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After many minutes of painstakingly listening to Kai and Maureen’s dull conversation, we arrive back at the studio and all pile out of the bus and into the warmth of the lobby.
“Sophie!” Nick finds me quickly, striding across the room in my direction with a grin on his face. “I got us both some lunch. It’s in the props room ready for us.”
I pull my scarf from my neck. “Oh, um, that’s really kind of you. You didn’t have to-”
“Oh, it’s no problem.” He smiles. “I was sure you’d want to warm up as quickly as possible, so I went ahead and prepared everything.”
I watch Kai out of the corner of my eye. Maureen stands next to him, hugging his coat around her shoulders. He smiles at me and shifts incrementally closer to her.
I return my attention to Nick. He’s beaming at me, so I do my best to mirror his enthusiasm. “That was really thoughtful, thank you.”
We head to the props room and Nick points at the container he’s laid on the table for me. “It’s just a salad. I know you’re not supposed to eat much.”
My stomach protests with a growl. “Yes, that’s perfect, thank you.”
“How did you like the tour?” he asks, opening up his own bag and pulling out a hearty turkey sandwich.
I eye his meal hungrily and take a deep breath. “It was very educational…and heart-wrenching. The guide shared a lot about the tragedies overseas during the war.”
“It’s really awful what happened,” he agrees, taking a bite. “Especially in the Soviet Union. My grandfather was born and raised there. He survived it.”
“Did he really?” I slowly open my plastic container with my cold, numb fingers.
“He ate the sawdust bread and everything,” he adds.
I begin to toss my dry salad with my fork, thinking of those who starved to death with next-to-no rations so many years ago. “That’s terrible.”
“It was worse for his parents…my great-grandparents.” He sets down his sandwich and pauses. “They weren’t strong enough. They died in their sleep…holding hands in bed. My grandfather found them the next morning, almost frozen together.”
I barely know what to say. I set my fork on the table, no longer hungry. “I’m so sorry.”
He smiles gently. “They had a beautiful relationship though, the two of them. My grandfather had some great stories. I hope to have something that special someday.”
I’m lost in his clear blue eyes for a moment while we stare at each other. I want something special like that too. A love that can withstand even the greatest hardships.
He eventually pulls out his notebook. “Well, should we talk about your lines for tomorrow’s rehearsal?”
I nod and pick up my fork again, feeling a little warmer, for both the cozy indoors and for Nick’s company.
***
The snow falls heavily outside the next morning, but we’re warm inside the studio. It’s the first day of rehearsals, and we’re slowly working on initial blocking for act one. George is an excellent director, but I didn’t expect any less.
Kai spends most of his downtime chatting with Maureen, and at first, I think she’s initiating each joke and laugh, but every once in a while, he touches her shoulder or grins at her with a twinkle in his eye. I try to ignore it.
When we break for lunch at a café down the street, Kai sits down across from me. “Well, the snow doesn’t seem like it’s going to let up, does it?” He shivers as he warms his hands on his cup of coffee.
I take a sip of my own, letting the steaming liquid soothe me from the inside. My fingers are beginning to thaw. “Chicago winters are probably just as bad?”
“Yes, only windier. Why are all the theatre opportunities in the coldest cities?”
“You could move to L.A., try your hand at the big screen,” I suggest.
He scrunches his nose. “Absolutely not.”
I nod in agreement. “I’d miss the rush of the live stage.”
Just then, Nick appears and sits down next to Kai. It’s the first time I’ve seen him this morning. He wasn’t at the studio earlier. “Cold out today, isn’t it?” He shrugs off his snow-dusted jacket. “I don’t usually feel the cold. These eastern European genes.” He winks.
