Centre Stage

Intermission....

Lucy walked into the theatre the next afternoon, ready for anything. Or so she thought. She wasn't quite ready for the reception she received from Jenny.

"Jen? You there?" she called out as she opened the door. Silence. That was odd, they usually did an hour's warm up, vocal and physical to get themselves ready. "Jen?" she walked in and sat at her dressing table, looking across to where Jenny had sat for the previous few nights. Everything was still in place but no Jenny.

She began to brush her hair into a ponytail ready to start with the makeup. As she looked in the mirror, she wondered if she looked as different as she felt. She felt, well the only way to describe it was 'new'. Inside and out. New and hopeful and like she could do anything. This, she realised with a beaming smile to herself, was what it was like to love. Well, what it was like to describe being in love anyway. The feeling? Of love, of Tom loving her? That would never be something she could pin down to anything as mundane as words.

Twenty minutes later, still no Jenny. Now she was getting concerned. Especially given the events of the night before. She was just about to go and search for her when the door burst open and Jenny barrelled in, red faced and panting, talking on the phone.

"Dear God what a day to be la.... LUCY !" She stopped dead, clicked off the call and burst into tears "Oh Lucy I'm so so sorry, I really didn't mean for all that to happen.." she covered her face and sobbed. Misery personified.

Lucy stood and wrapped her arms around Jenny, "Shhh Jen, it's ok. Honestly, Tom told me everything. It's me who should be sorry. I should have waited, I should have listened." She hugged her tightly "Is everything ok with you and Paula now?" she asked softly, guiding her new-found friend to her seat. She knelt down, taking Jenny's hands in hers. Jenny nodded, calming herself.

"Yes, it's all ok. We talked most of the night. There's nothing we didn't say and now? Now we're going to be able to get married with nothing to spoil it for either of us. " she blushed and beamed, looking down at Lucy.

"Oh Jenny, I'm SO happy for you. Everyone deserves to be with the person they love most in the world." she stood and kissed Jenny gently on the cheek. "You are a warm wonderful woman. Paula is very lucky." The looked at each other for a second and Jenny smiled.

"I know she is!" she winked. "So, is everything ok with...."

"Tom!" Lucy exclaimed as the door opened and in walked the man of the hour, laden with flowers.

"Ladies!" he bowed as best he could "Flowers for my leading ladies." he handed each a bouquet of roses, yellow for Jenny and red for Lucy. "Tonight is your night ladies, the last night. As someone we all know once said, "All the world's a stage..." so take this one. It's yours. See you later - break a leg!" and with a kiss on the cheek to Jenny and a lingering kiss on the lips for Lucy, he was gone.

"Well, " Jenny said sniffing her flowers "I think I have my answer!" she looked at Lucy who was sitting looking into the mirror with a dreamy, goofy smile on her face.

"Yes." she said, not really in the room "yes you do don't you?" He'd kissed her in front of someone else. Without a second thought. He had made good on his promise to let the world see.

If only she knew. That was just the start.