“My career as an actor…”
“I can’t really believe it’s over! Why? Because they outed you as gay? In this day and age? Come on!”
“I was Catalonia’s heterosexual leading man. A lot of people are really pissed off. Santi…”
“Santi’s an idiot if he’s prepared to let Catalonia’s most talented actor go over a silly thing like this.”
“He may be an idiot, but he pulls the strings, the purse strings.”
“I want you back in that production, Dídac. I want to finish directing you and make that show the best play that’s ever rocked Catalonia! We’ll deal with this. We’ll go to Santi together…”
“Ssh.” Dídac put his hand over Kim’s mouth. “Stop talking. This is all too much too soon. Can we just enjoy today… or this morning at least? Then we’ll work out a plan.”
At that moment Dragon appeared, tail swishing in the air as she wound herself around both their legs.
“Wow, she likes you,” Dídac breathed. “The seal of acceptance from Dragon. No one’s ever got that so fast. Just don’t try and stroke her yet—she might claw you. She’ll let you know when you can.”
Dragon jumped up into Dídac’s lap and sat there staring at Kim like he was some sort of alien being who had just parked his spaceship in the orchard. But as Dídac stroked her, she began to purr. Kim watched them, and couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous of Dragon, so tight with Dídac, enjoying that special relationship they had together. The three of them sat there for a while, just basking in the sunshine and peace of the valley. Soon Kim pulled his chair cautiously closer to Dídac, taking care not to alarm Dragon. He put his arm around him, and they kissed. And kissed again, longer this time. Dragon eventually jumped down, and went off to hunt lizards, but Kim and Dídac stayed sitting in the sun, their arms around each other, kissing and knowing that whatever happened, things would work out in the end.
But at some point, Kim’s methodical brain kicked in.
“Did I have my phone on me when I arrived?”
“I don’t know. It might be in your wet things. Otherwise mine’s in the dresser drawer. We can walk up the hill to Grandpa’s forge if you like. There’s no reception here.”
“OK, I should ring Laia, and give some instructions for rehearsal. And also ring Santi.”
Dídac chuckled.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from that play. I should call Laia too. If you just upped and left, I imagine she’s trying to contact me.”
“So when I call Santi, I’m going to say I want you back in the play. Will you do that? Face down the scandalmongers? It’s either both of us or neither of us, my career and reputation be damned.”
“He won’t like that.”
“But he’ll listen. What’s the alternative?”
“Keep Isard on. Have Jordi finish directing.”
“Jordi Veràs? He’s a director, but he doesn’t know the play.”
“But he’s an experienced director, and it’s his theater. He would step into the breach to save the show.”
“Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. What we have to offer him is a better way out, convincing him thatThe Swanwith an actor who’s just come out as gay and is standing up for gay rights makes a powerful statement, that it’ll be commercially viable for the theater. We might lose a few bigots, but we could pull in a far bigger audience that way.”
He paused and took a sip of coffee. Then he set his cup down, and took hold of both Dídac’s hands, looking him in the eye before going on:
“What I need to know, Di, is if you’re ready to do that, go public and go strong?”
“You’re asking me to come out publicly.”
“You’ve already been outed. So rather than running scared, it’s about claiming the moment, making a statement, standing up and turning itto your benefit. I’ll be beside you every step of the way. So will Laia, and I imagine almost everyone in the theater if we can get Santi on board.”
Dídac blew out his breath slowly, looking out over the sunny valley. For a few moments he didn’t speak, then he said:
“Baby steps. Let’s walk up the hill. I’ll show you Grandpa’s old forge. It’s one of my favorite spots in the world. We’ll call Laia, gage the temperature. I need time to think about all this. It’s been so much so fast. Do I even want to stay working in theater? It’s a pretty cut-throat business. You sort out today’s rehearsal with the actors—what remains of it—and tell them you’re coming back on Monday for work as usual. I know an amazing restaurant where we can go for lunch, a totally forgotten place way up in the hills. I promise I’ll give you my answer by the afternoon. Then we can ring Santi and play it one way or the other.”
Kim nodded.
