He nodded, taking a strand of her honey blonde hair in his fingers. “We don’t have to decide anything tonight. We can enjoy each other and the experience and put aside all thoughts of the future.”
“Easier said than done.”
“I know.” He placed a hand on her thigh, leaning close to give her a kiss. “I’m sorry I make you unhappy.”
“Sad and happy at the same time. It’s very confusing.” She smiled with her mouth but not her eyes. Sad and happy, displayed right there on her face.
“I want to know everything about you,” Jason said. “And everything you think and feel.”
“What do you want to know?” Mauve asked softly. “I’ll tell you anything.”
“Okay, tell me how you landed on speech therapy for your work.”
“Oh, that’s an easy one. My best friend in elementary school was Pam. I adored her. We were two peas in a pod. No one could make me laugh harder. But she had a significant lisp—s became the th sound. Saturday was Thaturday, and she said yes like yeth. We were in second grade, and there were these two boys in our class who tortured her because of it. They used to follow her at recess and ask her questions just to hear her talk, and then imitate her. This went on for months. Until I punched one of them in the nose and got sent to the principal’s office.”
“Did you get in trouble?”
“Not so much at school, but my father wasn’t too happy with me. I was grounded for a month. But it was worth it to feel my fist connect with his nose. You should have seen the blood. The other boy ran off screaming.” She grinned. “It was great.”
He laughed. “I had no idea you had a violent streak.”
“I can’t stand anyone to get picked on or mocked. The rage I felt that day was so overwhelming that I had no other thought but to hurt them. Our principal, Mr. Mack, used the incident to teach me something: to not just dole out a punishment. He was a kind man—looked like Santa—and he loved kids. After he gave me an icepack for my hand, he asked me why I’d done it. I told him about the weeks and weeks of harassment and that I just couldn’t take it any longer. I had to defend my friend. He only nodded, without saying anything until I was done. Then hetold me how important it is to defend the defenseless, although resorting to violence wasn’t a great option. He said, ‘Injustice is everywhere. Bullies too. What you have to decide is what you’re going to do to make a difference.’ I’ll never forget it. I asked him to give me an example of something I could do instead. He said, ‘Use your talents to figure out how to help those who need it.’ I had no idea what he meant. But the next day, Pam told me the principal had arranged for a speech therapist to work with her. It only took like six months before she could say all her sounds correctly.”
“And that made you decide on speech pathology?” Jason asked.
“Not right then, obviously, but later, when I was trying to decide on a major in college, I thought about Pam and how much difference the therapist had made in her life.”
“Like me and Linda.”
“That’s right. And from the very first class, I knew it was the right thing. I’ve always been a fixer. I like projects and solving hard things. Other than the short time I wasn’t working when I was married to Chris, it’s been the one thing I could always count on to make the world make sense. One little boy or girl at a time.”
“And here I am, an actor. Totally self-absorbed and vain.”
She laughed. “That’s not true. You entertain and touch people’s hearts with your craft. There’s nothing to be ashamed about in that. In fact, you’re living just as Mr. Mack suggested—using your talent to make the world a better place.”
His chest warmed. “That’s nice of you to say. I will say, though, helping Ollie has been extremely satisfying. I keep seeing his little face, all trusting and earnest. It’s a privilege to be a part of it. So thanks for sharing it with me.”
“It’s generous of you, honestly. I don’t think most people in your situation would give their time to the Ollies of the world.”
“Then they’re missing out.” He took a sip of wine. “Do you think Ollie will get better?”
“I do. I couldn’t do this work if I didn’t believe he would. And he started in therapy young. His family’s supportive. He has me.” She smiled, shrugging a shoulder. “And he said the spontaneous “dah” the other day. That was an absolutely amazing marker of improvement. I can’t say for sure, but the odds are in his favor.”
“Because of you, mostly.”
“That’s sweet, but not really true. That said, kids like Ollie give my life purpose. As trite as it sounds, even on lonely days, I know I’ve done my best to try to make someone else’s journey easier.” She reached over to brush a crumb from his chin. “But enough about that. Tell me about Prague and this role.”
For the next few minutes Jason told her about the script and his role in it. “It’s a movie about a man looking for his wife who disappeared one morning. The authorities all dismiss him, thinking she just left him. But he knows deep down that she would never do that because she loves him. So he sets out to find her himself.”
He held up a piece of bread slathered with butter. “I really shouldn’t be eating this. They don’t want me showing up to set fat and happy. Lean and mean is what they want. But Aunt Grace’s bread is too good.”
“Do you have to have your shirt off in any scenes?”
He laughed. “There are a few times, yeah. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. But you do have a weird job.” She smiled, looking out the windows that were damp with condensation, imagining Jason bare-chested. She’d pay whatever the ticket price was to see that. .
“It’s kind of funny, though. I never thought I’d play the muscle guy.”
