somewhere || George Russell

fifty-one

April 25, 2020
Miami, Florida

It was wedding day, finally. After the ceremony that took place in the church, all guests arrived at the main lounge of the Maracay Miami for the main celebration. Unexpectedly, or maybe not, Sofia and Alejandro told Laurel to sing for their first dance as a wedded couple.

She was a little surprised, she never saw it coming, but of course she wasn't going to say no.

"...I believe in you, you know the door to my very soul, you're the light in my deepest, darker hour, you're my savior when I fall..." Laurel sang to one of her parent's favorites songs, as they were dancing in the middle of de dance floor. "And you may not think I care for you, when you know down inside that I really do. And it's me you need to show, how deep is your love?" from all the people gathered here, she looked at George for a second and winked at him. "I really need to learn, cause we're living in a world of fools, breaking us down, when they all should let us be, we belong to you and me..."

She continued with the song, singing at her parents and in small occasions even to George, her one and only love for now.

The song came to an end and she got off the stage, heading to the table where she was sitting with her siblings and George.

"You were amazing," George said as soon as Laurel took a seat next to him and pressed his lips on her head.

"I know," she cheekily replied and leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapping her left arm in George's torso.

She took a look at the table. Rafael and Emilio were doing something on their cell phones, like typical businessmen. She noticed that Iray wasn't there, but she's probably somewhere fixing something.

"Are you nervous?" George suddenly asked.

"Why would I?" Laurel replied with another question.

"What? You don't remember?" he frowned. "Tomorrow is the announcement of the Tony nominees."

"Ah, that," Laurel said, as if it meant nothing to her. "I let it flow, I think I was too obsessed with it. What has to happen will happen."

"I thought you didn't believe in fate," George asked, surprised.

"I don't, it's ludicrous," Laurel shook her head. A salsa song that she likes started to play on the speakers. "I love that song, let's dance..." she cheerfully said and stood up, pulling George's hand to make him stand up.

"I don't know how to dance that music, you forget that I am not Latin American," George rolled his eyes and refused to stand up and make a fool out of himself in front of Laurel's family.

"Oh, come on. Sometimes you just have to dance to the music that's playing," she made a bigger effort to pull him out of his chair until he reluctantly agreed.

"What does that even mean?" he said as they walked to the full dance floor.

"Adaptation. If the music is too fast for you, you should just dance faster," she said with a big smile on her face.

"You just made that up," he teased.

"And what?" she shrugged.

They spent the upcoming minutes laughing and trying to dance to the music that was playing. Maybe they were making a fool out of themselves, but they were together, and that was the important thing.

Then, Iray arrived with the biggest smile ever on her face, holding her phone on her hands, and approached Laurel and George.

"Sorry to interrupt," Iray said. Laurel and George turned around. He hugged Laurel from behind and bent down to rest his head on her shoulder. "I just got a call from West Side Story's publicist."

"What for?" Laurel confusedly asked.

"You have to go back to New York on Monday," Iray announced.

Laurel frowned. She was given the whole weekend off for her parents wedding and Monday is day off for everyone at Broadway. "Why?"

"You have to be there for the Meet the nominees press reception," Iray excitedly replied.

George instantly lifted up his head, understanding the meaning of that. "Oh my God," he gasped. "You are nom..."

"Shh," Iray hissed, putting her index finger in front of her lips. "It's still a secret."

The Meet the nominees press reception is, as it name says, a reception that usually takes place in a hotel in New York for the press to meet all of the artists nominated to the Tony Awards of that year.

"Is that...?" Laurel stammered, a little confused. She wanted to say her thought on the news Iray was sharing, but she was also afraid of being wrong. "Am I...?"

"Laurel, you are nominated for the Tony Awards..." George said to her.

Hearing that words gave Laurel chills all over her body. "What?" she practically yelled.

"No, but..." George babbled and looked back at Iray, who was still smiling. "The nominees are going to be announced tomorrow..."

"As publicists, we get to have the list earlier so that we have everything set up before," Iray replied. "It is going to be official until tomorrow, but you are nominated as Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a musical," she proudly smiled.

"I..." Laurel blinked a few times. "Is it...real?" she asked once again. Iray nodded and unlocked her phone, searching for the document she was sent just a couple of minutes ago. She showed it to her sister, and there it was, her name alongside some other women nominated. "Oh my God," Laurel yelled and gave a small jump.

"Shhh," Iray hissed again. "Secret until tomorrow," she winked and walked away.

George and Laurel looked at each other. "You did it," he said, with a proud smile growing on his face.

"Yes," she replied and lunged towards him. "I am nominated for a Tony. I can't believe it."

"Well, believe it, because you are going to win, I know it," he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, embracing her in a warm hug.

"I love you," she said, still unable to believe it.

"I love you more."

"No, what? I do more."