Roseanne's hands felt too heavy as she waited beside the doorway of Jacqueline's house, watching the valet open expensive doors and usher people inside.
She nodded politely as a woman glided in past her and then again as an older couple gave her warm smiles. They seemed to think she was the greeter.
According to the text she had received a few moments before, Charlie was supposedly in the small line of cars waiting to get into the driveway.
She ran her damp palms over the hips of her dress, mourning that she had no pockets to shove them into.
She watched a black Maserati pull up and a timid and very young valet scramble to the driver's side, looking hopeful for a tip and then sour when none came.
"No. I'm sorry, but no. Get me the adult, boy," Mr. Evans grumbled as he pulled himself from the car that had replaced the Maserati.
"Sir, I—" But the valet's mouth closed when Mr. Evans slipped him a tip sizeable enough to make him swallow his pride. "Right away, sir."
"Ah, Ms. Park," Mr. Evans greeted her.
"Sir." She nodded, that same discomfort that always came with him filling her now.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready? Sir?" But her stomach apparently knew what he meant; it did two backflips in a row.
"For the audition. Forty-eight more hours."
She hoped the smile she gave him was a calm and steady one. She wished that people would stop asking her about it. She didn't want it to become any more daunting than it needed to be. That was hard when everyone brought it back to the front of her mind every few minutes.
Apparently, Roseanne's face wasn't quite as serene as she would have liked because Mr. Evans's eyes drifted over it in alarm before his lips pressed into a dissatisfied line. "Hmm," he said as he ambled past her.
Damn it. She didn't have a moment to worry, though, because in that moment she saw Charlie sliding from her car, open nerves and annoyed resignation on her face like she still wasn't sure how Roseanne had talked her into this. "Damn – shit—" Roseanne twisted for a second, debating going after Evans or greeting her friend as soon as she got to the door. "Crap." In the end, she lifted the corner of her skirt so as not to trip on it and started down the stairs to meet Charlie. She had, after all, promised to stay by her side all night.
"Hey! You look amazing," Roseanne called, already grinning.
"You're looking good yourself." Charlie smiled, but the smile was tense.
"Oh, come on, it won't be that bad."
"So you say. I say that it's never a good time in this house."
It was hard to ignore the black BMW pulling up a few cars behind Charlie's disappearing one, but Roseanne tried.
"What about when you were kids?"
She saw Lisa walking around the Bimmer to let her own date out. Her head twisted subtly in Roseanne's direction.
Charlie snorted in response to Roseanne's playful challenge. "You seem nervous."
Roseanne shrugged and smiled, her eyes darting back over Charlie's shoulder.
"Ah." Charlie nodded. "Let's, uh, let's go in before she asks me why I'm here despite the fact that she didn't want an interpreter." Looping her arm around Roseanne's, she started in.
"She going to be okay tonight without you?" Roseanne asked.
Charlie signed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "You know her. Miss I-swear-I-can-get-by."
"Yeah."
Roseanne wasn't surprised when it was Jacqueline who intercepted them first, just inside the door.
"Roseanne. I'm glad you made it. And Ms. Hong?"
"Hello." Charlie nodded, squeezing Roseanne's arm.
"I wasn't aware you two—"
"No, no." Roseanne let out a nervous laugh. "Just friends."
"Of course."
Behind them came the sharp clicking of heels on marble flooring. Roseanne's stomach dropped out, dread filling her veins.
Was it possible to know someone by the sound of their shoes? Was she crazy?
Still, she didn't turn.
At least not right away.
"Should we get a drink?" she asked Charlie who had turned to greet Lisa. Apparently, Lisa had been cool because Charlie's teeth seemed to be grinding together.
