Page 104 of Forbidden Romeo
“Ready, you two?” Tom, the man who runs our door security asks us.
We give him the nod and he quickly opens the door.
The silence of backstage gives away to the loud hustle and bustle of New York City, even late at night. Maybe especially late at night.
Cool, crisp Mid-April air carries scents of exhaust from the passing cars, mixed with the sweet aroma of street food vendors and the fragrance of blooming flowers from the corner store. It's a distinct mix that feels uniquely New York. And in the midst of it all, the two of us stand, a tiny island in the vast ocean of the city, our hearts beating in rhythm with the chaotic beat of New York in the moonlit spring.
More fans than usual stand around in a horseshoe behind the ropes blocking the stage door, their Playbills high in the air. One by one, Holden and I make our way around until I come to a halt in front of a familiar face. “Nate?”
I blink in shock at seeing my old friend. We haven’t spoken in at least four years. Not since he left school to act in Venus in Fur and never returned. Yes, he had sent me flowers on opening night, but I hadn’t heard a peep from him after that.
Even though McCay held his spot in the program as promised, he had such a good career launch after the reviews for that show came in, he didn’t need the degree to earn his living.
“Hey, Kate,” he said. “You were fantastic.”
“Thank you!” I lean across the ropes and hug him tightly. “I can’t believe you came.”
“Do you remember Christopher Slaine? He was the producer?—”
“For Venus in Fur,” I say, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. “Of course I remember.” How could I forget the man who discovered Missy Howl? The man who almost could have made me the star that he made her? “It’s nice to see you again after all these years.”
“Your performance was stunning tonight,” Christopher says. “I always knew you would become something special.”
I bite my lip, stopping myself from saying something I’d regret. For years after graduating, I tried to audition for Christopher. I called his office and left countless messages trying to get meetings and was always met with generic ‘I’m afraid he’s all booked’ responses. “Thank you,” I opt to say, instead.
“Nate!” Holden comes up beside me and I feel my spine go rigid. Holden and Nate in the same room as college kids was bad enough. Now as grown men? This could be deadly.
I glide my hand around Holden’s waist in a way that I hope is comforting to him. To my surprise, I’m not met with clenched muscles. Instead, Holden turns to me and gives me a relaxed smile, pausing to kiss my temple before leaning over and giving Nate a hug. “I heard you booked The Last Five Years revival. That’s incredible, congrats.”
Nate and Christopher share another look. “I’m sorry,” I say quickly, “Christopher Slaine, this is Holden James,” I introduce them using Holden’s stage name.
“Of course,” Holden says, shaking his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Likewise,” Christopher says. “You’ve come a long way since I first saw you in Romeo and Juliet at the Kennedy Center. In fact…” Christopher pauses. “A new musical crossed my desk a couple months ago. Nate was originally supposed to be the lead in it, but as I’m sure you both understand, a revival of The Last Five Years is hard to pass up. When Nate stepped back from the part, he reminded me of the both of you and when I expressed my hesitancy, he treated me to tickets tonight and I have to admit… he’s absolutely correct. I think the two of you would be sensational as Remy and Julie.”
A cough sputters from my lips. “Remy and Julie? As in Keith’s show? I originally turned him down to do this?—”
“He told me,” Christopher adds. “But now that you’ve opened this show, your contracts must be almost up, right?”
He’s absolutely right. Initially, mine had only been for three months. Which means I had about four weeks left until I either needed to find a new show or resign.
I shake my head. “I thought Missy was up for that part?—”
Christopher snorts. “After working with her in Venus in Fur, I vowed to never again produce a show she’s part of. Besides,” Christopher continues with his producer sales pitch. “I have no doubt this show will live on and you may even have the opportunity to come back to it.”
I turn to find Holden staring at me, brows lifted. “What do you say? I think we could give Remy and Julie a run for their money now that we’re older and wiser.” Holden squeezes my hand.
With a gentle touch, Holden cups my jaw and brings his lips to mine. The warmth of his kiss sends tingles down my spine and I can't help but smile against his mouth. "There's no one else I'd rather play this part with," I whisper between kisses.
This is where we belong—on stage and off—always in each other's arms, bringing characters to life together.
“Send us your best offer,” he tells Christopher as he pulls back from the kiss. “We’ll schedule a lunch meeting next Monday.” Holden looks at me, his brown eyes shining in the soft glow of the moonlight. “But for tonight, Katherine,” he whispers, sinking to one knee. “I have something to ask you…”
I roll my eyes. For the last two months, Holden has been teasing me with fake proposals. Every walk we take, he finds a reason to drop to one knee. Every dinner we go to, he makes a show of giving me some sort of long, loving speech… only to invite me to ice cream. Or breakfast. Or to eat croissants outside of Tiffany’s at sunrise. Or on a weekend trip to Vermont.
It’s become his own little prank that only he finds funny at this point.
Beside me, fans gasp and start bouncing at the display. I roll my eyes and wave them off. “Don’t get excited,” I tell the crowd. “He does this fake out thing all the time.”