Just make the tea, she told herself. Everything’s going to be okay. Somehow.
That night,Jason showed up at her house with a bag full of groceries. “Since you worked all day, I’m cooking for you.”
She leaned against the counter, watching him put items into her refrigerator, thinking how small he made the kitchen appear. And how good he looked moving around in it.
“What is it?” Jason asked, straightening to see her peering at him.
“Nothing much. It’s just nice to have you here.”
“I’m glad to be here.” He grabbed her, dancing her in a circle before kissing her.
“What’s for dinner?” Mauve asked when he released her.
“Roast chicken, with potatoes and carrots,” Jason said. “It’s one of the only things I know how to make.”
“Sounds delicious.”
For the next few minutes, he hustled around, washing and drying the chicken, sprinkling it with salt and pepper, then chopping the vegetables. She watched from the table, sipping a glass of lemonade while they chatted about their days like they’d done it every night for years.
Eventually the conversation rolled around to Marcus and his audition. “Since he’s working on his monologues, I kind of volunteered you to coach him.”
He held the potato peeler aloft for a moment. “I’d be happy to.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, completely. It’ll be fun.” He set the peeler aside, his eyes softening as if conjuring a memory. “Seems like yesterdayI was working on my pieces. My high school drama teacher coached me, but my mom helped me too.”
“How did she help?”
“Quizzed me on the monologues to make sure I said every word exactly right. She was a stickler for that.”
“No improv for her, huh?”
He smiled. “No, she was old school. She said if the playwright had taken the time to think through every single word on the page, it was the actor’s responsibility to get it right.”
His phone buzzed where he’d laid it on the counter. Glancing at it, he grimaced. “It’s my agent. I should take it. Will you put this in the oven for me?” He gestured at the chicken, already in the roasting pan.
“You got it,” Mauve said.
Jason stepped into the living room. Although she didn’t consciously eavesdrop, the house was small, making it impossible not to hear his conversation as she slid the chicken into the oven.
“Yeah. Yeah, no, I have it. Yeah, it’s great. The changes work well.” Silence for a second or two, then, “Sure, Tuesday’s fine. My flight comes in that afternoon.” Another pause. “Good. It’s a nice break, but I’ll be ready to get back to work come the new year.”
The new year. She wanted to scream. Or cry. Or both.
“Yep, see you then.” She heard Jason exhale before he came back into the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” Mauve asked.
“Yeah, all good. He just wanted to check in on a few things before he gets busy with the holiday.”
“What’s he like?”
He blinked, like the question surprised him. “Dale? Didn’t you meet him when you were out there?”
“No. He was out of town, remember?”
“That’s right. Let’s see, how would I describe him? He’s kind of a gunner, like you would expect. Great negotiator. He takes good care of me.”
