Backstage Romance: An Austen-Inspired Romantic Comedy Box Set by Gigi Blume (ebook reader with highlighter txt) 📕

Only a beam of a blue stage light spilled into the corners where they stood, making them appear like a frolicking band of ghostly figures.

As I joined them, I was greeted by hugs and smiles, even from the girls I didn’t get to know as well as others. Even from Caroline and Mariah.

“I want you to know,” said Holly in hushed tones, “that Lydia felt so sad she couldn’t be here tonight to see us perform.”

A general wave of disappointed sighs ensued, and a few nods of understanding were communicated. She went on.

“But she promises to come as soon as she’s well enough to laugh without too much pain.”

A few of the girls whispered encouraging words.

“We’ll wait for her to get better.”

“Tonight is for Lydia.”

“She’s here in spirit.”

Holly nodded. “Yes, she is. That’s why she wanted to make sure I give you these.”

She dipped her hand in a paper gift bag and pulled out small satchels tied with a satin ribbon. Attached to the ribbons were little tags, which Caroline helped Holly read as she passed them out to each of the girls.

“I knew we wouldn’t see much of Jane backstage, so I made sure she got hers before curtain.”

As she handed me the small gift, she said, “Cole gave us permission to use these in the final number.”

I looked at the little tag attached to the ribbon and smiled.

To, Edith. Love, Lettuce.

She must have made these before the boat trip. Funny, I never knew what she did in her free time except party. Now I knew she was crafty, too.

Pulling the string, the fabric opened up into a beautiful, embroidered handkerchief with a single piece of saltwater taffy inside. It was decorated with a Guipure lace trim and in one corner were the initials E.S. for Edith Stanley.

“Cole told the pirates and police to expect us to drop them in the final song,” she said.

Caroline stuffed her handkerchief down her bodice and grinned. “Denny knows where to find mine.”

Denny?

My eyes shot to Holly for confirmation, and she nodded emphatically. That’s right. Caroline and Denny.

I didn’t see that coming.

Glancing back to the action on stage, I caught a glimpse at Denny tiptoeing behind General Stanley in Sighing Softly to the River. His silly face making comical contortions behind heavily applied guy-liner, that false gold tooth he spiritedly wore, and his tall, lanky figure were the most bizarre combination of nerdy and dashing imaginable. I could see the appeal.

Jane appeared to my left and gave me a side hug. The smile between us spoke volumes in its own silence. These are the days, my friend. Let’s do this.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her in for a squeeze. Our mop-capped heads tapped in a brief toasting to our friendship as if to say we would be BFFs forever. And if that didn’t mean she wanted me for her maid of honor, I was prepared to get all Bridesmaids Best-Friend-Speech on her. Because, yeah—that’s what friends are for.

I tucked my saltwater taffy safely in my corset (because who doesn’t like gooey, sticky confections in their cleavage) and joined the throng of Stanley Sisters flutter on stage for the finale.

I’d always thought Pirates of Penzance had a hilariously bizarre and quickly resolved ending. The pirates draw their swords on General Stanley. Mabel intervenes and calls for help. The police arrive and a quickie sword fight ensues where the pirates win far too easily. But then the police captain calls upon their honor in the name of Queen Victoria. That was one of my favorite parts because in our production, a giant painting of Queen Victoria was lowered from the fly system, and all the pirates covered their hearts and knelt reverently.

Will was down center stage, and his expression was the stuff of which campy musical gold was made. Also, he was beautiful—if you could call a man of his virility beautiful. I decided to keep my commentary to myself. But who cared? We were at the point of the show where I could get away with ogling Will until bows. It was in my blocking—sort of.

He shifted his focus to glance at me in his peripheral vision and found me watching him unabashedly.

Busted.

His eyes flickered to mine, and I caught the hint of a smile. Anticipation shot through me with an electric blast. I could sense the same energy in his posture, like a runner at the starting line, just waiting for the moment in the scene where the Major General sang ‘take my daughters, all of whom are beauties,’ so he could finally claim me.

The first thing I noticed was that he carelessly threw all our blocking and choreography out the window. He took my hand and ushered me upstage behind the waltzing pirates, police, and maidens. In fact, he completely abandoned the notion we were in the scene at all, favoring whispered words to me instead of singing the finale with the rest of the cast.

“I have been selfish all my life,” he said in hushed tones. “I was just a spoiled kid that grew into an arrogant adult.”

Okaaaay…

“My point is… I’ve changed. Because of you. Because you make me want to be so much better than what I am.”

The entire company was singing the reprise to Poor Wandering One by now. We were supposed to be next to Jane and Bing singing take heart, take mine, but there we were, hiding behind the ensemble, talking about life choices. Like it couldn’t wait—he had to tell me those things in that moment.

But it was also perfect. So incredibly perfect, because the stage was the one place we always had a common ground. It was the one love we both held dear when we were so convinced we loathed each other. And maybe he wanted to get this confession off his chest before the really good stuff—like a kiss, for instance. So I didn’t speak so he could finish whatever he wanted to say before the lights dimmed.

“You’re too