and they didn’t part for several minutes.

“I have to let you go,” said Isaak finally, pulling away and tracing Lucy’s swollen lips with his thumb. “You’ll be tired tomorrow, and you’ll blame it on me.”

“Doubtful,” said Lucy quietly, willing herself not to quiver at Isaak’s gentle touch.

“Tomorrow night, come to the show? Ava’s scheduled to go on, but you could hang out with Kyle and me.”

“Sure,” agreed Lucy readily, “I’d love to.”

“Great,” said Isaak. “I’ll see you there.” He bent down to kiss her one more time, then backed down the hall as she slipped into her door and shut it, leaning on it to catch her breath and stop her spinning mind. Isaak had forgotten his coat, and Lucy shrugged it off and held it to her nose before hanging it on the coat hooks. She could give it back to him tomorrow. She was seeing him again tomorrow. The thought made her grin in the half-light and laugh for no reason at all.

The living room was illuminated by the glow of the television, and as Lucy pushed off of the door, she noticed that Ava was curled up asleep in the Snuggle Chair, her knees tucked under her chin. The Spice World menu remained stationary on the screen, the theme music playing on loop.

“Oh, no,” whispered Lucy, her hand flying to her mouth. The clock on the DVD player said 11:30 – she was five hours later than she’d expected to be. Ava had obviously had their girls’ night alone.

Lucy moved quickly to the TV and turned it off, and the silence woke Ava up.

“Lucy?” she asked groggily.

“It’s me,” said Lucy, moving through the darkness and sitting on the ottoman. Ava laid her head back against her knees, and Lucy grabbed her feet. “Come on, you’ve got to go to bed.”

“I’ll just sleep here,” mumbled Ava sleepily, shifting her body and curling into herself more.

“No, baby, come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m good,” protested Ava, but Lucy wrapped her arms around Ava’s waist and stood, pulling Ava with her. Together they stumbled to Ava’s bedroom, and Lucy pulled back the covers and helped Ava into bed.

“A, I’m so sorry,” began Lucy, perching on the edge of Ava’s bed.

“Doesn’t matter,” whispered Ava.

“It does,” objected Lucy.

“I’m not angry,” said Ava. “Goodnight.”

With that she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.

“All right,” said Lucy, knowing that Ava had lied to her. She had felt the tears on Ava’s cheeks as she pulled her out of the chair. But she decided not to press the issue now, when Ava clearly just wanted to sleep. “Goodnight. I love you.”

The only answer was Ava’s even breathing.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Five

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:42:22 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Five
A/N: Humorous Prequel to the Angst. Mine, mine, mine!

Chapter Five

“Is this too dressy?”

“No,” shouted Ava from the depths of her closet.

“Ava, you didn’t even look.”

When Ava emerged from the closet with a hanger in her hand, she found Lucy standing in the doorway in a black dress with her hands on her hips.

“It’s not too dressy,” said Ava, glancing at the dress. “It is sexy, though.”

“Are you wearing that?” asked Lucy, gesturing to the dress on the hanger in Ava’s hand.

Ava looked up quickly when she heard the concern in Lucy’s voice. “Yes. Why?”

“You’re wearing white to a party? I thought this party was at a club!”

“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy,” clucked Ava, gesturing for Lucy to come closer and flinging open the closet door, “Didn’t you know that white dresses are my signature?”

“I though pink coats were your signature,” muttered Lucy before she caught sight of the right-hand side of Ava’s closet. “Holy crap. Are those all yours?”

Ava nodded, stepping forward and flipping through the dresses. “Yes, these are all mine.”

“How many are there?”

“I think there are eighteen,” said Ava, biting her lip. “Wait, only seventeen. One of them had a wine stain, so I had to throw it away.”

“You have seventeen white dresses in your closet,” stated Lucy.

Ava nodded without concern. “Yes, I do. And they each have index cards attached to the hangers where I write where I’ve worn them. I can’t wear a dress twice in front of the same group of people, but when all of your dresses are white, it is possible to make a mistake and have a repeat offender. I’ve taken preventative measures to ensure that it doesn’t happen.”

Lucy scratched her arm and gaped at the dresses. “That sounds like a military procedure.”

“Oh, it is. There’s a whole battalion that has to help me pick out my dress for each event.”

“Are you sure that my dress will work?”

This time it was Ava’s turn to place her hands on her hips, and she fixed Lucy with a plaintive stare.

“Lucy, please. You know that you look good in basically everything. I’d kill to have your body, or even just a couple inches of your legs.”

“But you’re cute just the way you are,” protested Lucy, squeezing Ava around the waist. “You’re like a little pixie.”

Ava’s answering glare made Lucy step away, and she put the dress over her shoulder and nodded as she left the room.

“Right, then, so I’ll wear my red dress tonight.”

“Lucy!” shrieked Ava, dropping her dress and chasing Lucy until Lucy’s door ended up in her face. “Wear the black dress, or I’ll make sure that Isaak knows about how you cried when your snow globe fell on the floor!”

“Your empty threats don’t scare me,” insisted Lucy through the door, but when she emerged twenty minutes later, she was still wearing the black dress.

*/*/*

Lucy was by far not the only person at the party wearing black, but Ava was the only one wearing white, and when she thought about it, Lucy realized that was probably why Ava did it. She stood out like a star in a cloudy sky, and she moved easily between her cast mates, pulling Lucy with her and introducing her as, “My date.”

“People will think you’re serious,” hissed Lucy, bending down so that she was Ava’s height.

“Please honey,” scoffed Ava, “They’ve seen me in the dressing rooms.”

Lucy tried to get Ava to explain that comment, but Ava just continued to tug on her arm until two bar stools appeared in front of them, courtesy of Kyle and Isaak.

“And now we rest,” explained Ava, “Because later there will be dancing.”

“Dancing?” asked Lucy, her eyes lighting up.

“It is a club, after all. And Cynthia’s a sucker for ballroom, so I hope your waltz is up to par.”

“Or your tango,” teased Kyle, handing Lucy a glass of champagne.

“I would tango with you,” said Ava seriously, turning to face Kyle. “Do you think we’ll get the chance?”

“Oh, sweetheart, there will be a chance,” Kyle promised her, reaching out as if to ruffle her hair. Ava quickly dodged his hand in favor of preserving her hairdo. “Remember that time at Mellie’s, when we were practicing on New Year’s?”

“And I thought you were going to drop me,” recalled Ava, frowning. “That was when I started my diet.”

Kyle pinched her arm. “Stop being ridiculous; I wasn’t going to drop you. But diet, dear? I had noticed you looking a tiny bit lean.”

“I think it’s my cooking,” offered Lucy, leaning forward to become a part of the conversation.

“Lucy, please,” pleaded Ava, frowning. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Are you a bad cook?” asked Isaak, suddenly entering the conversation. Lucy was surprised to realize that he had moved over a few feet and was now standing right behind her. “Or did you just discover that Ava’s an incredibly picky eater?”

Lucy looked between the three friends in confusion. “Wait. Is this a well-known fact?”

“Chicken, squash, zucchini, pork, some steak, eggplant,” listed Kyle, ticking them off on his fingers.

“Anything sticky,” added Isaak.

“Nuts, coconut, raisins, donuts, beets, sauerkraut, lamb,” continued Kyle.

“Stop!” demanded Ava, clapping her hand over Kyle’s mouth. His lips continued to move, and she pulled her hands away, staring at her hands with disgust. “That is so nasty. I have to go wash my hands now.”

“She’s also a germaphobe,” Kyle informed Lucy.

“Lucy, come with me?” asked Ava.

“Sure,” agreed Lucy, more than a little bit overwhelmed by the music and alcohol and lightning fast banter.

The bathroom was quiet and dimly lit; only the pulsing beat that hovered at the edges of the room alerted Lucy to the fact that there was a dance floor outside of the door. Ava went to the sinks to wash her hands, then turned around and fixed her gaze on Lucy as she dried them.

“What?” asked Lucy, folding her arms and ignoring her reflection in the mirror.

“I’m sorry,” blurted Ava, her voice suddenly thick with emotion.

“For what?” asked Lucy.

Ava held out her hands to Lucy, and Lucy hesitated for a second, remembering what Ava had last touched. But then she accepted them, and Ava pulled her close, wrapping her arms around Lucy’s waist and tucking her face against Lucy’s neck. Even in high heels, they were still a perfect fit.

“I’ve been so stupid since I moved in with you. I feel like I keep screwing up, and I’m sorry. About the food – I haven’t lost weight because of this, I promise. Kyle was just giving me a hard time. And I’m not really that picky of an eater. I’ll eat eggplant, I swear.”

Lucy swept her hand up and down Ava’s back, rocking their bodies back and forth slowly and cooing in Ava’s ear.

“Shhhh, Ava, ssssshhh. It’s all right.”

“No it’s not,” insisted Ava. “I’ve been awful. Forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. And I’ll try not to make bad jokes or be so sensitive.”

Ava pulled her face away from Lucy’s throat and smiled slightly. “Well, I think that bad jokes are allowed once in a while.”

“Oh, are they?” asked Lucy. “That’s good to know. Now, do you want to go back out there? I think the dancing is about to start.”

Ava nodded and sniffled, pulling away to peer into the mirror and dab at her eyes.

“All right, let’s go.” Lucy took Ava’s hand and laced their fingers together, reaching for the bathroom door, but Ava squeezed her hand and refused to keep going. “And you’re my date. Don’t forget.”

“How could I forget?” asked Lucy, leaning down to kiss Ava’s cheek. “You’re the one I’m going home with.”

*/*/*

“Foxtrot?” asked Lucy as they stepped to the edge of the dance floor and watched the couples whirl. The strobe light flickered, creating an odd effect when coupled with the music, and Lucy shook her head to dispel the dizziness there.

“You didn’t tell me that you knew how to ballroom dance!” exclaimed Ava.

Lucy winked. “There are many things about me that you do not know.”

Isaak fought through the crowd and touched Lucy on the back, causing her to jump.

“I hear a waltz is up next. Are you up to dancing?” he asked her.

Lucy glanced quickly at Ava, who smiled encouragingly. “Sure,” said Lucy.

The music stopped, and when it started again, a waltz played. Isaak took Lucy’s hand and led her out to the middle of the dance floor, and she closed her eyes as he put one hand on her waist and began to lead her through the steps.

“Why are you closing your eyes?” he asked, squeezing the hand that he held in his.

Lucy opened her eyes and blinked, surprised to find his face so close to her own.

“It’s just like a movie,” she replied, her voice barely audible above the music and chatter from other couples.

Isaak glanced around the room, then smiled crookedly at Lucy, revealing his even white teeth. “You dance really well.”

“Thank you,” said Lucy quietly, blood rushing to her cheeks. “I took classes in college. You’re really good, too.”

Isaak shrugged. “Musical theatre. It’ll do that to you.”

Lucy ducked her head and watched their feet as they whirled around the room, the same steps guiding them around and around. Isaak let go of her hand and reached up to touch her cheek gently.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

Lucy met his eyes and shook her head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just like to process things.”

“Would it be too much if I asked for your number?” asked Isaak.

The corners of Lucy’s lips jerked up. “Could you wait ‘til the end of the song to get it?”

“I’ll wait ‘til the end of the night, if you want. We can keep dancing.”

They did keep dancing, even though the dance floor began to clear and the bar filled, and even though people made their goodbyes and promised to miss each other before they were reunited on Monday. Cynthia, the guest of honor, sat on a bar stool surrounded by the cast, but Isaak insisted that he had already said his goodbyes.

“Cynthia’s lovely, but I’ll see her again. Broadway’s not that big of a place. You, however . . .”

Lucy smiled and moved her thumb against the fabric of Isaak’s jacket.

“You’ll see me, too,” she promised. “You know where I live.”

Isaak squeezed Lucy’s waist, bringing them to a stop, and Lucy noticed that the dance floor had been cleared.

“Is the party already over?” she asked, disappointed. She hadn’t realized that time was passing so quickly.

“We could go out and find food, if you want,” offered Isaak.

Lucy smiled gently and looked up at Isaak through her eyelashes. “I’d like that.” It seemed too soon to end a night that had begun to seem like a fairytale. “Just let me tell Ava where I’ll be.”

“Ava’s with Josh,” said Isaak, gesturing to where Ava sat on a barstool, her eyes closed and her head resting on Josh’s shoulder. “I’m sure that he’ll make certain that she gets home safely.”

Lucy bit her lip, then noticed the way that Ava had Josh’s jacket draped across her shoulders. Ava wouldn’t be up for eating, but if Lucy told her about it, she’d feel obligated to go.

“All right,” agreed Lucy, “Let’s go.”

Isaak held her hand as he led her out of the club and into the Manhattan night, and Lucy couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across her face. It had been a while since she had been out with a guy that she liked as much as Isaak, and when she gave him her phone number over milkshakes in a diner in Midtown, she couldn’t help but feel optimistic.

“I’m going to call you,” promised Isaak as he walked her to her door. “But I’m not going to tell you what I’ll say when I call you, so that I can leave you in suspense.”

“What, are you trying to be mysterious?” asked Lucy, feeling surprisingly at ease.

Isaak lifted his hand to her face and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “I’m giving myself a reason to call,” he explained. And then he lowered his face to hers and kissed her so softly that it took her breath away. “I’ll see you later.”

Lucy nodded, suddenly unable to form complete sentences in her head. “All right,” she breathed. “I’ll see you later.”

She unlocked the door and slipped into the apartment, too caught up in her thoughts to notice the figure that was curled up on the sofa, waiting for her.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Four

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:33:38 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Four
A/N: Still mine/Charlotte's. And we finally get to the main plot of the story.

Chapter Four

“Oh no. Not again.”

Ava placed her food on the table and slid into the seat across from Lucy, doing her best to smile brightly. She had just come from church, as evidenced by her skirt and heels, but the red indentation of a bracelet on her cheek hinted that she had slept more than she had listened to the sermon.

“I fell asleep twice during church this morning,” she confessed, “And that was even after a venti coffee from Starbucks. God is going to smite me down.”

“Or Lexie down,” quipped Lucy, digging into her Tuscan Pesto Chicken. She hadn’t seen Ava for nearly a week, since the bookshop incident, though they had talked on the phone every day in between. Ava hadn’t mentioned her exhaustion over the phone. She didn’t need to now; the circles under her eyes and curve of her shoulders were evidence enough. Lucy’s offer of rooming together rose to her lips again, but Ava launched into a story about a child who had spoken out during the sermon before Lucy could mention anything.

Watching Ava struggle to form words in her weary state and observing her fatigue tugged at Lucy’s heart. She wanted to watch Ava as she slept, just to make sure that she actually got some sleep. She wanted to punch Lexie in the face for being so senseless. And most of all, she found, she wanted to tell Ava of her brilliant plan that would save her sanity and boost their friendship. If they lived together, there would be no more falling asleep while on the phone together. There would be no more, “Call me when you get off of work?” or “I wish I could see you.” There would only be, “Will you pick up milk on your way home?” and “I’ll see you at five.” Lucy knew that now was her chance to make her offer, and before Ava could steer the conversation to something else, Lucy blurted out quickly, “Obviously you just need to move in with me.”

Ava grinned and glanced up at her, clearly wondering where the comment had come from. “Wouldn’t that be a dream come true.”

Lucy shook her head quickly. “No, really . . . do you want to?”

“Honestly?” asked Ava, her eyes widening in surprise. She put down her piece of pizza and wiped her hands on her napkin as she struggled to comprehend the offer that seemed to come out of left field.

“Yeah, sure. I have an extra room, and I get lonely living by myself. I could advertise for a roommate, but I’d really rather have you move in with me. And rent’s really cheap, I swear, probably much less than what you’re paying now.”

Ava pushed her pizza away and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “So, like, when do you want me to move in? I’ve paid my rent for this month and next, but I don’t have to stay it out.”

Lucy shrugged quickly, “I mean, today, if you want, or this week.”

“Like, right now?” asked Ava, her eyes lighting up. “I don’t have that much stuff, just my bedroom furniture and an armchair. We could call Kyle and Isaak and get them to help us. I heard Kyle complaining that he had no plans for today, since people with normal jobs are always getting ready for the work week.”

“Then let’s do it right now,” said Lucy.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. Call Kyle and Isaak, and let’s go to Brooklyn and pack up your stuff.”

“Ok,” agreed Ava, pushing away her pizza in her excitement and getting out her phone. She spoke rapidly into it for a few moments, her conversation littered with inside jokes, then shut the phone and clasped her hands on the table. “Kyle says he’ll get Isaak, and they’ll meet us at my apartment by three. Let’s go pack!”

They abandoned their lunch and darted out of the restaurant, caught up with their enthusiasm for a new adventure. As they hurried down the street, Lucy couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. Asking had been the right thing to do. On the subway Ava held Lucy’s hand, hiding their entwined fingers underneath the edges of their coats, and Lucy imagined them doing the same thing in the living room that they would soon share. Most of her friends would have given anything to have an apartment to themselves the way Lucy did, but Lucy wasn’t like them. If left to herself, she could go for ages without seeing people. She needed Ava’s presence to make her not feel so alone, and she needed Ava’s personality to force her into social situations.

“You have no idea how grateful I am,” said Ava, pressing her cheek to Lucy’s shoulder.

“I know,” said Lucy, but what she really meant was, “I know because I’m grateful, too.”

*/*/*

Lucy went to Brooklyn more times on Sunday than she had in her entire life up to that point. She and Isaak made constant trips between her apartment and Ava’s while Ava stayed in Brooklyn to pack and Kyle and Lucy’s neighbor moved the furniture into Lucy’s apartment and moved all of Lucy’s abandoned clothes and school papers out of the spare bedroom. By the third trip to Brooklyn, Lucy was beginning to understand why Ava had been so anxious to move to Manhattan. By the seventh trip, Lucy never wanted to return to Brooklyn again.

“I guess I should give these to my mother,” commented Lucy later that night as the four of them sat around the living room of Lucy’s house, too tired to move. She held up some award certificates from elementary school that proclaimed her to be the best at grammar in the whole third grade.

“Aw, I think they’re cute,” cooed Ava from her spot in the white armchair with matching ottoman. Kyle was squished into the chair with her, and he didn’t bother to open his eyes to see what they were talking about. “We should frame them and put them on the wall.”

“Only if you agree to let me frame the picture of you dressed like a chicken from when you were three.”

Ava scowled. “No. Never. That picture is not ruining the décor of any apartment that I live in.”

“Hey A, give us a head’s up next time you decide to move, okay?” asked Isaak from his position sprawled on the floor. “I’ll make sure not to work out right beforehand.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Lucy, leaning over from the sofa to see Isaak’s face, “You can’t handle a little bit of heavy lifting?”

“Oh, I can lift plenty of heavy things,” Isaak assured her, winking. “One day I just might show you.”

From the armchair, Ava shook with laughter and woke Kyle up.

“Stop moving, jitterbug,” he commanded, wrapping his arms around her and holding her still. Ava remained motionless and settled for making faces at Lucy, which Lucy ignored.

“Kyle,” called Isaak from across the floor, heaving himself into a sitting position, “Wake up.”

“Leave me alone,” demanded Kyle, but Isaak stood up and kicked Kyle’s leg.

“No way, man. We promised Aaron that we’d be at his place by eleven to play poker. If we don’t hurry, they’ll deal without us.”

“Damn!” exclaimed Kyle, opening his eyes and standing, dumping Ava off of his lap. She squeaked with surprise, and he turned to pat her head consolingly as she fell back into the chair. “I didn’t realize that it had gotten so late. Sorry to dash out, ladies, but we’ll see you soon.”

“Thank you for all your help,” called Ava from the armchair, leaving Lucy to see them to the door.

“Thank you so much for helping us,” Lucy told the guys, leaning against the door.

Isaak smiled at her crookedly, showing his white teeth, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“It was no problem,” he assured her, “We don’t mind helping out at all, especially not if it’s you and A-”

“C’mon,” interrupted Kyle, glancing at his watch. “If you flirt any longer, we’re gonna miss the train and have to get a cab.”

Isaak smiled apologetically and waved slightly at Lucy as he backed down the hall with Kyle. Lucy waved back, lingering in the doorway until they turned the corner by the elevators.

When Lucy came back into the living room, Ava patted the space next to her.

“Come sit with me in the Snuggle Chair,” she instructed.

“The Snuggle Chair?” asked Lucy, crossing the room and sliding into the chair next to Ava. It fit the two of them perfectly, and Ava immediately leaned her body against Lucy’s. “This is my kind of chair.”

“Mmmm,” murmured Ava, rubbing her cheek against the bare skin of Lucy’s arm, “You’re soft. And your legs are long. Can you rescue the ottoman?”

Lucy captured the ottoman with the heel of her foot and dragged it towards them, and Ava propped up her feet and closed her eyes.

“I need to put the rest of my things in the corner,” said Lucy.

“Ssssshhhh,” insisted Ava, the corner of her mouth brushing Lucy’s skin. “It will still be there in half an hour. Just rest now.”

“All right,” agreed Lucy. She leaned her cheek against Ava’s hair and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. It was soothing, and she felt her eyelids growing heavy. She had missed having somebody else in her apartment with her. It was nice to not be alone.

Half an hour turned into an hour, and Ava fell asleep partially on top of Lucy. Lucy slid out of the chair and put sheets on Ava’s bed, then went back to the living room and shook Ava’s shoulder.

“A, darling, come on, I’ve made your bed. It’s time for you to go in there.”

“My bed?” asked Ava, blinking in confusion.

“Yes, sweetheart, your bed. It’s time for your first sleep in your Manhattan apartment.”

“Our Manhattan apartment,” corrected Ava, a grin covering her face. And with that, Lucy slid her arm around Ava’s waist, and together they shuffled down the hall to begin their first night as official roommates.

*/*/*

When Lucy trudged down the hallway at seven o’clock the next morning, she was surprised to find Ava sitting in the white armchair. On closer examination she noticed that Ava’s eyes were closed and that her chin was resting against her chest. She looked peaceful in the grey light of early morning, almost exactly like the porcelain dolls that Lucy had owned as a little girl.

“Ava, what are you doing?” asked Lucy, kneeling in front of the chair and shaking Ava’s knee.

Ava’s eyes fluttered open, and she blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Why aren’t you in bed?” asked Lucy.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” Ava repeated, and Lucy rolled her eyes.

“I have work this morning. Some of us hold normal jobs.”

“Oh,” said Ava, frowning. “I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll be alone all day.”

“Then why aren’t you sleeping?” asked Lucy gently, and Ava pushed her hair from her face distractedly. Her movements were endearingly clumsy, and Lucy regretted waking her up.

“I wanted to see the sunrise,” she explained.

Lucy glanced out of the window, then turned back to Ava. “But it’s a brick wall.”

“A brick wall in Manhattan,” corrected Ava.

“You’re crazy,” said Lucy, standing up and making her way to the kitchen.

“I’m just happy to be here,” said Ava softly, stretching out her legs and yawning.

“Would you like some orange juice or Cheerios?” asked Lucy, opening the cupboards and finding them bare. She would have to go shopping soon. Now that she had a roommate, it wasn’t acceptable to live on Cheerios, OJ, and left over sub sandwiches from the deli down the block.

“I think I’m going to go back to bed, actually,” said Ava, tumbling out of the chair and pausing to straighten her shirt.

Lucy was debating whether or not to hate Ava for getting to sleep in on a Monday morning when Ava slid around the counter and pulled her into a hug.

“Have a good day at work,” murmured Ava, squeezing Lucy’s waist.

“Have a good sleep,” said Lucy without malice.

Ava released Lucy and smiled. “Oh, I will. I like this apartment. It smells like you.”

Ava wiggled her fingers over her shoulder as she walked down the hall, and when her door clicked shut behind her, Lucy shook her head and smiled. She should have known that living with Ava wouldn’t be like living with anybody else. If Ava woke up to see the sunrise, what other crazy things would she do? But she had a Snuggle Chair, which more than made up for her eccentricities.

*/*/*

When Lucy got home from work, Ava was still sleeping. From the looks of the apartment, Ava hadn’t been awake all day. Lucy cracked Ava’s door open to see all of her boxes still packed and stacked in the corner of the room, blocking the closet. Lucy decided to let her sleep, so she went to the grocery store alone.

Lucy called to Ava when she got back from the grocery store, but there was no answer. A tiny Post-It note lay on the floor in front of the fridge, reading, “Theatre time! Don’t wait up. ~A” Lucy had forgotten that Ava had her show. She would just have to talk to Ava tomorrow, because she was too tired to wait for Ava to drag herself home.

Ava was already gone when Lucy got home from work on Tuesday. When Lucy texted her, all she got in response was “voice lesson.” And then Ava was gone the next day, and Lucy had a sports banquet to photograph on Thursday night. The weekend was worse, because Ava was at the theatre all day Friday and Saturday, and Lucy didn’t want to go down there and risk annoying her by trailing her to work.

“What should I do?” Lucy asked her empty apartment, curling up in Ava’s white chair and staring out the window. But all of her solutions seemed to come up short, as if they were hitting a brick wall as real as the one right outside. She had thought that rooming with Ava would be ideal. She’d always have a friend to talk to and somebody to remind her to buy toilet paper or water the plants in the kitchen. But if Ava was hardly there, then what was the point?

By Saturday afternoon, Lucy’s stomach was in knots. She didn’t know what to do. Ava hadn’t been there all week, and the food that she had gotten at the grocery store remained untouched. Why wasn’t Ava eating? A quick peek revealed that Ava’s room was unpacked, and the boxes had appeared down the hall in recycling, but she hadn’t said anything to Lucy. Lucy felt as though rooming together made Ava more inaccessible than she had been when she lived in Brooklyn. Was something wrong?

Maybe she should confront Ava and see if something was the matter. But what if something wasn’t wrong, and Ava felt like she was being attacked? Or what if something was wrong, and asking about it outright put Ava on the defensive?

Lucy’s stomach growled, and she realized that she hadn’t eaten all day. That was when she had an idea: she could make dinner for Ava and herself. If she made the food, Ava would be obligated to eat with her, and a friendly dinner conversation could easily turn over to more serious things. Maybe, if her stomach was satiated, Ava would be more likely to open up to Lucy and tell her why she had gone from being affectionate and present to short and absent.

When Ava got home from the theatre, she had a smile on her face.

“Lucy, I’m home!” she called in her best Cuban accent, and Lucy couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“I’m in the kitchen, Ricky,” replied Lucy as she pulled the chicken out of the oven and placed it on the hot plate. She had cleared off the table and set it with china plates and dainty wine glasses, and Ava froze when she stepped into the room.

“This is fancy!” Ava exclaimed, stepping up the table and fingering the silver utensils. “What’s the occasion?”

“Our first dinner together in our apartment,” replied Lucy, placing the squash next to the chicken. “Dinner is served, if you’d like to take a seat.”

Ava slid into the chair and bowed her head, praying quickly for her meal before she spooned some squash onto her plate. Lucy ignored her private moment and began to cut into the chicken.

“How did the shows go?” asked Lucy.

Ava held up her plate for some chicken. “They went well. I went on last night, because Elin’s voice gave out in the interlude between shows, but she was feeling better today and did both shows. I was glad, because after doing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I was feeling tired, too. Unfortunately, I don’t have a standby.”

“Poor baby,” teased Lucy as she cut her meat.

“How was your week?” asked Ava.

Lucy shrugged. “It was fine.”

“Photographing toddlers who are picking their noses still isn’t inspiring you?” teased Ava.

“No. It isn’t expanding my portfolio, either. I need to go out soon and set up some good shots if I want to build up my portfolio and move ahead in the world, because I feel like there are only so many shots of the New York skyline that you can take before it becomes cliché.”

“You should take shots of our sets,” said Ava between bites of chicken. “Then you could have a fake skyline.”

Lucy laughed, and Ava shook her head. “No, really, photographing our sets would be cool! You could show how it looks from the back, only you could make it look all artistic and crap.”

“I’m glad you have such a high opinion of my work,” said Lucy dryly, and Ava kicked her leg.

“I only meant that your photographs make me see things differently from the way that I’ve seen them before.”

Lucy smiled sideways at Ava. “Really?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Ava, smiling back at Lucy and putting down her fork.

“Well, thank you.”

There was silence for a moment, and it made the inside of Lucy’s stomach feel odd. She could practically feel Ava’s thoughts whirring through the air, but for once Ava was silent.

“So how do you like the food?” asked Lucy, glancing at Ava’s plate and realizing that it was still mostly full.

“It’s good,” said Ava, avoiding Lucy’s glance.

“Ava,” admonished Lucy, “You’ve hardly eaten anything, and none of the food that I bought us is gone. Why haven’t you been eating?”

“The food is good, I promise, I think we just have different tastes,” said Ava carefully.

“What does that mean?” asked Lucy. “You don’t like chicken and squash?”

“Yes,” said Ava quietly, “That’s what it means. And I don’t like donuts or sushi or meatballs or turkey on sandwiches or roast beef or orange juice or scrambled eggs.”

Lucy sat back in her chair, floored. “So you’re telling me that you hated everything I picked out at the store?”

“Not everything,” modified Ava quickly with a smile, “I like yogurt and ice cream and bagels.”

Lucy met Ava’s gaze and frowned. “This isn’t funny, Ava. Maybe if you had been around this week, I wouldn’t have had to go to the grocery store alone. You could have gone and picked out what you wanted to eat for yourself, instead of leaving me to guess about your likes and dislikes.”

Ava’s eyes flashed, and she clenched her jaw. Lucy suddenly realized that she hadn’t ever seen Ava lose her temper before, and she wondered if it would be explosive.

“You knew that I was an actress, Lucy. You knew the hours that I worked. I’m sorry that I haven’t been around here to shop with you, or to watch soap operas, or whatever it is that roommates do.”

“It’s not just your hours,” said Lucy quietly, “It’s that you don’t even tell me where you’re going to be. I worry about you!”

“I left you notes!” protested Ava. “And I’ve done the show four times this week. That’s half of the total shows. I’ve been tired, so I haven’t been able to wake up to see you off in the mornings and make you breakfast. I’m sorry that I’ve failed.”

“That’s not what I’m-” began Lucy, but she trailed off as Ava pushed back her chair and left the room.

“Ava, come back!” called Lucy.

“I’m going out for a while,” replied Ava in a deathly quiet voice as she passed back through the living room with her shoulder bag. When she left the apartment, the door closed with a quiet click that didn’t seem nearly loud enough for the statement that it made.

“Oh god,” said Lucy to her empty apartment, her ears ringing from the lack of noise. She almost would have preferred for Ava to explode.

When ten minutes had passed and Ava still hadn’t come back, Lucy cleaned up the table and put the leftovers in the garbage disposal. When half an hour had passed, Lucy bought a pay-per-view movie and began to watch it alone. And when midnight rolled around, Lucy abandoned her vigil from the Snuggle Chair and left the floor lamp on as she went to take a shower and go to bed. She didn’t want Ava to stub her toe when she came home.

*/*/*

She couldn’t sleep. Lucy’s movement around the apartment, although it had been soft, had been enough to rouse her from sleep, and now she couldn’t turn her mind off. So she sat up and reached backwards to open the window and let in the sunshine. But the sunlight didn’t lighten her mood; the sunshine in Manhattan just made her feel guilty.

She shouldn’t have walked out on Saturday night. She should have stayed like Lucy wanted. But it was their first argument, and Ava hadn’t known how to handle the white-hot anger that had burned in her stomach. How should she have known that Lucy was feeling slighted? Ava hadn’t realized that Lucy would interpret her absence as rejection. To Ava, it was just the schedule that she had lived for months. Sure, she hadn’t seen Lexie at their apartment in Brooklyn, but she and Lexie hadn’t been close, either, so it hadn’t been a big deal.

Now Lucy’s feelings were hurt. Ava had gone to stay with Mellie in Greenwich Village on Saturday night, and when Ava had gone home on Sunday, Lucy hadn’t been there. Ava had left again to go out with Kyle and Isaak, and Lucy hadn’t text messaged or called her at all. Now it was Monday morning, and Lucy was off to start a new week. The throbbing in Ava’s stomach had turned into an actual ache, and she didn’t know what to do to get rid of it. At the rate they were going, the argument could last all week. It looked like it would have to be Ava who decided to end things.

Ava got out of bed and made it carefully, then searched the closets and cupboards until she found the cleaning supplies. She turned on Spice Girls until the music bounced off of the walls, filling the apartment and pounding with the aching in her stomach. Ava always cleaned when she was distressed and unable to make a decision. Soon the smell of bleach filled the apartment, and everything was straightened and color-coded, but Ava still hadn’t reached a conclusion. She checked her phone, but there was no message from Lucy.

“C’mon,” Ava whispered, “Don’t make me be the adult here.” But it looked as if she would have to be the adult after all, so she headed into the bathroom and cleaned herself up, making sure to apply her eyeliner evenly and to put on blush. If she was going to make an appearance, she might as well play the part.

The subway was crowded during lunch hour, prompting Ava to get off a stop early and walk the remaining distance in the spring sunshine. She only vaguely knew where Photography Phrenzy was located, so she ended up taking a wrong turn into Starbucks on the way there.

Maybe it’s a Godsend, thought Ava as she stepped into the back of the queue. But then she saw a flyer for Photography Phrenzy tacked to the bulletin board, and the address was in bold letters at the bottom. She was only two blocks away.

“Two tall hot chocolates without whipped cream,” Ava told the barista quietly. She might as well go bearing gifts.

Photography Phrenzy was just that: a frenzy. The first thing that Ava noticed when she stepped through the doors was the cacophony of screaming children and pleading mothers. Then she was assaulted by the smell of toddlers, and she almost backed out of the door. But it was too late; she had been spotted.

“Hi, may I help you?”

Ava turned sharply to find a young man in a black button down “Photography Phrenzy” shirt smiling at her.

“Yes, Ryan,” said Ava, glancing at his nametag quickly, “I’m Ava Doyle, and I’m here to talk to Lucy Scott. Do you think that would be possible?”

“That depends,” said Ryan suavely, “On what’s in the cup.”

Ava regarded the Starbucks carrier in her hands and grinned, “Oh, these? Plain, boring hot chocolate. Totally legit, unfortunately.”

“In that case, I’ll get Lucy,” said Ryan, “Because she’s a legit kind of girl. However, if you want to go out later and get something crazy with shots of caffeine and flavored syrups, you know where to find me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” promised Ava, laughing as Ryan winked and headed back to the studios to find Lucy.

Ava sat on a couch in the waiting area, inspecting the edge for snot or dirty band-aids. When she didn’t find any, she relaxed and gazed at the pictures around the walls. The photographs were nice, but she could see why Lucy would feel like the work was a waste of her time. It seemed to be the same thing replicated over and over with new faces.

“Hi.”

Ava looked away from the photographs to see Lucy standing near her, taking her hair out of a ponytail.

“Hey. I came to find you,” said Ava quickly.

“I can see that.”

Ava gestured to the studios and the sound of children, “I’d like to talk if you have some time.”

“I figured,” said Lucy carefully, unbuttoning her work-issued shirt to reveal a lower-cut one underneath. “I went ahead and took my lunch break.”

Ava used her head to indicate the door. “So, do you want to, um…”

Lucy mimicked her movement, “Do I want to …”

Ryan returned to his position at the front desk, and he smiled at them. Ava blushed and thrust one of the Starbucks cups at Lucy.

“Here, this is for you. Would you come out to lunch with me?”

Lucy inspected the cup, then looked up at Ava through her eyelashes, a technique she had learned from Ava herself. “It depends. Is this a date?”

“What?” asked Ava, alarmed.

“Well, you’ve come in here and demanded to see me, you’re all made up with make up, and you got me my favorite drink from Starbucks. Is this a date? I think it’s a date.”

Ava glanced at Ryan out of the corner of her eye and noticed that he was trying desperately to appear that he wasn’t hanging on to their every word. Knowing that she had an audience enabled her to perform to the best of her ability.

“Why yes, it is, actually. If you would allow me to, I’d like to whisk you away from this dungeon and proclaim my undying love for you to the world.”

Lucy tilted her head. “In that case, let’s go. But I’m choosing where we eat. And next time, bring me flowers.”

Ava offered Lucy her arm theatrically, and Lucy accepted it.

“Goodbye, Luce. Bye, Ava,” Ryan called after them. This time it was Ava’s turn to look over her shoulder and wink.

*/*/*

When Lucy chose to eat lunch at Cosi, it wasn’t a surprise to anybody. When she ordered Tuscan Pesto Chicken, it was even less of a surprise. Ava, however, surprised them both by ordering a salad with spinach leaves and picking at it as she watched the traffic pass them outside the window.

“You’re still not eating,” commented Lucy, pulling Ava out of her thoughts.

“Oh,” mumbled Ava, glancing down at her plate and frowning. She hurriedly stuffed a few pieces of lettuce into her mouth and chewed them for an extended period of time.

“Ava,” said Lucy seriously, placing her hands flat on the table in front of her. Ava wanted to cover Lucy’s hands with her own, but she forced herself to keep her hands to herself and gripped her fork so tightly that her knuckles turned white with the strain.

“Lucy,” said Ava evenly, spearing lettuce with her fork and scraping it off again with her knife.

“You said that you wanted to talk, so talk.” Despite her words, Lucy’s tone was even, and Ava wondered what it would take to make Lucy explode. Nobody had that much patience. Nobody. It made Lucy seem like a saint, and made Ava feel like the bad guy by default.

“I,” began Ava, glancing at her salad. Her picking had turned it into an unappealing mess, so she put down her utensils and pushed the plate away from her body. “I guess I’m sorry.” That had come out wrong. “I mean, I am sorry. I know that I’m sorry. I just didn’t realize that you were upset.”

“I didn’t see you for a week; of course I was upset.” Even Lucy’s exclamations came out in a dignified manner.

Ava used a napkin to wipe up the crumbs at the edge of the table while she thought of what to say next. Her voice teacher during high school had always told her that, while following impulses was good on stage, it tended to be the wrong decision in real life. To counter-act her quick mouth, she had learned to give herself time to think before she blurted out hurtful comments. Unfortunately, she didn’t always remember to take the time to think.

“I guess I didn’t think about that. I mean, I’ve had the same schedule for several months now, and when you work at night, it’s easy to forget that the rest of the world is on the opposite schedule. I assumed that you realized that I would be gone, because you’ve seen the show. But I should have reminded you.”

“I was just-” began Lucy, but Ava held up her hand.

“No,” she said, shaking her head, “It’s better if I just say everything in one go. I didn’t think about the tone of my notes and messages. When I’m in a hurry, I cut off words or forget to leave notes at all. In college, my roommates and I had a whiteboard that I’d write my schedule on so that they knew where I’d be. For the past year, though, I’ve been on my own, and I haven’t had to answer to anyone. I just forgot that you would be concerned.”

When Lucy realized that Ava was done, she reached across the table and squeezed Ava’s hand. “Of course I’m concerned about you. You’re not just my roommate; you’re my friend.”

“I’ll try to do better,” promised Ava. “I’ll get a whiteboard at Duane Reade and write on it before I leave the apartment. I’ll even get colorful markers to decorate.”

“And I admit that I should have remembered about your schedule,” said Lucy, frowning. “I was just expecting to see you a lot now that we live together, and I saw you more before, when there was a river dividing us.”

Ava frowned and chewed on the corner of her lip. “Well, you know that you can always come and hang out backstage if you get lonely. Even if I’m on stage, I’m sure that Kyle and Isaak would love the company.”

Lucy smiled broadly. “I did like it backstage. The dressing rooms are peaceful.”

Ava snorted. “They’re the only peaceful place, believe me, and they get pretty crazy two minutes ‘til curtain.”

“That’s not the only part that I liked,” said Lucy quickly. “You guys all seem to be such good friends. It’s not like that with my coworkers.”

A thought occurred to Ava, and she gripped the edge of the table and squeaked in excitement. “Oh my god. Oh my god! Why didn’t I think of this before?”

“Think of what?” asked Lucy cautiously.

“We’re having a going away party for Cynthia, who plays Madame Giry. It’s next Saturday night. They’ve rented out a room down at Metro 8, and we’re all supposed to bring dates. Will you go with me? It will be so much fun!”

Lucy tilted her head. “I don’t know, first a lunch date, now you want me to go out to a club with you. Ava, are you in love with me?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Utterly and completely, darling.”

“Then of course I’ll go. Now, unlike you, some of us work normal hours. If we don’t hurry, I’ll be late getting back to work, and we both know how much toddlers like being told to wait.” Lucy scooted back her chair and dumped her trash before heading out of the restaurant.

Ava shivered and hurried after her. “I know that you like kids and all, but am I allowed to say that I am beginning to dread the day that I become a mother?”

Lucy looped her arm through Ava’s and turned her face up to the slivers of sunlight that fell between the buildings.

“Oh, don’t worry, not all children are that loud or that obnoxious.”

“Thank god,” breathed Ava.

“Yours will be ten times worse.”

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Three

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:14:51 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: Three
A/N: Do not steal. Still for Charlotte. This is the chapter in which our idol, Sophia, is introduced. Ah, Sophia. If you read my clip on NaNo, this is the chapter from which it is derived.

Chapter Three

It was a brilliantly sunny day today, but it was impossible to know that in Manhattan, which was constantly in the shadows. Lucy paused outside of Starbucks and lifted her face to the sky, feeling the sunlight on her face for the first time that day. She was sure that it was sunnier in Brooklyn than it was in Manhattan, though from the way that Ava was laying her head on her arms inside the shop, it was impossible to tell. Ava looked as if she had just come through a decade of winters; her pallor was noticeable even through the glass.

“Are you sick?” asked Lucy after she had come into the shop and slid into the chair across the table from Ava.

Ava lifted her head, and Lucy noticed the grey and purple beneath her eyes immediately. It looked as if she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her hair was limp around her face, and her mouth seemed permanently turned down.

“I’m just tired,” mumbled Ava, wrapping her hands around her coffee and pulling it towards her. Lucy’s forehead wrinkled in confusion.

“You’re drinking coffee.”

“In Starbucks,” replied Ava, “How novel.”

“But you hate coffee.”

Ava sighed and took a sip of her coffee, unable to keep a grimace off of her face at the bitter taste. She really did hate coffee.

“Lexie and The Sex King have been at the apartment every night this week, and they’re loud. And finally last night they went to his place, and it turns out that the teenagers next door had the apartment to themselves, so they decided to have a party. Just my luck.”

Lucy patted Ava’s hand sympathetically. “You don’t have to go on today, though, do you?”

Ava shook her head, resting her chin in her palm and gazing miserably outside. “No, not that I know of. Thank God. What would I do if I had to, though? Maybe I’m really not cut out to do this work. You have to be prepared to go on stage no matter what physical state you’re in. Maybe I’m not ready for Broadway.”

Ava began to bite her lip, and Lucy squeezed her fingers. She could see that Ava’s lip was turning raw from being chewed so much.

“Ava, stop, you’re just tired. Once you get some sleep, you’ll be back to yourself. And you love Broadway. If you had to go on today, you’d rally yourself and feel the adrenaline and give a great show.

Look, it’s still early. Maybe you should just go back to your apartment and take a nap while Lexie is at work and everything is quiet.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” asked Ava, turning to look at Lucy with glazed eyes.

Lucy stroked the top of Ava’s hand gently. “Of course not. Your sleep is important. Besides, we can go book shopping anytime. It’s not like they’ll all disappear.”

Ava covered her mouth and yawned, then smiled guiltily.

“I think I might take you up on that, then. I really need sleep. Thank you for understanding, Luce.””

Ava pushed back her chair and slid her coffee across the table to Lucy. “I’ll give you a call. Some night when I’m not on, we’ll hit a shop near the theater.” Ava squeezed Lucy’s shoulders and left the coffee shop, moving down the sidewalk towards the subway with hunched shoulders.

Lucy examined the coffee that sat in front of her.

“So,” she said, drawing out the word, “I have a newly empty day in front of me and a coffee. I don’t even like coffee.”

*/*/*
The frigid April night felt like a relapse of winter, and Ava and Lucy tugged their coats more tightly around themselves as they ran down the street with linked arms. The sign for Secondhand Books appeared partway down the block, and Ava began to run more quickly, dragging Lucy with her.

“Calm down, calm down!” urged Lucy, laughing as Ava stopped abruptly and swung the door open, ushering her inside.

Once they were inside, Ava froze. She unwrapped the scarf that covered her mouth, and Lucy plucked the toboggan off of her head and handed it to her. Heat and the smell of musty books assaulted them, and Ava squeezed Lucy’s hand before pointing to a corner of the shop.

“Over there, that’s where I’ll be.”

With that she disappeared through the aisles of books, leaving Lucy to find the classics section for herself. Lucy weaved through the shelves, avoiding the people who were sitting in the aisles reading, and eventually she found the thousands of books that comprised the classics. She tilted her head back, finding Austen and quickly moving on, wondering where to start. Ava had always teased her for not reading enough, and she had promised to rectify that, starting with novels that, as Ava had put it, “Your life is not complete without reading.”

The heat soaked through Lucy’s coat, causing her to squirm with discomfort, and she wriggled out of her coat and draped it over her arm. She was just beginning to read the back of a tattered copy of “The Remains of the Day” when she felt something tug at her sleeve, and a copy of Vanity Fair was thrust into her stomach.

“Ava, what-” she began.

“I really think that you should read this book,” began Ava loudly, pulling Lucy so that their bodies were locked together side-by-side. Ava glanced over her shoulder quickly, then tugged on Lucy’s arm until Lucy bent over and their faces were next to each other.

“Sophia Sawyer,” hissed Ava, gesturing over her shoulder with her head.

Lucy tried to catch a glimpse of Sophia, but Ava yanked her arm viciously. “No! Don’t look!”

“What?” asked Lucy.

“Sophie Sawyer is behi-”

“No,” interrupted Lucy, “I heard you. Why can’t I look?”

“Because then she’ll know that she’s been spotted!”

Lucy raised one eyebrow. “Why would she care?”

Ava turned her head slightly, watching Sophia out of the corner of her eye. “I’ve heard through the rumor mill that Sophia has a fear of crowds. Apparently that affects how she handles being recognized in public. Ever wondered why she does so few public appearances?”

“But she’s an actress!” exclaimed Lucy, standing on tiptoe to put “The Remains of the Day” back on the shelf.

“An intensely private one,” qualified Ava, “But so extraordinary.”

The first time Lucy and Ava had seen Sophia was when Ava had dragged Lucy to a benefit concert during Lucy’s last year in college. Sophia had given a brilliant performance, and the next week they had gone to see her in the revival of My Fair Lady, in which she had starred. Ever since then, their interest in her had bordered on obsession.

So little was known about Sophia that it had become a game for Ava to find out snatches of information whenever she could. She would always text them to Lucy right away, and they would speculate about it for days. In fact, it was Sophia that had connected them in the nearly two years that they had spent out of contact since Lucy had graduated from college. For them, following Sophia’s life and career had become a game. But here, in the middle of the secondhand bookstore, their game had crashed into reality, and neither quite knew how to take it.

Sophia rounded the corner and disappeared, and Ava immediately relaxed. Lucy looked down at the book in her hands, finally processing what Ava had been saying to her before she began hyperventilating about Sophia.

“Do you really want me to get this?” she asked, holding up the copy of “Vanity Fair” and endeavoring to get their minds off of Sophia. She knew that if she didn’t, they would probably follow Sophia around the shop, ducking behind shelves and hiding behind hands and generally making fools of themselves. That was not what she wanted Sophia’s first impression of them to be.

“No, no, you can just watch the movie,” said Ava distractedly, sinking into Lucy. Lucy wrapped her arm around Ava’s waist to support her and led her to the bargain bins.

This time it was Lucy who spotted Sophia first, and she pressed her lips to Ava’s ear, whispering softly.

“Just act natural,” she instructed.

Ava stood up and faced Lucy indignantly. “What, you think I’ll blow our cover?” she asked. “In case you hadn’t realized, I’ve kind of got experience acting.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” apologized Lucy quickly, stroking Ava’s arm, and Ava sighed and lowered her gaze to the spines of the books, refraining from watching as Sophia perused the books on the other side of the bin.

“You should really try a little Austen,” said Ava blandly, picking up a copy of “Pride and Prejudice” and handing it to Lucy. “It’s super good. I have three copies at home, but I don’t know if I could part with them. Besides, this one is lonely and wants a home on your shelf.”

Lucy wrinkled her nose and looked at the stained cover. “I’m pretty sure my mom has at least ten copies of this book. Couldn’t I just get one from her when I go home this weekend?”

Ava pouted. “Lucy, clearly you haven’t learned about the rule.”

“The rule?” asked Lucy.

Ava poked her spine, which Lucy always held straight and tall, and grinned. “Whenever you see an Austen book, you are obligated to buy it. That is my life rule, and I am passing it on to you.”

Lucy smiled at Ava. “Wow. Somehow, I don’t think that is going to work. Why don’t we make a rule that you have to buy snow globes, and I’ll buy Austen books, and we’ll call it even.”

Ava’s nose wrinkled in confusion. “But you’re the one that likes snow globes, not me.”

“Exactly.”

Ava sighed and shook her head. “Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, if you wanted me to get you snow globes, you could have just asked. I’d do anything for you. You know that.”

Ava batted her eyelashes at Lucy, and Lucy shook her head, laughing.

“You’re a mess,” she said.

“But I’m a wonderful mess,” replied Ava, winking and turning back to the book bins. She spotted a copy of Wuthering Heights and reached for it. “You should really try-” she began, then froze as somebody else grabbed the book at the same time as her. She looked up and met Sophia Sawyer’s eyes.

Sophia’s eyes were blue. That was the first thing that Ava noticed. The next thing that Ava noticed was that Sophia seemed to see right through her. She felt naked, as if Sophia could see how much Ava adored her, and Ava let go of the book quickly, stepping backward into Lucy. Lucy put her hand protectively on Ava’s shoulder, and Sophia held the book out to Ava.

“Here, take it,” she said.

Ava shook her head. “No, it’s all right, I already own one copy. Please, you can have it.”

Sophia frowned and looked at Ava more closely, and Ava shrank into Lucy, fighting to hold Sophia’s gaze instead of looking at her feet like a coward. Ava smiled bravely, and Sophia tilted her head.

“Are you sure?” asked Sophia, the book wavering between them like a peace offering.

“Quite sure,” said Ava quickly.

“It’s fine,” Lucy assured Sophia, backing up and pulling Ava with her, “Enjoy it.”

Lucy slid her hand down to Ava’s elbow and led her back to the fiction section before grabbing her into a hug.

“Oh my gosh, I think I just died,” Ava said, her voice muffled by Lucy’s coat.

“It’s all right,” Lucy assured her.

“No, it isn’t,” argued Ava. “Sophia thinks I’m a loser. And she knows. Oh god, Lucy, she knows.”

“She knows?”

“That I worship her from afar,” said Ava dramatically, pulling her head out of Lucy’s coat and frowning.

Lucy smoothed Ava’s hair and cupped her cheek. “She doesn’t know, A. She just thinks you’re a young woman at a book store who has good taste in books.”

Ava’s nose wrinkled. “Do you think so?”

Lucy squeezed Ava’s shoulder. “I know so. Now, have you picked out all of the books that you want?”

Ava nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here before I make an even bigger fool about myself. When I dream about this tonight, I don’t want to be totally humiliated.”

Lucy laughed, “You’re ridiculous.”

“But you love me,” stated Ava, taking the books from Lucy and heading to the register.

“Of course,” said Lucy, “I love you.”

The bag full of books was heavy, and Ava immediately handed it to Lucy as they headed back out into the cold air. Ava lifted her scarf back to her throat, protecting her vocal chords, and turned her face to the wind.

“We’ll have to hurry to catch the subway,” she said, turning back to Lucy and holding out her hand.

Lucy buttoned her coat and took Ava’s hand.

“Wait!”

Sophia stood at the edge of the sidewalk, her scarf trailing along the ground behind her, and Lucy and Ava froze.

“Yes?” asked Lucy as Ava’s mouth fell open.

“Here,” said Sophia, walking briskly across the pavement and stopping in front of them. She reached into her bag and pulled out a paperback, which she handed to Lucy. “Your friend is right, you really should try it.”

And then Sophia smiled at the girls and waved slightly, turning and going up the street the opposite way that they were headed. Lucy and Ava watched dumbfounded as Sophia disappeared into the night.

“I can’t believe it,” said Lucy, looking at the copy of “Wuthering Heights” that Sophia had given her, “Sophia Sawyer bought me a book.”

Ava reached out to touch the cover, then pulled back her hand. “I knew tonight would be magical,” she said quietly. She reached for Lucy’s hand and led her down the street, pausing a few feet from the storefront and touching Lucy’s face with her gloved hand.

And there, in the glow from the streetlight, they kissed for the first time.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter Two

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:09:59 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: 2
A/N: Still mine, still stealing if you use without permission. Enjoy :)

Chapter Two

The line at stage door extended for several yards, and Lucy pulled her coat more tightly around her body and stood on her tiptoes as the door opened and several of the chorus members slipped out. The crowd at the door rumbled with disappointment, and Lucy smiled sympathetically. She knew what it was like to wait for the stars of the show, but now that she had a friend in a show, she also knew that the stars were as normal as everyone else. After all, Ava had gone from being nobody to being the one that they were waiting for in the space of a few hours. And if Elin returned to the show tomorrow, Ava would go back to being one of the people who disappointed the fans when she appeared at the stage door and wasn’t the one that they were looking for.

The door opened again, and Lucy recognized Ava’s pink knit hat as it bobbed up and down at the front of the crowd. If she listened, she could hear Ava’s exclamations and laughter. As Ava got closer, Lucy noticed that the guy who had played Raoul was staying right behind her. When Ava moved forward, so did he, and they passed a silver Sharpie back and forth as they signed Playbills and posed for pictures.

“Will you sign my Playbill?” asked Lucy, handing it to Ava, and Ava threw her arms around Lucy, strangling her.

“Of course I will, you marvelous thing!”

Apparently stage door made Ava giddy.

Ava scrawled her name on the Playbill, complete with a heart and “XO’s,” and passed it to the guy standing next to her for him to sign.

“So, Kyle and Isaak want us to go clubbing,” Ava told Lucy, moving down the line to autograph more Playbills. Lucy retrieved her Playbill from the actor who had played Raoul and followed Ava down the line.

“Do you want us to go?” asked Lucy, waiting as Ava bent down to pose for a picture with a little girl.

“Well, yes,” said Ava, pulling Lucy with her as she moved to the next waiting fan, “But if you want to just go home or whatever, that’s fine, too. I can go out with them any weekend.”

“I’m up for it, if you are,” agreed Lucy.

Ava reached the end of the line and stood still for a moment, waiting for the actor who had played Raoul to catch up with her. When he did, he put his hand on her shoulder, and she covered his hand with her own.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, A. Good job tonight. You nearly made me tear up during ‘All I Ask of You,’” he said as he handed her back her Sharpie.

Ava wrinkled her nose. “Liar.”

He shook his head, “No, honestly, you bit my lip during the kiss, and I almost cried.”

Ava blushed. “I’m sorry, Josh. Sometimes I just get distracted.”

“What, my kisses aren’t the only thing occupying your mind?”

Josh led them down the block away from the post-theater crowd, and Ava began to gesture as she talked.

“Your kiss, the score, the notes, the blocking, the way my costume keeps me from breathing, how the spotlight is making my eyes water – a thousand things are on my mind.”

“Still,” insisted Josh, “You did a good job.”

Ava’s smile made dimples crinkle at the edges of her mouth, and Josh bent down to hug her before backing down the cross street.

“You girls be safe tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Ava waved as Josh disappeared. “See you tomorrow!” she called after him.

“Who was that?” asked Lucy as Ava turned around and continued down the street in the direction of downtown. The smile was lingering on the edges of her lips, and her cheeks were even redder than the wind should have made them.

“Oh, that’s Josh Chandler. He plays Raoul,” said Ava nonchalantly.

“He seems nice,” offered Lucy.

“And hot, I know.”

“So?” asked Lucy insinuatingly.

Ava frowned. “Girlfriend.”

“Oh,” said Lucy.

“Yeah. And she’s not even nice.” Ava looked at the sidewalk as she walked, then shrugged. “It’s whatever, though. He’s like my big brother. Also, I bit him when I kissed him tonight. I am such a loser!”

“Hardly,” replied Lucy without thinking. She didn’t understand how Ava could manage to be in a theater full of guys and not be romantically entangled with any of them. They were going out with Kyle and Isaak tonight. Maybe that was a start. Or maybe it was awkward to date somebody when you had to go on stage with them every night and see them as a different person.

The air was crisp and windy, and Ava pulled her hat more firmly over her head, seemingly lost in thought. She was silent for the rest of the walk to the club, and Lucy didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make it seem as if she was being nosy. She and Ava had never been particularly close, and although they were beginning to spend more time together, she didn’t know where their friendship stood. Maybe Ava’s life was going fine, and she didn’t want Lucy’s input. Maybe Lucy was concerned for nothing.

Lucy shook her head to dislodge the hair that had blown into her face and squared her shoulders against the cold wind. They had been walking for several blocks now, and Lucy knew that they were getting close to the club. She was relieved that the walk had been short; any longer and she would have been forced to start whistling Christmas carols

“Here we are,” announced Ava, opening her bag to find her ID. Sure enough, the security guard asked her for it and inspected it closely before letting her enter. Ava frowned as she walked through the door, then scowled when he didn’t even glance at Lucy twice.

“That is so unfair,” muttered Ava. “I do not look that young.”

“Pixie,” teased Lucy. Ava stuck out her tongue at Lucy and grabbed her wrist, pulling her through the crowd in the direction of the bar.

“I know just where they’ll be,” she confided, bee-lining straight to the barstools at the end of the bar. Lucy stumbled in her attempt to keep up, mentally cursing Ava’s ability to slip through crowds.

“Do you come here often?” asked Lucy.

Ava ducked between more bodies, taking Lucy with her, and Lucy finally caught a glimpse of Isaak and Kyle perched on barstools at the end of the bar. “Well, we go to a handful of clubs. This one is Isaak’s pick. When it’s Kyle’s week, we go to the Village.”

“The Village?” asked Lucy, raising her eyebrow.

Ava just nodded. “It’s always quite the experience. And I’m all for having experiences that are out of the usual for me, but still. I’m glad that it’s Isaak’s week.”

Ava left it at that because they had reached the boys, and Kyle pulled Ava close and pinched her side before kissing her lips.

“We turned on the intercom in our dressing room just for you,” he said.

“And?” asked Ava, resting her hands on Kyle’s legs.

“Isaak said you were going flat.”

Rather than swat Isaak like Lucy would have expected, Ava shoved Kyle’s thigh.

“No he didn’t.”

“You’re right,” said Kyle, and Isaak turned to Lucy, sliding off of his barstool and gesturing that she should take it.

“Would you like anything to drink?” he asked. “Drinks are on me.”

“Pomegranate martini,” requested Lucy, and Ava winked at her. Lucy slid onto the barstool and smiled back.

“They’re always gentlemen when I have friends around,” Ava informed her.

“Correction,” said Isaak smoothly, “We’re always gentlemen when you haven’t already been bought drinks.” He turned to Lucy and smiled, displaying even, white teeth. “Ava generally supplies drinks for all of us just by tossing her hair over her shoulder. That’s why we keep her around.”

“Jerk,” muttered Ava, pushing away from Kyle and leaning over the bar to order a Lemon Drop. It was the first time that Lucy had seen Ava drink, and she was a little surprised. Maybe Ava wasn’t as straight-laced as she had assumed. Maybe she didn’t know as much about Ava as she thought that she did.

“This will be amusing,” Isaak whispered into Lucy’s ear, nodding to Ava. “She can’t hold her alcohol at all.”

Ava nursed her drink and made a point of not looking at a guy who was staring at her from across the room, and Isaak turned to Lucy hesitantly.

“So, would you like to dance?”

Lucy smiled at him and put her drink back on the counter. She wasn’t much for alcohol except in social situations, and dancing with an attractive man certainly beat sitting awkwardly next to a bar and sipping a drink that she didn’t even really want.

“I would love to dance.”

Isaak placed his hand on the small of Lucy’s back and led her to the dance floor, and as if by magic, her favorite Madonna song rang out over the speakers.

“Oh god, this is the best night ever,” she couldn’t stop herself from saying. Then she immediately blushed. Who really said things like that?

“Is it?”

Lucy pushed her hair back from her face and nodded, focusing on Isaak’s eyes instead of his shoes. “Yeah. I love this song, and I love dancing.”

“Well, I don’t know this song, or I’d sing to you.”

I love it when people sing to me, thought Lucy, but she managed to stop herself from saying it.

The lights flashed around them, and people talked loudly to be heard over the music, and Lucy couldn’t help but remember every time she had gone to a club throughout college and wished for a guy just like Isaak to single her out and ask her to dance. When Isaak put his hands on her hips or stroked her arm, she felt her adolescent heart flutter in her memory.

It was hard to talk in the middle of the chaos, so they gave up, but Lucy couldn’t help but wish for a slow song so that she could feel the muscles of Isaak’s chest or experience what it was like to have his arms clasped around her waist as she rested her head against his chest. But still, it was nice to feel this way again. Lucy hadn’t danced with a guy like this or strained her voice on the dance floor since she had broken up with her college sweetheart. It was nice to feel the music pulse through her body and know that she had a reason to dance.

The song changed again and again, but Lucy and Isaak stayed out on the dance floor. The lights flashed and the music thrummed, and for a few minutes Lucy forgot about photography and liquor-laden drinks and the ex-boyfriends who ruined lives and ran. She glanced up at one point to see Ava dancing with the stranger whose gaze she had been avoiding, and she hummed in satisfaction. Ava’s subtlety had worked.

“Where’s Ava?”

Lucy’s head jerked up. “Hm?”

Isaak leaned down to yell in Lucy’s ear, “Where’s Ava?”

“She’s dancing right over-” Lucy paused, searching the side of the room where she had last seen Ava. But Ava wasn’t there anymore, nor was she at the bar, and Isaak’s face grew pale in the purple and blue club lights.

“Fuck,” he muttered, running his fingers through his hair, “That’s not good.”

Lucy raised her eyebrow, and Isaak patted her arm reassuringly.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“Ava’s just disappeared, and I didn’t see how much alcohol she had. I’m going to go find Kyle and see if he knows where she is.”

Lucy trailed along behind Isaak as he wound his way across the dance floor, eventually finding Kyle talking to two guys near the bathrooms.

“Where’s Ava?” demanded Isaak, and Kyle blanched.

“She’s not dancing?”

All three of them scanned the dance floor, and Isaak and Kyle turned to each other.

“Okay, she was dancing with a guy ten minutes ago.”

Kyle nodded, “Yeah, he bought her a drink earlier.”

“Another one?” asked Isaak.

“I’m sure she’s not wasted or anything,” interjected Lucy, and Isaak and Kyle turned to her.

“Lightweight,” said Isaak shortly.

“Missing lightweight,” added Kyle. “She could be outside or in the bathroom. Hopefully she isn’t so far gone that the bastard is taking advantage of her.”

Lucy pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pulled up Ava’s number. “We could just call her. If she is outside or in the bathroom, she’ll hear her phone.”

After three rings, Ava’s voice crackled over the phone.

“Lucy, is that you?”

“Ava, where are you?”

“Are you still inside?” Asked Ava, her voice sounding little and hollow. Lucy’s heart raced. Why did Ava sound so far away and defenseless? And what had possessed them to leave her alone?

“Ava?” asked Lucy, unable to keep the worry out of her voice.

“I can’t hear a thing from your end! If you want to talk, come outside,” said Ava.

The call ended, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s just outside, guys, and she sounds fine.”

Sure enough, when they pushed through the exit of the club, they found Ava leaning against the brick wall in her pink coat and pink hat.

“Jesus Christ, A, you gave me a fucking coronary,” swore Kyle, grabbing Ava into a hug.

“You’re Jewish, Kyle,” pointed out Ava, her voice muffled by Kyle’s sweater. “You don’t believe in Jesus Christ.”

Kyle let Ava go, and she leaned against the wall again.

“What are you doing out here, anyway?” asked Isaak, whose face had regained its normal complexion away from the club lights.

“Peter and I couldn’t hear each other in there, so we came out here.”

“Peter?” asked Isaak.

“The guy who I was dancing with,” explained Ava as if it should have been obvious.

Kyle leaned down and sniffed Ava’s breath, and she pushed him away.

“Go away, Kyle, I’m not drunk,” she protested.

“Are you sure, darling?”

Ava rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I didn’t even drink anything. How stupid do you think I am? I’m not going to get kidnapped by some stranger in a club. I don’t have time for that; I may have to go on tomorrow if Elin drinks too much special punch at that birthday party.”

“I knew you weren’t stupid; I just worry,” said Kyle contritely, and Ava shrugged and yawned.

“It’s fine. I appreciate it. Now, it’s getting late, and my body can’t dance anymore. I think my ribs are permanently deformed from that Christine costume.” Ava looked up at Lucy. “Are you ready to go, Lu?”

Lucy glanced at her watch, discovering that it was nearly 2 a.m., and nodded. “Sure.” She nodded awkwardly to Kyle, then moved away as he hugged Ava goodnight.

“So,” said Isaak haltingly, “Tonight was fun.”

Lucy smiled slightly. “Yeah, it was.”

After a moment of silence, Ava peaked around Kyle and wiggled her finger. “C’mon, slowpoke.”

“Well, goodbye,” said Lucy. Isaak opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it, and Ava reached for Lucy and linked their arms. Lucy waved goodbye to Isaak and Kyle and allowed Ava to guide her away.

“Here we come a wassailing among the leaves so green!” sang Ava as they made their way down the sidewalk.

Lucy was too caught up in confusion to remind Ava that it wasn’t Christmastime.

“I’m really in the mood for a hot fudge sundae,” commented Ava.

Lucy looked up quickly, noticing for the first time that they were in the middle of Times Square. She had been lost in thought for blocks, and now Ava was leading her into McDonald’s.

“I thought you were tired.”

Ava shrugged. “I woke up. Besides, there’s nothing more fun than sitting in this McDonald’s and watching New York go by.”

“At 2:30 in the morning? Really, Ava? You’re crazy.”

But Ava was already ordering her sundae, and Lucy had to admit that she was hungry too. It had been far too long since she had spent time simply enjoying the city. She ordered a sundae too and slid into the seat next to Ava. Beyond their reflections she could see the tiredness of Times Square in the middle of the night. Revelers stumbled back to their hotels, tourists gawked, and taxis sped past in a blur of yellow.

Lucy’s hand dropped to her purse, which held her small digital camera. She never left home without it, because inevitably she saw the most amazing sights when she had no way of capturing them. She fingered the cool plastic and wondered if any pictures that she took would be as vivid as the memory she was creating.

“The city’s beautiful tonight,” murmured Lucy.

Ava reached forward and traced the glass with her fingertips, a dreamy smile playing on the edge of her lips. “It’s just like I always dreamed it would be.”

“Did you always want to live here?” asked Lucy.

“Yes,” nodded Ava, “Always. Don’t get me wrong, I love Charleston, but I always knew that New York is where I belong. Look at the people that are out there, even at this hour. And everyone is awake and going places with purpose, even the drunks. How can I not know who I am when I’m in this city? I can be anybody I want; I can change my identity every day, but there is always someplace on this island that I belong.

Ava fell silent for a moment and shook her head slightly. “And yet, I don’t live on this island. I live in Brooklyn with a girl who forgets to take out the trash and leaves all the lights on. I get sexiled on a regular basis. But I’m just a subway ride away from it all. I can watch my home from across the water.”

Lucy watched Ava from her peripheral vision and tried to ignore the guilt that she felt in the bottom of her stomach. She had grown up in New Rochelle and always known that she would live in her father’s apartment in the city when she graduated from college. Her childhood hadn’t been spent pining for the city; it had been spent experiencing the city. And here was Ava, having to fight for it.

“Ava, I-” began Lucy, but Ava slid out of her seat and grabbed her empty sundae container.

“A sundae on Sunday,” she murmured, tossing it into the garbage. “Come on, it’s Sunday morning in the city. Let’s go explore it.”

Lucy got out of her seat wordlessly and followed Ava, letting her offer of her spare room die on her tongue. Ava was right. It wasn’t time yet. Despite the study dates in Starbucks during college and the past few days, Lucy still didn’t understand what Ava was about. Yet somehow, even in college, it had seemed like they were destined to be more than casual friends. Ava reached for Lucy’s arm, and Lucy followed as if they had been together for their entire lives. Besides, she had tomorrow, and next week, and the next year, to figure things out. But the mystery of the city in the darkness of mid-night only came once in a while.

*/*/*

“I love listening to unsigned bands,” yelled Ava half an hour later, pressing her lips to Lucy’s ear in order to be heard. “It seems cultural, somehow, like we’ve discovered something that nobody else has the intelligence to notice yet.”

They were at another club, a club with live music this time, standing in the back and swaying to the music, and Ava had her eyes closed and her arms in the air. At first Lucy wasn’t sure if she was the one being addressed. But then Ava opened her eyes and smiled contagiously, and Lucy smiled, too.

“I just love music, period,” said Lucy, “Signed or not.”

“I’ll bet your dad has met a lot of famous musicians,” mused Ava wistfully, and Lucy smirked.

“And you haven’t? Besides, he just designs the album art. It’s not like they’re best friends or anything.”

“But S Club 7, really? Gosh. It’s so cool. And I don’t know if standing behind Patti LuPone counts as meeting a famous musician. She kind of didn’t know I existed.”

The lead singer of the band on stage began to jump up and down as the song reached its chorus, and Ava surged forward with the crowd and began to jump, too. Soon she and Lucy were both jumping with their arms in the air, their hair in their faces, and their hearts racing. Sometimes nothing could compare to the local music scene.

“This reminds me of college,” shouted Lucy as she paused to take a breath.

“I know, it reminds me of those tiny dives in the Village where I used to go to watch my friends get drunk and pick up musicians. But I was always more interested in their songs than in getting into their pants, and I think that’s why I still don’t have a sweet rocker boyfriend to write songs for me.”

“Are you implying that you have to have sex with a somebody to get them to write a song for you?” asked Lucy, putting her hand on her hip.

Ava shook her head energetically. “Not in the least. In fact, I could write a song for you right now without even having kissed you.”

Lucy felt the blood rush to her cheeks, and she quickly looked away from Ava. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” said Ava so quietly that the chaos of the club and the crowd swallowed it up. If Lucy hadn’t been listening so intently, she would have missed it. Was Ava flirting with her? Lucy didn’t answer, and Ava backtracked quickly. “You look flushed. It is pretty warm in here. Wanna ditch this joint?”

Lucy nodded gratefully, fanning her face in an attempt to appear overheated. Her blood raced through her veins, and she didn’t know what to attribute her sudden rush of adrenaline to. Maybe it was the excitement of being out in New York at night, or friendship that was growing stronger, or experimental music.

Ava darted through the club quickly, leaving Lucy in her wake, and Lucy sighed. Keeping up with Ava was proving to be exciting, but also difficult. At least she wore pink most of the time to aid Lucy in the search.

When Lucy emerged from the club, she found Ava staring at the sky.

“Whatcha’ lookin’ at?” asked Lucy. She wanted to wrap her arms around Ava, to hug her and hold her in the semi-light of the Manhattan night, but she didn’t want to overstep her bounds.

“I love how it’s never dark here. I know that people complain that they can’t see the stars, but we can see skyscrapers instead. Sometimes the lights that people leave on remind me of stars, in a vague kind of way.”

“C’mon,” encouraged Lucy, holding out her hand, “I want to show you something.”

Their shoes clicked on the cement as they walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk, and the farther they walked from Times Square, the more sparsely populated the sidewalks became. They turned onto Fifth Avenue, and Ava stopped in her tracks.

“It’s so spooky,” she whispered. As far as they could see, there was hardly anybody around. Lucy checked her watch – it was nearly five o’clock in the morning. It was too late for partying, and too early to wake up on a Sunday. Even the occasional taxi that drove by seemed out of place.

“I like it,” offered Lucy. “I love the way the city seems private like this. It’s like the shops are here just for us.”

“Even if they’re closed?” teased Ava.

Lucy shrugged. “I prefer window shopping, even when they are open. Or at least, my checking account prefers window shopping.”

Ava squeezed Lucy’s fingers. “It’s beautiful,” she assured her, pausing to look in the window of one of the shops. “It’s just like Breakfast at Tiffany’s. And here I thought that movie magic didn’t happen in real life.”

They walked down the street slowly, and the sky turned from a dull black to a dark grey. Lucy, with her photographer’s eye, was the first to notice, and her heart sank a little bit as she realized that their night of magic was coming to an end.

“I guess we’re about to be caught by the dawn,” she murmured, squinting to the east and searching for signs of the sunrise.

Ava frowned, tilting back her head to stare at the sky again. “Can we do just one more thing?” she asked.

Lucy swung their linked hand. “Of course.”

“Can we walk down Broadway?”

The way that Ava said the word reminded Lucy of her idealistic musings whispered over sandwiches in delis in years past. When Ava said the word this time, however, she said it with authority. Broadway was a place where she belonged.

“Of course,” said Lucy, because who was she to deny Ava her dream?

They walked down Broadway slowly and silently. Ava breathed the names of the theaters reverently, and Lucy bowed her head and hid her smile. To her, the empty theaters were creepy. She much preferred to see them when crowds were pouring out right after a show had ended, when people were still captured by the magic that they had experienced. Ava, however, seemed to like the theaters now, when nobody was there to see them.

“Theaters are magic, you know,” she confided, leaning on Lucy’s arm as they passed the Wintergarden. “Inside each building, on the stage, is a ghost light. It’s welcoming back the spirits of past and future performers.”

“So does that mean that your spirit is wandering some of these buildings?” asked Lucy, peering down West 51st at the Gershwin Theater.

“I hope so,” breathed Ava, closing her eyes as if to make a wish. “I hope that my spirit is wandering through the packed up sets and the empty dressing rooms, making a home for itself so that one day my body can, too.”

Lucy looked at Ava intently. “You’re really spiritual, aren’t you?”

Ava wrinkled her nose, then nodded slowly.

“Yeah, I am. Does that bother you?”

“No,” said Lucy. “It’s just different. I’m Jewish myself, but I don’t practice.”

“I just,” began Ava, glancing at her fingers. “I’m really grateful that I don’t have to worry about everything, you know? I mean, fate, all that stuff, it’s not in my hands. Takes a load off my shoulders. And you know me, I like to have somebody to talk to all the time, even if I can’t see them. So, yeah. God. He and I are tight.”

Lucy squinted down the road to Times Square, watching the billboards flash. “That’s cool. Just don’t expect me to go to church with you.”

Ava raised her hands. “Deal. You just have to cook whatever I want for breakfast.”

“Let’s shake on it,” said Lucy, offering her hand.

Ava shook it, and they nodded in satisfaction. Behind them, the sun rose over the horizon blocked by skyscrapers and painted the sky pink.

“Sunday morning,” whispered Ava, gazing at the sky in wonder. “And the sky’s my favorite color.”

“I wish I had my other camera,” murmured Lucy. Taking the picture on a camera that used film and developing it herself would have been like reliving the sunrise again and again.

Ava rubbed her eyes, and Lucy noticed for the first time how her shoulders were sagging. She had forgotten that while she had been sitting in a plush seat earlier that evening, Ava had been singing her guts out.

“You have a show tomorrow!” exclaimed Lucy.

“Correction,” rasped Ava, “I have a show in a few hours. I hope that Elin is prepared to do her job, because if I have to cover for her today, I may collapse on stage.”

“At least it would be in character,” offered Lucy.

Ava rolled her neck, feeling the ache that had settled in her bones.

“I should head across the water.”

“You can stay with me, again” interjected Lucy. “Sleep, clean up, be just a couple of blocks away for the show.”

For a moment it looked like Ava was going to take Lucy up on her offer. But then Ava shook her head and gave Lucy an odd half-smile.

“No, no, I don’t think we’re ready for that yet. I should go to Brooklyn. Coming and going is good for my transient soul.”

“That’s bull,” whispered Lucy, but she didn’t fight, mostly because she didn’t know what Ava meant by “yet.” Was Ava as confused as she was?

“I’ll walk you to the subway,” offered Lucy, and to her satisfaction, Ava agreed.

At the edge of the tracks, Ava hugged Lucy goodbye and kissed her cheek briefly before disappearing through the subway doors. As Lucy watched, Ava pressed her bare fingers to the glass. And then the train pulled out of the station, speeding toward Brooklyn, and Lucy turned around to leave before it had even fully cleared the station.

As she emerged from the subway, the sun was just peeking at her from between the skyscrapers. Despite being tired beyond belief and feeling like she was going to collapse from exhaustion, Lucy opted to walk the remaining blocks to her apartment. There was nothing quite like the quiet calm of New York on a Sunday morning.

Two Girls in the City, Chapter One

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:21:50 GMT

Title: Two Girls in the City
Chapter: One
A/N: Dedicated to Charlotte, because without her Lucy and Ava would be stuck in Alphabet City.
A/N 2: This was the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2008. This is also just the first revision. It is my property, (c) Lissie, so do not use it without my permission. You may email me at graciebird90@hotmail.com if you need to get in touch with me.

Chapter One

Ava slung her bag over her shoulder and zipped up her boots. The corridors backstage were still empty, and she pushed open the stage door right as the last note of the score echoed through the theater. Raoul and Christine were reunited again, the Phantom of the opera had disappeared, and all was right in the world. At least, all was right until tomorrow’s performance, when the problems would have to be resolved again.

Thank god, she thought, pulling her beret onto her head. One show down, four more to go before the end of the week. She was scheduled to go on twice this week, because Elin had to take her daughter to a birthday party, and Ava would be lying if she said that having both Saturday shows didn’t thrill her. She was twenty-two years old, and she was starring on Broadway during prime time. Now all she had to do was make sure that she had the energy and vocal ability to do two shows back-to-back.

“Ava?”

Ava pushed her hair out of her face and scanned the faces that surrounded the stage door. In New York in March everybody wore black coats and hats. It was incredibly hard to distinguish one person from another, and as she scanned the sea of strangers, she couldn’t tell who had called her name. At least, she couldn’t tell until she noticed the curly brown hair that peaked out from under one of the hats. She instantly recognized the friendly brown eyes and full lips, and she grinned in recognition. She should have recognized that voice.

“Lucy?” she asked, approaching a tall, slender young woman in a black coat at the edge of the clump of people.

“Hi.” Lucy smiled and waved shortly, and Ava laughed and hugged her.

“What are you doing here?” asked Ava, moving out of the way as Isaak and Kyle, her fellow understudies, pushed past her and disappeared down the block.

“I just did the photography for a sweet sixteen at a teen club, and I was on this side of town. I thought I’d check to see how you were doing. You look really tired.”

Cast members began to filter out of the stage door, so Ava took Lucy’s arm and guided her down the street. “Better not to let anybody get the misconception that I’m famous,” she said wryly. The lights of Starbucks fell across the sidewalk, and Ava opened the door and ushered Lucy inside, leaning against her as they waited in line.

“Trouble with your roommate?” asked Lucy.

Ava nodded, unwrapping her scarf to reveal her mouth. Her roommate for the past nine months had turned out to be more trouble than the convenient rent was worth. “Yes. Lexie has a new boyfriend, and she’s had him over every night this week.”

“That’s a problem?” asked Lucy, moving up carefully in line so as not to dislodge Ava.

“When they are feeling horny and don’t know how to keep quiet, it’s a problem,” said Ava.

Lucy smirked, and Ava stepped up to the counter and ordered for both of them.

“You didn’t have to do that,” protested Lucy, accepting her hot chocolate a couple of minutes later.

Ava grinned. “Yeah I did, you know how cold it is outside.”

“Only to you Southerners,” scoffed Lucy. She took the lid off of her hot chocolate and smiled. “No whipped cream!”

“I remembered,” said Ava, thinking back to their study sessions throughout their years at New York University. She and Lucy had ended up having a class together every year, and even though they hadn’t been the type of friends to share secrets or spend all of their time together, they had managed to spend time together since graduating. “They put whipped cream on it that one time during sophomore year, and you refused to drink it. I thought you were going to make a scene right there in the middle of Starbucks.”

“I wasn’t going to make a scene,” objected Lucy.

“I guess you’re right,” murmured Ava, wrapping her hands around her cup, “That’s much more my style.” She led Lucy to a table and pulled out her chair with a flourish before sitting across from her and leaning forward conspiratorially. There was something about being in a coffee shop with a friend late at night, with the darkness seeping in through the windows and wrapping them in a blanket of anonymity, that made Ava want to spill all of her secrets.

“You always have been dramatic,” said Lucy, teasing Ava good-naturedly.

“That’s why I’m an actress.”

Lucy put the lid back on her cup and raised it to her lips tentatively, then put it on the table.

“Luce, really,” said Ava, watching as Lucy chickened out again.

“It’s going to burn my tongue!”

Ava rolled her eyes. “It’s not going to burn your tongue. Watch.” Ava lifted her cup to her lips and took a long sip, taking care not to wince as the hot chocolate scalded the inside of her mouth. “See? There’s nothing to it.”

Lucy pointed her finger accusingly at Ava. “Ha! I saw that wince, Ava Doyle! You can’t hide your pain from me.”

Ava frowned and folded her arms. “Fine. It’s a little hot. But if you sit there all night, it’ll get really cold!”

“I won’t let it get cold,” Lucy assured her, dipping her finger into it. “I’m monitoring it.”

The Starbucks was comfortingly empty, and the soft music and smell of coffee was lulling Ava into a drowsy haze. She wanted to put her head on her arms and go to sleep right at the table.

“Wake up, A,” whispered Lucy, prodding Ava’s leg with her foot.

Ava blinked and rubbed her face. “It’s not even late, and I’m falling asleep. Broadway is turning me into an old lady!”

“Do you want to come to my apartment tonight? That way you won’t have to go all of the way out to Brooklyn.”

Ava pictured herself catching the subway, changing trains, being jostled by people and assaulted with the scent of body odor and having to worry about being a woman traveling alone at night, and felt herself grow even more tired. Moving to an apartment in Brooklyn had seemed like a much better idea last May, when living in any of the boroughs was a better prospect than returning home to Charleston and resigning herself to a life of community theatre.

However, she wasn’t going to admit to Lucy that she would give anything not to return to Brooklyn, so she stuck out her tongue and said, “I’ll have you know that Brooklyn is the new Manhattan. Everybody says so.”

“Carrie Bradshaw doesn’t count as everyone, A,” teased Lucy. “She’s just a fictional character.”

Ava frowned and kicked Lucy’s foot. “Fine, since you insist, I’ll come with you. I have to do two shows this week, and at the rate I’m going, I’ll never sleep a full night in my apartment again.”

Lucy patted Ava’s arm sympathetically. “Do you want to go back to the theater to get clothes?”

“No,” said Ava, standing up and winking, “I’ll just wear yours.”

March nights in Manhattan were still filled with winter chill, and Ava tucked her arm through Lucy’s and pulled her close to ward off the cold as Lucy guided them to the subway. The ride to 86th Street wasn’t long, but Ava was nearly asleep by the time Lucy pulled her out of the station and onto the sidewalk.

“Wake up, we’re almost there,” whispered Lucy, her lips brushing Ava’s ear.

Ava blinked in confusion and allowed Lucy to guide her out of the subway and up the block until they reached the correct apartment building. She hadn’t been there before, and she wouldn’t be able to find her way back alone, but she was conscious enough to realize that Lucy had scored big when she landed this place. It made her walk up apartment wedged into a crumbling building in Brooklyn seem like the equivalent of trailer trash.

The doorman smiled and called Lucy by name as she hauled Ava to the elevators, and Ava regained consciousness in order to tease her about it.

“Must be nice to have your apartment paid for by Daddy that has an elevator and a snazzy doorman to boot. Hardly seems right for somebody just out of college to have landed these digs.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “My dad got it in the 60’s with rent control. My rent is less than yours, you know.”

Ava scowled. “Life is so unfair.”

Lucy pulled Ava off of the elevator and down the hall, pausing at her door to rummage for her keys. Ava leaned against the wall and looked at the carpeting that covered the ground. This building didn’t look like it had been inhabited in the 60’s. The carpet was grey and real, rather than that industrial grade they put in most buildings, and the shiny brass numbers on the doors were just small enough to not be gaudy. Ava decided that she would give up her autographed The King and I Original Cast Playbill if it meant living in this building.

“I can’t find my keys!” Lucy grumbled, placing her camera case on the ground and pulling items out of her purse.

“Looking for these?” asked Ava dangling the keys on one finger in front of Lucy’s face.

Lucy snatched those from Ava’s hands. “How did you get those?”

“You’d better be more careful,” warned Ava, smiling smugly. “I’ve had them since 51st.”

“That’s not fair. You seduced me with your snuggles on the subway,” complained Lucy.

Ava shrugged and leaned back against the wall as Lucy unlocked the door. “I call the left side of your bed.”

Lucy pushed open the door, and Ava followed her inside and placed her bag on the coffee table. The apartment was well furnished, though not lavishly so, and that made Ava feel a little better. She was especially happy when she realized that the coffee table and the TV stand didn’t match. It made her feel better about her odd assortment of furniture and the way cardboard boxes had found themselves as the centerpiece of her living room in Brooklyn.

“You can’t have the left side of the bed. That’s where I sleep.”

Ava smiled over her shoulder as she walked down the hall to the bedrooms. “All’s fair in love and war.”

Lucy locked the door behind her and turned off the lamp in the living room. When she made it to her bedroom a moment later, Ava was already curled up in a ball on top of the comforter on the right side of the bed, sound asleep.

“You could have had the left side of the bed,” whispered Lucy. “I wouldn’t have minded.” When Ava didn’t reply, Lucy shrugged and draped a blanket over Ava. She put on her pajamas and turned off all of the lights.

“Goodnight,” she told the darkness.

Ava’s only reply was to kick Lucy’s leg in her sleep.

*/*/*

“What are you doing?” asked Lucy, rubbing her eyes sleepily and peering at Ava.

Ava glanced at Lucy from her Downward Facing Dog and lowered herself to the carpet, stretching her legs out in front of her. The sun fell across the living room carpet, warming it, and she wanted to curl up like a cat and never move.

“Yoga.”

“First thing in the morning?” asked Lucy, brushing the hair out of her face.

Ava tugged the hem of the t-shirt that she had gotten out of Lucy’s drawer and nodded. “I like to get my body ready for the day.”

Lucy lowered herself to the couch and waved her hand at Ava. “Continue.”

“In front of you?”

“You’re an actress, aren’t you? And this is New York City, where stage actresses love to be. So give me a performance. Yoga the Musical.”

“I’ve always wanted a leading role,” mused Ava, resuming her Downward Facing Dog. As she moved through the rest of her poses, Lucy rested her head against the back of the couch, watching Ava through heavily lidded eyes.

“What time do you have to go to work?” asked Ava, moving into a warrior pose.

Lucy glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed heavily. “I have to leave in an hour.”

Ava nodded and pivoted, leaning over her leg. “I have a voice lesson at one o’clock, anyway, so I have to run home before then to change my clothes and clean up.”

Her hair was limp and her face was void of make up, and if she turned up at the theater looking like this, she would never hear the end of it from Kyle and Isaak. Isaak would assume that she had slept over at a guy’s place, and Kyle would be horrified that she had gone out in public in such a state or proud of her for landing some booty. Whichever the reaction, she would be humiliated.

Lucy stretched and pulled herself off of the sofa, shuffling into the kitchen.

“I have orange juice and cereal if you want anything,” she said, looking through her cupboards and discovering that what was in her cupboards was exactly what had been there the day before.

Ava wrinkled her nose and shook her hair out of her face. “No thank you. I’ll grab Starbucks on my way to Brooklyn.”

“You still refuse orange juice?”

“It’s vile.”

Ava dropped to the ground and lay still on her back, her eyes closed. Lucy prodded Ava’s shoulder with her toe, and Ava rolled onto her side and stood up.

“That’s why you’re sick so much, you know,” said Lucy wisely, holding up a glass of orange juice.

“I’m a singer, you know,” retorted Ava, backing down the hallway to Lucy’s room. “It’s not unheard of for us to get throat infections.”

Lucy watched the door to her room close, then sighed and leaned against the counter, sipping her orange juice and waiting for Ava to reappear so that she could get ready for work. She had a day of taking pictures of toddlers ahead of her, and as much as she loved photography, this job had not been what she had expected her degree from NYU to get her.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” called Ava, her voice arriving before her body. She stumbled down the hallway, tugging on the hem of her leggings while finger combing her hair. She was a mess and radiant all at once, and Lucy wondered if doing yoga in the morning wasn’t actually a brilliant idea. Some of the people that she photographed should consider doing that; maybe then she wouldn’t have to spend such a long time correcting their sallow complexions.

“It’s not a problem,” replied Lucy instantly, handing Ava the water bottle that she had pulled out of the fridge. “I hope your voice lesson goes well.”

Ava flashed Lucy a smile and reached for her bag. “I do, too. I think I’m finally getting the hang of belting every day without losing my voice.”

“That’s great! And listen, if you happen to find some tickets for one of the shows you’re in this week, just let me know. I’d love to come see you.”

Ava paused, then turned slowly to face Lucy.

“Really?” she asked. While all of her friends seemed to be in awe of her job, very few actually made the effort to drop everything to come see her.

Lucy nodded. “Sure. I love musical theatre. I keep meaning to come see you, but I never know when you’ll be on.”

Ava crossed the room and threw her arms around Lucy’s neck, hugging her briefly before releasing her and backing towards the door.

“Thank you so much. You can come backstage before the show, too! You can meet my cast mates – you’ll love them!”

“I don’t know,” interjected Lucy, her shyness returning. Meeting new people wasn’t really her thing.

“Please?” asked Ava cajolingly. “Please come? I don’t normally take friends backstage. It’s a big honor, I promise. And the guys would love to meet you. They’re really nice.” Isaak and Kyle would be more than happy to meet Lucy. At this point, they were beginning to doubt that Ava had any friends, at all.

“Guys?” Ava grinned, and Lucy crossed her arms. “You didn’t mention guys.”

“There are guys,” promised Ava, “plenty of them.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Saturday night, then,” said Ava.

“Sure,” agreed Lucy.

“It’s a date.” Ava unlocked the door and slung her bag over her shoulder, disappearing through the door with a wink and a swish of her hair.

*/*/*

“It’s so big,” commented Lucy, craning her neck and gazing at the top of the proscenium. The empty theater stretched out in front of them, but it was the set and the dark stage that captured Lucy’s attention.

“That’s what she said,” commented Ava, scuffing the toe of her low top Chuck Taylor sneaker against the stage.

Lucy frowned, and Ava winked at her before beaming angelically and gesturing to the auditorium.

“All of that will be full. All of it. And they’re all paying $150 a ticket to sit and watch me sing for two and a half hours.”

That fact still made chills run up and down Ava’s spine, and she still couldn’t differentiate between the excitement and the nerves. She wondered if, in forty years, she would still get this nervous.

“Is it thrilling?” asked Lucy, peering into the gloom.

Ava shrugged, suddenly turning quiet and stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “I guess,” she said, chewing the corner of her lip and letting her hair fall into her face.

“You guess?” asked Lucy.

“It’s kind of terrifying, too,” admitted Ava in a hushed voice, watching as the crewmembers adjusted the set pieces and set up the stage for the top of the show. “People are paying a lot of money to see something good. If I mess up, they’ll be disappointed in me. And I don’t exactly have job security.”

Lucy turned around slowly and paused. This vulnerable side of Ava was one that she didn’t see often. She didn’t know whether she should comfort Ava or let her spill her soul and be done with it, but Ava made the decision for her.

“Anyway, enough of that. There’s more to the theatre than the stage, if you can believe it. I promised you guys, didn’t I?”

Lucy nodded in satisfaction. “You did. So where are these guys?”

Ava grabbed Lucy’s wrist and linked their arms, leading Lucy through the maze of backstage and to the hallway that contained the dressing rooms. Everything was quietly chaotic, and Ava stopped abruptly in front of a partially opened door and knocked before pushing the door open and ushering Lucy inside.

“Guys,” announced Ava, gesturing to the two guys who sat on the edge of the sofa with game controllers in their hands.

“One second,” said one of the guys, jabbing buttons with his fingers and pumping his fist in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about.” A “game over” box appeared on screen, and the guys dropped the controller and stood up.

“Ava, darling,” said the shorter of the two, crossing the room and wrapping Ava in a hug. His spiky hair jabbed her face, and she batted it away. He kissed her lips soundly and mussed her hair. “And you brought a friend?”

Ava stepped back and squeezed Lucy’s arm. “This is Lucy Scott, my friend from college. She’s a photographer. Lucy, this is Kyle, and this is Isaak. They are my fellow understudies.”

Kyle shook Lucy’s hand, and Isaak waved from the couch.

“So, A dear, is Lucy spending the show back here with us, since you’re hogging the spotlight again tonight?”

“I wouldn’t do that to her,” teased Ava, tugging Kyle’s sleeve. “She’s not ready for that yet. Actually, she’s going to watch the show tonight.”

“Oh,” said Kyle, turning to face Lucy, “You’ve not seen the show yet?”

“Well, I have,” said Lucy quickly, feeling her face flush, “But not for several years. I must have been in middle school the last time I saw it.”

“That long ago?” asked Kyle innocently, and Ava slapped his arm.

“Kyle!” she exclaimed as he rubbed his arm and scowled.

“What? I’m just saying she looks sophisticated. You could probably take some advice from her.”

Ava looked nearly ready to launch herself at Kyle, and Lucy was unsure of whether or not she should restrain her or join Isaak on the couch to observe the fight. But instead of fighting, Kyle wrapped his arms around Ava’s waist, and she folded into him and put her face against his sweater.

“You’re warm,” she murmured, fingering the soft yarn of his sweater.

“You’re late for your dressing call,” replied Kyle, releasing Ava and slapping her butt. “Go!”

“Oh crap, I am!” Ava grabbed Lucy’s hand and blew kisses at Kyle and Isaak before pulling Lucy into the dressing room down the hall.

“This isn’t actually my dressing room,” confessed Ava, stepping over to the closet and taking off her clothes. Lucy glanced at the people passing in the hallway and shut the door, dropping her eyes as Ava crossed the room in her underwear and perched in a chair in front of the vanity.

“I couldn’t tell from the pictures,” quipped Lucy, stepping around the room and looking at the pictures of a tall woman with various people. The vanity was lined with a collection of pictures of a little girl, and Lucy smiled at them.

“Who’s the little girl?”

“That’s Mollie, Elin Thompson’s daughter. Elin plays Christine normally, but today she had to take Mollie to a birthday party.”

“Does she often call off just to take her daughter places?”

Ava grinned at Lucy in the mirror. “That’s how I get my best shows, you know. Mollie is officially my best friend, because she always has to go to things on the best nights. I’ve gone on every weekend for the past month.”

The door flew open, and a woman came into the room carrying a wig.

“Don’t you worry anymore, I’m here to fix everything,” said the woman. Ava pretended to sweep sweat off of her brow in relief.

Lucy stepped back and fell onto the couch as the woman, a whirlwind of activity, took over. She swept Ava’s long hair back in a clip and began to pin small sections of it to her head.

“This girl’s hair don’t curl for nothin’,” the woman told Lucy through a mouth full of hairpins.

“Lucy, this is Deavonna,” said Ava softly, her mouth barely moving as she focused on remaining still. “She’s here to save me and make sure I make it to my cue on time.”

“Thank the Lord she don’t have to be on for the first scene, that’s all I’m sayin’,” muttered Deavonna, her hands moving deftly over Ava’s scalp. “This hair is so fine that it’s a miracle that it stays up at all.”

“We’ve been getting faster though, haven’t we?” asked Ava, wincing as a pin jabbed into her head.

“Only since Elin’s decided to let you try your wings out there. Used to be it took me ages to get you ready.”

The fifteen-minute call sounded over the speaker, and Lucy jumped.

“I’d better get to my seat,” she said apologetically, standing up and searching for Ava’s reflection in the mirror.

Ava nodded imperceptibly and earned a swat from Deavonna, ordering her to stay still.

“If you go into the hallway, there should be a woman running around with a headset. Tell her that you’re my friend and that you need to see the show. She’ll find an usher to take you to your seat.”

“All right. I’ll meet you at the stage door after the show.” Lucy waved at the mirror. “Good-”

Ava held up her hand. “Don’t say it!”

Lucy smiled sheepishly. “Oh, right. Break a leg.”

There was a woman with a headset at the end of the hallway, just like Ava had said, and she found an usher to take Lucy to her seat. Lucy settled in and stared at the stage, remembering less than an hour before when she had stood on it with Ava. The lights shone dimly, and the audience rumbled around her, and Lucy felt excitement well up in her stomach. She had always loved the theatre, but now she was beginning to understand the thrill that actors got from being on stage. The stage was a magical place.

Fade Away to Forget

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:46:47 GMT

Title: Fade Away to Forget
Rating: PG
Summary: Ava has a bad day and can't find anybody to comfort her.
A/N: A Lucy and Ava story, takes place in December 2011. Written for msgalinda's birthday. This contains mild spoilers for my novel, "Two Girls in the City," which will be posted in January.

At first the snow before Christmas and the chill in the air had been delightful. She had bought scarves and gloves and coats and dragged her whole dorm outside to dance in the flurries. But that had been five years ago, and now she wasn’t as entranced by the snow. Now she just remembered growing up and going to the beach on Christmas, and being cooped into a small apartment with a wind chill factor in the negatives only served to frustrate her further.

That frustration was always what she remembered when she remembered that day. That, and the way that the wind whipped across the sidewalk and made her eyes water, bringing the thought of tears when she hadn’t previously wanted to cry. But Josh was out of town still, and she had been stuck traveling Long Island with Lucy in an attempt to see all of the Scotts before Christmas was over, all the while feeling lonely and awkward and tired. Rehearsal had started at 8 A.M. on the 26th with the director yelling that Ava hadn’t learned her line revisions, and Sophia had broken their lunch date in favor of getting candy on sale at Duane Reed. By the time Ava got home from rehearsal at seven o’clock, her throat ached from holding back tears.

“Lucy?” she called as she stumbled into the apartment.

She was met with silence.

Lucy, who had been due in the afternoon, wasn’t home from New Rochelle yet. A dozen swear words ran through Ava’s mind, but she collapsed onto the sofa without shouting any of them. Her throat was too raw for shouting.

Wind slapped against the windows, reminding Ava of her urge to cry, and taxis honked and lights swooped by. Everything that she normally loved about Manhattan infuriated her, and before she knew what she was doing, she had grabbed her keys and was storming out of the apartment. She couldn’t spend tonight alone, not when she was in serious danger of losing her voice if she sobbed all night.

Barnes and Noble was only two blocks from the apartment, and Ava could make it to the couch in the Biographies section in under 500 steps if she waited on the edge of the curb at the intersection and leapt to the center of the street. There was a taxi too close to the crosswalk, though, preventing her from leaping, and Ava had to dive onto the sofa and tuck her legs into her chest in order to avoid the 501st step.

Luckily for her, there was nobody on the couch, or even in the rows of biographies, so she grabbed a biography about Ava Gardner and flipped the pages randomly, pretending that the tears trickling down her nose were due to Ava’s doubt in her acting abilities and failed marriages and not to a day that had seemed to beat her down with a figurative stick.

The hours wore on, and the biography grew boring, and Ava leaned her head back against the couch cushion and tried to figure out a way that she could spend the night in Barnes and Noble. There was no way that she was returning home to an empty apartment. She didn’t know how she would survive the night.

*/*/*

Ava wasn’t in the apartment when Lucy got home, although her purse was tipped over on the coffee table, and when Lucy called Ava’s phone, she heard it ringing from in between the couch cushions.

“A?” asked Lucy, peeking her head into the shower and checking under Ava’s bed. Ava wasn’t there, or in her closet, or in Lucy’s bed, or in the kitchen. There were only so many places for an adult to hide in the apartment, and Lucy even checked the fire escape, but she didn’t find a frozen Ava corpse sprawled across the steps.

“Damnit, Ava,” hissed Lucy, leaning against the cold window and pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. She had no messages, which made sense since Ava’s phone was on the couch, and there were no signs of a struggle, so Ava had abandoned the apartment of her own free will. But where would she go? What could she be doing at nearly eleven o’clock without her phone or even her ID? And why would she go out when her schedule clearly said that she had rehearsal at eight o’clock the next morning?

Lucy scrubbed her hands over her face in frustration, then scrolled through the names in her address book. Isaak – Ava hadn’t spoken to him since the spring. Kyle – although they texted often, they hadn’t gotten together much since Ava had left Phantom. Sophia – Lucy wouldn’t dream of disturbing her until she knew that there was an actual emergency. Josh – Josh. Exactly the person Ava would call if she was upset. But Josh was still out of town for the holidays, so Lucy knew that Ava wasn’t with him, unless. Unless he had come home early to surprise her.

Lucy pressed the call button, then held her phone to her ear.

“Lucy?” came Josh’s voice, the note of surprise evident, “How are you? I didn’t expect to hear from you at this time of night.”

“Josh, hi,” said Lucy. She couldn’t help but feel relief at the sound of his voice. Doubtless he would know where Ava was. Ava wouldn’t disappear without telling somebody, and her boyfriend was the natural choice for a confidant, right? “This isn’t exactly social. I was wondering if Ava was with you?”

“Ava? No, I’m still in California. Why?”

Lucy stumbled to the edge of the bed and sat down heavily.

“Um, it’s nothing. Have a good-”

“Lucy, where is Ava?” asked Josh, his voice immediately sounding panicked.

“I don’t know,” whispered Lucy. “I just got home from my parents’ house, and she’s not here, and she had rehearsal today and she has it all day tomorrow, and normally she would just come and crash. She would never go out, but she’s not in the apartment and her purse and her phone are in the living room, and I don’t-”

“Lucy,” said Josh sternly, “hush. Don’t panic, not yet. This is Ava we’re talking about. You know how whimsical she is. She may have just gone for a walk to clear her head. Have you heard from her today? Is she having a bad day?”

Lucy shook her head. “No, I don’t know. I texted her to tell her what time I’d be home, but she was in rehearsal, so she didn’t reply. And then my train was delayed due to snow on the tracks, so I got here late. She wasn’t here when I got in. There was no note. I don’t know where she is.”

“Well, where would she go?” asked Josh. “A coffee shop? A restaurant? A bookstore?”

Lucy gasped in realization. “I have to go, Josh. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Let me know the instant you find her, okay? Have her call me.”

“I will,” said Lucy, reaching for her purse and heading for the door, “I promise. And after that, I will kill her for the worry that she has caused.”

*/*/*

Lucy wrapped her arms around Ava’s shoulders and whispered in her ear, “I didn’t know that you were a fan of Ava Gardner.

Ava gasped so loudly that Lucy had to clamp her hand over Ava’s mouth to stifle the noise.

“You’re here!” exclaimed Ava when Lucy finally let go of her mouth.

“So are you,” said Lucy, frowning, and the look that she gave Ava tempered Ava’s excitement.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ava, temporarily forgetting about her awful day. “Did something happen?”

Lucy came around the couch and sat down next to Ava.

“Ava, when I got home I found your purse and your cell phone, but no you. I searched everywhere. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

Ava bit her lip as if to keep her words in, then shrugged. “Probably about as worried as I was this evening when I was expecting you, but you weren’t there.”

“It’s not the same thing,” said Lucy.

“It doesn’t have to be,” argued Ava, staring at her hands, “if it made me feel just as awful.”

Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the announcement over the intercom that the store was closing.

“Let’s go home,” said Lucy, shelving her retort for later.

Lucy stood up and helped Ava up, and Ava leaned on Ava heavily as they walked back to the apartment. She didn’t even bother to count her steps; she simply let Lucy keep her upright as they moved silently through the frigid night back to their home.

Lucy ushered Ava inside and locked the door behind her, and Ava froze in the living room. She knew that Lucy would want to talk. She also knew that the talking would probably upset her. But unlike her, Lucy couldn’t simply sleep an argument off, so Ava paused and waited for Lucy to say what was on her mind.

“Come, sit down with me,” said Lucy as she took Ava’s arm and led her to the couch. Ava sank down next to her, allowing the cushions to swallow her, and struggled to keep her eyes open against the sudden onslaught of drowsiness.

“I’m sorry,” said Ava softly, allowing tears to trickle down her face. She should have left a note for Lucy. She shouldn’t have just disappeared. But she had been so upset, and the apartment had been empty, and she hadn’t known what to do.

Ava waited for Lucy’s rebuke, so she was surprised when, instead of speaking, Lucy took Ava’s face into her hands and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. Then she pressed her lips to Ava’s, kissing her gently, and Ava’s mouth opened in shock. This wasn’t their first kiss, or their second, but Lucy’s tongue was filling Ava’s mouth, and it gave her a dizzy feeling in her brain.

“Ava, I-” began Lucy, pulling away, but Ava leaned forward and kissed Lucy again. She wasn’t ready to lose this contact. The last few days had been awful, and all she had wanted was an intimate connection with somebody. All she had wanted was to know that somebody cared. And here was Lucy, tasting Ava’s mouth and stroking her back, and Ava clung to her even when the lack of oxygen made her body ache.

“I really am sorry, Luce,” said Ava contritely when Lucy managed to wrench her mouth away. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I didn’t think. I didn’t know. I thought you’d be gone for another night, and I’d be alone-”

“Shhh,” hushed Lucy, pulling Ava’s head to her shoulder, “I’m sorry, too. I should have let you know that I’d be so delayed. I know how you hate being alone at night, and how hard rehearsals are.”

“Sophia cancelled lunch,” whimpered Ava, wiping her eyes on Lucy’s shirt.

“Aw, baby,” cooed Lucy. “Come on, darling. Let’s go to bed.”

“You’re not going to kill me?” asked Ava as they stood up and Lucy led her to her bedroom.

“Not tonight, at least, though your boyfriend might if you don’t let him know that you’re okay.”

Ava waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, him. I’m not scared of him. He can’t do anything.”

Lucy and Ava changed into pajamas and tumbled into bed, and Lucy kissed Ava’s lips gently.

“I, however, can. I will put all of your stuffed animals out on the fire escape to freeze if you pull a prank like tonight’s on me again.”

Ava put her fingers on either side of her nose. “I won’t. Witch’s Honor.”

“Good,” said Lucy, draping her arm over Ava’s waist and closing her eyes, “Now sleep. You have to get up as early as me.”

Ava grumbled good-naturedly and closed her eyes. Lucy never let her hear the end of her switch from nighttime performances to early morning rehearsals.

Several minutes later, when Lucy’s breathing had evened and her mouth had fallen open, Ava gently removed her arm and rolled away from her. She guiltily crept into the hall and hit the fourth number on her phone’s speed dial.

“Josh?” she whispered when she heard the voice on the other end. “This is Ava. I just wanted to let you know that I was all right…”

She heard Lucy turn over in the bed behind her and Josh’s soothing voice, and she couldn’t believe how despondent she had been only an hour before. How could she have doubted that she had people who cared about her? And if there was one thing that Ava knew even better than she knew how much Lucy and Josh loved her, it was that she never wanted to make them both worried about her at the same time. Tonight had proven it. Not only did she love, but she had found love in return.

Now she just had to get back into bed before Lucy woke up, found her missing, and scrambled her body with the morning eggs.

The Hurting Time

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 23:14:39 GMT

Title: The Hurting Time
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Summary: Sylvia becomes obsessed with a fantasy and neglects her real life and love.

The sky was heavy and dark, and the air smelled like a damp dishrag that had been left out for too long. Water droplets fell off of low lying branches and onto Sylvia’s head, bringing to mind the lyrics, “Rain drops are falling on my head.” That was the only part of the song that she knew. Her calf muscles ached, and as she slogged across campus and through muddy puddles, all she could think about was her bed and how she longed to curl up and sleep forever. But that wouldn’t happen. Todd kept telling her that her depression wasn’t permanent, that she would feel better one day. Todd didn’t realize that it wasn’t just a feeling. Sylvia’s body felt dense and achy all of the time. She couldn’t make her limbs move or her mind function. When she thought of going home and cooking dinner and straightening the living room, she just wanted to cry. She always wanted to cry, for no reason at all.

The bricks that created the pathway were uneven, and Sylvia stumbled briefly before catching herself. When she looked up again, there was a man crossing the path so closely that she almost ran into him. Sylvia stopped and watched him walk away with his confident stride, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment from tripping like a toddler who hadn’t yet learned to walk. And then she noticed the way that the man’s cologne lingered in the air, and she felt a smile tug at her lips. His confidence, his smell, his navy suit – it was exactly what she had always admired in a man.

*/*/*

The apartment was dim and musty when Sylvia opened the door. Instead of turning on lights and opening windows, Sylvia pulled the blinds tighter and crawled into bed. Her bra clasp and the waist of her skirt dug into her skin, and she shed them and flung them into a growing pile that consumed the floor.

Sometime later, Sylvia felt the bed shift underneath her. Todd’s arms slid around her waist, and as she floated between consciousness and sleep, he held her.

“Why?” whispered Sylvia finally, unable to make sense of Todd’s actions. “Why do you do this?” What Sylvia really meant was, “Why do you love me?” Todd’s only response was to tighten his hold on her waist and kiss the back of her neck.

“No, Todd, really,” protested Sylvia, turning over and placing her hands on his chest, “Why?”

“Why what, darling?”

Sylvia chewed her lip. “Why do you love me? How can you love me? I’ve done nothing – nothing. I’m only an assistant to a curator, I never remember to buy more toilet paper, and I can’t cook like your mother. I’ve tried to use her recipes, I have, but they don’t work-”

“Darling,” tried Todd, stroking Sylvia’s arm.

“No!” Exclaimed Sylvia, pushing herself onto one elbow and looming over Todd. “I don’t understand. You could have married Emily. She’s going to medical school and she sings and she knows how to keep house. She’s pretty. So why did you choose me?”

“Sylvia,” soothed Todd, touching her face. “I love you, not Emily.”

“But I’m a mess!”

“A mess that I love,” said Todd, and Sylvia shook her head.

“I wanted to be so much for you, Todd. I wanted to be everything. And here we are at home on Friday night, and I can’t even get out of bed. I wouldn’t choose me. Out of all of the women in the world, I wouldn’t choose me. I don’t understand.”

Todd kissed Sylvia’s arm and wrist.

“Just rest, baby, and I’ll make dinner.”

“Omelets?” asked Sylvia.

“If that’s what you’d like.”

Sylvia nodded, and Todd left the room to find his mother’s omelet recipe. Sylvia rolled over and went to sleep. Later, when the omelets were ready, Sylvia continued to sleep. She didn’t wake up, not even when Todd called her name and kissed her neck. So Todd left her alone and watched her as she slept, praying that she would be all right in the morning.

*/*/*

Water fell from the eaves, giving the porch a false sense of being the only place in the world, and Sylvia leaned her head on the armrest and allowed the porch swing to rock her back and forth. It was so easy to just do nothing on days like this. Her mind kept flickering back and forth between darkness and light, and she inexplicably remembered the scent of a man’s cologne. Was it the one that Todd wore on special occasions? No, he wore Old Spice, just as his father had before him. The scent that Sylvia remembered was more elusive and mysterious, like that of a rich suitor in a Harlequin romance. It was what that man, the one who had crossed the path with such purpose yesterday, had been wearing.

Todd bustled around inside, intent on freeing the apartment of its clutter, and Sylvia closed her eyes and imagined a life with a man who wore cologne like that. The man from yesterday – he wouldn’t spend his Saturday cleaning the house. He would have something important to do, like researching precious artifacts or meeting important clients. He wouldn’t have made omelets last night; he would have whisked Sylvia off to a fancy restaurant downtown that required reservations. And if she refused to get out of bed, he would have ordered her favorite Chinese takeout and brought it to her on a tray with the best dishes. Life would be whimsical, but it would also be practical: the rent would be saved before the new text books were bought, and paying student loans wouldn’t require eating ramen for a month. Life would be like what Sylvia had expected it to be before she met Todd.

But Todd loved Sylvia, and Sylvia loved him for it. In a perfect world, that would be enough. In Sylvia’s perfect world –

“Sylvia, do you really need all of these art history books?”

Sylvia opened her eyes and squinted at the books in Todd’s arms.

“Yes. Why?”

Todd shrugged. “It’s just, you never use them, and they take up so much space. If we sold them, we could go ahead and pay the rent for next month-”

Sylvia toppled off of the porch swing and grabbed the books from Todd.

“I need these. I do use them. If you want to pay the rent, sell some of your political science books. Don’t try to take what I love away from me.”

When Sylvia stalked back inside, she slammed and locked the door behind her. It took Todd twenty minutes to realize that the back door was unlocked.

Life with the man wearing cologne would be different. He wouldn’t try to sell her books just because he worried endlessly. And if they fought, he would call to her through the open window instead of standing on the sidewalk in the rain.

*/*/*

Monday was sunny, finally, and the humidity blanketed the campus as Sylvia hurried across it. Sweat beaded on her forehead, slipping into her eyes, and she blinked in frustration against the sting.

And then she saw him.

The mysterious man from Friday crossed her path again, and in the humid afternoon the scent of cologne seemed to linger in the air. Sylvia forgot about sweat and her air conditioned house and the conference call that she had to make. Without making a conscious decision, she began to follow the man. She followed several steps behind, prepared to duck down a different path or feign ignorance if he turned around, but she needn’t have worried. The man never turned around, and they crossed the campus quickly.

The man entered an office building, and Sylvia froze. What was she doing? She was stalking an utter stranger. If she continued forward, he would discover her and think that she was a freak. She had to stop here – she had to give up. When had this man become such a topic of interest, anyway?

Sylvia backed away from the door, watching as it closed behind the man. Soon all she could see were the words, “College of Arts and Sciences Offices,” and the man’s shadow as he disappeared down the corridor. So Sylvia gave up. She hefted her bag over her shoulder and turned around, retracing her steps across campus and looking forward to the air conditioning of home. She had a conference call to make and Todd’s favorite dinner to prepare. There was no time for brooding tonight.

She would show Todd that he was right. She could get better on her own.

*/*/*

The meatloaf in the oven was burning, and it was an hour past the set time for the conference call, but Sylvia didn’t notice. She sat hunched over her old laptop, trying to coax it into keeping an internet signal as she investigated the College of Arts and Sciences homepage.

The page with pictures of professors didn’t yield anything, but Sylvia hadn’t expected it to. The man that she was looking for was much too young to be a full professor. Finally, at the bottom of the page of assistant professors, she found a picture that looked vaguely familiar. It was the curly blond hair that gave him away, and Sylvia quickly scrolled forward to discover his name – Anthony Turner.

Anthony Turner.

Sylvia said it to herself a few times, getting used to the feeling of the words in her mouth. He looked like an Anthony: tall, chiseled, confident. Sylvia studied his picture more closely, noting the way his brow furrowed and his full lips. His voice was probably deep and authoritative. How would it be to speak to him?

The thought made Sylvia’s blood run hot and cold in the same moment. She could feasibly speak to him. But what would she say? “Oh, hello, my name is Sylvia and my life is a mess. But I wouldn’t expect somebody like you to understand that.” But the thing is, he would understand. He would listen to her describe her life, the monotony and constant shades of grey that trapped her, and he would offer her solutions. He would wrap his arms around her, and –

“Shit!”

The smell of burning meatloaf filled the apartment, and Sylvia dashed into the kitchen and pulled it out of the oven, waving away smoke as she heard Todd’s car door slam shut. At least the smoke detectors were broken.

“Is something wrong?” asked Todd, alarmed at the sight and smell of the kitchen.

“I was trying to make meatloaf,” explained Sylvia, gesturing to the charred mess miserably, “But I have obviously failed.”

Todd stared at the mess for a minute, and then a smile crossed his face. Sylvia watched him in confusion, squealing with surprise as he crossed the kitchen, picked her up, and carried her to the bedroom.

“But you tried,” he said, his eyes sparkling, “And that’s what matters. I wasn’t hungry, anyway.”

Todd lowered Sophia to the bed gently, covering her body with his, and kissed her throat.

“Todd,” Sylvia murmured, shifting her legs restlessly and running her hands up and down his back.

“I love you,” he said, moving lower. “I fucking love you.”

*/*/*

The humidity outside was so heavy that it was nearly palpable, and Sylvia pushed her bangs off of her forehead half-heartedly as she walked through campus to the post office. The bag that was slung over her shoulder was full of library books to return and files that she had to drop off at Todd’s office, and it made her shoulder ache.

On weekends the campus became the playground of the community, and as Sylvia crossed the horseshoe, she saw a group of children playing with sticks and capes. One of the children caught her eye – a little boy with curly blond hair – and as he defended one of the girls from another of the little boys, Sylvia found herself watching and smiling. That little boy’s hair was the same shade and texture as Anthony’s, and Sylvia pictured Anthony sitting on the bench down the pathway, keeping an eye on the children. He would be the perfect father, seeming engrossed in his newspaper (not an embarrassingly colorful space-fantasy novel like Todd was apt to take places), but he would watch the children out of the corner of his eye, ensuring their safety without interfering with their game. Sylvia would sit next to him with a bottle of sweet tea that they would share, and he would hold her hand as they watched their son play with his friends.

In the library, Sylvia found herself in the children’s section. A tiny girl with sandy hair and big eyes sat alone on the floor, struggling with a Junie B. Jones chapter book that seemed much too hard for her.

“Would you like me to read it to you?” asked Sylvia, sliding to the floor next to the child.

The little girl looked up at Sylvia with serious eyes. “No, I can do it. But if you could help me, that would be okay.”

Sylvia hid her smile and nodded gravely. “Of course. What seems to be the matter?”

“I don’t know what this word is,” said the child, pointing to the book. “Is . . . isl . . .”

“Island,” corrected Sylvia gently.

“Island,” repeated the girl. “The monster was from an island a long way away . . .”

Sylvia followed along with her eyes, but her mind was far away in a bedroom that belonged to her daughter. The daughter that she had with Anthony would be smart and stubborn, only allowing Sylvia to help her read the book when she couldn’t understand a word at all. And then, when the story was over, Anthony would come into the room and help Sylvia tuck their daughter in. The little girl would close her eyes and sneak her thumb into her mouth, and Sylvia and Anthony would smile indulgently before leaving the room hand-in-hand.

“Kelsey, are you ready to go?”

Sylvia was startled out of her daydream by a woman’s shrill voice, and Kelsey reluctantly put the book down and stood up, turning to face Sylvia.

“I have to go now, but thank you for helping me,” she said, handing the book to Sylvia before disappearing down the aisle.

Sylvia wasn’t even sad to see Kelsey go. All she could think of was the name that kept rattling around in her brain: Kelsey Turner. She had to admit, it had a certain allure.

The bank was busy, and Sylvia was preoccupied with her thoughts as she filled out her deposit slips at the counter.

“Excuse me.”

Sylvia’s head jerked up when somebody touched her arm, and when she saw who it was, her mind became a panicked blank.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Anthony in a deep, rumbly voice. He sounded every bit as refined as Sylvia had imagined. “May I have a deposit slip?”

“A what?” asked Sylvia.

“A deposit slip,” repeated Anthony, pointing to the stack of slips that Sylvia was bearing down on.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, embarrassed. “Of course.”

She handed the slip to Anthony, and as he filled it out, he tilted his head toward her.

“I’m Anthony Turner,” he said.

It was all Sylvia could do to refrain from saying, “I know.”

“Sylvia Granger,” said Sylvia.

Anthony put his pen down and shook her hand, squeezing her fingers slightly.

“Sylvia’s a lovely name,” he said warmly, and Sylvia smiled. Everything was happening perfectly. More perfectly, even, than it would have occurred if she could have scripted it. Suddenly, inexplicably, the fantasies and dreams that she had harbored for the last few days slipped away.

“Would you like to go get coffee?” asked Anthony as he released Sylvia’s hand.

Sylvia chewed her lip and scrutinized Anthony’s eyes, then shook her head slowly and stepped away.

“No,” she said softly. “No, I’m afraid I can’t.”

Then she stuffed her deposit slip in her purse and waved slightly before turning around and heading out of the bank.

*/*/*

The sun was setting behind the houses across the street, and Sylvia closed her eyes and let the light warm her face as the porch swing rocked her gently.

Todd’s car door slammed, and his shoes crunched on the sidewalk. When Sylvia felt his shadow cross her face, she reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Sit?” she asked him.

Todd complied, and Sylvia rearranged herself, leaning against his shoulder.

“Can we talk about something?” asked Sylvia, squeezing her eyes shut and feeling the way her eyelashes tickled her cheeks.

“Sure, darling. What?”

“Can we talk about our future?”

Todd stopped moving, and Sylvia opened her eyes and sat up to look at him.

“Our future?” he repeated.

Sylvia sighed and turned her eyes to the sun, watching as it sank behind the trees.

“I know I’ve been distant lately, Todd, and it hasn’t been fair to you. I don’t know what’s been wrong with me. But if you want to, I’d like to discuss our forever.”

“Our forever?” asked Todd.

Sylvia sat upright when she heard the question in Todd’s voice, and he turned to her and placed his hands on her cheeks.

“Well, I guess we should begin with marriage.”

“Marriage?” it was Sylvia’s turn to ask.

“Sylvia, will you marry me?”

“I will,” said Sylvia softly, closing her eyes as Todd kissed her face. When he pulled away, she took a deep breath.

“I just have one question,” she said. “Do I have to cook?”

Todd’s face split into a grin. “I was hoping you would ask that. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to do the cooking.”

“That’s fine by me,” said Sylvia gratefully.

Todd took Sylvia’s hand and gazed pensively at the pink sky.

“I’ll try my hardest to make you happy,” he promised.

Sylvia cupped his cheek and kissed his mouth softly.

“You will,” she promised him. “You already do.”

“God, Sylvia,” whispered Todd. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she told him, and as they sat there together at twilight, she realized that she did. She always had. And even though he wasn’t her romance novel ideal, she would be happy with him. They might never have genius children or a gorgeous house, but they would be content with their messy, chaotic, imperfect life together. For Sylvia, that was all she needed to reclaim her life again: love.

The End.

Mysterious Ways to Make You Happy

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:58:02 GMT

Title: Mysterious Ways to Make You Happy
Rating: PG
Summary: Ava has a bad day. Lucy helps turn her day around.
A/N: This is a Lucy and Ava story that takes place in late April 2011.

Ava’s throat tightened, and she felt her eyes prick as she blinked rapidly. It never did any good to cry over things. Crying was something that she was trying to eliminate from her life, unless she was in the privacy of her home and she had a good reason to cry. But her eyes wouldn’t listen, and the ache in her throat became unbearable. She forced a smile on her face and laughed shakily with the friends that surrounded her, struggling hard to conceal her emotions. Of course her friends didn’t notice anything. When she excused herself later and begged out of shopping on Fifth Avenue, they didn’t think anything of it. After all, Ava worked on Broadway. She had a reason to be tired and less lively than usual. They dismissed her mood as easily as they dismissed her, and they had forgotten her odd behavior before she had even made it out of the restaurant.

Ava stuffed her fists in the pockets of her jacket and clenched her jaw, staring hard at the ground. She had schooled herself to walk through the city with her head held high, meeting other people’s gazes, but today she avoided the looks as if they had the power to destroy her. One unkind glance, one muttered curse, and she knew that she’d be lost.

It wasn’t long until Ava found herself on the gum stained sidewalk outside of the apartment building. She glanced up at the windows, then pressed the buzzer.

“Who is it?”

Ava swallowed. “Lucy? It’s Ava. Will you let me up?”

“Are you all right?”

Ava looked around at the people that passed her on the street and ducked her head in embarrassment. “Um, can I just come up?”

“Sure, baby, just a second,” answered Lucy quickly, and Ava heard the click that admitted her into the building. When Ava reached the apartment, Lucy was standing in the open door, waiting for her.

“What is-” started Lucy.

Ava didn’t give Lucy a chance to finish. She reached for Lucy, and Lucy drew her close and wrapped her in a hug. Ava began to cry, sobs that reached from down in her gut and were muffled by Lucy’s shoulder, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to stop. Lucy pulled Ava back into the apartment and closed to door behind them, not even complaining as she felt the dampness on her shirt seep through to her skin.

Ava didn’t cry often, and when she did, she didn’t cry for long. When her sobs had turned into whimpers, Lucy guided her to the couch and tugged until Ava was situated in her lap.

“Tell me what happened,” encouraged Lucy, stroking Ava’s tousled hair.

“I didn’t get the benefit,” hiccupped Ava between sobs.

“Oh, baby,” whispered Lucy.

“And I really wanted it!”

“I know you did. And you thought you would get it.”

“They gave it to Amanda Mullinax, instead. But she’s just an understudy! I don’t understand! My voice is just as good as hers, and I can sing those songs better. She’s not even the Elphaba standby yet.”

“Wicked draws more tickets than Phantom, you know that.”

“I hate that musical,” muttered Ava.

Lucy tugged the end of Ava’s hair. “No, you don’t. If they offered you Glinda right now, you’d take it without even thinking about it.”

Ava frowned. “I know. But I still don’t understand why Amanda gets to do the benefit.”

Lucy rubbed Ava’s back soothingly. “You’ve only been on Broadway for a few months, and Amanda has been here for a decade. She’s been in three Broadway shows. I’m sure there are other benefits in which she hasn’t been cast, but wanted it just as badly as you want this one.”

Ava sniffed, and Lucy handed her a tissue.

“That doesn’t help stop me from feeling like a failure right now.”

“Oh, baby,” crooned Lucy, kissing Ava’s cheek, “I know. Rejection is hard.”

“It’s a part of my business that I’m supposed to be used to, but it still hurts.”

“It’s all right that it hurts, darling. But you aren’t a failure. Look at you – you’re 21 and you’re the Christine understudy on Broadway. Most people your age haven’t even graduated from college yet.”

“What good does being the understudy do if I don’t get to perform? I just sit in my dressing room and catch up on missed episodes of 90210.”

“You perform several times a week. Things just feel bad right now because Amanda is doing what you wanted to do.”

Ava nodded miserably and grabbed a throw pillow, burying her face in it.

“Awww,” cooed Lucy, putting Ava on the couch and standing up. “Stay there. I have something that will cheer you up.”

Lucy disappeared into the kitchen and returned with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. She opened the carton and handed Ava a spoon.

“You don’t even have a show tomorrow,” said Lucy wisely, and Ava smiled slightly and stuck her spoon into the carton.

“This is just what I need.”

Lucy turned the television to reruns of Sex and the City, and she and Ava ate ice cream out of the carton as the city grew dark outside and the world continued on without them. Ava didn’t snore, and it wasn’t until the fourth episode that Lucy noticed that Ava had fallen asleep.

“Darling,” whispered Lucy, pushing the hair out of Ava’s face.

“Hmm?” murmured Ava, peaking up with one eye.

“You fell asleep, and it’s getting late.”

Ava sat up straight and looked around. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for her bag.

“Don’t worry about it,” replied Lucy, putting a restraining hand on Ava’s arm. “You can just sleep here.”

Ava smiled slowly. “Really? I wouldn’t be imposing?”

“A,” said Lucy, standing up, “You spent the night with me the first day we met. I hardly think that you would be imposing now. I’ve gotten used to having you here with me.”

“I’d like to stay,” said Ava, scuffing her toe against the carpet.

Lucy took her bag and placed it back on the coffee table. “Then you will. You know where the bedroom is.”

Ava toed off her shoes and left them next to the front door. “And I know where the secret stash of chocolate is.”

“No more chocolate before bed, you’ll get a rash!” Lucy called after Ava, but it was too late. She already heard the rustling of the plastic wrappers. Now she would have to listen to Ava cry tomorrow when she found hives on her torso.

*/*/*

“Oh my-”

“You’ll be fine.”

Ava stopped in her tracks, and Lucy placed a hand on her back to propel her forward.

“Do you want me to get you out of here? I can tell everyone that you’re sick.”

Ava shook her head quickly. “No, I have to do this. I can do this, right?”

Lucy nodded in confirmation. “You’re strong, A, and you’re brave. And remember, you sound better doing the songs than she is. This is just her time to be a star for a night. You get to go on stage a lot more than she does.”

Ava plastered on a smiled as Amanda crossed the room and reached for Ava’s hands.

“Ava, dear, I’m glad to see you.”

Amanda placed a kiss on Ava’s cheek and pulled back to beam at her. “And who is this with you?”

Ava captured Lucy’s elbow and drew her close. “This is my best friend, Lucy Scott. Lucy, this is Amanda Mullinax.”

“And what is your profession?” asked Lucy, smiling slightly when she felt Ava stifle a giggle.

Amanda frowned. “Ava doesn’t talk about me?”

“I’m afraid not,” replied Lucy.

“Oh.” Amanda shrugged and forced a smile. “I’m an actress on Broadway. I’m in Wicked right now.”

“I’ve met both of the women playing the leads,” said Lucy, squeezing Ava’s arm, “They came to Ava’s birthday party at the Majestic. Who do you play?”

Amanda faltered. “I, well. I understudy, just like Ava.”

“How many shows are you scheduled a week?” asked Lucy blithely.

Ava stared at Lucy in wonder. She had never seen Lucy do anything like this before, and it was amazing.

“There’s not a set schedule,” said Amanda, frowning. Then she smiled and raised an eyebrow at Ava. “But I am in a benefit next week. I had heard that Ava was interested, but I guess that it didn’t come to be.”

Lucy tightened her jaw. “It must be so nice to at least have that guaranteed stage time. I’ve heard from Ava’s friends that not getting to go on is tedious.”

“Yes.” Said Amanda forcedly. “Very.”

Amanda walked away, and Ava turned to Lucy.

“Ten second rule,” said Lucy quickly. She watched Ava count to ten, then braced herself for the questions.

“How did you do that?”

Lucy shrugged. “I guess I’ve learned some things from you.”

“You were amazing!”

“Yeah.”

“You win!”

Lucy grinned. “Thank you. What do I get for winning?”

Ava took Lucy’s arm and headed for the exit.

“I hear that Kate and Leopold is playing on TBS tonight. Lexie is out of town with her boyfriend, and there are fresh cookies on my counter.”

“That sounds like true friendship to me,” commented Lucy.

“What?” asked Ava. “Fresh cookies and sappy movies?”

“No,” replied Lucy. “The part where we leave. I can’t stand watching these women make out with each other’s cheeks when you know that they just want to steal each other’s roles.”

Ava stood on tiptoe and kissed Lucy’s cheek.

“Let’s bounce.”

The End