Center Stage
Page 41

John didn’t like Arianna being in her office when he had to be in his, out back of the theater. Too many people came and went out the building for him to keep track of.
But, for a moment, the thought of her standing there pointing a gun at him humored him. He wasn’t sure why he was worried about her. He should be worried about himself and his own safety within their house.
He spent an hour checking in with the crews and making sure they were on task. With his clipboard full of notes, he headed back to his office and sat down at his desk.
He looked over the pile of papers and contracts. Surely he’d left them in better order than they were. It was almost as if they’d fallen on the floor, and someone picked them up and threw them on the desk.
Now he was paranoid.
He gathered the papers and stacked them into a neat pile. But at the bottom of the pile, flat on the desk, was a Benson, Benson, and Hart business card.
REGAN KELLER
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
John picked up the card and looked it over. How long had that been floating around his desk? Zach had fired Regan four years ago as his assistant.
He tucked the card into his pocket and went back to work.
They had agreed to head home at five, but when John looked down at his watch, it was already past six. He hadn’t seen Arianna in hours, and he didn’t like that at all.
He cleared off his desk, put on his coat, and locked up the trailer.
The stage lights were on when he walked through the back door, and he could hear music. He was very pleasantly surprised to find Arianna on the stage, dancing and writing down notes.
The crews had gone home. She was alone, and she was happy doing what she was doing. That was what he’d wanted to see. That was the whole reason for this theater.
She’d caught sight of him and smiled, but she didn’t stop what she was doing. There was a comfort about her when she was working. He liked how happiness looked on her.
When she was done, she turned off her iPod and looked at him.
John walked toward her. “What are you working on?”
“A dance number for Clara for the grand opening.”
“So what was that you were doing?”
“Blocking out a dance number.”
He nodded. “Those are your blueprints?”
She laughed. “Yes, I guess they are.”
John moved in closer until he was right next to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, took her hand in his, and pulled her close until their bodies were pressed together. “It’s been nearly a year since we last danced together.”
“You’re right.”
John moved her from side to side and then spun her around. “You were lucky I didn’t have two left feet. I’ve seen your brothers dance.”
She laughed again, and this time she let her head fall back and the dark curls swung at her shoulders.
“I used to dance on my daddy’s feet. And my brothers used to dance on mine.”
“I like the thought that we will dance together forever.”
Arianna leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Forrester.”
“I love you, Keller.”
“I never knew I could be so happy.”
“Oh, darling, my goal is to make you happy for the rest of your life.”
He moved in to kiss her. As their lips touched, the lights above them sparked and flickered. Then the theater was dark.
Arianna clung to him tighter.
He kissed her forehead. “It’s okay. Just a lighting issue.”
“I’m tired of those little issues that nearly give me heart attacks.”
“I’ll have them look into it in the morning. Let’s go close up your office. I’ll turn the power off to the lights, and we’ll get home.”
John had walked her to her office and then gone back to the booth to make sure the switches were all off. She gathered her notebook and the few sheets of music she had laid out and put them into her bag. As she flung the bag over her shoulder, she noticed that on the corner of her desk was another business card.
CURTIS KELLER
ATTENDING SURGEON
Arianna smiled and pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed her brother’s number.
“Hey,” he said as he answered the phone. She could hear Avery in the background crying.
“I found your card. When did you drop by?”
“What?”
“Your business card was on my desk. I thought I missed you.”
“Business card? The only place I have business cards is at the hospital. I think you’ve lost your mind.”
Arianna swallowed hard. She was very sure she was losing her mind.
“So you weren’t here?”
“No. Listen, I have to get little miss fussy pants changed. Are you okay?”
She gripped the phone tighter. “Yeah, I’m fine. I probably just dropped the card, and it just surfaced. I love you. Goodnight.”
She tucked the card into her pocket and headed out to the lobby where John was just turning off the last of the lights.
“I guess we should get some dinner on the way home,” he mentioned as they both walked out the front door of the theater.
“I’m not very hungry. Maybe we can just eat something light at home.”
He nodded as he locked the door. “Sensible. That’s why I love you.”
“I didn’t know that was a qualifying quality.”
“Honey, there isn’t anything you do that doesn’t qualify for a reason to love you.”
The man was honest, and she liked that. He was comfortable around her, her family, and with himself. What wasn’t to love? Even better, he loved her no matter her short comings, and the more scared she was becoming, the more short comings she felt she had.
John parked his truck out back. He realized that the backyard was always dark. They’d need to put a motion light back there. Why have a security system if the lighting sucked?
He noticed Arianna was staring at him as he sat in the truck.
“Everything okay?” she asked as she laid her hand atop his.
“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking of adding some lights back here.”
“I thought we had one.”
He gave it some thought. Perhaps they did. He didn’t remember it always being so dark. Maybe the bulb had just burnt out.
Now he knew he, too, was frazzled. Little details like that didn’t just slip his mind.