“Has anyone seen Jacqueline?” I asked, rushing past everyone.
I couldn’t be sure if my heart was beating faster than my feet moving across the floor. It was almost curtain time. I took the corner in a skid, then right into a pair of warm arms. Before I could extract myself, Yury stormed around the corner, barking orders.
“What are you doing, girl? Who are you?” His face and neck turned a reddish purple. “Never mind, I don’t care. Just get her ready.”
“Who, me?” a soft male voice asked from behind me.
ChapterTwo
COTA
“Who, me?” I gently removed the girl from my arms. “I think you have the wrong person. This isn’t my job.”
“Why would I care what your job is? I order you to get this foolish girl ready.” Yury stomped away, grumbling in Russian.
“But I don’t…” I gave up.
“I’m so sorry for crashing into you like that,” the female who ran into me offered as she pushed away. “You don’t need to help me. Just hurry away before he comes back, and you get fired.”
“I appreciate the warning, but I’m certain he can’t fire me,” I called out to her as she ran off.
Why does everyone keep walking away from me? Where is Murphy?
I pulled my cell from the back pocket of my pants to see if my cousin Murphy had texted. The only reason I was backstage to begin with was because she asked me to meet her there.
“Where are you?”I sent her a text.
“I’m sitting in the audience. Where are you?”Murphy texted back.
“Backstage, being ordered around by an ogre.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Doesn’t matter. Why did you tell me to meet you back here then not wait for me?”
“Sorry, I got distracted. I saved you a seat, so hurry up, it’s about to start.”
I slid my cell back in my pocket and looked around for the nearest exit. The bright red sign above double doors seemed to hold the answer. As I passed the side stage, I heard someone crying but, before I could see if the person was alright, the red-faced beast was once again yelling at the girl while she cried. I stood off to the side, nervous for her. He seemed like the type to be physically abusive, too. The last thing I heard him say was that she and the others would be locked in their rooms for the next few weeks.
“Hey, who is the guy backstage yelling at all the girls?”I texted Murphy.
“Well, silly, I’m not back there to see who you’re referring to, but it’s probably Yury, their boss.”
“I don’t like this guy.”
“Yeah, he’s impossible to deal with. Get out here.”
“I’m coming already.”
I watched the ballet dancer go from crying to a wooden soldier stance with her head held firmly. She turned to go onstage when our eyes locked, and I felt the intensity of those tear-filled eyes. I wanted to say something to make her feel better, but what could I possibly say?
I found Murphy just as the lights dimmed and the music started. She nudged me with her shoulder, smiling, yet never taking her eyes off the stage.
It had been forty-five minutes and I knew I was fidgeting, so did Murphy. Thankfully, it was finally intermission. Murphy pointed for me to get up and I readily agreed to do just that, then started walking with her trailing behind me. We hadn’t said a word to one another until we each grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter in the VIP room.
“So, are you going to explain to me why you weren’t backstage where you told me to meet you?” I downed the champagne in one chug. “For that matter, why the ballet?”
“Well, the Hawthorne Foundation took over the theatre, and guess who gets to be in charge?” Murphy smiled ear to ear.