Love On Broadway

Chapter 12: Emma

It felt good to be back at my old post, with loose fitting close that didn't make me feel like ribs were about to crack. I sat perched on my usual box close to the right wing of the stage.

I held a piece of paper against my knee, it was a drawing of the stage. With childishly drawn stick figures, I labeled them as Lin, Emma, and Daveed.

I looked out at the stage, it was the start of the second act: What'd I Miss. Daveed sang gloriously, different from his normal rapping, but he still rocked it. In the left wing, Lin was standing waiting for his cue to enter the stage later in the song. I watched him until he looked up to meet my eyes. He grinned broadly, and despite the darkness off-stage, I could see clear as day.

I was really excited about our dinner tonight.

Should I call it a date, or maybe just a celebration like how Lin said it? While keeping my eyes on the stage, I mixed and matched possible outfits I could wear. I was so absorbed in my head that didn't hear Jon come up behind me.

"I hear you're having a date with the boss," he whispered in my ear.

I jumped and spun around. There Jon stood in his king's costume, looking utterly serious despite the fake curls dangling from his precariously perched crown.

"How did you hear that?" I asked. I moved over on my box so that Jon could sit down.

"Pippa," he replied. He then pulled a bag of Lays Chips from his costume pocket.

"Oh Pippa, the worst gossip of them all," I sighed. I watched Lin on stage. His presence and charisma were breathtaking.

"You got it so bad," Jon whispered.

I huffed and rolled my eyes. That didn't change the fact that I knew he was right.

"It's okay though," Jon continued. "He's got it too."

But by the time I whipped my head around, Jon was gone. I smirked and turned back to the stage. By this time, the first Cabinet Battle had started. And Lin was pacing back and forth across on my side of the stage. Our eyes met briefly before he had to turn around and face Daveed, who was well into his rap sequence. It took a full two minutes for the butterflies to settle.

***
When the evening show was over, Lin caught me adjusting the pulley system to the stairs. The technicians to last use them left them tangled, so I'm the one who had to straighten them out.

He leaned against the wall with a playful smirk laying on his lips. His hair was freshly tied back, and there was slight stubble growing on his face. He looked utterly sophisticated and laid back at the same time. 

"You ready to go?" He asked, his voice deep and handsome.

Some people were still lingering in the wings, and their heads briefly turned to snoop before whipped back to continue their gossip that can only be about one thing.

Lin followed his gaze. His eyes dropped when he noticed my discomfort. Neither of us said anything before I realized the aura I was inadvertently giving off.

"Lin no!" I said, in a hushed voice. I grabbed his arm and stepped closer so he was forced to look at me. Our faces were inches apart, our noses barely touching. "I don't care about them," I said then paused, staring into his eyes for a moment longer before stepping back. "I promise."

Lin's face slowly pulled into a grin. "Good, because that kind of stuff follows me around."

I linked my arm through his and smiled. "Now, are you ready for dinner?" I asked.

"More than ever. You like Italian?"

***

The nighttime New York air was brisk. Lin and I both opt to walk instead of pay for a cab, since the restaurant was three blocks down the streets. I clutched Lin's arms, staying pressed against him. I shivered, but I knew it was my body giving me excuses to be closer to Lin since it really wasn't that cold.