Winter's Spell, page 30
Tessa and Roxy turned to see Rhoda approaching. She was wearing the same black trench from the night before, and she looked as put together as ever.
Rhoda joined them at the surf’s edge, looking out at the water.
“Any sign of your friend?” she said. Her hands were in her pockets, and she jiggled one of them. “I have something to give back to her. Or her people, rather.”
“The bracelet?” said Roxy quietly.
Rhoda nodded.
“Doesn’t it belong to the museum?” said Tessa.
“No,” said Rhoda. “It never belonged to the museum. Not really. Artifacts like these don’t belong in museums. They belong with the people or creatures who created them.”
“So how did it end up in the museum in the first place?”
Rhoda sighed. “My father wanted it. He knew all the mermaid lore. He managed to trap my mother on land, and he took the bracelet from her. She was a direct descendant of Gwenhidw.”
“What?” Roxy sounded incredulous. “But that means you’re a direct descendant too! You’re a princess.”
Rhoda smiled. “Not exactly. When mermaids mate with humans, their children don’t have the ability to change into the merbody. We inherit some magic, but that’s it. And since I can’t live underwater, there’s really no way to claim a crown or position down there.”
“Wow,” said Roxy. “You could still keep the bracelet though. For yourself.”
Rhoda’s voice became tinged with sadness. “I’ve held onto it too long already. I thought putting it into the museum would keep it safe, but I was wrong. It’s not safe until it’s back with Mo and her people.”
The three of them gazed out at the gray-green waters of the Bay, Long Point and the Long Point Light Station mere specks in the distance.
“Do you think she’ll return here?” said Tessa finally.
“She said she would,” said Roxy. “She promised me.”
“Mermaids always keep a promise,” said Rhoda, but her voice lacked confidence.
It was true, thought Tessa. Why would Mo come back to a place that had held her hostage there for a month?
“Why did Mo lose her ability to change to her tail in the tub?” asked Roxy.
“When did she show up here?” said Rhoda.
“New Year’s Day.”
Rhoda paused a moment, thinking. “A full moon cycle,” she said finally. “Mo arrived at the full moon, and yesterday was the full moon. Merfolk need consistent access to their home waters to keep their ability to shapeshift. If she was staying out of the Bay for fear of the Sisters, then her human form would start to ossify after a twenty-eight-day cycle without that access.”
“How do you know that?” asked Tessa, feeling as though she already knew the answer.
“My mother found out the hard way,” said Rhoda quietly.
“I’m sorry,” said Roxy.
Tessa felt her heart squeeze. She wanted to say something comforting to Rhoda, but she had no idea what on earth she could say in such a situation.
“It’s fine,” said Rhoda. “I’m glad I could help you yesterday. After the break-ins at the museum, I’d been scanning the area with my crystal ball more frequently, and I could hardly believe my eyes last night.”
“We are so grateful for your help,” said Tessa. “I don’t suppose…”
Rhoda looked at her carefully.
“I don’t suppose you could come to the theater and see if there’s any way to salvage what the Sisters destroyed there?”
Rhoda smiled. “Of course,” she said warmly. “I’d be happy to. Though I’m not sure how much I can do. The Three Sisters were incredibly powerful, especially with the Eye of Power.”
“Oh yuck,” said Roxy with a grin. “Don’t remind me about that creepy eyeball.” She looked down at the sand as if expecting it to jump out at her suddenly.
“Do you have any idea how the Sisters got that?” said Tessa, as they walked back up the beach toward the theater. “Or where they came from?”
“Madame Clerval has been here on the Cape forever,” said Rhoda, “though it’s possible that the real Madame Clerval is gone, and this sorceress was simply masquerading as her as part of a disguise. It’s hard to say. I was in Greece for a vacation trip at the start of the year, and when I got back, the bracelet had already been stolen. I think I would have sensed a dark presence here in town beforehand. My mother would have too.”
“Your mother is still here? On land?” Roxy sounded surprised.
“She cannot turn back to her usual form,” said Rhoda simply.
“What about that Eye?” said Tessa.
“I don’t know,” said Rhoda. “Dangerous magical artifacts turn up all the time. My guess would be that it turned up in an archaeological dig somewhere around the world, and one of the Three was there to nab it.”
“Sounds very Indiana Jones,” said Roxy.
Rhoda chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it does.”
* * *
At the theater, they showed Rhoda what was left of the costumes, the props, and the scenery. Chayo and Lisa had organized some of it, so at least the scraps of fabric weren’t littering the floor of the costume shop, but none of it changed the fact that it was an utter mess—and completely unsalvageable.
Rhoda touched a couple of the fabric scraps, rubbing the fabric and holding up some of the bigger pieces up to the light, as if examining an X-ray.
Tessa knew her own body was still healing from all the excitement and energy expenditure the night before, and she didn’t dare try to use any of her small pool of magic on anything today. She would let Rhoda use her magic instead. Tessa tried not to feel disappointed by her own lack of magical power; not only was she out of practice, but she had come to understand that she had been under a spell of some kind herself. When she’d handed that ring to Roxy, she’d felt the lightness return. She knew, right then, that the Three Sisters—Barb most likely—had been affecting her ability to use magic, tampering with it and dampening it. She must have been the one who noticed her wards in the theater and had taken them down.
“I’m sorry,” said Rhoda finally. “The magic that destroyed this has made it completely unusable. In fact, I’d get rid of it as soon as possible. The residue of the magic on this might still have evil attached to it.”
Tessa’s heart squeezed in her chest. She felt dizzy and sat down heavily in a chair in the costume room.
Roxy kneeled down next to her. “Hey, babe, are you okay?” Her voice was full of care and kindness, and yet, it made what Tessa was feeling all the worse.
How was it that just as she got the most amazing girlfriend, her career was in the tank? How would she ever explain this to anyone and, moreover, how would they put on a show with no sets and no props and no costumes?
Tessa began to cry. She was overwhelmed with anxiety and anger.
Roxy pulled her into a hug, kneeling at her side. Rhoda stepped into the hallway to give them some privacy.
“How will I explain this to the grant board?” said Tessa between sobs. She put her face into her hands. “All that money…”
“We’ll figure it out. If not you, then Joy or Chayo or Lisa or someone. We’re all here to support you, and we all want the show to succeed,” said Roxy. She was the voice of reason, and Tessa knew that she was right. They would figure this out somehow.
“I’m going to get going,” said Rhoda, who had returned to the room. “There’s nothing for me to do here, and at home, I’m going to keep an eye on the ball, as it were.”
“Ha,” said Roxy dryly. “Good pun.”
Rhoda winked. “I try.” She paused and her expression grew more serious but also more concerned. “If you need help with anything else, though, do let me know. I know just about everyone around here and, well, you know.” She winked again and handed Tessa a card with the address of the museum and two phone numbers. “My mobile is the best bet. Feel free to call or text as needed, especially if Mo shows up.”
Just like that, she was gone, and it was Tessa and Roxy again. Roxy slid into the seat next to her, and they squashed together in the uncomfortable old office chair.
“Mm,” said Roxy jokingly. “Cozy.”
Tessa managed to slide out from between the armrest and Roxy and settled herself on Roxy’s lap instead. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was comforting, and that was what mattered. Tessa could hear Roxy’s heart beating steadily beneath her ear, and she allowed herself to be calmed by that steady thum-thump. She heaved a big sigh.
“I just want to stay like this forever,” she said.
“Mmm-hmm,” murmured Roxy.
They sat like that for a while, time passing unwatched and uncounted, until footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing louder and louder and then Joy’s face appeared in the doorway.
She took in the scene before her without batting an eyelash. Tessa knew she always had a sixth sense about these things, and especially about relationships during a show.
“Police are here again,” she said. “Ready to give a statement?”
Tessa groaned. “I guess,” she said. She pushed herself upright and then paused to give Roxy a kiss before standing up completely. Roxy stood up too.
“Let’s go together.”
Chapter Thirty-one—Roxy
Two days passed in a whirlwind of cleaning up the theater, being interviewed and re-interviewed by the police, reassuring the cast and crew that everything was fine, and making a new budget for the grant committee. Roxy was getting tired of having to tell the same story over and over, especially since it wasn’t technically the truth. But who would believe the truth?
The police report cleared Tessa of any wrongdoing, along with everyone else officially associated with the show. Barb became suspect number one, though it didn’t matter much since she was nowhere to be found in the theater or Provincetown.
Roxy was relieved that Tessa was officially not to blame, but she saw how hard Tessa was taking the whole situation regardless. They’d been spending every night together since the night of the battle on the beach, and Roxy could see the situation was taking a toll on her.
She wished there was something she could do for Tessa to cheer her up—or to help solve the situation at the theater.
Things had only gotten more complicated when the actor playing Perdita in The Winter’s Tale announced she was quitting. She was, apparently, very superstitious, and the events at the theater were too much for her.
Tessa had cried and cried after that—at home of course. At the theater, she was keeping up the facade that everything was okay. She told Roxy that she had to. She couldn’t let the cast and crew know how close everything was to collapsing.
Roxy wished she would be honest with everyone about how difficult a situation they were in. Surely they could handle it—and maybe everyone could pitch in and come up with some solutions together?
But Roxy didn’t feel she could make such a suggestion. After all, she knew next to nothing about theater, and Tessa was the expert.
Aside from that, there was still no sign of Mo, and Roxy was starting to wonder if she would keep her promise to come back after all. Roxy was beginning to feel a bit disheartened, and she was glad to have her shifts at the pub on Monday and Tuesday to distract her.
At the pub, it was a whole different world. It was February, and everything was covered in rainbow-colored hearts. The Valentine’s special beer that Roxy had helped put into kegs was now on tap at the bar, and it was delicious—a raspberry chocolate porter.
Everyone over at the pub was festive and jolly, and all Hunter and Jack could talk about at weekly staff meetings was starting to plan their summer beer flavors. Pride of Ptown always had at least three summer beers, and this year they were contemplating adding a Gose along with their two fruited sours and their fruited IPA.
Roxy had Wednesday off from the pub, though, so she made her way to the theater instead. She’d had to go to her apartment to get clean clothes, and she was surprised to see what a mess it was in there. Staying with Tessa, she’d gotten used to everything being neat and tidy, and she’d forgotten that her own cleanliness rituals were seriously lacking.
If only she had a magic wand to wave and put everything into its place. But Rhoda had taken back the wands that night on the beach—aside from the fact that Roxy wasn’t even really sure if her powers, powerful though they were, could be harnessed for such a mundane task.
Today, the theater was full of life. Opening night was only three weeks away.
Roxy found Tessa with Joy and Lisa in the greenroom, along with the actors who were playing Hermione and Polixenes—or, as Roxy thought of them, the statue-woman and her lover. Or maybe lover? Roxy wasn’t sure. She still hadn’t cracked open the book with the play in it.
“Tessa, you have to cast someone for Perdita. It’s a small part, but an important one…you can’t put it off,” said Roger, the man playing Polixenes.
“Do you have any suggestions?” said Tessa, her voice full of exasperation. She saw Roxy in the doorway and flashed a quick smile at her before continuing. “Perdita doesn’t have an understudy.”
“Why is that?” demanded Roger.
Tessa shrugged. “To be honest, I kind of figured I could be Perdita’s understudy if necessary, but clearly I don’t have time to learn the part now. There is too much other stuff to take care of,” she said, her voice steadier now. Roxy admired her ability to stay calm under pressure. “Lisa, suggestions?”
Lisa looked over at Roxy and gave her a look that spelled trouble. Now that her and Tessa’s relationship was out in the open, Lisa’s demeanor had changed again toward her, and she had no idea where she stood with the icy blond celebrity.
“How about Roxy?”
“You’re joking, right?” said Roxy with a weak chuckle. She could think of nothing worse than trying to learn a part in a Shakespeare play. It was literally her nightmare.
“Not at all,” said Lisa with a grin like the cat that ate the cream. She looked over at Tessa. “Roxy’s been around the theater for a month now. And she said she’s had theater experience in the past…so why not? As you said, Roger, it’s a small part, so it should be pretty easy to learn.”
“Lisa, be serious,” said Roger, his face softening a bit. “Roxy isn’t a trained actor. We are all professionals—”
“Not all,” interjected Lisa. She ticked off the names of several people in the play who were local amateurs. This had been done on purpose, as Tessa’s grant had several educational objectives, and giving amateur actors the opportunity to learn from professionals was one aspect of the grant. “See? Not all professionals.” She paused and looked Roxy up and down. “Roxy has that fresh, young, androgynous look—perfect for our Perdita.”
Roxy looked over at Tessa, hoping she would take Roxy’s side. The whole idea was ridiculous and made Roxy’s insides turn to jelly.
But here she was wrong. Tessa was taking the suggestion seriously.
“I mean, it’s not the worst idea,” said Tessa slowly. She looked over at Roxy. “Won’t you think about it, at least? I would love to direct you. It would be a lot of fun.” Tessa smiled at her winningly, and Roxy couldn’t believe her ears.
“Tessa, please, listen to me,” said she, walking up to Tessa. She took one of Tessa’s hands in hers. “I admire you so much, and this play, too. The whole project is amazing, and I wish I could be part of it, but…I can’t. I can’t do this.”
Tessa looked confused and a little hurt.
“Can you think about it before saying no?”
Roxy sighed. She had no idea how thinking about it was going to help, but she also didn’t want to embarrass Tessa in front of her colleagues. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“Great!” said Tessa with a smile. She turned back to Lisa and Roger, and they began discussing rehearsal schedules.
After a moment, Roxy felt she was no longer part of the conversation and, in fact, Tessa was barely paying attention to her. She ignored the pang of disappointment and decided to leave and find Chayo.
The wood shop was blissfully quiet. Roxy found Chayo sitting at the one desk in the room, a pencil behind her ear.
“Hey, good to see you,” said Chayo, and even that small greeting, so full of warmth, made Roxy feel better.
“You too,” said Roxy. She looked around and noticed that the wood shop was mostly empty. They had built so much and now it was as though none of it had ever happened. “Where’d it all go?”
Chayo shrugged. “Most of it was destroyed, my friend. I’m sitting here trying to figure out what we could do instead. What’s left of the budget will probably go for costumes, so we have to figure this all out on the proverbial shoestring.”
“If only you were referring to a French fry,” joked Roxy. She was rewarded with a smile and quiet chuckle from Chayo. “Was anything saved?”
“Oh! Yes, actually,” said Chayo. “The throne. Thank goodness. I’d locked it in one of the spare dressing rooms at the end of that little hallway over there.” Chayo gestured toward the hallway where Lisa had her personal dressing room. “I guess the vandals never made it down there or didn’t find the keys or whatever.”
“That’s good,” said Roxy. An idea was forming in her head as Chayo was talking. “Are you going to stick with the space theme?”
Chayo shook her head. “I don’t know how we possibly could. It was a cool concept, but a pricey one. And the costumes are totally destroyed.”
Roxy nodded. “Okay. I have an idea.”
Chapter Thirty-two—Tessa
Tessa was glad to be back in her element after two frustrating days that put them even more behind schedule. Finally, she could focus on getting back to rehearsals and making a new plan for the play.
She tried not to focus on the fact that they were going to have to come up with an entirely new theme for the play—or a new way of staging the original idea without sets or costumes. Tessa had seen an amazing production of The Tempest once where the entire stage was white with no props or scenery, and color gels were used on the lights to create interesting effects that reflected the emotions of the scene or characters. Only two characters in that production had had actual costumes, and everyone else was in more or less street clothes. There was a way to do things in a minimalist kind of way, she supposed.
Rhoda joined them at the surf’s edge, looking out at the water.
“Any sign of your friend?” she said. Her hands were in her pockets, and she jiggled one of them. “I have something to give back to her. Or her people, rather.”
“The bracelet?” said Roxy quietly.
Rhoda nodded.
“Doesn’t it belong to the museum?” said Tessa.
“No,” said Rhoda. “It never belonged to the museum. Not really. Artifacts like these don’t belong in museums. They belong with the people or creatures who created them.”
“So how did it end up in the museum in the first place?”
Rhoda sighed. “My father wanted it. He knew all the mermaid lore. He managed to trap my mother on land, and he took the bracelet from her. She was a direct descendant of Gwenhidw.”
“What?” Roxy sounded incredulous. “But that means you’re a direct descendant too! You’re a princess.”
Rhoda smiled. “Not exactly. When mermaids mate with humans, their children don’t have the ability to change into the merbody. We inherit some magic, but that’s it. And since I can’t live underwater, there’s really no way to claim a crown or position down there.”
“Wow,” said Roxy. “You could still keep the bracelet though. For yourself.”
Rhoda’s voice became tinged with sadness. “I’ve held onto it too long already. I thought putting it into the museum would keep it safe, but I was wrong. It’s not safe until it’s back with Mo and her people.”
The three of them gazed out at the gray-green waters of the Bay, Long Point and the Long Point Light Station mere specks in the distance.
“Do you think she’ll return here?” said Tessa finally.
“She said she would,” said Roxy. “She promised me.”
“Mermaids always keep a promise,” said Rhoda, but her voice lacked confidence.
It was true, thought Tessa. Why would Mo come back to a place that had held her hostage there for a month?
“Why did Mo lose her ability to change to her tail in the tub?” asked Roxy.
“When did she show up here?” said Rhoda.
“New Year’s Day.”
Rhoda paused a moment, thinking. “A full moon cycle,” she said finally. “Mo arrived at the full moon, and yesterday was the full moon. Merfolk need consistent access to their home waters to keep their ability to shapeshift. If she was staying out of the Bay for fear of the Sisters, then her human form would start to ossify after a twenty-eight-day cycle without that access.”
“How do you know that?” asked Tessa, feeling as though she already knew the answer.
“My mother found out the hard way,” said Rhoda quietly.
“I’m sorry,” said Roxy.
Tessa felt her heart squeeze. She wanted to say something comforting to Rhoda, but she had no idea what on earth she could say in such a situation.
“It’s fine,” said Rhoda. “I’m glad I could help you yesterday. After the break-ins at the museum, I’d been scanning the area with my crystal ball more frequently, and I could hardly believe my eyes last night.”
“We are so grateful for your help,” said Tessa. “I don’t suppose…”
Rhoda looked at her carefully.
“I don’t suppose you could come to the theater and see if there’s any way to salvage what the Sisters destroyed there?”
Rhoda smiled. “Of course,” she said warmly. “I’d be happy to. Though I’m not sure how much I can do. The Three Sisters were incredibly powerful, especially with the Eye of Power.”
“Oh yuck,” said Roxy with a grin. “Don’t remind me about that creepy eyeball.” She looked down at the sand as if expecting it to jump out at her suddenly.
“Do you have any idea how the Sisters got that?” said Tessa, as they walked back up the beach toward the theater. “Or where they came from?”
“Madame Clerval has been here on the Cape forever,” said Rhoda, “though it’s possible that the real Madame Clerval is gone, and this sorceress was simply masquerading as her as part of a disguise. It’s hard to say. I was in Greece for a vacation trip at the start of the year, and when I got back, the bracelet had already been stolen. I think I would have sensed a dark presence here in town beforehand. My mother would have too.”
“Your mother is still here? On land?” Roxy sounded surprised.
“She cannot turn back to her usual form,” said Rhoda simply.
“What about that Eye?” said Tessa.
“I don’t know,” said Rhoda. “Dangerous magical artifacts turn up all the time. My guess would be that it turned up in an archaeological dig somewhere around the world, and one of the Three was there to nab it.”
“Sounds very Indiana Jones,” said Roxy.
Rhoda chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it does.”
* * *
At the theater, they showed Rhoda what was left of the costumes, the props, and the scenery. Chayo and Lisa had organized some of it, so at least the scraps of fabric weren’t littering the floor of the costume shop, but none of it changed the fact that it was an utter mess—and completely unsalvageable.
Rhoda touched a couple of the fabric scraps, rubbing the fabric and holding up some of the bigger pieces up to the light, as if examining an X-ray.
Tessa knew her own body was still healing from all the excitement and energy expenditure the night before, and she didn’t dare try to use any of her small pool of magic on anything today. She would let Rhoda use her magic instead. Tessa tried not to feel disappointed by her own lack of magical power; not only was she out of practice, but she had come to understand that she had been under a spell of some kind herself. When she’d handed that ring to Roxy, she’d felt the lightness return. She knew, right then, that the Three Sisters—Barb most likely—had been affecting her ability to use magic, tampering with it and dampening it. She must have been the one who noticed her wards in the theater and had taken them down.
“I’m sorry,” said Rhoda finally. “The magic that destroyed this has made it completely unusable. In fact, I’d get rid of it as soon as possible. The residue of the magic on this might still have evil attached to it.”
Tessa’s heart squeezed in her chest. She felt dizzy and sat down heavily in a chair in the costume room.
Roxy kneeled down next to her. “Hey, babe, are you okay?” Her voice was full of care and kindness, and yet, it made what Tessa was feeling all the worse.
How was it that just as she got the most amazing girlfriend, her career was in the tank? How would she ever explain this to anyone and, moreover, how would they put on a show with no sets and no props and no costumes?
Tessa began to cry. She was overwhelmed with anxiety and anger.
Roxy pulled her into a hug, kneeling at her side. Rhoda stepped into the hallway to give them some privacy.
“How will I explain this to the grant board?” said Tessa between sobs. She put her face into her hands. “All that money…”
“We’ll figure it out. If not you, then Joy or Chayo or Lisa or someone. We’re all here to support you, and we all want the show to succeed,” said Roxy. She was the voice of reason, and Tessa knew that she was right. They would figure this out somehow.
“I’m going to get going,” said Rhoda, who had returned to the room. “There’s nothing for me to do here, and at home, I’m going to keep an eye on the ball, as it were.”
“Ha,” said Roxy dryly. “Good pun.”
Rhoda winked. “I try.” She paused and her expression grew more serious but also more concerned. “If you need help with anything else, though, do let me know. I know just about everyone around here and, well, you know.” She winked again and handed Tessa a card with the address of the museum and two phone numbers. “My mobile is the best bet. Feel free to call or text as needed, especially if Mo shows up.”
Just like that, she was gone, and it was Tessa and Roxy again. Roxy slid into the seat next to her, and they squashed together in the uncomfortable old office chair.
“Mm,” said Roxy jokingly. “Cozy.”
Tessa managed to slide out from between the armrest and Roxy and settled herself on Roxy’s lap instead. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was comforting, and that was what mattered. Tessa could hear Roxy’s heart beating steadily beneath her ear, and she allowed herself to be calmed by that steady thum-thump. She heaved a big sigh.
“I just want to stay like this forever,” she said.
“Mmm-hmm,” murmured Roxy.
They sat like that for a while, time passing unwatched and uncounted, until footsteps echoed in the hallway, growing louder and louder and then Joy’s face appeared in the doorway.
She took in the scene before her without batting an eyelash. Tessa knew she always had a sixth sense about these things, and especially about relationships during a show.
“Police are here again,” she said. “Ready to give a statement?”
Tessa groaned. “I guess,” she said. She pushed herself upright and then paused to give Roxy a kiss before standing up completely. Roxy stood up too.
“Let’s go together.”
Chapter Thirty-one—Roxy
Two days passed in a whirlwind of cleaning up the theater, being interviewed and re-interviewed by the police, reassuring the cast and crew that everything was fine, and making a new budget for the grant committee. Roxy was getting tired of having to tell the same story over and over, especially since it wasn’t technically the truth. But who would believe the truth?
The police report cleared Tessa of any wrongdoing, along with everyone else officially associated with the show. Barb became suspect number one, though it didn’t matter much since she was nowhere to be found in the theater or Provincetown.
Roxy was relieved that Tessa was officially not to blame, but she saw how hard Tessa was taking the whole situation regardless. They’d been spending every night together since the night of the battle on the beach, and Roxy could see the situation was taking a toll on her.
She wished there was something she could do for Tessa to cheer her up—or to help solve the situation at the theater.
Things had only gotten more complicated when the actor playing Perdita in The Winter’s Tale announced she was quitting. She was, apparently, very superstitious, and the events at the theater were too much for her.
Tessa had cried and cried after that—at home of course. At the theater, she was keeping up the facade that everything was okay. She told Roxy that she had to. She couldn’t let the cast and crew know how close everything was to collapsing.
Roxy wished she would be honest with everyone about how difficult a situation they were in. Surely they could handle it—and maybe everyone could pitch in and come up with some solutions together?
But Roxy didn’t feel she could make such a suggestion. After all, she knew next to nothing about theater, and Tessa was the expert.
Aside from that, there was still no sign of Mo, and Roxy was starting to wonder if she would keep her promise to come back after all. Roxy was beginning to feel a bit disheartened, and she was glad to have her shifts at the pub on Monday and Tuesday to distract her.
At the pub, it was a whole different world. It was February, and everything was covered in rainbow-colored hearts. The Valentine’s special beer that Roxy had helped put into kegs was now on tap at the bar, and it was delicious—a raspberry chocolate porter.
Everyone over at the pub was festive and jolly, and all Hunter and Jack could talk about at weekly staff meetings was starting to plan their summer beer flavors. Pride of Ptown always had at least three summer beers, and this year they were contemplating adding a Gose along with their two fruited sours and their fruited IPA.
Roxy had Wednesday off from the pub, though, so she made her way to the theater instead. She’d had to go to her apartment to get clean clothes, and she was surprised to see what a mess it was in there. Staying with Tessa, she’d gotten used to everything being neat and tidy, and she’d forgotten that her own cleanliness rituals were seriously lacking.
If only she had a magic wand to wave and put everything into its place. But Rhoda had taken back the wands that night on the beach—aside from the fact that Roxy wasn’t even really sure if her powers, powerful though they were, could be harnessed for such a mundane task.
Today, the theater was full of life. Opening night was only three weeks away.
Roxy found Tessa with Joy and Lisa in the greenroom, along with the actors who were playing Hermione and Polixenes—or, as Roxy thought of them, the statue-woman and her lover. Or maybe lover? Roxy wasn’t sure. She still hadn’t cracked open the book with the play in it.
“Tessa, you have to cast someone for Perdita. It’s a small part, but an important one…you can’t put it off,” said Roger, the man playing Polixenes.
“Do you have any suggestions?” said Tessa, her voice full of exasperation. She saw Roxy in the doorway and flashed a quick smile at her before continuing. “Perdita doesn’t have an understudy.”
“Why is that?” demanded Roger.
Tessa shrugged. “To be honest, I kind of figured I could be Perdita’s understudy if necessary, but clearly I don’t have time to learn the part now. There is too much other stuff to take care of,” she said, her voice steadier now. Roxy admired her ability to stay calm under pressure. “Lisa, suggestions?”
Lisa looked over at Roxy and gave her a look that spelled trouble. Now that her and Tessa’s relationship was out in the open, Lisa’s demeanor had changed again toward her, and she had no idea where she stood with the icy blond celebrity.
“How about Roxy?”
“You’re joking, right?” said Roxy with a weak chuckle. She could think of nothing worse than trying to learn a part in a Shakespeare play. It was literally her nightmare.
“Not at all,” said Lisa with a grin like the cat that ate the cream. She looked over at Tessa. “Roxy’s been around the theater for a month now. And she said she’s had theater experience in the past…so why not? As you said, Roger, it’s a small part, so it should be pretty easy to learn.”
“Lisa, be serious,” said Roger, his face softening a bit. “Roxy isn’t a trained actor. We are all professionals—”
“Not all,” interjected Lisa. She ticked off the names of several people in the play who were local amateurs. This had been done on purpose, as Tessa’s grant had several educational objectives, and giving amateur actors the opportunity to learn from professionals was one aspect of the grant. “See? Not all professionals.” She paused and looked Roxy up and down. “Roxy has that fresh, young, androgynous look—perfect for our Perdita.”
Roxy looked over at Tessa, hoping she would take Roxy’s side. The whole idea was ridiculous and made Roxy’s insides turn to jelly.
But here she was wrong. Tessa was taking the suggestion seriously.
“I mean, it’s not the worst idea,” said Tessa slowly. She looked over at Roxy. “Won’t you think about it, at least? I would love to direct you. It would be a lot of fun.” Tessa smiled at her winningly, and Roxy couldn’t believe her ears.
“Tessa, please, listen to me,” said she, walking up to Tessa. She took one of Tessa’s hands in hers. “I admire you so much, and this play, too. The whole project is amazing, and I wish I could be part of it, but…I can’t. I can’t do this.”
Tessa looked confused and a little hurt.
“Can you think about it before saying no?”
Roxy sighed. She had no idea how thinking about it was going to help, but she also didn’t want to embarrass Tessa in front of her colleagues. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“Great!” said Tessa with a smile. She turned back to Lisa and Roger, and they began discussing rehearsal schedules.
After a moment, Roxy felt she was no longer part of the conversation and, in fact, Tessa was barely paying attention to her. She ignored the pang of disappointment and decided to leave and find Chayo.
The wood shop was blissfully quiet. Roxy found Chayo sitting at the one desk in the room, a pencil behind her ear.
“Hey, good to see you,” said Chayo, and even that small greeting, so full of warmth, made Roxy feel better.
“You too,” said Roxy. She looked around and noticed that the wood shop was mostly empty. They had built so much and now it was as though none of it had ever happened. “Where’d it all go?”
Chayo shrugged. “Most of it was destroyed, my friend. I’m sitting here trying to figure out what we could do instead. What’s left of the budget will probably go for costumes, so we have to figure this all out on the proverbial shoestring.”
“If only you were referring to a French fry,” joked Roxy. She was rewarded with a smile and quiet chuckle from Chayo. “Was anything saved?”
“Oh! Yes, actually,” said Chayo. “The throne. Thank goodness. I’d locked it in one of the spare dressing rooms at the end of that little hallway over there.” Chayo gestured toward the hallway where Lisa had her personal dressing room. “I guess the vandals never made it down there or didn’t find the keys or whatever.”
“That’s good,” said Roxy. An idea was forming in her head as Chayo was talking. “Are you going to stick with the space theme?”
Chayo shook her head. “I don’t know how we possibly could. It was a cool concept, but a pricey one. And the costumes are totally destroyed.”
Roxy nodded. “Okay. I have an idea.”
Chapter Thirty-two—Tessa
Tessa was glad to be back in her element after two frustrating days that put them even more behind schedule. Finally, she could focus on getting back to rehearsals and making a new plan for the play.
She tried not to focus on the fact that they were going to have to come up with an entirely new theme for the play—or a new way of staging the original idea without sets or costumes. Tessa had seen an amazing production of The Tempest once where the entire stage was white with no props or scenery, and color gels were used on the lights to create interesting effects that reflected the emotions of the scene or characters. Only two characters in that production had had actual costumes, and everyone else was in more or less street clothes. There was a way to do things in a minimalist kind of way, she supposed.
