A Certain Romance

Chapter 5: Moving Up In the World

The week passed by in a blur. Rehearsals were long and hard— we'd finally convinced Stella to let Marla take the top of the pyramid to save our backs, but only if we agreed that she would get another solo right afterwards. We were set to debut the new routine next week, but we still had one last Friday performing the old act. With the same Charleston spotlight dance. I hoped I would be getting it again, but I knew it was unlikely. Surely, Stella had complained enough after last week that the conductor would choose to placate her.

Michael, for his part, continued leaving me notes on my vanity when he wanted to see me after rehearsals. I hadn't received another gift from him, but I found that oddly comforting. Gifts felt too much like compensation for spending time with him, and I was spending a lot more time with him than I thought I would be. In fact, by the time Friday night rolled around, he'd had me on almost every piece of furniture in his office... And up against the wall in the hallway outside his office... And in the dressing room again... And once, when it was early in the morning after a very late night, up on the big stage so I could peek out through a crack in the curtains at the nearly empty club. It wasn't much of a surprise, then, to find another note waiting for me when I arrived early on Friday to start my makeup. The flowers, though... The flowers were new.

"Flowers?" Daria squealed. "How is it you have all the luck with men, eh? You've been working some kind of black magic on him, have you?"

"What can I say? I've obviously impressed him with my sparkling wit," I smiled, burying my face in the sweet-smelling posies. I could hear Stella snort disbelievingly from her vanity. Daria shot her a withering glare, but God knew the real reason behind his interest in me. Michael Gray was young, but inexperienced with women by no means. That much was clear. Then again, he'd been having more of an effect on me, experienced as I was, than I cared to admit. I wondered if it was the same for him... I shook the thought out of my mind and tore into the note.

"What's it say?" Marla suddenly appeared, poking her head over my shoulder. I gave her a look. She just looked at me like I was wasting time and motioned towards the note. "What? I'm invested now."

"It says," I cleared my throat as I read the first line in his neat, careful handwriting... and my face fell. "He can't make it to tonight's performance."

"Oh, what a shame," Stella cut in with a purr, not taking her eyes off of herself as she drew on a little beauty mark next to her mouth. "Still, one whole week Celeste... you really outdid yourself with this john. How much did you manage to squeeze out of him, eh?"

"But," I continued reading loudly, "He'll be by later tonight to see me."

Marla clapped her hands and shook me happily. Daria wasted no time pivoting towards Stella.

"Chewy, isn't it?" She asked. "That crow you just ate, I mean?"

Stella rolled her eyes, still not looking at us. She didn't reply either, though, and that alone satisfied me. Stella was always at her best when she was silent.

"Girls!" Phyllis appeared, calling our attention with a sharp clap of her hands. "We have special guests tonight."

"Oh? Who?" Stella asked.

"Solomon men, come at the Shelby's invitation. Thomas and Arthur Shelby will also be present, so I expect nothing but the best out of all of you tonight," She gave us all a stern look. "That means no fighting, no bickering, and no arguments of any kind in front of the menfolk after the performance, alright?"

"Yes, Phyllis," We mumbled obediently.

"Good. Also, the spotlight dance is going to Celeste tonight," The matronly woman rushed out, carefully avoiding Stella's widening eyes. "I know we usually keep it a surprise, but we have instructions from management and they don't want to leave anything up to chance--."