《Broadway Blue》


 Chapter 1

    Blue''s head was pounding like the bass drum in the orchestra pit by the time she stumbled through the doors of her apartment building in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Grateful to be inside the dead quiet lobby instead of on the noisy subway, she walked as straight as she could to the elevator across the plush red carpet. After being on her feet all day, the carpet beneath her felt like walking on actual marshmallows and already had her head spinning thinking about how incredibly soft her bed would be when she finally got to lay down.


    Or maybe her head was spinning from the six shots of tequila?


    Either way, she was determined she would make it up to her apartment without stumbling now. If she could survive walking the two blocks from the 59th Street¨CColumbus Circle subway stop without embarrassing herself, there''s no way she was going to lose her dignity in front of the lobby concierge, George. He wouldn''t let her live it down if he so much as got a whiff of the tequila - she learned that lesson last year when she came home wobbly from a girls'' night out and he jokingly called her "Boozy Blue" for a solid month. George was an elderly gentleman that took it upon himself to make every single person that walked through his lobby smile that day. He was a gossip and knew everyone''s business, but used it for good to find the perfect way to cheer each tenant up when they needed it. Neighbor Susan lost her Shih Tzu named Annabelle last year and George had a dozen lilies delivered to her apartment to offer his condolences. He knew she was allergic to carnations and made sure to get the correct flowers so he wouldn''t add allergies to her list of misfortunes.


    Blue tried to act normal by waving quickly at George as he gave her an I-know-what''s-happening-but-I''m-gracious-enough-to-act-normal look and waved back. She successfully reached the elevator and thanked the elevator gods when the most satisfying bell ever dinged and the doors opened immediately. It was already down and she didn''t have to wait for it under the inquisitive eyes of George. She stepped inside and pushed the 8th-floor button with her elbow - she may have had too many shots but she was still coherent enough to use the trick her germaphobe dad taught her when she was six years old and they were shopping at the mall for a Mother''s Day present for her mom. She was also coherent enough for that memory to still hurt, so she shut it in her mind as quickly as the elevator doors in front of her.


    As the elevator crept upwards with a lazy sway back and forth, the warmth of the non-air-conditioned space made her eyes start to droop and her mind start to wander. She reflected on her night and how bittersweet it had been. The wrap party at Bar Centrale had been a time for the cast and crew to come together for one last hoorah before they all flitted away to new productions and different paths.


    Blue had been working on To Tell A Lie for two years now, and the last show this week had been difficult for everyone to deal with. They had truly become like family, working side by side for so long that they often saw each other more often than they saw their real families. It''s an odd sensation to feel so heavy from mourning the end of a show, and yet at the same time so light from anticipating the next one. They had known Lie would be ending for months now so she had already secured an interview for a position as costume designer on another show that would be starting production in a few weeks. She was going to miss this tribe of amazingly talented people. They grew with each other over the past few years, and in turn, grew closer together. But this wasn''t her first show and she knew she would be able to move on quickly. It was a huge perk of her personality in this business, being capable of attaching herself completely to people and projects, but then moving on to the next thing without lingering in melancholy for too long. Not that she didn''t keep in touch with many friends from many shows, she had been to plenty of weddings and baby showers for co-workers over the years, even planned a few of them herself. It was all a part of the lifestyle she chose when she was ten years old and saw Les Mis for the first time; she was built for this life and it suited her well.


    The bell dinged again and jolted her out of her reverie. She startled a little and stood up straighter from slumping against the wall, her exhaustion weighing her down.


    She shuffled down the hallway to her door and dug around her purse for her keys. Grabbing the purple cat keychain attached to the rest of her keys, she yanked them out and shoved them into the keyhole. The second her door began to open, her ginger squishy faced cat named Molly began chirping at her from inside. She was excited to see her human, but was mostly impatient because treat time was well past-due.


    Blue felt terrible that she had been waiting for her treats all night but knew she was used to her unusual schedule and sometimes long hours. She threw her purse down on the bench by the door and slipped her boots off. By the time she had taken two steps in the general direction of the treat cabinet in the kitchen, Molly had hopped over to it and began meowing loudly. Bending over to grab the bag of treats, Blue felt a surge wooziness and a belch escaped her lips. Molly just blinked up at her judgingly with her head turned to the side and her tail curved in the shape of a question mark.


    "Don''t you look at me like that. If you had the chance to have six shots of Fishy Feast Treats you''d pounce on that like...well, a cat."


    Molly jumped on the counter in response and sat down, curling her tail around her. The look of disdain on her face was only pronounced by the flatness of it. She finally licked her lips in her last attempt to remind her human of the task at hand before she resorted to scratching furniture to get her point across.


    "Fine, have some extras as a bribe. I expect you to be your usual chipper self when I wake up in the morning, young lady."


    Molly ignored her and began scarfing down the treats without even chewing to further get her point across at how late treat time had been.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Blue walked out of the kitchen and headed down the hall towards her beloved bed. As she passed the bathroom though, she realized she needed to wash her face and brush her teeth or she would regret it in the morning, in addition to the expected hangover. She turned right into the small bathroom and began her nightly routine.


    While she was slowly brushing her teeth, she stared proudly at her long brown waves. One of her hair and makeup friends, Misha, had taught her the trick of using hairspray after curling, but before brushing, to create soft waves that stayed all night. Even her makeup still looked good, her signature smokey eye accentuating her vibrant eyes. After silently thanking Misha for all of her wisdom, her eyes darted over to the sticky note she had written herself.


    "Meet with G.N. Tuesday - don''t forget to bring portfolio"


    Her sluggish mind had to work hard to make sure tomorrow wasn''t Tuesday. An internal calendar finally popped up in her mind and she realized it was Friday, which meant there was plenty of time to gather herself together for the incredibly important meeting.


    Taking the time to floss - her dentist would have been so proud - she recalled how this meeting even came to be.


    Her friend Arjun from college called her one morning with the news that he would be employed as production manager for some amazing new show. He wouldn''t stop talking about it for at least three minutes until Blue had to interrupt him to tell him to take a breath before he passed out. His excitement was seeping through the phone and she could almost imagine his big brown eyes as wide as dinner plates while he talked to her. She had about a dozen questions for him, beginning with: did they already hire a costume designer and could he put in a good word for her?


    "Bluebonnet Mae Everson, don''t you ever doubt my love for you again! The designer just up and quit, something about a family crisis, and not only do you already have an interview lined up thanks to me, but the creator saw To Tell A Lie last year and remembered it vividly."


    Blue gasped loud enough for Arjun to hear and she could just imagine his ego growing two sizes that day. She knew he loved to take credit for being her biggest fan in college and therefore she obviously owed him her entire career. Obviously.


    "When I mentioned you, very casually I swear, he knew your work and seemed excited to meet with you for the position. I don''t want to take too much credit, of course..."


    Of course.


    "...but, when you win your Tony I expect you to weep when you mention my name and how I was such an inspiration and you are forever indebted to me- "


    "Okay okay, I get it Arjun" and without missing a beat she then launched into her rehearsed and very dramatic ''thank you speech'' in the middle of the coffee shop that she had been standing in line at for the entire conversation. She added in a few fake sobs to really get across to the ''audience'' how grateful she was for Arjun.


    The old accountant in front of her - he definitely was an accountant - looked at her like she had lost her mind. Which, after standing in line for ten minutes just for a caramel macchiato, she resigned to the fact that he might be correct and she might have already started the descent into madness. She shrugged at him and pointed at her phone, as if that was enough explanation. It must have been because he rolled his eyes and turned away, letting her return to her conversation.


    "Listen, you don''t have to convince me. Lie is closing in a couple of months, we just got informed this week. So I''ll be looking for something new anyway, and based on your new-show-on -Netflix excitement level, it sounds like it should be interesting. Just email the details and I''ll add it to my calendar if I''m free."


    "Blue I am telling you right now, you will definitely not want to miss this meeting. Even if you finally lose your mind completely in between now and then and don''t want the job, you will want to be there just to meet Gael Nev¨¢rez. He''s a genius, Blue, and you know I don''t use that word lightly. The stuff that comes out of his brain is unlike anything I''ve heard before. He wrote the script and music, is starring in it, and it¡¯s his first time producing! I want you to be a part of this, I can feel it''s going to be something meaningful. Maybe big, maybe not. But magical for sure."


    "I trust your intuition, your path to my Tony hasn''t led me astray so far. Not to mention, it''s been years since we worked together and I am desperate to feed off your mojo again. Not that I haven''t loved working on Lie, the people have been so amazing. But now that I know it''s ending I feel like I need something a little more creatively fulfilling. Know what I mean?"


    "I''m telling you, this is it. I can feel it in my bones, and I want my girl Blue on the journey with me."


    She smiled at that and said her goodbyes since her name was finally called by the barista. They had jokingly written her name with a blue sharpie and it almost made up for the long wait to get her much needed caffeine.


    The thought of caffeine jolted her brain back into the present day and she remembered how much she will need in the morning to fend off the hangover that is sure to meet her as soon as she opened her eyes. Her face and teeth were thoroughly cleaned, and she felt even more exhausted because her brain got the signal it got every night when she finished her bedtime routine: it was finally time for sleep.


    She padded down the rest of the hall to her room and removed her little black dress as quickly as her numb brain would allow her limbs to move. She threw it on top of the clothes hamper in the corner and flopped onto the most glorious and comfortable memory foam bed in human existence. She sighed happily as she swished her legs around the worn-in cotton sheets. Her petite frame only took up the tiniest portion of the bed, which usually left plenty of room for Molly to claim the rest of the bed real estate for herself. After plugging in her phone and setting it down on the bedside table, her eyes drifted over to the only framed photograph she owned. The edges were frayed and there was a crease down the middle from being folded too many times, but the sight of her parents embracing her four-year-old self still brought the sting of tears to her eyes. Tequila always made her sentimental, but even without that coursing through her veins, she still would have felt the pang of loss. She shook her head and abruptly packed that away. Emotions took a lot of energy for her, and that was something she was incredibly short on at the moment.


    She rolled over and felt Molly had curled up on the bed without her noticing, purring loudly and doing her duty in keeping her feet warm. As her eyes closed and she drifted away, her thoughts were only on the upcoming weeks. The fire of excitement started burning deep in her chest, finally allowed to spark now that To Tell A Lie had officially closed. Who knew what she would have a chance to be a part of, or who she would be able to create alongside with on this new path. Maybe this Gael would be the genius Arjun had promised. She was ready for something fresh, ready for the exhilaration that each new show brought her.


    She had no idea what was in store, but what happened the following Tuesday as she strolled into the Century Theater would change her life forever.

 Chapter 2

    Days before the meeting took place, Blue had been reaching for her portfolio at the top of her closet. Only catching the corner due to her shortness in stature, she accidentally knocked it off the shelf, scattering drawings and photos everywhere.


    Great.


    She debated on whether or not she could leave this mess for later, or if she should just deal with it now. Her stomach was growling for lunch, quite loudly. Ignoring the protests from her belly, she bent down and started organizing.


    With every photo and sketch she picked up, wonderful memories popped into her head like bubbles reflecting her time at each show. The first job she landed that she was proud enough to add to her portfolio was none other than Les Mis¨¦rables, the play that changed her life when she was only ten years old.


    Her Aunt Millie was a retired historian who was married to a surgeon that still practiced and was rarely home. They lived in Dallas in one of those ridiculously large houses in Highland Park. Who could ever fill six thousand square feet of living space? They certainly couldn''t, although they tried. Blue remembered marveling at how spaced out all her Aunt''s furniture was when she would visit as a child. It seemed like she had to walk ten feet from the couch to the chair, and another ten feet to the coffee table. Aunt Millie did, however, keep an entire snack drawer stocked up with Pop Tarts and Twizzlers, just for when Blue would stay with her for a weekend. She knew the way to Blue''s heart was in the form of a sugary treat because she too could easily be bought with processed carbs. Her time spent with her aunt, snacking and talking about life, quickly formed a bond with them that couldn''t be broken.


    One weekend her Aunt Millie proclaimed, "Bonnie, darlin'' we are headed to the theater tonight, and before we go it''s high time you learned some proper etiquette for being out in society." She hated it when her aunt called her Bonnie. She preferred to go by Blue, but since her hippie parents gave her the most ridiculous name anyone could have ever been given, she relented to the fact that Bonnie was better than her full name of Bluebonnet.


    "Aunt Millie, I already know not to sneeze into my hands and wipe it on my dress. Momma said it was rude and Daddy said it was disgusting."


    Aunt Millie hummed in agreement, "yes, that is one of many things to remember when we go out tonight. Now listen, in addition to good manners it''s also important we also get some culture instilled in you at an early age. So when we go see the show tonight, make sure you take in every moment because we will be discussing it afterward. You understand?"


    "Yes ma''am." Blue wasn''t exactly sure what to expect that night, but at only ten years old she was eager enough to please her Aunt and excited for a new adventure.


    Not even the amount of talking her Aunt did in the car that evening could have readied her for what she was about to experience. She had never been in a room as large as the auditorium of the Music Hall at Fair Park. The teal blue seats looked like an ocean that was crashing onto the cliffside of the stage''s bright red curtain. They found their seats and Aunt Millie chatted with friends she had spotted across the aisle. As the lights began to dim, Blue felt a thrill begin to spark inside her, a sensation she hadn''t ever really experienced before. The moment the overture began to play, she felt like her heart stopped. Electricity flowed through her body and jolted out of each goosebump that was raised on her neck. As the curtain began to rise and her eyes were pulled to the actors on the stage...well as Aunt Millie would say: you could stick a fork in her, she was done.


    Never had she seen anyone dressed like this in real life. From the third row, she could notice every stitch and purposeful rip or stain on every piece of clothing in front of her. It was so overstimulating she had to close her eyes for a minute and just listen. Listen to the sound of the actor playing Jean Valjean sing, "look down!" and wonder how one man could make the sound of ten men with his booming voice. Listen to the sounds of each instrument come together to make one exquisite melody. Listen as Aunt Millie hummed along to the tunes she apparently knew so well.


    When she worked up the courage to open her eyes again she was immediately swept up in the colors and textures and how everything felt like it belonged together on the stage. She spent the entire night soaking up every single second of the show; every light, every song, and most importantly the costumes.


    On the car ride home, Aunt Millie was not pleased to hear more about the costumes and less about the rigid class structure that caused the French Revolution. Nonetheless, she felt it was a start in broadening Blue''s worldview.


    And she was right. Little did she know, years later Blue would start as a wardrobe trainee fresh out of college on none other than her beloved Les Mis . While there, she had made some risky suggestions to the head costumer during a creative slump that led to a position as an assistant costume designer at her next show. Normally it took years to make that jump; Blue didn''t take for granted her luck in the business but also gave herself credit for the hard work and long hours she put in.


    She looked down at the sketches she drew for all of the following shows she worked on and a small smile appeared on her lips. During those days she lived in a tiny studio apartment that she basically only used to sleep in, spending most of her time in the costume shop. She worked so hard on so many shows that she began to gain a name for herself.


    Then finally, she got her first gig that she was in charge. It was a new show that led the audience through the disintegration of a couple''s relationship, all because of one lie that was told. The costumes were seemingly simple at first glance, but she made it visually evident during each act how far the couple had fallen from each other. Her knowledge of textiles and natural creativity made the costumes something to be remembered by viewers and critics alike.


    Adding the professional photos of the costumes for To Tell A Lie on top, she finally packed up her portfolio and sat it on the bench by her door so it would be ready for her to grab on the way out to her meeting. She knew she would be too nervous and if it wasn''t in her line of sight she might walk out the door without it tomorrow morning.


    While she ate the cold Justino''s pizza left in the fridge as her lunch, she decided to take Arjun''s advice and google the creator of the show that she would be meeting the next morning: Gael Nev¨¢rez.


    The photo that displayed at the top of the search page made her eyebrows pop up as though they had a mind of their own.


    He was around her age and good looking. Dark hair, dark eyes, great smile. No listed partner/spouse, not that she noticed or cared.


    She clicked on his previous works and silently mouthed the word "oh" to herself. In her mind, his name finally connected to his works as she realized who he was. She definitely knew his most recent show, not connecting the dots that it was his show when Arjun had mentioned his name before. It did well at the Tony''s and she had actually seen it with some friends a couple of years ago. He had been the composer, and she remembered the songs had been pretty phenomenal - enough so that she was humming them for weeks afterward, even downloading the soundtrack. Normally she focused more on the costumes, obviously, or even the set design; this one was different, though, and she remembered thinking the music really stood out. She even went around telling all her friends to go catch a show, it was good enough to recommend.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    She closed her computer and got up to get another slice of pizza. She didn''t want to go into the meeting looking like a creep that had stalked him online, but she was glad for the little bit of info she had gained so she didn''t seem uninformed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The work Blue had been doing in order to prepare herself for the meeting she was walking into did absolutely nothing to equip her for Gael Nev¨¢rez. As she walked through the office door, she wished there could have been something on Google to prepare her for this.


    His photo...to say it didn''t do him justice was an understatement.


    The first thing she noticed was, of course, his eyes. She''d always been a sucker for emotive eyes. Ones that show you exactly what the person is thinking or feeling in the moment. She had trouble with gauging other people''s emotions sometimes, so if she could have a neon sign blaring at her what they''re feeling, it helped her out tremendously.


    His eyes looked like they were often happy. There were little crinkles at the edges constantly, they almost never seemed to disappear. And as they finally rose to meet her eyes when he noticed her enter the room, they got slightly bigger. Only for a second, she barely caught it, but she could only imagine what her eyes looked like as she ogled at him.


    She cleared her throat and awkwardly looked away, walking over to take a seat in a chair across the room.


    She felt his eyes follow her the entire way.


    As she sat down in an uncomfortable metal chair next to another guy to whom she gave a small nod, she looked up and saw Gael was in the middle of a conversation with a girl that had short blonde hair. She was leaning against the large wooden desk he was sitting at, so close to him her leg was almost touching his.


    She looked around the small office and noticed the posters on the walls, thankful she could recognize them as his past productions. The messy desk did make her OCD inwardly flinch a little though. At least half of the dozen piles of random papers scattered around the surface of the desk had coffee cups as paperweights. She didn''t want to think about how many different types of bacteria were growing inside each cup. Behind the desk was a corkboard that had already been completely covered with quickly scribbled notes, photos of what she assumed to be potential actor''s faces, clippings of newspaper articles talking about the upcoming show, sketches of multiple different set ideas...all of which was already piquing her interest.


    At that moment, Arjun walked into the room with two other guys and she instantly relaxed. He shot his huge smile at her and headed over to sit with her while the guys went to talk to Gael and the blonde. He gave her a peck on the cheek as soon as he was sitting and she could tell he was so excited he might burst at any moment.


    "I''m so so so happy you were able to make it! Just seeing your face in this room feels right."


    She felt the same excitement, but was able to keep her cool better than he could. "Seriously, thank you for calling me about this. I''m so excited to see what the show is all about and find out if I''d be a good fit."


    Arjun rolled his eyes, "Oh you''re a good fit, all right. You''ll see soon enough."


    Across the room, Gael cleared his throat and they looked over to him. She noticed the others had already taken seats around the room in other uncomfortable metal chairs. He got up from behind the desk he was sitting at and walked around to the front, leaning up against it and folding his arms. Everyone in the room went quiet at this apparent sign that he was ready to speak.


    Blue couldn''t help but size him up, she was only human after all. He was a good bit taller than her and had the build of a guy that had to be on his feet all day with no time for regularly scheduled meals. She could see lean muscles under his perfectly fitted black t-shirt, the kind you get from having to help push heavy carts for the lighting technician or carry sheets of plywood for the set designer. The worn-in jeans he was wearing looked like they could possibly accentuate a very nice backside, in her professional opinion at least.


    Gael said, "we have a pretty busy day today with a lot to get through, so let''s get started."


    She realized she had spaced out while assessing his...wardrobe choices...and decided she needed to try and focus from now on.


    Gael quickly introduced Arjun and the other guys that came in with him as the director, Julian, and the other producer, Malik. "Some of you may know, we recently lost our head costume designer and need to fill the position quickly. The previous person hadn''t been able to really start doing much as of yet, but now it is the last spot we need to fill before we can start production. The catch is that she was signed on to do design and then continue on as the wardrobe supervisor once the show was running. I know it''s a lot, but it would be helpful if we could still fill both of those positions in this interview. The three of you," he pointed at the blonde, Blue, and the guy sitting next to her, "come highly recommended. You''ve all got the talent and experience to back it up."


    Arjun nudged her with his elbow, so she rewarded him with a smile and a wink.


    Gael continued, "I have some ideas floating around in my head of what we are looking for in a designer, but first I wanted to give you a rundown of what the show will be about and a little bit of the plot." He ran his fingers through his almost black hair, trying to push it back from his eyes. His attempt was unsuccessful as some strands fell right back to their spot of framing his face.


    Blue wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked.


    He started telling them the details they needed to know about the show, and every word that left his mouth was actually pure genius. She couldn''t believe it, but Arjun was right. His ideas were pushing boundaries, both creatively and socially. The story was so compelling and he knew it based on the smile he wore while he told it. At some point, Blue slowly turned to Arjun and gave him an astounded look. How did she even make it into this room? Sure, she knew she had worked her ass off to make it where she was with Lie , but this was starting to sound like the creative workout she felt like she had been missing. If she thought about it too hard she might feel like she wasn''t ready to take this on, like she needed some more time to do a couple more shows before she was worthy of something like this.


    So, she didn''t think too hard about it and shoved those thoughts into a paper airplane and let them fly.


    There were so many ideas flowing into her head with every sentence Gael said about the show. She had to actively keep her mouth shut so she wouldn''t interrupt him with her thoughts. Looking around at the other two candidates, she noticed they looked somewhat bored. She wondered if maybe they had heard the pitch before. The blonde seemed to know him based on how they were speaking when she walked in, so it''s possible they already knew the show and this was all old news to them.


    When Gael was finished with the details, he asked if they had any questions. The other two shrugged and Blue gaped openly at them. How could they not even think of one thing to say?


    "Well I have a million questions, but first I have to know - where did the inspiration come from for this?"


    Gael smiled at her. A big genuine smile. Wow. If every question she asked procured a smile like that, she could almost suffer through the embarrassment of asking the actual million questions she had floating around in her head. It would be worth it.


    "I''m glad you asked, Blue. A while ago, I had a family crisis that I needed to attend to. It was the most difficult and most raw moment of my life, and while I was visiting home I felt like I needed to get everything out of here," pointing to his head, "and onto paper. Like it would clear it away somehow and help me process everything. I had no clue it would turn into anything, but once I saw it written down it started to make sense and began to flow. I couldn''t stop it once it started coming out of me. Now, four years later I''ve been able to convince a whole lot of people that this crazy idea is also a good idea." He chuckled and stood up away from the desk. He walked behind it and sat down in the chair again, grabbing a sheet of paper from inside a folder that had been sitting on top of a stack of other folders.


    "So I need to interview you all separately to see each of your work styles and hear your thoughts and ideas. Carrie," he looked at the blonde, "can you go first while you guys wait outside for a bit? It won''t take too long."


    Blue nodded and stood up to leave while Arjun, the director, and the other producer stayed. As she walked out of the room she felt Gael''s gaze again. It took her by surprise, he seemed genuinely intrigued by her and his eyes looked like he didn''t want her to leave. She shook it off and did her special trick of not worrying about it. She would wait her turn and try to figure him out a little more when she could talk to him one on one.

 Chapter 3

    It only took about twenty minutes each for Carrie and the guy who she found out was named Billy to speak with Gael and the team. When it was Blue''s turn her nerves had built up so much that she felt like she was buzzing audibly and was sure they would all hear.


    She sat back down next to Arjun and waited. Gael was writing something down quickly and when he finished he closed the folder and looked up right at her and smiled that genuine smile again as she handed him her portfolio. He flipped through it as he spoke, "Blue, thanks for coming in today. I heard your show just finished and I know it''s an extremely quick turnaround time, so I appreciate you being willing to work with us."


    "It''s not a problem at all! I actually get antsy if I have too much downtime, so I''d be pretty happy to jump right in if I end up being a good fit."


    Arjun rolled his eyes, making it very clear he felt she was indeed the best fit for the job.


    Gael laughed at Arjun, "It''s pretty obvious some of the team already thinks you should have been signed yesterday. I have to admit, I am familiar with your work on To Tell A Lie. What you did was subtly mind-blowing, if that makes sense? I mean, costumes are so critical for a good production, but it''s not usually at the forefront of my mind. I mostly get caught up in the music and script, or feel drawn to an actor''s performance. But I clearly remember thinking ''wow, these costumes are as vital to this play as any of the characters are'' and I know I''m not the only one who thought that."


    Blue almost blushed at the compliment, but years in the business had taught her to accept it kindly and return the favor.


    "It''s funny you say that, when I saw your last show I had almost the exact same experience. Of course, the costume design was great, and I loved the scenery...but the music was so sharp and purposeful. Amazing, really. It stuck with me for a long time and I probably told over twenty people to go see your show, so you can thank me later."


    Gael laughed out loud this time and his eyes squinted from his large smile. "I had no idea we had you personally keeping the show afloat, thanks to your marketing."


    Blue shrugged, "it''s not hard for me to talk incessantly about, well, anything really. But something that powerful? Try and stop me from telling everyone I know."


    Gael thanked her again and got down to the business at hand. He asked her if she had pieces she could bring with her from past productions, and how much she would be willing to create new for the show. Typical questions about working well with others and being able to manage a team were unusually easy since she had Arjun literally sitting next to her to vouch for her. They went over the budget for the costume department and he asked how she was at accounting for the money spent. As a penny-pinching production manager, Arjun''s favorite story to tell about Blue is when she was "creatively frugal" and had used Dollar Store placemats as fabric for a costume on a show they did together in college. Everyone raved about the quality of the textiles and what an amazing find it was. Little did they know, the entire piece cost about thirteen dollars to create.


    "I love that you''re willing to use anything and don''t seem to be stifled by your creativity, but instead it seems to open up more options for you," Gael said while staring right into her eyes. She was not used to so many compliments coming from anyone other than Arjun, so it was getting more and more difficult to not blush. This business could be harsh; there''s a lot of competition, and environments brimming with artists can lead to a lot of drama. He was so sincere though, and she was starting to feel pretty optimistic about landing this job.


    After asking about the show in more detail, because she just honestly couldn''t hold back her curiosity, Gael noticed the time and realized they had been talking for over forty minutes.


    "Wow, we should probably wrap up, I don''t want to keep you any longer. Sorry for rambling," Gael apologized.


    "It''s fine, I seriously had nothing else to do today other than to be here. Well, I mean I did plan on going rock climbing, doing some yoga, and maybe even taking a pottery class before dinner. But I think I still have time for all that," Blue said in jest.


    Gael laughed, "oh yeah, you could probably even sneak some bowling in and then go for a bike ride too? Just to top it all off." He was joking, but Blue did think a bike ride might actually be nice and added it to her list of possible activities to keep her mind occupied for the rest of the day.


    Gael stood up and offered his hand to her as she turned to leave. She reached across the messy desk to shake it and felt a jolt when they touched, as though she was shocked by static electricity. "I am really glad to have met you today, Blue." The look on his face showed he meant it.


    Why was she so affected by this guy? It felt like she was in middle school again and couldn''t control her prefrontal cortex. She had to admit, his smoothness was charming in a way she did not expect herself to be attracted to. Normally her type was offbeat nerdy guys, with the occasional mishap of ending up with a boring narcissist. He seemed so authentic and charming, she wondered what was hiding underneath - the true Gael. Her nature was not to trust anyone so nice until she got to know them better, which she hoped that if this interview went well enough she''d have the opportunity to do just that.


    She promptly giggled at him like an actual school girl and her brain searched for something to say, like it always did in awkward situations. Fill the awkwardness with more awkwardness, that will help.


    "Good to meet you too," was all she could muster. Wow. She turned to Arjun and muttered, "walk me out?" It was more of a command than a request; a plea that she needed rescuing.


    The look on Arjun''s face was pure smugness: absolute bliss in what he just witnessed. She could already imagine what he would have to say as though she could literally hear his thoughts.


    Gael thanked her one more time as she was walking out the door of the office and offered, "we will definitely be making our decision by tonight and letting you know ASAP since we are on such a tight schedule. I''ll call you, if that''s okay?"


    Blue told him that was great when truthfully it was not great because she only became more nervous about the impending call, even more nervous than she was earlier about this interview. She forced Arjun out the door with her and shot him a look that told him to ''keep quiet until we are outside ''.


    As they burst through the doors onto the corner of 49th and 8th, Arjun let out a scream that scared the passersby. Blue looked at them apologetically and then turned to him. "Did what I think just happened, really happen?"


    Without holding back, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for a tight embrace. "My girl Blue, you just got the job and a guy all in one hour!"


    "Don''t you dare get my hopes up, Arjun!" She glared at him with her hands on her hips.


    "I mean, I''m not the only one that saw the way he was looking at you-"


    "Oh my God, no! I meant the job! Geez. I''m not looking for a relationship right now, you know how it is. There''s no time during production," she suddenly froze and nervously put her hand on her forehead. "So I didn''t just imagine all of that? He really was acting like he was into me?"


    She wondered if she had been as obvious about his effect on her.


    "There''s no way you didn''t notice the way he looked at you. And let me tell you, I''ve not seen him that excited to talk to anyone in a while. Lately, he''s either stressed or preoccupied - rightfully so during this insanely busy time - but no one has seen that version of Gael in months."


    "Okay fine," she relented, "but I feel like I didn''t handle it very smoothly."


    "Girl, leave the smoothness up to him. I think he has it covered." Arjun said with a dreamy look in his eyes.


    Blue huffed and said she needed to get going before she drove herself crazy overthinking. A good distraction was needed so she could not think about what happened or the phone call that was coming later. They said their goodbyes and he headed back inside to delegate with the team and, as subtly as Arjun was capable of, fight for Blue to be hired.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    She took the subway to the best place to erase all her worries and get out of her head for a while: Namaste Yoga Studio. Her monthly membership fees meant she could keep a mat and a change of clothes in the lockers there so she didn''t have to make any stops and was able to head right there.


    She changed into her black leggings and burnt orange tank top, leaving her shoes off since she preferred doing yoga barefoot, it felt more natural to her. For her, this was a spiritual practice that just so happened to have a physical element to it. While rolling out her mat, she noticed she had a few minutes before the next class started, so she just sat and did some breathing exercises to pass the time.


    Her mom was the one that taught her how to breathe the anxiety away. She taught yoga at a studio in Austin in the 1990s and felt it was important that Blue practiced from a young age, so she started teaching her as soon as she could walk. As a kid she was bossy and bold, no one that didn''t know her well would have expected the anxious thoughts that could fill her mind from time to time. She often would worry about things that seemed impossible. She felt it was her job to protect those around her and that if she didn''t do it, no one would.


    And when she was 13, those seemingly impossible dangers became her reality.


    A clear soothing voice echoed from the front of the class just in time for Blue to crawl out of the emotional hole she almost fell into. She was grateful; after all, this was supposed to be a time to get out of her head and into her body. The tall and lean teacher named Mira instructed everyone with her musical voice to begin in mountain pose.


    "As you stand firmly planted to the earth in tadasana , breathe all of the darkness and negative energy out of your body. Imagine it leaving you as you push the air from your lungs. As you inhale, bring the light and goodness of this world into you. Let it fill you with warmth and peace with every expansion of your chest and abdomen."


    Blue could feel the stress melting away with every breath. Each pose helped her move the worry out of her body and let the calmness settle there instead. By the end of the class, she had forgotten the worries she had about what happened with Gael and the uncertainty of getting the job that she realized she wanted pretty bad.


    She left the studio refreshed and decided to get some groceries since she was near one of her favorite shops. Plus, it would help the time pass until tonight when she would be getting a phone call-


    Just then her phone rang. The streets were loud but she checked to see who it was just in case it was important.


    *Century Theater


    She wasn''t prepared for the call to happen so soon. She quickly switched her brain into professional mode and took a deep breath, secretly allowing herself to hope for good news. That yoga session really did the trick of calming her nerves, apparently. She wanted to come across as confident this time and made sure there was no room for unprofessional awkwardness.


    "Hello?" She said into her phone, covering her mouth a little with her hand so the street noises would be muffled.


    "Hey Blue, it''s Gael. Sorry to call you so quickly after you just left."


    "No no, it''s totally fine. I''m not busy."


    "Great! So we intended to talk it over for a while and make sure we did our due diligence in choosing a costume designer. But honestly..."


    Blue tensed up a little, obviously she should have been preparing for bad news instead. Hopefully, he let her down gently, although he seemed gentlemanly enough that she assumed he would try to be as nice about it as possible.


    "...we didn''t feel like we needed to waste all that time going over what we all basically knew from the start. We would love to sign you on as the costume designer for our show and, if you''ll agree, to possibly keep you on as wardrobe supervisor for the full duration of the show while it''s playing. If you need time to think about it, that''s perfectly fine, we just would love to know for sure by this evening so we can -"


    "Yes!" Blue basically shouted into the phone. Great. Super professional. "I''m honored the whole team agrees I''m right for the show and I''d be more than happy to work with y''all"


    Gael laughed breathily into the phone and asked, "y''all? I could tell you weren''t from New York, but I didn''t guess the south."


    "Yep, Texan - born and raised. My accent disappeared mostly, unless you get some drinks in me or I get real tired. Then it starts popping up like a prairie dog scanning the horizon."


    "Hmm well I can''t wait to see you into either of those situations and hear this accent for myself."


    The sauciness of this guy was actually impressive. She felt challenged, like he wanted her to match his caliber, if she dared. So, in the most unwavering tone she could muster, she replied, "you outta hear the things that come out of my mouth when I''m in an even more compromising position."


    She heard the unmistakable sputter of coffee exiting his mouth at light speed. A small cough turned into a nervous laugh and he said he better go tell the others she had accepted the job and warn them about her accent that could show up at any moment.


    So, that actually was the key: he was used to being forward but wasn''t used to being on the receiving end. Blue said goodbye and tucked that knowledge away for future use, just in case that might come in handy.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Arjun had been texting her nonstop, even though she knew he was probably in meetings for the rest of the day. He promised to call and properly go over the meeting details of when they decided to sign her on, and gushed about how excited he was to work with her again. He held back and only mentioned the '' sexy genius '' a few times, including how frazzled he seemed when he returned from making the call to her.


    Success.


    Blue was determined to stay as professional as possible with Gael, while still throwing every bit of flirtation he dolled out right back at him. She had no intention of doing anything more than making sure she did her job well and enjoyed every second of it. She needed this, not only financially since her last show was closing, but she had been longing to stretch her creative wings for a while now and Gael''s show was sure to give her the expanse to do just that.


    She was done grocery shopping and was sitting on the subway with her giant brown paper bag crinkling more in her lap with every bump the subway car hit. Due to the excitement of her day, she over-shopped a bit and the heavy bag was threatening to burst and spill its sugary contents all over the floor of the train. She carefully made her way up to street level when she got to her stop and navigated the two blocks to her apartment.


    As she walked in, obviously struggling, George ran over to her with his hands out ready to catch anything she might lose in her battle with the bag.


    "Miss Blue, what in the world are you thinking trying to pack all of these," he peeked into the bag and saw three different types of cookies, "uh...groceries...into one paper bag?" George reprimanded.


    "How was I to know these cheap bags can''t handle my sustenance choices?? They don''t make them like they used to, George."


    He laughed and grabbed the bag from her, taking it over to the counter that he normally sat behind. Using the tape from his drawer, he patched the two most threatening holes and informed her she should be able to make it to her apartment now without losing her well balanced and healthy meals. The emphasis on the '' healthy '' was not lost on her.


    "Thanks, George, you''re a lifesaver. What would I do without you?"


    "Honestly, I don''t want to think about that. It probably would involve some sort of sugar overdose though, if I had to guess," he pretended to be solemn and shook his head.


    Blue thanked him for the tape and swore she would be more conscious of her sugar intake from now on. Maybe.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Once she reached her apartment and was finally able to curl up with Molly on the couch to watch Netflix while having a bite of each treat she just bought herself, she let the day settle in her mind.


    She did it. She was going to work with Arjun again, possibly create something really big together. Hopefully, they could actualize Gael''s genius and bring it all together. Knowing he wrote, composed, is producing, and will be starring in the show was actually comforting. It meant he was 100% dedicated and that he believed in what he was making. It made it a lot easier to give yourself completely to a cause when the leader was so compelling and committed.


    Her phone started buzzing next to her on the couch and she saw Arjun''s face appear on the screen. She answered quickly and immediately was launched into the details of the meeting about her that she missed.


    "Okay, so he started out talking about all three candidates, how they all were impressive, blah blah blah, niceties that he had to say to not be obvious. The other guys brought up Billy first and decided quickly he was a huge no, not risky enough for this show. Carrie was basically not even an option because her interview was so terrible, I am pretty sure there''s bad history between them, but haven''t gathered enough intel to corroborate that claim just yet..."


    Blue almost felt the tiniest little spark of jealousy...almost. Who knows if that''s even true, but Arjun had a pretty good eye when it came to this stuff. She wondered why she even cared? This thought shouldn''t have even entered into existence. She told her brain to stop.


    "...so that led to you, of course. When we started talking about you I swear he lit up like a Caribbean sunrise. He became more animated and his hands started flying around. He went on about how he loved your previous work and really felt like you could bring something to the show that was innovative, etcetera...basically saying '' she''s amazing and she gets my vote so I dare any of you to defy me '' which no one did, obviously."


    "Arjun, I highly doubt he cares that much. I''m not saying my role isn''t important, but showrunners don''t usually have that much to say about the costume designer. We are important, but not generally well revered."


    "Hmm, you''re right. Maybe there''s some other random reason why he would be so adamant about signing you on for the job? I don''t even know, what could that be?" he feigned ignorance while getting his point across very clearly.


    "And with that, I say goodnight,¡± she laughed. ¡°Thanks again for today, I wouldn''t have been there if you didn''t think of me for the job and put my name in the hat. You''re a better friend than any girl could ever hope for."


    "Aww, you''re going to make me cry!" She knew the best way to get him off the topic of Gael''s interest in her was to shift gears into praising him. He never could resist a mushy heartfelt thank you. "Get some rest, my girl, because in only a few days we are going to be starting a journey that will take every bit of energy you have in that tiny little body of yours."


    "Don''t worry, I think I''m up for it. Just make sure you can keep up with me," she teased.


    After she hung up, she unpaused her show and resumed taste-testing each of her treats to decide on which one she would devour completely that night. Molly purred as a request to be petted, and her soft fur made her think of how soft Gael''s dark hair had looked. She wondered what it felt like to run her hands through his hair like he had a few times that morning.


    Her eyes widened. Staying professional was going to be more difficult than she thought.

 Chapter 4

    Later in the week, Blue got a copy of the full script to start reading over. She whirled through it the first time so fast she didn''t think she was actually at the end when she reached the last page. Immediately, she started over at the beginning and was able to go slower this time and start making notes.


    The show was set during the Civil War - she was excited about historical period costumes - but Gael had specifically mentioned an ethnically diverse cast.


    Genius.


    He planned on expanding their theatrical colleague''s minds and showing them that casting only depended on talent, not pigment. Further than that, he would speak to the audiences by visually representing in his show what the world actually looked like.


    Oh, and the music was hip-hop inspired.


    Blue could finally understand what he meant when he said he had to convince people that his crazy idea was a good idea. It was a risky script, but if they could pull it off it would not only work well but have the potential to be big. It could shift the world of theater forever, change people''s mindsets, and have them leave their baggage forever at the door.


    Gael had been texting in a group chat with all the heads of departments, giving details about upcoming meetings and constantly asking if anyone needed anything. Blue had decided to head to one of her favorite places in the world, the New York Public Library.


    Her little library in Texas had never let her down when she was growing up, reading her way through life. When she had a question, it had an answer. Even walking through the doors of a library she''d never been in before gave her a sense of comfort that she could find whatever she needed, even before she knew what it was she needed. So, the first time she visited the library in New York City, she almost fainted. It was like walking into a European medieval castle, complete with statues and murals delicately painted on the walls. When she had accidentally wandered into the Rose Room for the first time, her jaw actually dropped in awe. The room was nearly the length of a football field and filled with row after row of long wooden tables that almost gave away how heavy they were just by looking at them. The fifty-foot high ceilings and arched windows gave the dark wooden room the light it needed. When the darkness and light mixed together, it made magic. Being surrounded by books on every wall, made even more magic. The smell of old books and old wood mixing in the air...magic.


    So, one morning she decided to update the group and say she was headed to the library to start research. What she didn''t expect was for Gael to immediately send her a private text and ask if she minded if he joined her. He had been texting her pretty often, updating her on the costume shop remodel, and answering questions she had about the storyline to help her start brainstorming costumes. Even though he had been just as nice and slightly flirtatious via text, she hadn''t expected him to text her that. Although she normally researched alone, she didn''t mind him coming along since she was the second hired costume designer and he probably already had some ideas that he had been brewing with the designer before her. She would rather implement them now instead of going down a path and find out later that he had other ideas. She texted him back that it would be great if he could meet her there and be prepared to carry lots of heavy books for her.


    He said he would love to do nothing more than carry her books for her.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As she stood outside of the library''s doors waiting under the arches for Gael, she wondered if this was actually such a good idea. Her first time alone with someone that was technically kind of her boss would be inside a place that normally made her feel pretty vulnerable. It was a place where she let her guard down and allowed herself to be fully immersed in the research.


    Before she had time to change her mind, she noticed him bounding up the steps towards her. He had sunglasses on and his hair was in a man-bun today.


    She couldn''t believe he could actually pull that off, but he did very very well.


    His vintage Beatles t-shirt had frayed edges from being worn so many times - he probably knew how good it looked on him - and his dark jeans fit perfectly, yet again. She was reminded of her earlier question about how well they fit in the back, but tried to shove that thought out of her mind because he was saying hello.


    "I can''t believe you actually beat me here, no one is ever earlier than me to a meeting!" Gael exclaimed while throwing his empty coffee away in the nearest trash can.


    "Yeah well this ain''t a meeting, Gael, this is an experience." She smiled at him and put her hands on her hips. "Some ground rules before we go inside this most glorious place on earth: don''t question my book choices, don''t question how many books I need, and don''t interrupt me if I am deep in a book, lest you stop the genius at work. Got it?" she raised one eyebrow to show she expected a fully committed response. He didn''t let her down.


    " Si, mi capitana . I swear to abide by all the rules and make sure your library time is fully productive today. Can we go in now?"


    Blue pretended to ponder his worthiness with her hand on her chin, then finally nodded her head. "You have been deemed worthy to enter," and she waved him on. He bowed then turned around to walk toward the doors and she finally got an answer to her previous question.


    The jeans did, in fact, fit him very well in the back.


    As he walked away her eyebrows raised slightly as she took in the sight before her. She didn''t even think she had ever truly checked out a guy''s ass, until now. The curve was subtle, yet perfect. She said a silent thank you to whoever designed those jeans and decided to find out the brand, for professional reasons of course. She now had a new question about the firmness-


    Stop. Focus. Be professional.


    He opened the door and held it for her as she walked through and thanked him. As soon as they entered he immediately turned right and went towards the shop where they sold coffee. She wasn''t sure if he had a sixth sense that could find coffee anywhere, or if he was familiar enough with the library to know where to get the coffee at.


    "Did you know that when it opened in 1911 the library had already shelved over one million books, ready for the public to read?" he asked as he got in line for the coffee.


    Astonished, she had her answer that he was obviously familiar with the library. She responded, "yes, and close to fifty thousand people visited that day. Can you imagine?"


    He shook his head. "I get overwhelmed seeing that many people attend a football game in the 21st century, I can''t imagine seeing that many people gather in 1911. It had to be such a sight for the founders and workers to see, I bet they never felt prouder than that day."


    The cashier asked what he could get for them and he ordered a black coffee for himself and another one with cream and extra sugar for her, without even asking.


    "How did you know how I take my coffee?" she asked as the guy started making them, stunned he guessed the extra sugar part correctly.


    "Ah, it''s a special gift I have. I can guess anyone''s coffee order just by looking at them. I''m sort of a coffee enthusiast, my family has always been into it, but mostly I think it comes from my days as an intern. Once you order over a thousand coffees you start to notice a trend."


    She laughed and thanked him for the coffee, "this is actually pretty good. Normally I just drink store brand grounds made in my ten-dollar coffee maker at home."


    He stopped walking abruptly, unable to move after hearing such a statement. "Oh my God. That''s honestly the saddest thing I''ve ever heard anyone say in reference to coffee."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "I don''t really care how I get my caffeine, as long as it''s sickeningly sweet and gives me heart palpitations, I know it''s doing its job!"


    He laughed and shook his head in disbelief at her as they headed up the stairs to their right. She had already reserved a computer and headed towards her favorite spot to research. It was in a corner on the second floor that was secluded enough that she felt like she could really focus without being interrupted. As they sat down at the computer, he leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee, causing his shirt to lift ever so slightly; Blue could see a bit of his flat stomach and the tiniest bit of hair that grew there.


    She was then very confident that her library trip was going to be full of nothing but interruptions.


    "I''ll start putting in the requests for the books I already know I want,¡± she said, trying to focus on the task at hand, ¡±then we can start discussing the show and see if any more books pop up that I might want to request." Gael nodded and took his phone out of his pocket. While she typed on the old computer keyboard, he sat next to her and tapped away on his phone, probably answering emails from vendors for the upcoming orders the set designer was preparing to make. Every time he looked up from his phone she could feel his eyes on her, watching her fingers and staring at the side of her face. She finally decided to look over at him, frustrated at the computer for running so slow, and caught his eyes staring straight into her own. He lingered for a second too long, then smiled and said, "you are so cute trying to battle with an ancient desktop computer, it¡¯s impossible to win."


    She was blown away by his forwardness. He just said she was cute. Out loud. She wasn''t sure about New York, but in Texas, guys didn''t go around calling girls cute unless they meant something else. She knew plenty of guys growing up who were always more openly flirtatious and it came off naturally, like it was part of their DNA. But this was way more than she was used to and it kept throwing off her guard.


    Remembering her determination to stay professional, yet project any flirtation right back at him without backing down, she shrugged and simply said, "thanks," with a mischievous smile on her lips.


    The look of shock he let slip onto his face at her confidence was enough to make her bold enough to add, "you''re not going to think it¡¯s cute when you see the list of books you''re about to have to carry for me."


    He laughed out loud, which brought on an evil look from the librarian sitting behind her desk across the room. She even cleared her throat, which was basically as good as her saying, ''strike one''.


    He didn''t take his eyes off Blue the entire time and ignored the librarian stating, "I already told you, I''m more than happy to carry your books anytime, mi Azul ."


    Damn. That smooth Spanish nickname he gave her made her heart actually skip a beat. People say that all the time and she didn''t think it was a real thing, but it happened. She felt it actually stop for at least two seconds before it began to beat again quickly enough to catch up.


    The proud look on his face made her think he knew exactly the effect it had on her. She wondered how many other nicknames he had for how many other girls; she was getting tired of how affected she was by him and decided she either needed to step up her retaliation game a notch, or give up and let him win.


    How did she end up in this game anyway? What was he trying to get at with this exchange? There''s no way he was attracted to her in the way she was to him. He had plenty of actresses that were probably throwing themselves at him daily, so it''s not like he needed the ego boost.


    If she decided to step up her flirting game then she ran the risk of looking like a fool if he thought she was taking it more seriously than he was. But, if she gave up and let him win then...well...he would win. And she couldn''t have that.


    She stood up to go collect the requested research books, but before he could stand up too she leaned over next to him to grab her purse that she had put on the floor by their chairs. Her wavy brown hair slid over her shoulder and fell right in front of his face. She swore she could hear him inhale, which made her very grateful she actually woke up early that morning so she could wash it with her hibiscus shampoo.


    She turned to look at him and was only inches from his face. His eyes seemed darker, as if that was somehow possible, and there was a small crease between them from where his brow was furrowing. His face had completely changed from the nonchalant look he always wore to something that resembled surprise. But his eyes...they were the window into his thoughts and she could easily read them.


    He was actually attracted to her. For real. He wasn''t just messing with her. He obviously felt something, whether it was sincere or just biological she didn''t know. But it was there.


    Her plan had backfired and now she had no clue what to do. So she did the only thing her brain was capable of - this was a fight or flight situation and her legs started moving before she even knew where she was headed.


    Flight won out, apparently.


    He jumped up behind her and caught up to her by the time she was walking out of the room and back into the atrium where the stairs were. In the few seconds of running away, she had enough time to think of something to say. She looked over to him as he came alongside her after tossing their empty coffees in the trash and unflinchingly said, "come on, it''s time to put those muscles to the test and collect my books."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After waiting for all the books she had requested, they started pouring over every page in her beloved Room 315, the Rose Main Reading Room. Just seeing the neatly organized rows of thick oak tables calmed her down as she walked in, Gael in tow carrying all her heavy books. The perfectly spaced bronze lamps on each table made her feel regulated and ready to work.


    Blue was visually driven, so seeing the drawings and photos of historically accurate garments in the 1860s in front of her really got the creativity flowing. They discussed the characters in great detail and he was able to provide a lot of backstory for each one. Every idea he had, she had another idea to make it even better. Their excitement was growing; she had expected it would be great to work with him, but never thought it would be this easy. Their minds were simultaneously working on the same wavelength, but still different enough to build off each other. It was like being two pieces of a puzzle, both having their separate ideas but seamlessly fitting together.


    She had made some notes while reading the script and was able to go over them with him. She loved translating someone''s vision right in front of them and relished in his delight as she began quickly sketching rough versions of their ideas.


    A couple of hours later, he interrupted one of her sketches and leaned into her to say, "you truly are the perfect person for this show. I knew when you walked in that there was some kind of connection, that we would be able to work together well. But sitting in this library today I can see that you not only will be able to do the job, but make the entire production better. Seriously, thank you for this," he waved at the mountain of books they had piled in front of them, "it means a lot to know that something I''ve poured my soul into is being taken care of by someone who unmistakably cares too."


    She didn''t know what to say. Yet again. Why did she always have to flounder around when emotions were involved? She tried to take a second to think before she spoke, but that never worked before, so she just let it all blurt out.


    "I think you might be a genius."


    He smiled and rolled his eyes, sitting back in his chair. He nervously ran his hand through the hair that had started to fall out of his man-bun, while leaving one hand resting on a book he had just been browsing.


    "No seriously, when Arjun told me about the show it sounded interesting and definitely came at the right time for me, but his excitement about it is what drew me in. And I knew it must be something special to make him act so brash as to offer my name up for the job. But when I read the script, I couldn''t believe the words on the page. You are so good at conveying exactly what you mean to say in the most abstract way possible. I loved that it made me think, I had to focus completely on what was happening, and in today''s world of quick entertainment that is a rare thing."


    When she stopped talking, she could see in his eyes that apparently he had needed to hear that. Not knowing the reason why, but realizing he must have been feeling somewhat uncertain lately, she decided to reach out and put her hand on his. Not meaning anything but to comfort him, she hoped she didn''t just throw herself out there and get stuck drowning in vulnerability with no life vest.


    He stared at their hands for a bit, then looked up at her and stared straight into her eyes. Leaning in towards her again he whispered so only she could hear, "I don''t know how you do it, but when you say things like that I believe it more than when anyone else tells me. With production starting soon I really needed to hear that. I didn''t know I did, but thank you."


    She took a deep breath and slipped right back into her cover-emotions-with-humor trick, "well don''t get used to it buttercup, I''m only being nice because you carried thirteen books around the library for me. Bump that number up to twenty and next time you might even get a handwritten card to go along with those compliments."


    Gael let loose his booming laugh yet again, and wouldn''t you know that same exact librarian just happened to be walking by collecting books. The look on her face this time said, ''this is both strike two AND three''.


    Before she could actually reprimand them verbally, Blue stood up and started collecting all the loose papers, putting them back inside her leather-bound notebook. Gael, still chuckling, started stacking the books.


    Blue decided to check out a couple of the books that were allowed to leave the library so she could have them at home as references over the next few weeks, just in case. On their way out Gael said, "thanks for letting me tag along and for being so dedicated to your work."


    Brushing off his compliments again, Blue said, "text if you think of any other ideas, and I will do the same. I think we got off to an amazing start today, so far I guess we make a pretty great team."

 Chapter 5

    The rain didn''t let up over the next few days, setting the mood for Blue to stay home, drink tea, and work on her sketches. Using the rough versions she made in the library, she wanted to start working on the final products she would present during the first production meeting.


    Digging around in the crowded drawer of her art table that resides in front of the window in the living room, she finally found what she needed: her beloved tools. She would use many tools along this process, but the first ones she would need would be her pencils, fine black pens, and watercolors. While carefully sharpening her pencils, the tempo of the wood scraping against the blade blended with the drumming of the rain against the window to make a soothing rhythm that instantly calmed her. Placing them gently in a cup on the desk so as not to break the freshly sharpened tips, she then opened her watercolors and smiled at the sight of them. All the bright little squares perfectly aligned, colors all from the most beautiful rainbow you could imagine. She felt the tips of the paintbrushes to make sure they were still good, it had been a while since she used them last. Most of the time they were used for work, for exactly this process of fleshing out designs, but occasionally she would get the "paint bug" as her dad called it and need to create something just for herself. She had even framed a couple of her favorite pieces and given them away as presents. They were especially popular as baby shower gifts, a small fluffy bunny wearing glasses being her most recent gift. It was based on a painting her dad had made for her room while her mom was still pregnant. They hung it above the crib the week before she was born, the smart little bunny ready to guard it''s baby once she finally arrived. She felt like all babies needed a smart bunny to watch over them, so it was her most common baby shower gift.


    Closing the channels of the emotions that threatened to overflow, she opened her notebook and focused on the task at hand instead.


    Even when she sat down to work on designs, she made herself draw for pleasure first. It helped start the spark of inspiration and focus her mind on the work in front of her. She closed her eyes for a second and thought about what would energize her. Letting her mind wander, it was almost a form of meditation. If she got off track, she would just gently nudge her thoughts back in and let them start to form. She grabbed one of her black pens and began to move her hand over the thick paper. Not exactly sure where she was going, she let her pen guide her.


    The first lines were heavy as she pulled the pen down towards the bottom of the paper. Starting back at the top of the lines, she pulled in opposite directions on either side. Slowly a figure began to emerge. Her pen moved quickly on some areas, and slowly on others. The calming sound of the pen scratching on her paper put her into a sort of trance. She dropped that pen and grabbed one of the finer brushes, dipping it into the gray square and swirling it around. She splashed the shades around where her mind''s eye said they needed to be, making some blotches darker and some barely visible they were so light.


    Finally, she laid the brush down and closed her eyes again for just a second, waking up from her spell. As she looked down at the paper in front of her, it hit her like a ton of bricks.


    She had sketched the back of a shirtless male figure running his hands through his hair.


    Seriously?


    She just sat and stared at it for a solid five minutes, half impressed with how realistic her shading looked and half-embarrassed by what was obviously running through her mind when she let it run free.


    Grabbing the paper and ready to crumple it, she decided to instead put it in one of her folders that held other random pieces she didn''t feel like she could give away at baby showers.


    She stood up and walked to the kitchen to grab a snack to try and erase what just happened from her mind, even if she couldn''t erase it from that paper. Molly woke up immediately and leapt from the couch to follow her; if she was headed to the kitchen, there was a good chance it might be treat time. Why else would her human walk in that direction if it wasn''t to give her some well-deserved treats?


    Blue sat back down at her desk with a bag of peanut M&M''s while Molly sat behind her on the couch cleaning her face and paws, thanks to the delicious treats she just gobbled up. Not only had her normal method for beginning to sketch not helped, but it had completely thrown her off her game now. Either she would have to stop the process and try another time, or push forward to see if, although the subject was humiliating, the method still actually worked.


    Being as stubborn as she was, she chose to just push forward. Deciding that she would start with the main character named John, the one Gael would be playing, she dug out her preliminary sketches for him. She figured if she was going to draw him anyway, it might as well be useful for something.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    She sketched through the night, making multiple drafts of each main character and crumpling the old ones to toss into the trash. She narrowed it down to the versions that felt perfect by around 4:00 am and finally crashed. Laying in bed with Molly dutifully purring at her feet, she decided she could re-check her work when she woke up and make sure her delirious decisions held up. She worked best late at night, she''d always been a night owl just like both her parents. The photo on her bedside table was like a beacon calling to her in the dark and quiet room. After exhausting herself creatively, she didn''t have the energy to guard herself against the emotions that came on like a wave. Looking at their faces she felt angry and hurt and heavy and broken all at the same time.


    Just like she had the day she was told she had lost them forever.


    She was only thirteen, most girls that age are worried about what color to paint their nails or which boy they wanted to go to the school dance with. But on a cold day in February, only a week before the Valentine''s Day dance, her teacher got a note from the principal delivered to her classroom. She called Blue''s name out and instructed her to head to the office, adding that she wasn''t in trouble but they needed to speak to her.


    She headed down the hall with a slight worry in her chest about what they could possibly want to talk to her about, but remembered that her teacher said she definitely wasn''t in trouble. It couldn''t be that bad...


    When she got to the office she saw Aunt Millie standing there which took her by surprise. Was she there for a surprise visit? Was she about to be whisked away on some secret adventure? She smiled at Aunt Millie, but when the older woman didn''t return the smile, that''s when she noticed the tear stains from her mascara on her aunt''s cheeks.


    Blue shook herself out of the memory, she had gone too deep and felt the pull of melancholy. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom for a drink. After she gulped the ice-cold water down she slammed the cup onto the counter and stared at herself in the mirror, "get your shit together, Everson."


    Turning on her heel, she ran back down the hall and jumped into the safety of her bed, making sure to face the opposite direction of the photo, and stared instead out the window at the twinkling lights of the city. Molly snorted at her in disapproval for disturbing her slumber, then stretched and curled back up into an even tighter ball.


    Blue closed her eyes and tried to think of another face, anything other than Aunt Millie''s heartbroken eyes. Instead, she thought of a face that had happy eyes with little crinkles on the edges when he smiled at her. She didn''t have the emotional capacity to feel ashamed of thinking of Gael''s smile instead of counting sheep to help her fall asleep.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The next morning she was exhausted beyond words. The creative and emotional drain last night had taken its toll, and she wasn''t ready to face the day. Checking her phone, she saw it was already almost noon which meant she had a meeting with her assistant in only two hours. Her stomach rumbled like a stampede of cattle in her belly and she realized she missed breakfast. The thought of food was bribery enough to drag herself out of bed, though just barely.


    After a hot shower and an everything bagel, she poured her remaining coffee into a travel mug and grabbed her bag with her notebook inside. She quickly glanced at them again to make sure she still stood by her decisions, then put on her boots and headed out the door.


    Then she came back in, grabbed her coffee that she left on the counter, and headed back out again.


    When she arrived at the Century Theater, she realized she actually had no idea where in the building she was supposed to be. Entering through the side door, she only knew the first door on her right was Gael''s office. Reluctantly, she decided she would ask him to show her to the costume shop. She hadn''t even had time to get an official tour of the place yet since she was signed on so late, so she felt it wasn''t odd for her to ask him to show her around.


    She knocked lightly on his somewhat open door before stepping in. The sight of Carrie took her by surprise, but not as much as the sight of Gael looking visibly upset. She hadn''t seen him like this before, and it was truly a sight to behold the fire in his eyes.


    As long as you weren''t the one on the receiving end of that fire.


    He looked up at her as she stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of what to do since she had obviously just interrupted something.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "I''m so sorry, I didn''t know you were meeting with anyone. The door was open so I assumed -"


    "It''s fine Blue, come in. Carrie was just leaving," he said very pointedly while shooting Carrie a look that said his word was final.


    Carrie just literally said the word "ugh" and Blue could tell she was not happy to be cut short on their discussion. She obviously thought she was getting somewhere with Gael on whatever they were talking about, but even Blue could tell from his eyes that he was done. She turned and walked towards Blue in the doorway mumbling, "congrats on the job," then pushed past her without so much as a second glance. Blue stepped inside the office finally and whistled, eyebrows raised high enough to wrinkle her forehead.


    "Phew! I don''t know what you did to piss her off, but I''m glad I saved you before she literally started to chew your head off."


    Gael ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He finally smiled up at her and joked, "you''re right, how will I ever repay you?"


    "Well you can start by showing me to the costume shop. I figured I could find it on my own, but it might take less time if someone that actually knows this place just showed it to me. Arjun is out running errands, so you''re it."


    Gael frowned, "you haven''t been given a tour yet? How did I forget that!" He hopped up immediately and shoved his phone in his back pocket. A few papers fell off his cluttered desk in the process and he quickly threw them back on top of a pile of folders.


    "No it''s totally fine, I''m sure it''s the last thing on your to-do list and I haven''t needed it until now. It''s really okay, I can find it on my own if you''re too busy?"


    "There is literally nothing in this world I want more right now than to leave this God-forsaken office and give a beautiful woman a tour of our beautiful theater."


    There he went again. She''d now graduated from cute to beautiful. Before she knew it, she would be stunning or maybe even ravishing.


    "Okay fine, and if we find my assistant Kiara you can introduce us, seeing as I have no idea what she even looks like to try and find her. We have emailed a few times, but I have yet to meet her in person."


    Gael nodded and started walking towards the door. He noticed her bag with the notebook in it and excitedly asked, "wait, is that the final sketches?"


    Blue started shaking her head, "no no no, you''re not allowed to see anything until I meet with Kiara and make sure we don''t want any changes. Sorry, not sorry."


    Gael feigned indignation and told her she was such a tease.


    "Oh darlin'' you haven''t seen nothin'' yet," she drawled out with just the slightest hint of her Texan accent for his amusement.


    She expected to hear his booming laugh again, and wasn''t disappointed.


    They walked out of his office and turned right to head down the rest of the hallway. They passed offices for the director, choreographer, music director, accounting and front of house manager. The last office was empty so it was used as a sort of break room instead. There were some old wooden folding tables that had mismatched chairs around them, which no one decided to push in once they were done, and there was a fridge and a stove jammed on either side of a green laminate counter. Completely out of place next to a twenty-year-old microwave sat a small shiny espresso machine.


    Of course he had an espresso machine in there.


    Now that they were at the end of the hall, they went through a doorway into a large open room that took up the other half of the building that the offices didn''t occupy. This was where the set design happened, along with the storage of finished set pieces that would need to be changed out during a show. The first half of the room that they were currently standing in was full of power tools and sawdust. At the other end were the beginnings of some mock-ups that the prop master had already been working on. There was access to the wings of the stage from that end of the room, which is why the set pieces were stored down there. Out of nowhere, a disheveled man in his early fifties popped up from behind a workbench, wafting sawdust into the air all around him. He slammed a hammer down onto the cluttered surface of the workbench, sending yet another cloud of sawdust into the air.


    "Jin! Come here and meet our new costume designer, Blue Everson. Blue, meet Jin-Soo Baek our master carpenter. His wife Eliza does our set design, so she gets to boss Jin around and tell him how to build her sets."


    "And she enjoys every second of it," Jin jested as he strolled over to where they were standing, wiping his hands on his pants which only made them dirtier. He stuck his right hand out for Blue to shake anyways and she did, laughing at his joke.


    "You guys must have a relationship as strong as hickory to withstand being bossed around by your wife at work and at home," Blue quipped with a look of mock astonishment on her face.


    Jin turned to Gael and said, "Ooh I like this one Gael, she knows her hardwoods. You better not run her off, woodworking knowledge comes in handy around here."


    Blue added, "yes sir, my dad was a trained carpenter and taught me everything I know. It''s been years, but I bet I can still build a frame in under thirty minutes. That was his passion you see, building custom frames for all his paintings. The tables and chairs he made just paid the bills, but he''d spend weeks figuring out just the right frame for his latest masterpiece. He always said the frame was almost more important than the art."


    "I feel the exact same way. When my wife drags me to museums I couldn''t tell you a single painting I''ve been forced to look at, but I can describe to you in detail at least twenty of the best frames that caught my eye," Jin agreed. "She thinks I''m insane and uncultured. She might be right, but don''t let her know that!"


    "Oh don''t worry Jin, she already knows," Gael teased him and patted him on the shoulder. "We will get out of your way and let you get back to God knows what you were doing over there."


    Jin tipped an imaginary hat as a farewell and walked back into the mess he was making.


    There was a staircase to their left and Gael mentioned her workspace was upstairs, but with a smile growing on his lips he asked her if she wanted to see the stage before they headed up.


    How could she resist his twinkling eyes, full of excitement?


    They headed through the wings and onto the stage. Gael flipped a few switches on a box next to the curtain so that as they stepped out onto the stage the house was barely illuminated and a bright dramatic spotlight shined directly on them. She had no desire to be on stage in front of hundreds of people, but looking out at the empty seats she couldn''t help but smile. It really was a great theater he had found for his show. The seats were a classic dark red, aptly representing the blood of the theater that they really were. If they could fill those seats, she knew they could make an impact with this show. And as people left their seats when the curtain fell, they would leave changed.


    She glanced over at Gael since he had gone quiet. It was as if she could actually see the wheels turning in his head as he stood downstage center, staring out into the darkness.


    "It''s going to be great, you know." Blue tried to sound as sincere as possible, wanting to reverse the worry she could see brewing in his eyes.


    Gael turned and looked at her, shocked that she could almost know what he was thinking before he did.


    "How do you keep doing that? I know that I''m an achiever and normally people assume I''m overconfident. I have no idea why I come across that way, but that''s what they see I guess. But you..."


    He walked towards her and she felt the space between them shrink. His head was blocking the spotlight from her vision and a halo of white light flowed around the edges of his silhouette. She wondered why he always had to get so close to her. It made her head start going fuzzy and she couldn''t think as clearly, which meant she would probably be saying something embarrassing real soon.


    "...that''s the second time you''ve seemed to know what I''m thinking," he continued, "even if I don''t say anything. Especially if I''m stressing about something. How?"


    "You''re eyes. They''re a window, clear as day, right into your thoughts."


    Yep, there it was. Thanks to her fuzzy brain, embarrassing words were just falling out of her mouth right away. Didn''t take any time at all.


    He stepped even closer, if that was possible, and stared into her eyes. She inhaled sharply in surprise and could smell the slightest hint of coffee mixed with vanilla and cedar. It was intoxicating. He didn''t say anything for a few seconds then finally asked, "oh yeah, then what am I thinking now?"


    She looked into his dark eyes, watched them glide over her face and land on her lips. She swore she could feel him inching closer to her face, but it was hard to tell with the spotlight shining so brightly behind him.


    "It looks like you missed lunch and might need a sandwich?" Blue lied.


    Gael smiled, but it faded as quickly as it appeared. He sighed and said, "don''t start charging money to tell fortunes just yet. Somehow you got that one completely wrong, mi Azul, " and he turned away from her to start walking back towards the wings of the stage. She forced a fake chuckle and followed after him. Staring from behind, she watched as he ran his hand through his hair then shoved it into the pocket of his hoodie. She knew exactly what he was thinking when he asked, but she didn''t have the courage to say it out loud...so she lied.


    He was thinking of kissing her. Right there on the stage. He must have been out of his mind; they barely knew each other and he was her boss, sort of. Those were two really good reasons to not even think about kissing a girl.


    Blue felt torn between wondering if he was sincere in his attraction to her, or if he was like this with all the girls. She didn''t trust people quickly, it was just the way her brain was hardwired. Test them, test them again, then decide to trust or toss them out. But guys? They took even longer to trust. She, like most women in the entire existence of humankind, had at least a few run-ins with creeps, jerks, and downright sociopaths. One guy even started dating her a few years ago at the exact same time he started dating another girl. He never decided to mention it to either of them, figuring he''d try to see how long he could get away with it. Luckily he was a complete idiot so it only took about a month for Blue to figure it out and call the girl from his phone. They decided to walk into his work together and act like they didn''t know each other, just to watch him sweat. The other girl finally started yelling at him and Blue had to basically drag her out of the office, kicking and screaming. She didn''t drag too hard though, making sure there was enough time to let all his co-workers hear the girl''s issues with his skills in bed.


    Blue decided the only way to know for sure was to do what she always did: test him. Not in a cruel way, but just try to notice how he was around other girls, maybe bump up the flirting game even more. She had plenty of time to see who he truly was since they would be working together for the foreseeable future. And once she trusted someone, that was it. It wasn''t easy to get there, but once she did she could easily throw herself in with someone and not look back. That didn''t really solve the problem of him being her boss, but she couldn''t deny her own attraction at this point and her curiosity was compelling her.


    They headed back off the stage through the wings and turned right to go towards the staircase they had passed earlier that took them up to the second floor. Upstairs, they ran right into a hallway with multiple dressing rooms for the actors, and at that end of the building was hair and makeup. They turned right and went past the audio and lighting offices, which were directly above the downstairs offices, until they finally came to the costume department. They were standing at the door of the room designated for working on the costumes and there was another at the end of the building for storing them.


    "Well, what do you think?" Gael asked hesitantly?


    Blue looked around the room and stepped inside. "I think this will do just fine," and she gave him her biggest smile as a reward.

 Chapter 6

    When Blue dreamed of being a costume designer as a young ignorant high schooler, she wasn''t exactly sure what that would look like...but she knew whatever it was, she wanted it. Her imagination would run wild with images of an infinite amount of fabrics and textiles piled high to the ceiling of her workshop. There would be rows and rows of people at her command - cutting and stitching and bringing her ideas to life. All the tools and threads would be neatly organized and color-coded along the walls so everyone could easily find what they needed.


    But real life wasn''t as glamorous as her imagination.


    Multiple times, Blue had used a sewing machine on the ground with her leg propped out to the side to push the pedal down. She had lost so many pins and needles that she was afraid to walk around without boots on just to protect her feet. She had personally napped on a pile of fabric at least half a dozen times.


    Some of the productions she had worked on previously had a bigger budget than others, and those workshops were somewhat closer to her high school dreams. But in front of her now was a wonderfully blank canvas, ready for her to fill with the colors and textures of her choosing. Her word was final, if she wanted the ribbons organized not only by color but size as well, then so be it. The crisp white walls and floors had just been painted, she could still smell the slightest chemical odor in the air since there were no windows to ventilate the room. The bright fluorescent lights hummed overhead and illuminated the room perfectly so that every tiny stitch would be easily visible. There were three huge workbenches ready to draft patterns and cut fabric on. Lined up against the wall, an assortment of dress forms and mannequins stood at attention as if they were an army battalion awaiting their orders.


    As she stepped further into the space, her daydreaming was interrupted by an extremely tall girl sitting at a table typing away furiously on her laptop. Her dark braids covered half of her face because she had to hunch over so far at the small table she was crammed at in the corner. She never even noticed when Blue and Gael entered the room because she was so engrossed in whatever was on her computer screen.


    "Hey, Kiara I was hoping you would be in here," Gael interrupted her concentration which caused her to look up from the screen finally. "This is Blue Everson, our new costume designer."


    Blue waved hello and said, "hey Kiara, nice to finally meet you! I''ve heard great things about you from Arjun, especially something about strawberry muffins that make you lose interest in all other baked goods and never want to eat anything else? I think those were his exact words," she chuckled as she remembered his compliment.


    Kiara laughed and said, "oh yes strawberry muffins were my obsession two weeks ago, but I''ve conquered them and now I''m perfecting a blackberry tart." She stood up from the tiny desk and started walking over to them. "I think the ratio of flour to butter is almost optimal, once I figure it out I''ll make sure to enlist you as a taste tester."


    Blue nodded enthusiastically, "uh yeah anytime you want to throw baked goods in my direction, I''m game. I''d like to say I''m basically a professional sweets eater, so you can trust my tastebuds. I''m also not afraid to be brutally honest..."


    "Thank God!" Kiara interrupted. "Gael literally says everything I make is great, which I know is statistically impossible." She gave him a knowing look and shook her head.


    He laughed and shrugged, "I guess my sweet taste buds aren''t as developed as Blue''s apparently are. I''m more of a savory guy."


    Blue''s jaw dropped and she stared, unblinking. "I will hear no such sacrilege in my sacred workshop. This is a place to worship desserts and pastries! I have a feeling Kiara and I will be ingesting quite a few treats together while we work over the next few months."


    Kiara seemed excited to have an experimental subject she could try out new recipes on. Blue seemed excited to have someone that wanted to give her desserts. Already, it was obvious they were going to be a good team.


    Gael chatted with Kiara for a few minutes while Blue started unpacking her bag, laying out her notebook and all her tools she brought from home onto one of the workbenches. Here was her first chance to test her theory and see how he interacted with another girl, one that was clearly good looking and smart based on the two minutes she had known her.


    He stood at least three feet away from Kiara and leaned up against the wall right behind where Blue unpacked her things. He was definitely comfortable talking with her, but there was something different about it. Kiara cracked a joke and he did the quick blow-air-out-of-nostrils laugh, nothing compared to his normal booming laugh she had begun to look forward to hearing. It was all business, no flirty double entendres or Spanish nicknames.


    Well great.


    According to the scientific method, she just tested her hypothesis with an experiment and should be able to move forward to the next step, but Blue was too stubborn for that and still needed to test him a few more times. Because, science.


    Gael''s ringtone interrupted her analysis, "shit, I have to take this. I think you guys are supposed to go over these super-secret sketches Blue has hidden from me anyway, so I''ll leave you guys alone."


    Gael waved goodbye at Kiara as he began to walk towards the door. He glanced back at Blue, mostly because he couldn''t help himself, and smiled as though he wanted to say something, but didn''t.


    Based on how desperately she wanted to know what he would have said, she relented to herself it might actually be time to move on to the next step.


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    Kiara and Blue began working right away since the tour of the theater cut into their meeting time a bit. At first, they talked about their work styles and what they had in common versus what they could help the other with. She really liked Kiara, immediately warming up to her no-nonsense mentality and creative thought process. Kiara was a planner: measure twice, cut once. Blue, on the other hand, measured never and cut seven times...she got too antsy and wanted to push forward, to do something instead of waiting around thinking about it.


    Well, all except for one particular situation about a particular guy in her life, so it seemed.


    Kiara liked to analyze for any potential issues, weed through multiple different solutions, then decide on the best way forward. They would balance each other out nicely, which is lucky since Kiara was technically hired to work with the previous designer before she left the production.


    Blue finally brought out her leather-bound notebook with her precious sketches inside. She let Kiara browse them at her own pace and ask questions as she thought of them.


    "So what do you think?" Blue asked hesitantly.


    Kiara paused, chewing on the inside of her cheek while she thought about the depictions of what they would be creating together in front of her. Finally, she looked up at Blue and began to smile a big genuine smile, flashing her bright white teeth and shocking Blue with her enthusiasm.


    "I think we are going to blow everyone''s minds and make some amazing shit together."


    Blue laughed at that and agreed wholeheartedly. She wanted to let Kiara take full ownership of some of the supporting cast and ensemble''s costumes by letting her come up with the sketches for them on her own, so she asked if she was interested in doing it before the first production meeting.


    "If you don''t feel comfortable with that then it''s totally fine, I can work on them between now and then," Blue offered.


    Kiara looked uncertain, "you''re okay with me doing that? I mean I''ve done tons of sketches before, but I''ve never been asked to do the final design for something that will actually be on stage. What if they''re terrible? Or don''t fit in with the feel of what you''ve already accomplished? Or what if-"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Don''t worry about it! If you do it, we come together again and go over it all and make whatever changes are needed, like we did today. It''s not the end of the world if it doesn''t line up exactly at first, we can make it work. Like I said before, I am not afraid to be honest, about more than just baked goods, so I''ll let you know what I think and we can work on it together to get it where it needs to be. It''s up to you..."


    Kiara thought about it and then finally nodded slowly and said she would try, but only if she could take photos of Blue¡¯s sketches to use as a reference to make sure to keep them as similar as possible. She would even sketch the figures in the same style so it would look like one cohesive project.


    Blue smiled warmly and told her "whatever makes you step out of your comfort zone and accomplish what you need to. I''m a challenger, I like to push people to see what they can do. But I''m not afraid to help along the way, so don''t ever feel bad asking."


    "Okay then. I''ll try to have them for you in a few days and you can flush them down the toilet if they are terrible. I''ll cry for a week if that happens, but the show must go on."


    Blue joked, "no way, New York City plumbing can''t handle that. I''ll just light them on fire and burn them. Get rid of the evidence."


    Kiara laughed and agreed, "ah yes that will be so much better, I''ll cry for a whole month then instead!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    After their meeting was over, Kiara headed straight back to the tiny desk in the corner to start researching what she wanted to do with the sketches. Wanting to give her space and a quiet place to her work, Blue decided to pack up and head home. She needed to make a plan for their visit to the garment district in a couple of days and wanted to make sure she was able to go through her collection of fabrics at home to know what she might already have.


    She went down the stairs and waved at Jin as she passed. He was laying completely flat on the ground in a bed of sawdust under a workbench, hammering something into place with his right hand and waving with his left.


    As she headed through the doorway into the office hallway, she saw Arjun coming in at the opposite end through the side entrance door at the exact same moment. He smiled when he saw her and did nothing but hold up a plain white grocery bag and wag his eyebrows in her direction as if to say, ''want some?''. Even from the other end of the hall, she could recognize the bag and the shape of the containers inside to know exactly what he meant.


    Her eyes got wide and she shook her head to say, ''oh dear God yes!¡¯ and turned immediately left into the break room.


    Arjun''s mom had cooked for them; it was time to feast.


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    It had been a long time since her belly was full of the most delicious biryani in the existence of all mankind, so Blue sat back in her chair and savored the warm feeling she had after inhaling the food Arjun had spread out all around the break room''s table for them.


    "She hasn''t lost her touch, I see?" Blue mumbled as she stretched her arms above her head.


    Arjun snapped a photo quickly on his phone before Blue could catch him and immediately sent it to his mom. "You know her greatest joy in life is seeing how miserably full someone is after eating her food! This will make her entire week!"


    Blue rolled her eyes and relented, "only because Rida deserves whatever she wants after sending a meal like that. And here I was wondering what I would have to do for dinner, probably just eat some Twizzlers and go to bed." She was a good cook, pretty phenomenal actually especially with smoked meats or Tex-Mex, but she was just too lazy sometimes to cook for one person. Thinking of the ratio of dirty dishes created versus food eaten is what made her often choose takeout, but she usually preferred real food cooked in a real kitchen.


    Arjun looked horrified, "oh God, I''ll leave that out of my text. She would probably be moving into your apartment tomorrow to take care of you and fatten you up. ''Too skinny to find a husband'' were her exact words when you came over after finals in freshman year, right?"


    "Oh no. I guess she was right! Look at me now," she waved her hands over her body, "still single and with no prospects."


    "Uh, I don''t know about that...there is one very good looking prospect a few doors down that I think would satisfy Rida''s desire to marry you off," Arjun nodded his head in the direction of Gael''s office.


    Blue rubbed her hand over her face and sighed. Should she tell Arjun about the small moments she''d had with Gael? She knew she could trust him with her life, but he loved to help so much that he might try to...help. She didn''t know if she even wanted anything to happen with Gael anyways, it would be so complicated and she still wasn''t sure what was going on in his head.


    "Yeah right, I literally have no time for anything other than deciding on a cotton blend versus wool right now. By the way, do you have a final budget for me and a spending card? Or should I just put in for reimbursements after I make purchases?" Blue tried to change the subject smoothly. "Kiara and I will be going fabric shopping at some point, we can just get swatches first and wait to buy until after the first production meeting."


    "Yeah I am picking up everyone''s spending cards by next week, so I''ll let you know when I have them. I intended to get them today, but when I tried to go in Gael''s office to get the bank account info the she-devil Carrie was in there with him. Based on what I heard it was better for my health to stay away and just try another time."


    Blue tried to play it cool, "yeah I accidentally walked right in without realizing she was here and it was super tense. Gael looked like she was draining the life from him and she looked a little resentful about not getting the job. Why would she even be here?"


    Arjun started stacking up all the Tupperware containers that were now empty of roti and chutneys and launched into what was apparently going to be a very interesting story, according to the location of his eyebrows arched high as could be on his forehead.


    "Well from what I now know, they worked together two shows ago. It was a small off-Broadway show, I think it was a super modern take on all the Henry IV plays combined into one, or something like that. Anyways, he had the lead role and she was the assistant costume designer when they started dating. Like full-on, real relationship, move in together dating. Not just a coworker with benefits."


    She gestured for him to hand her the stack of Tupperware so she could start washing it, knowing Rida would expect every single one returned sparkling clean and with its matching lid.


    "Everything seemed off from day one, she was controlling and manipulative to basically everyone around her, but with him, she was like a dragon hoarding her rubies. She would create drama just for the sake of it. Constantly trying to make life around her fit her idealized self-image, she acted like she could do no wrong and made sure everyone knew it. Well, that gets old right?"


    Blue nods attentively while she rinsed the last container and started to dry them all off, the disgust for this girl growing with each sentence Arjun uttered about her.


    "So the entire crew and even the cast start getting really tired of her shit and the drama she brought with her, but Gael glossed over it every time she caused an incident. He would just try to make peace with everyone involved. Hell, he even flat out ignored her multiple times. Whatever happened towards the end almost cost him the role, but no one really talks about it so I don''t know exactly what happened. Well, finally, they break up - it''s very sudden and no one knows what the last straw was that made it actually end. They have to live through the rest of the show still working ''together'' on opposite ends of the theater."


    "Wow. She sounds like a real sweetheart,¡± Blue sneered. "How in the world did she even get considered for this show then if they have such a bad history?"


    "Well, that''s the weird thing, when I heard all this I asked Julian the same thing. Apparently she''s great at what she does so the team thought it might be worth at least talking to her since it had been years and hopefully water under the bridge. Blue, her interview wasso embarrassing. Like Fergie singing the national anthem embarrassing. She was obviously trying to immediately manipulate Gael, in front of everyone, to give her the job. I have to say he did a good job of not being fooled twice and finished the interview as a professional courtesy, but damn if I wouldn''t have paid money to see him call her out right then and there," Arjun look wistful at the prospect of the amount of gossip he would have had just from that one incident.


    This entire story was proof enough she couldn''t tell anyone, not even Arjun, about her moments with Gael. It sounded eerily similar to her situation and put her off a little. It was probably best to just wait it out, keep her distance, and everything would all go away soon. Production was starting and everyone would be so busy there would be no time for such romantic notions anyways.


    Blue said, "well luckily for everyone I''m so amazing that I defeated the she-devil before she could get her claws into this show...and also that poor guy Bobby or Billy or whatever, I defeated him too, fair and square," then she added a cheeky hair flip at the end just to reiterate how grateful Arjun should be for her gracious reign as champion.


    He rolled his eyes and laughed at her, "oh yes, thank you our most benevolent Queen Bluebonnet of the Costume Department." He mockingly bowed at her, "where would we be without you?"


    "Probably trying to gossip with Billy instead?" Blue said as she tossed the last clean lid into the same grocery bag they arrived in and tied the handles together.


    Arjun took the bag from her, agreeing she was a lot more fun to gossip with than Billy what''s-his-name probably would be.


    Blue was headed home with a full belly, while Arjun planned to stay and keep working on the production schedule he''d been putting together to hand out to everyone at the first production meeting coming up soon.


    "Thanks for dinner. I feel like I haven''t seen you since we started working together, so it was nice to just sit and chat," Blue said as she gave him a hug goodbye and headed left out of the break room.


    Arjun agreed, "let''s make a plan to have a meal together at least once a week so we don''t get stuck in business mode only!" He got louder as she got further away. "That way we can still have some normal gossip in our life!"


    Blue was walking backwards down the hall and yelled to him, "deal!" before turning around and heading home to start planning her trip to the garment district of New York City.

 Chapter 7

    Walking down a loud and hectic 39th street, Blue muffled out the sounds of traffic with her headphones and listened to music instead. She had a "swatching" playlist that she normally shuffled through when she went by herself, but Kiara was meeting her at the first store so she was psyching herself up now instead. The iced coffee she was slurping the last drops of would also help her have the energy she would need for searching through mountains of fabric all day. It was from her new favorite cafe that Gael had introduced her to a few days ago when he unexpectedly brought her a coffee at work. As he sat the steaming cup down on her desk, he said that he couldn''t handle the thought of her drinking store brand coffee grounds and wanted her to try their in-house roasted beans that were ethically sourced from a little village in Columbia. She told him it was sweet of him to try and remedy her coffee ignorance, and now it had become her preferred choice of places to get her caffeine fix...and it had mostly nothing to do with the fact that Gael was the one that introduced her to it.


    As she tossed the empty coffee cup into a trash can while she waited to cross the street, she looked down at her fifteen-year-old chucks that used to be white; they were her lucky shopping shoes that always helped her stay on her feet long enough to find what she needed. With the sun beating down on her and even warming the sidewalk''s concrete, she was thankful she chose to wear her ripped Levi''s shorts and a light green tank top to keep cool inside the sweltering fabric stores. They really needed to find sample swatches of fabrics that she could attach to the sketches for everyone to see at the upcoming production meeting. It would further help get their vision across to all the other heads of departments, and especially to the people footing the bill for her budget. She wanted to make a good impression and show that she was the right choice for this job. No matter how confident Arjun and even Gael had seemed in her, this was a very important meeting to make it clear from the beginning that she was competent enough to make this show be the best it can be.


    Even with all that pressure though, nothing could dampen her spirits today. The garment district could be an assault on the senses for some people, but not for Blue. She thrived on the rows and rows of textiles, all piled to the ceilings in every color imaginable. Feeling the different textures and weaves brush across her fingers was like sensory therapy for her. Even the smell of all the different fibers mingling together in the air created an interesting aroma that was a bit funky, and yet at the same time welcoming. The only thing she didn''t like was the awful fluorescent lighting every single shop seemed to have; they offered no help in determining if something was the right color or how it would look on stage. Knowing she couldn¡¯t have everything her costumer heart desired, Blue just looked at it as a bit of a surprise awaiting her once she got the fabric outside in the daylight. It was almost like a gamble; take it out of the bag after you''ve bought it and see if your intuition was right.


    The hunt for the perfect fabric was exhilarating yet exhausting, and it charged her with the need to conquer this challenge every time she stepped foot through the door of a shop. It was no different today as she opened the door with a bell ringing above her to announce her presence. She immediately spotted Kiara digging around through one of the bins marked ''remnants 4 sale'' by the checkout counter.


    "Find anything interesting?" Blue asked as she walked up to her.


    Kiara mumbled, "meh..." and looked disappointed. She stood up and said, "there is never anything good, but I can''t seem to help myself and check just in case this is the time I find some antique silk ribbon that got mixed in on accident."


    Blue laughed and nodded her head, "I''m the exact same way! I try to just walk on by, but never have any luck ignoring them and end up searching for ten minutes to no avail.¡± Peeking inside an overflowing bin for just a moment, she added, ¡°too bad really, we could definitely use some soft creamy ribbon for Sarah''s dress in the second act."


    "Yes or some myrtle green for her day dress. But there are dozens of bins for us to look through today, so hopefully we will find what we need." Kiara looked a bit stressed as she turned and started walking towards the aisle packed with every type of wool imaginable.


    Blue would admit that she was naturally a bit overconfident, but she had good reason to be. She never once had finished a day of fabric shopping without finding something; it may not be what she was there to look for in the first place, but something always found its way into her arms that was meant to be there.


    "Oh, I am one hundred percent positive we will find what we need, maybe more. I must have some kind of fabric fairy that follows me around in these places and guides me to what I need because I always seem to find the perfect thing in the weirdest spots. One time, I was looking for black silk that would shine just right on stage without looking cheap."


    "That''s impossible," Kiara laughed.


    "I know, right? Well as I was walking down the god-awful animal print aisle, something starts to fall off the very top and lands on the ground right in front of me."


    "No!" Kiara gasped.


    "Yes! The most perfect black silk you could ever imagine. The sheen was just subtle enough that it looked rich, but not obnoxiously shiny. I debated on whether or not I could trust that it was real, like maybe I had imagined the whole thing. I ended up getting the entire bolt and making The Phantom''s cape from it for a show my senior year in college. The way it flowed was so perfect too, heavy with just the right enough weight to be dramatic."


    Kiara looked at her with her wide eyes, "Blue, were you visited by the Phantom of the Fabric Store?"


    They both laughed and turned left to go down the cotton aisle. Blue joked that if he did visit her then maybe he would be there in the store with them and to keep an eye out for a creepy dude wearing a mask, just in case.


    Kiara found the first thing on their list, the blue faille they would be using for Gael''s character, John. He would be wearing a linen shirt and button fly trousers for most of the show, but there was a dramatic sequence that required him to be dressed for a ball. Faille would be a little more stiff than satin, but it wouldn''t wrinkle or be as shiny on stage. He didn''t have a lot of movement planned in that scene so being stiff was fine, and it would give him the air of sophistication John was supposed to be putting off while refusing to dance at the ball.


    They asked the older gentleman at the counter if they could cut their own swatch, or if he preferred to get one for them. He recognized Blue from her shopping there for years and said she could take whatever she needed.


    She dug around in her bag full of swatching day essentials: sharp scissors, a list of everything they would need, her notebook with the sketches in it, a mini stapler to staple the swatches into the notebook as they found them, and snacks in case they got hungry. She handed the notebook and stapler to Kiara and used the scissors to cut a small square off of the most perfect shade of green faille that they would use for Gael¡¯s trousers and waistcoat.


    "This is actually a nice warm green, but not too bright, which is hard to find; it¡¯s almost the color of money. I think that it will go really well with his amazingly warm skin tone." Blue immediately felt slightly embarrassed talking about Gael''s skin to Kiara, which was ridiculous because it was literally their job to make sure they were making the actors look as best as possible on stage.


    "Agreed. He needs something bright enough for the stage, but still elegant for the ball. Plus, these types of crazy colors were common in that period, since aniline dyes were just created by William Henry Perkin a few years before." Kiara rattled off knowledge like it was no big deal to hold that much information in her head, all at once, while she stapled the swatch into the notebook. "Carrie always tried to put him in olive green which is too obvious, or the most boring tan you''ve ever seen."


    Blue stopped digging through a stack of silks and looked up at Kiara. "Carrie? You mean the blonde that hates me for stealing this job from her?"


    Kiara rolled her eyes and said, "yeah she''s a decent designer, don''t get me wrong, but she doesn''t take risks. Probably because hiring her is enough risk..."


    "What do you mean?" Blue asked, trying to sound nonchalant while she continued to dig through the stack to find a checkered-pattern wool to use for men''s trousers.


    "I worked with them a few years ago on a show called Henry the Fourths , not sure if you ever heard of it since it was off-Broadway for only one season. Anyways, she was the assistant costume designer for that show and I was just a tailor; she treated me like dirt from day one. Everything I did, she had this way of using words to say she didn''t like it, but without ever actually saying she didn''t like it. She''s smart, so she makes people think she is normal, but there''s a whole lot of crazy underneath. I''ve seen it first hand. Poor Gael..."


    "Yeah they seem to have some kind of history," Blue interrupted, "based on what I''ve heard, right?"


    "Sure, they dated, if you could call it that. It was more like she tried to own him and he was stuck not knowing what to do with her, so he just froze like a deer in headlights." Kiara was taking the scissors to cut a swatch of wool. "I mean most people don''t come across these situations often, it honestly sounded like something from a mystery novel, except he didn''t get murdered at the end. Thank God he had enough wherewithal to finally end it when she lied and said she was pregnant."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Oh shit." Blue hopped off the stool she was using to reach the top shelf of a wonderful selection of cotton blends. "Wait, she lied to him about that ? Who even does that!"


    "Apparently psychopaths, according to Gael. Listen, I am very loyal and hate to talk about others. I wouldn''t want to betray Gael''s privacy, but if she has it out for you then maybe you should know what she''s capable of..."


    "Well that sounds ominous," Blue said.


    "When she told him, they were in the workshop where I had been working on mending a ripped seam for the actor playing Sir John Falstaff. Obviously, they didn''t know I was in there, it was super late but I needed it fixed before the next show. She starts yelling at him about how he never even wanted the baby anyways, so why did he care that she lied? Then he starts piecing it all together, why she wouldn''t let him go to any OBGYN appointments, or even the first ultrasound. He finally asks her why she did this to someone she was supposedly in a relationship with? She doesn''t even give him a reason, but instead says maybe they shouldn''t be in a relationship anymore and...then they weren''t after that. They didn''t speak unless they absolutely had to, made it super awkward for everyone."


    Blue was honestly speechless for the first time in her life. What could even be said about something so cruel and so disturbing? Her heart hurt for Gael and what must have been going through his head at that time. Even though Carrie was obviously a nightmare, after the initial shock of hearing these events Blue''s nature still made her want to look deeper. There had to be some sort of emotional instability inside Carrie to do that to another person that she supposedly cared for, it''s rare for someone to be so calloused for no reason.


    "I wonder what made her even go down that path in the first place? Who comes up with an idea to manipulate someone like that?" she asked, mostly to herself.


    Kiara held up a bolt of off-white linen next to another bolt that was one shade darker. Blue nodded at the darker one and handed her the scissors. "I don''t even know. They seemed fine at first, everyone thought they were a decent match. But by the end...poor Gael had to be so confused by what was happening, all while trying to do eight performances a week. He was always so nice to me and, well, everyone really. By the end she had him making excuses for her behavior and just kind of trying to what was really going on. It was so weird, he''s normally a big dynamic guy, but you could actually see the life being drained from him and it showed in his performances." She put away the scissors and added that she couldn''t find anything else and maybe they should start making their way back to the front of the store.


    Blue was reminded of the day she walked in on them in the office. He really did look like Carrie had been drawing the air from the room and Gael was suffocating. However, she noticed he also seemed to be standing very firm and not tolerating her nonsense. She explained to Kiara all about what she saw that day to see if she had any insight as they headed out the door to start walking to the next shop.


    "Hmm, that is interesting..." Kiara muttered. "Good for him for standing his ground. I wonder what could have changed? I mean it''s been years, so who knows. He hasn''t even really dated anyone since then, that I know of. I was actually surprised to hear she had been called in last minute for the job after the last designer had to quit so suddenly. I assumed they had maybe made amends, but it seems not."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Blue felt even more confused than ever while they continued their swatching. They split up to conquer one of the bigger stores, J & L Fabrics, so she had time to give it some thought.


    She was attracted to Gael, there was no denying that. He seemed to have some sort of attraction to her, there was no denying that either. There was a lot of hesitation on her part to even get to know him more so she could decide what she wanted, simply because he was kind of her boss and it would complicate things. Add on top of that the entire Carrie story, it complicated things even more and made it seem like he could possibly have some reservations about everything as well.


    But try as she might, she could never really put him out of her mind; she was always wondering about what he was doing, or having to actively will herself to not text him or pop into his office. There was also the incidents of her imagining his face as a way to calm herself to sleep or absentmindedly drawing him...


    In the end, she needed to focus on her job and just let things play out. She decided to try and not pursue anything, let him be the one to make it obvious what he wanted. He stood to lose the most if he entered into another relationship with a professional colleague, and she could assume he was pretty tormented about how things went with Carrie. If he was ready for anything, he would be the one to know it and make that clear. She could respect that and make sure to not further complicate his life by adding any drama.


    Finally feeling resolved, she was better able to focus on the task at hand. They had searched through most of the stores on 39th that she wanted to check, now they just needed to look for notions and trimmings after lunch. She had planned to take Kiara to her favorite British tea house for lunch, knowing she would probably love the insane amount of pastries and desserts they had to offer.


    When they walked in, Kiara''s excitement was obvious, if only to Blue. She didn''t expect her to jump for joy, but she did say, "this is going to be amazing,¡± which was basically the same thing from Kiara.


    "Okay, the plan is I order two desserts and you order two, then we can split them all and try each one!" Blue said excitedly.


    "Sure, but I''m getting my own sandwich. The only reason I''ll share dessert is that I''m afraid you''ll take your half anyways if I don''t, so I might as well relent."


    Blue gave her a sly look, "you already know me so well."


    Blue ordered Welsh Rarebit since it was so tangy it would combat the onslaught of sugar she was about to assault her palate with. Kiara got a small order of tea sandwiches, cucumber and cream cheese, turkey and cranberry butter, and chicken salad. They shared a pot of Earl Grey - luckily Kiara agreed it was the superior of all the black tea blends.


    Going over their swatches to make sure they were still happy with their finds, they hoped they would still be able to find the fabrics once the production team gave the final approval at the upcoming meeting. Blue had taken photos on her phone of where each bolt was located in each store, so hopefully that would help when the time came to purchase them; though, in the garment district, nothing was guaranteed.


    When the time came to order dessert, they agreed on a lemon scone with clotted cream, a bakewell tart, raspberry teacakes, and a white chocolate choux pastry. Blue ate with her eyes closed and the sun beaming on her face through the window they sat next to. Kiara made notes on her phone with every bite she took.


    When they had finished, fully satisfied and energized for more shopping, they walked down to 6th street where there were a few notions shops Blue wanted to check out first. As they passed storefront after storefront that said, "STORE CLOSING" or "COMING SOON: STARBUCKS" Blue mentioned how sad it made her that the garment district was suffering so badly.


    Kiara said, "I read that New York City has lost 95% of its clothing and apparel workforce since the 1950s. Can you believe that? I feel like it''s doomed and there''s nothing to do about it. It''s just hanging on by a thread."


    "True, but us supporting smaller shops is more help than you think. And I refuse to haggle, even though people say you can. I''ll find other ways to stay on budget, reducing their profit is not a bragging right for me. This is how they feed their families, it is my responsibility to have the imagination to pay decent prices and not cut corners."


    Kiara looked surprised.


    "What?" Blue asked.


    "Oh nothing, you''re just the complete opposite of basically everyone I know in this business, like Carrie..." Kiara trailed off.


    "Oh good, I hope to stay as wildly different from her as humanly possible."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    They were finally done for the day and headed to the subway stop to say their goodbyes when an antique store grabbed Blue''s attention. There was an old bathtub filled with plants and greenery outside on the sidewalk, a dozen old mismatched chairs, and even a few bookshelves sitting there waiting to find new homes. What caught her eye, though, was a sign that said ''civil war antiques: 50% off today only'' . She had been slightly disappointed her Fabric Phantom hadn''t visited them today and had even joked he must have the week off. So when she saw that sign she got the tingly feeling of a good find waiting for her and nudged Kiara inside the store before she could protest.


    "Blue, I hate antique shops. They''re disorganized and dusty and half of the stuff isn''t authentic," Kiara said as she passed an old creepy doll that was definitely haunted.


    "I know I know, I usually don''t fall for these rip-off spots. But I have a feeling, trust me on this one." She stopped when she found a sign hanging over a glass counter protecting exactly what she was looking for.


    Inside, there were a few rusted shaving mugs, some still with shaving brushes and some missing them. The straight razors were marked "bone and ivory" but were clearly resin. The belt buckles looked real, although so weathered you couldn''t see the design on them anymore.


    Then she saw it, right next to the Calvary officer''s spurs. It was a bright silver pocket watch, still in good enough condition to use. Less than three inches tall, including the pendant and crown, it would fit perfectly in the pockets of the trousers pattern she intended to use. The cover had an engraving of a young man and woman standing on what seemed to be a farm or homestead of some kind.


    A man of unknown age, due to his leathery skin, popped out from around the corner and asked, "can I help you two young ladies? I can open the case if you''d like to handle any of the artifacts."


    "Actually, I''m interested in the watch here on the second shelf." Blue pointed to it so he could find it quicker.


    He grabbed it with a cloth and set it gently down on the glass counter. "It''s American made, Waltham model 1857. This is what we call a hunting model since it has a front cover. Let''s open her up and see inside."


    Blue noticed some kind of inscription she couldn''t make out in this lighting, and saw that it wasn''t working.


    "Do you have the key? Or do you know if it''s in working condition?"


    "Well no, this one was brought in by a man trying to get rid of his grandfather''s things and he didn''t have any service work records, the key, or really any information on it at all. I''m asking $50.00 for it, but for you, I can do $40.00 cash money right now."


    Blue smiled and said, "how about that 50% off sign outside?"


    The man looked like he had forgotten all about that sign and regretted already knocking off $10.00. She felt bad for him so she said, "how about we make it $25.00 and call it a deal?" since that would only be 50% off his original price.


    "Sold!" he smiled and wrapped it up to take to the register.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When they were only a block away from their subway stop, Kiara said, "I can''t believe you found an actual antique Civil War era watch for the show! For $25.00! You¡¯re sure this doesn''t trespass into the prop department, right?"


    "Nope, watches were considered jewelry, especially back in those days, which means we have full reign over it. It will be perfect for the scene when John and Sarah have that big fight and he dramatically checks the time to see if he can leave yet, or if he has to stay and keep fighting with her. Sometimes the real thing helps the actor have some weight behind what they''re doing, you know? It really feels different holding this than it does holding some cheap knockoff I could buy online."


    Kiara teases, "I guess the Fabric Phantom has broadened his repertoire to include finding antique watches too. What''s next, wigs? Maybe even shoes? We could use some help finding era-appropriate shoes if you''re listening, dearest Phantom!"


    Blue laughed and said, "I told you to wait and see, I always find exactly what I''m looking for, and exactly what I''m not looking for."

 Chapter 8

    It was finally the day Blue had been looking forward to, while also somewhat dreading: the first production meeting. All the heads of departments would be there to share what they had established so far, clarify any needs they might have, set deadlines, and make a final schedule.


    She had all the sketches in her notebook with swatches stapled to each page to further show everyone what the finished pieces would look like. In the front of the notebook, she added a tentative schedule for when she estimated they could have each costume complete, although everything was all subject to change based on that day''s meeting. She also had her script with all the notes she had taken on it, ready for any questions that might come her way to justify her decisions.


    She opened the side door of the theater and ran right into Gael as he was leaving his office, the warm breezy day throwing the heavy metal door out of her hands as she entered.


    "Oh my God, I am so sorry Gael!" she exclaimed as he caught her arm to keep her from falling flat on her face.


    "Whoa! Careful! Are you okay?" he held onto her as he kicked the door shut. "Stupid door is a safety hazard on a windy day like this."


    He still had her in his arms, although she was perfectly stable and didn''t need his support anymore. She just stood there, waiting for him to let her go, unsure of what to do.


    "Thanks...I usually like to make a grand entrance, but that was a little excessive," Blue joked to cover the awkwardness, as usual.


    Gael gave her his biggest smile, which was even more breathtaking from how close she was still standing to him. "Yeah, maybe next time just have a band of trumpets announce your arrival instead." His teeth were almost perfectly straight and the stubble growing on his chin framed his full lips. That smile could knock down buildings, but for now, it just had Blue speechless.


    Gael must have finally realized he was still holding her arm when she didn''t say anything, so he gently let her go. His eyes told her he was reluctant to stop holding her, but he tried to act nonchalant about it.


    "I''ll see you on the stage in a minute, I have to head upstairs and check on something first," Blue said as she started walking away. She was wearing her favorite vintage overalls she had cut into shorts years ago with a black and white striped t-shirt underneath that showed the tiniest bit of midriff. She knew the small platform on her shoes naturally gave her stride a bit of a sway as she walked, further accentuating what her shorts were already showing off.


    As Aunt Millie always said: if you got it, flaunt it.


    She could feel his gaze again as she went down the hallway and couldn''t help herself but turn around to look. He was already stepping back into his office as she peeked over her shoulder, but she could tell he had stood there to watch her walk away. She figured it was only payback for her checking him out already a time or two, and she didn''t mind the electric feeling it sparked inside her chest to know he must have liked what he saw.


    She was completely lying about needing to go check on something upstairs, she just needed an excuse to get out of the awkward situation. Heading up the stairs anyway, she decided to take a minute and compose herself. She instructed her feelings to keep to themselves, this was not the time nor the place to make an appearance. This was an important meeting, a time to stay professional and get stuff done. She had already resolved to let Gael pursue her, if he even wanted to. She packed the emotions away neatly and stored them inside their box for another time.


    Heading back down the stairs she saw Arjun walking towards the stage and yelled out for him.


    "Hey! Are you ready to finally get this ball rolling?" she asked as he gave her a hug and looped her arm through his.


    They started walking towards the stage as he answered, "more than ever, now that you''re here. I literally cannot wait to see what you''ve got in that notebook, everyone has been talking about it and trying to guess what you have up your sleeve."


    "Well I''m glad I''ve created so much suspense, hopefully everyone likes what is in here," she said as she patted her bag with the notebook inside.


    They entered the stage through the wings exactly where Gael had taken her a few days before, except this time on the stage there were four long tables set up in the shape of a square with folding chairs all around. This was a standard production meeting setup because everyone would be facing each other and have a chance to easily ask questions or show the group something if they needed it. Basically like Arthur''s round table, except Gael''s square table.


    Blue took a seat next to Arjun and unpacked her notebook from her bag, along with her phone and a bottle of water. She was chatting with Arjun about the latest episode of a show they both liked when Gael walked onto the stage. She looked up at him and as soon as he saw her he faltered for a second, then decided to come over and sit next to her. Not the producer, or the director. Not even the stage manager, or choreographer.


    Her.


    He plopped his thick binder and laptop on the table next to her and then carefully set his half-empty cup of coffee down. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked.


    "Nope, go right ahead," Blue said as her heart started pounding. He was sitting so close she could feel the heat radiating off his arm.


    Today was not going to be easy.


    Once everyone was gathered, Gael opened things up by thanking everyone for being there. He wanted everyone to introduce themselves, since there were a couple of new faces, say what their position at the theater was, and if they were a sandwich what would they be. Everyone laughed at that and he started.


    "Gael Luiz Nev¨¢rez, umm I''m playing the lead role of John since I wrote it and I''m selfish so I wanted the role all to myself." Everyone laughed and a guy across the table joked that no one else could do it, there were too many lines to remember so only the brain that wrote it could recall them all. Gael smiled and shrugged in agreement then continued, "I also am co-producing with the fantastic Malik Anderson," he said as he nodded in Malik''s direction who then waved at the group. "And if I had to be a sandwich I would be my mom''s jibarito, with no tomato."


    Everyone nodded along as though that made perfect sense, a few people saying they could go for one right now, except to leave the tomato on it.


    They went around the rest of the table, starting with Malik who was sitting around the corner of the square to Gael''s right. Next to him was Agnes Bennett, the choreographer. Blue had heard of her since she was known around town for being tough as nails, but a mastermind at her craft. Then the director, Julian Fosse, introduced himself. He had directed Gael on Henry the Fourths and consulted on his last show as well. Jin and who she assumed was Eliza were sitting together, holding hands on the table. She could tell they were that awesome older couple everyone hopes to be, the ones that have seen war together and made it through. They even answered each other''s sandwich question like it was the newlyweds game. The lighting designer, Natasha Orozco, and the sound designer, Ken Fisher, sat next to each other. That left Arjun to introduce himself as the production manager, who interestingly said he was a grilled cheese sandwich, before it was her turn.


    "Hey, I''m Blue Everson. I''m the new costume designer that stepped into the role just a few weeks ago. And if I had to be a sandwich, well it''s got to be a mesquite-smoked brisket sandwich on white bread with homemade barbecue sauce, none of that store-bought stuff."


    Everyone looked like their mouths were watering just at the mention of it. Blue''s stomach grumbled in protest that she was talking about it, but not actually about to eat it. She noticed Gael grin a little and say, "okay, now that we are all starving, let''s get down to business."


    The meeting went on for a couple of hours, starting from the top and working their way down. The biggest part of the creative budget went to scenery, not to mention it''s the first thing the audience sees when the curtain rises. They did a breakdown of the digital mockups Eliza had made with her team, showing every detail they already thought of and every area they were still undecided on. The show was going to move so quickly and span over so many years and locations that Eliza had decided to use one central setting. It was a risky decision, but the more she described it the more sense it made. The story started at the factory John worked at when he was a boy and went all the way through the four years of the war, ending a few years post-war at the beginning of the Reconstruction Era. There was no way to adequately show all of that in a realistic manner, so Eliza went for metaphorical instead. The set was heavy and bulky to show the weight the war had on the American people. She wanted to make it look like a common man''s place since the fate of the war was waged on the common man''s back. Slavery was addressed very early on in the show and the key aspect of John''s struggle through both acts. She had a creative way to call attention to it by making half the stage turn 180 degrees to reflect that every battle John fought, the slaves mirrored it with their own struggle.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    When Eliza was done, Blue felt like her ideas for the costumes were, so far, right on track. She had jotted down a few new ideas and changes when something popped in her mind while Eliza talked, and she was able to ask quite a few questions to help clarify everything she wasn''t sure on. Luckily Eliza seemed to thrive on details and enjoyed the little rabbit trails they would go down while the others would discuss amongst themselves.


    "I''m so glad you asked that, Blue because I wasn''t exactly sure what direction I wanted to lean towards with the furniture pieces. Although I know Jin is anxious for some designs to start working on," she winked at him, "I couldn''t decide if simple was too...simple?" Eliza made air quotes with her fingers.


    "No, I think it totally makes sense! That is one of the few times the costumes will be a bit outrageous, since it''s a ball, so I think simple settings will not clutter the stage and overwhelm the audience."


    "True...true...ok Jin let''s see what you can do with some folding camp chairs..." and she turned to Jin to start making notes together.


    Gael decided to move on to the next most important item on the list: music. Blue had been waiting for this for a while, reading the script''s lyrics was one thing, but finally hearing some samples promised to be mind-blowing. Not to mention, Gael was going to perform them and she was ready to see what all the fuss was about. Arjun said he was a genius and she had seen that to be true so far, so she didn''t doubt that he must be pretty good.


    Since Gael wrote and composed it, he began talking about his lyrics and the meaning behind everything. It was important for him that everything was cohesive and yet stood out at the same time, something that sounded impossible but would be huge if it worked. The lyrics he wrote were about the struggle of John with his own demons, fighting for the people who needed someone to fight for them, being used by the army as a literal pawn in their game, and in the end, dying from something as trivial as typhoid after all the hell he had just gone through during the war.


    Everyone around the table was dead silent, hanging on every word Gael said like he was giving them the secret to life. As he spoke about his desires for how Nothing But Tombs should feel for the audience, the passion built up in him until he was finally standing up and pacing back and forth. Still, everyone sat and just listened, absorbing everything he had to say. He went on about his decision to use hip-hop and rap as the major musical influence, noting that the Civil War was nothing but violence, dissing the other side, fighting the oppressors, and love for your girl back home. What was more hip-hop than that?


    Julian, who obviously had a good relationship with Gael since he had been with him on other shows, then directed him to "stop talking and let us hear something already!"


    Gael smiled and said sarcastically, "okay, but I hope you took your blood pressure medicine this morning Julian because this beat is going to bump..." and he clutched his chest with his hand to further make fun of Julian while he pulled his phone out of his pocket with his other hand. Julian mumbled that he was only a few years older than Gael anyways...


    Natasha jumped up and ran over to the wings to dramatically turn off the stage lights while turning on the spotlight. Everyone waited as she took her seat and the music began to play through Gael''s phone speaker. He was standing in the darkness, then slowly walked into the spotlight and began to perform for them.


    "Worked in a factory, dirt poor,


    got where he needed using flattery,


    feathery words moving more than just a


    mountain, he found them needing his help


    to run to freedom, but what beat him wasn''t bullets - it was bullshit..."


    Blue was immediately in awe, the cadence of each syllable dripping with wit and power. In the first song, he laid out exactly what the audience could expect for the next two hours. He set the scene and gave them what they needed to know in order to be dropped right in on John''s story and go through his journey with him.


    As he performed, something changed in Gael. The normally charming and confident guy became something else, blindingly brilliant and dauntless. He was a worthy opponent to the difficult words he was spouting, letting them flow in a way that almost hurt Blue''s brain trying to keep up. He spoke so clearly to make sure every single morsel was able to be digested, which only impressed everyone further.


    Then he began to sing.


    He didn''t need to add anything to what he had already done, the show could have ended there and received a standing ovation, but his voice rang out to continue the verse in a slow and methodical melody. As he slowed down, his eyes caught Blue''s just for a second, then he looked away again. She felt almost embarrassed, as though she had walked in on a private moment between him and the lyrics.


    When he had finished, the stage went quiet. Only the sound of Gael''s breathing pierced the air as everyone stared at him, then each other.


    Arjun was the first to jump up and start clapping enthusiastically. "Bravo! Bravo!" he shouted as everyone else started clapping along. They were all in shock as what they had just heard was only starting to sink in.


    Blue murmured, almost to herself, "this is going to be big."


    Malik must have heard her because he smiled and said, "yes...yes it is."


    Gael looked extremely relieved that they all received it well. He jokingly took a small bow as Natasha ran over to turn the lights on again and they both sat back down. He addressed everyone, "thank you for not throwing tomatoes or booing me off the stage." Blue laughed and he looked over at her, sitting even closer now because his chair had shifted when he got up to perform.


    "Ha! You''ve got a lot of nerve dropping that on us then pretending to be modest. Arjun was right," she nodded her head to her left where he sat, "you''re a genius. And I think we can all agree we are lucky to be working together to bring this show to life." She stared right into his eyes as she spoke so he could see her sincerity.


    Everyone around the table enthusiastically nodded in agreement. Jin, who had been mostly quiet until now said, "no one is even going to notice my chairs, thanks to your music!" and everyone laughed out loud.


    Gael thanked them and tried to soak up the compliments while subtly transitioning into talking about the rest of the music. He went over the schedule for starting to rehearse with the band. A well-known rapper and hip-hop artist named Crush*Trek would oversee the production of all the music and collaborate with Gael to make sure they didn''t sanitize the show for the Broadway masses. He wanted it to stand on its own, not just be something people saw so they could check ''see a Broadway show'' off their to-do list while in New York City. It needed to be perfect, or it would fail like all the other productions that had tried to implement pop music into their shows over the last fifty years.


    The choreography was the obvious next topic, so Gael asked Agnes to go over the status of the dance workshops. They had been working with some preliminary music for about a month already, so they decided to work on a time when they could get some more music tracks to her since the beats most likely wouldn''t be changing much during production - the lyrics depended on them. She showed everyone some videos of the dancers and it was beautiful. The movements were so fluid and contemporary, adding in spurts of hip-hop that blended the music to the story perfectly.


    Gael eventually looked at Blue and said, "okay it''s the moment we have all been waiting for, we finally get to see what''s inside that secret notebook of yours."


    She handed it to Gael so he could start passing it around, but everyone got up and ran over to stand behind him instead of patiently waiting for their turn. This was easier anyways, Blue was able to just describe each sketch as he flipped through the pages. She had arranged them all in order of appearance during the show, so it started with young John''s factory worker outfit. She would weather it severely to look dirty enough, like it had been worn every day in harsh child labor conditions. Then there was the summer social when he''s a teenager where he meets his sweetheart, Sarah. Those costumes were more light and airy, worn on a hot New York summer day, and delicate enough to show he had worked his way out of complete poverty and was starting to climb the chains of society. He then turned the page to see all the soldiers and officers, and this is where Blue had taken the most creative liberty. For some scenes, she had decided to make them literally just wear solid blue or gray jumpsuits with masks - to create the illusion when they all massed together that they were just one blob of color, a loss of identity. It showed how little regard those in power had for the men fighting, that they were indistinguishable from one another. All the while, the officers and generals would be wearing the gaudiest and most outrageous outfits, hopefully disgusting the audience with how they lauded themselves above the common man.


    Everyone was losing their minds about this idea, how well it fit in with the themes of the show, and how it would visually guide the audience towards how they should feel about these characters.


    Gael shook his head back and forth slowly in awe, he had been mostly silent while turning the pages with only a few "huh''s" and "hmms" along the way. After Blue was done describing her thoughts, he looked down at her sketches with a serious look and said, "this is absolutely perfect. It''s revolutionary - I love how well this is going to push the show forward." He looked up at her finally and said, "seriously, taking the music and story then meshing it with Eliza''s set and adding your costumes...it''s going to blow people''s minds." He finally smiled and looked around at everyone else who was nodding along. Arjun put his hand on Blue''s shoulder and said, "I knew you were meant to be here." She smiled and said, "well thank you, but I can''t take all the credit. I asked Kiara to sketch some of these. Her input has been incredibly valuable so far," and quickly turned the page so the attention would be off of her and back on the drawings. They all loved John''s green suit and Sarah''s dress for the grand ball, especially when she said she chose the color of money to represent John¡¯s obsession with it. Eliza even asked if she could get extra fabric and incorporate some of it into the furniture pieces as a way to project how they had thrown all of themselves into this ball and needed it to work in order to raise money for the war efforts.


    Once they were done looking through the sketches, everyone began to get off track and strike up their own side conversations about different topics. The excitement was growing and the ideas were flowing. Gael leaned over and whispered in Blue''s ear, "you want a caffeine fix from the break room?" She could feel his warm breath as it stirred the hair that hung from her messy bun around her ears. The sensation was disorienting, especially since she wasn''t expecting it. Her brain couldn''t think of an answer to his simple question for so long that she worried he would think she was put off by it. Finally, her mouth was capable of forming the word "yes" hopefully quickly enough that he didn''t change his mind.


    He whispered again, "okay cool, meet me there in one minute so we don''t look obvious," and he stood up, slipping away unnoticed. Everyone was still deep in their own conversations and paid no attention to him slide off the stage.


    Blue''s heart was pounding. How was she supposed to sneak away without anyone noticing? Why was she even sneaking? It made it seem like they were doing something...different...than just getting coffee.

 Chapter 9

    Blue sat still for a few seconds and then tapped Arjun on the shoulder, interrupting his conversation with Ken. She said she would be back in a minute and he nodded without even looking her way.


    She walked through the wings and took a right to head towards the hallway where the break room was.


    As she walked in, Gael was already digging two cups out of the cabinet above the espresso machine. He was quite a bit taller than her and made reaching the top shelf so easy she almost felt jealous. His gray button-up was lifting slightly and she could see the same tan skin that she got a glimpse of weeks ago at the library. He sat the cups down on the counter and finally noticed her standing in the doorway, giving her a sly smile. "Did you get away unnoticed?" he asked.


    Blue laughed nervously, "um, yeah, I think so...why are we being sneaky again?"


    Gael gave her an incredulous look. "Well obviously because if they know what I''m doing in here they will all want to storm the break room and fight over the first cup - and before you say anything, yes it''s that good, just wait and see - so we have to be sneaky."


    Blue relaxed a little now that she was certain he really did just want to make her coffee; she couldn''t believe her mind had gone elsewhere about his intentions. "Well, I guess I''ll just have to be the judge of how good your coffee is," she said as she crossed her arms. "I swear I won''t hold anything back."


    Gael laughed her favorite laugh, the one where he squinted his eyes from smiling so big. "Oh, I don''t doubt that one bit, mi Azul ."


    She had almost forgotten about his nickname for her. And his sexy accent.


    Almost.


    Walking over to the counter, Blue decided to lean up against it and watch him work. He had already poured water into the reservoir so now he started grinding up the beans. They shot out into the portafilter while he looked up at her and smiled. When the grinder was done crushing them into fine grounds, she said to him, "you seem to know what you''re doing. I''m assuming you do this often since it''s conveniently located in the break room of the theater where you spend most of your time?"


    He nodded and explained, "I try to every day if I can. It''s one of the most relaxing things in my life, honestly. See, there are exact measurements and mechanisms which work the same way every time, if you do everything right and maintain it, of course. I guess I can depend on it to always come out the way I want, so it helps ease my mind and give me a break, even if it¡¯s for just a few minutes. So much better than yoga..."


    "Hey! I happen to love yoga!" Blue punched his bicep, joking that she was offended. He winced and rubbed his arm, as though she could actually harm him. "I totally get what you''re saying though, this is exactly what yoga is for me. For even just half an hour I don''t have to think about anything else and can clear my mind of all the clutter. It''s methodical too, if you do it right there''s a purpose to it and it gives you the result you were expecting."


    "Yeah, I guess that makes sense if you put it that way. Maybe I''d be a lot more interested in yoga if you were doing it with me?"


    Challenge accepted.


    "Okay, you make me coffee and I''ll take you to a yoga class," Blue offered, completely expecting him to blow her off.


    "Deal." He seemed serious. "But I''m only going if you sit next to me, I don''t want to get stuck in a pretzel knot wearing yoga pants without someone nearby to help." He started leaning in closer to her, making her heart immediately race, but then he just reached over and pulled the lever down on the machine. The smirk on his face said he knew exactly the effect his closeness would have on her - she was beginning to think his flirtation was just as methodical as his espresso making.


    Blue was also beginning to wonder what other signs she was supposed to be looking out for. He was obviously physically attracted to her, she got that loud and clear. But how far was he willing to take this? That''s what she needed to know.


    "What if I practice in a parka and combat boots? Will you match me so we can be yoga outfit buddies?"


    He snorted and said, "if that''s your outfit, I''m game."


    She noticed clear water began running out. "Wait, I don''t mean to tell you how to do your job, but aren''t you supposed to put the grounds in the water to make the coffee?"


    Gael rolled his eyes. "Amateurs. First of all, it''s c af¨¦ expr¨¦s - espresso. Second of all, I''m warming the group and the cups so they don''t cool it down once it starts to pour, plus this brings clean water through the pipes."


    She nodded and acted impressed, "okay, si se?or , that actually makes sense." She put her hands up in defeat.


    He smirked at her and started to tamp down the grounds, then twisted his wrist as he pulled the tamper out. "This is to create restriction in the grounds for even extraction."


    "How do you know all this?"


    "My dad ran a c af¨¦ shop in Puerto Rico before they moved to the states. He showed me everything I know; taught me how to clean the machine so it keeps working, even how to make all the different drinks people would order from him. I have a lot of great memories of him making everyone happy with his coffee before he passed away." He smiled to himself as he slid the portafilter into the group then turned it clockwise until it locked in.


    Blue noticed him reminiscing and it made her realize that she learned her love of yoga from a parent too. "My mom taught yoga for years...before she died." Gael looked up at her abruptly. "I remember seeing people hug her after classes and leave with the brightest smiles on their faces. It made me feel so proud of her, even as a young child I understood that she was making people happy."


    The crease in his brow made it seem as though Gael didn''t want to push the topic any further; maybe he was as bad about trying not to think of those who were gone as Blue was. Trying to create a distraction from the somber tension, he pulled the lever down to release the water and let it shoot through the grounds. A thick brown stream of espresso began to slowly flow in a straight line, steam rising from the hot liquid as it filled the cup. He looked at her through the side of his eye and noticed she had already turned around to grab some milk from the fridge, more than willing to move on from such a difficult topic - one she never spoke openly about with anyone. She handed the carton to him with a small smile on her face, "I''m not brave enough to have a shot, let''s see how good your lattes are."


    He began to steam the milk and froth it with the steam wand. "Anything for mi Azul. Actually, I think I''ll even have one myself."


    He carefully poured the milk into the side of the cup and then did a classic latte design as the foam began to pour. Handing her the cup carefully, her hands folded over his and he held on for a second, purposefully keeping the contact between them. Blue couldn''t tell if it was the heat from the drink or his skin on hers that sent shivers down her arm.


    "Are you sure you can handle this, it might be stronger than you''re used to and there''s no sugar."


    Blue scoffed, "honey I''m from Texas, we were built for sweet tea and strong coffee. If I can''t have the sweet, I can appreciate the strong."


    She took a sip as he watched every second of her experience closely, wanting to see her reaction to the drink he made for her.


    "So?" he asked.


    Blue thought about making a joke, as she usually did, but decided to be genuine since it seemed to be something he really cared about. "It is without a doubt the best latte I''ve ever had in my life. Ever." She took another sip and a small moan escaped her mouth as she closed her eyes and savored the full flavor.


    When she looked back up at Gael, his eyes were darker and his face was full of color. He stepped a little closer to where she was standing, so close he could have easily bent down and kissed her.


    Why was she thinking of kissing right now?


    But his full lips were so close and they looked even more delicious than his latte. She wanted to taste them so badly-


    "There you two are!" Arjun interrupted and they jumped apart. Blue spilled a drop or two of her latte over the edge of her cup onto her hand. She started to lick her fingers one at a time, then she noticed Gael still staring at her, his eyes betraying his thoughts even though they weren''t alone anymore. She quickly stopped and turned to Arjun, "hey, you scared the shit out of me! I''m holding hot coffee here, I could have been seriously injured. These hands are my most valuable possession, you know?" and she winked at him as she started walking towards the door, leaving Gael stranded to pick up his own cup and head out the door as well.


    "Yeah well coffee break is over, you guys have to come back and let me bore you all with my budget and schedule plans. It''s exciting stuff, I even color-coded the budget with a different color for each department! Don''t worry, I gave wardrobe the blue column." He nudged her as they walked back into the stage.


    "Aww, you''re such a sweetheart," and she sat down trying to inconspicuously shake off what just happened.


    Who knew lattes could be so hot?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Blue was exhausted from the long meeting that day. Sitting around talking about ideas is fun for the first few minutes, but she could only stand it for so long. She wanted to actually do something instead of only talking about it, so a six hour long production meeting was excruciating for her.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Luckily she had a coffee break in between.


    Blue rubbed her temples, she couldn''t decide if she had a headache from taking in so much information that day, or from being so confused about Gael. How does one go about asking their sort-of-boss, ''hey I know you think I''m attractive, right back at you by the way, but are you ever going to do anything about it? Or is this just a fun way to pass the time?''


    Now that she rubbed her neck, she realized she was so sore from sitting in an uncomfortable folding chair all day. All her muscles ached from being tense since Gael was sitting so close, she didn''t want to accidentally bump his arm or anything. God forbid. She looked at her phone, it was only 4:30 in the afternoon so she had time to swing by for a quick yoga session and still be able to grab dinner before crashing at home in her lovely bed. She turned left instead of walking straight as she had been. Namaste was only a couple blocks this way. Suddenly she stopped.


    What if she invited Gael? Would it be too presumptuous to assume he would actually go with her? She had tasted his latte, after all, so he did owe her one session, technically. She decided to text him quickly before she overthought it.


    Hey, it''s Blue. Heading for a yoga session in 20 minutes - thanks to sitting in the most uncomfortable chairs in human history all day long, I need it. If you were serious about it I''ll send you the link. I mean you do owe me for the coffee, but I''ll understand if you chicken out...if you''re brave enough, then don''t forget your combat boots and parka!


    She added a laughing face emoji to show she was kidding, then hit send. She found the address link for the studio and sent it right away so he could find it.


    Immediately the three dots popped up on the screen, meaning he was typing. She kept walking so she didn''t have to think too hard about what she just did. This was definitely not her pursuing him, just her trying to help a friend out. His back was probably sore from sitting all day too, they were all more used to working on their feet or with their hands. Not the sitting types at all. Plus he was the one that had said he would go to a-


    Her phone buzzed and she looked down. All he sent was the thumbs-up emoji and the yoga guy emoji.


    Seriously? Was that a yes?


    That was a yes, I''ll see you in 20 after I dig through my closet for my winter coat...


    She smiled down at her phone and started walking quickly to Namaste. When she arrived, she changed into an outfit she had in her locker, this one was black leggings with a white tank top. She loved it because the back of the top had crisscrossed straps that showed off a little of her yoga-toned back. As she was coming out of the bathroom, Gael was walking into the studio.


    He had on a pair of black Adidas training pants and a plain white fitted t-shirt. His hair was pulled back into a man-bun again and she couldn''t believe how good he looked, even in such plain clothes.


    When he finally spotted Blue, he smiled like he was being held against his will while trying to be nice to his captor so he could get extra rations. "Wow, I can''t believe I''m actually doing this again. I swore after the last time that I would never try to hurt myself on purpose and call it yoga, yet here I am," he said as he waved his hands around the room.


    Blue gave him a pointed look, "If you''re going to be this dramatic about it then you''ll have to be on the opposite side of the room. I don''t want you to throw off my groove with all your complaining." She pointed at his outfit, and then hers. "At least we still somehow managed to match, so that''s a plus."


    He laughed and reached for one of her straps on her back, threading his finger through it and brushing her skin slightly. "Yeah but my shirt doesn''t have these, I feel like you''re still slightly cooler than me..." he said, then let go of the strap and turned to walk into the room where everyone was gathering.


    Blue just stood in amazement at how forward he could be, while still playing it so cool. She could see in his eyes as he touched her back that he was enjoying every second of it, just as she was, but he acted like it was no big deal.


    She followed him in and headed towards the back corner, her favorite spot to lose herself in the practice and feel like she was alone; except this time she most certainly was not alone, and in fact, would be trying to not think about the guy sitting right next to her the entire time.


    They both sat down and rolled out their mats next to each other. She crossed her legs and started taking deep breaths while peeking at Gael out of the corner of her eye.


    He was sitting too, hands in his lap, and looking around like he was questioning his decision to come here.


    "You ready?" she asked him.


    "Uh, yeah, I think so. You promise you won''t make fun of me, right?"


    She laughed, "I swear I will not only keep my comments to myself, but I''ll try to help out along the way. I want you to see this can be just as relaxing as a shot of espresso - I can''t believe I even just said that, it makes no sense at all, but you know what I mean."


    He gave her a hesitant smile and nodded his head. "Okay, whatever you say."


    The instructor Mira came in and everyone quieted down. She softly asked everyone to begin breathing and clear their minds of any uneasy thoughts.


    Yeah, right.


    They took it slow at first, gently easing into every pose. She tried to leave Gael alone since he should be capable of the basics, at least she hoped so. When they were holding their arms up steadily in virabhadrasana 1, or warrior 1, she looked over at him and saw that he was focusing really intently.


    "This is supposed to be relaxing, not something you are trying to conquer," she whispered to him.


    His furrowed brow smoothed out and he looked over at her, "who says I''m not relaxed?¡± he grunted. ¡°This is so incredibly easy, I am pretty sure I could do this in my sleep."


    She quietly laughed, "it''s not meant to be easy, overachiever. Think of it like you''re moving your body in order to open it up and release any tension you''re holding on to. Change your mindset, listen to your body, not just your inner thoughts and feelings."


    He took a deep breath and she could see him visibly relax a little. "Much better," she whispered to him.


    They continued the class, letting Mira guide them until Blue actually was starting to relax. A few times she would reach over and tap his shoulder to tell him to push them down and back, or nudge his foot to be parallel with the other one. More than once, she would look over and see him staring at her. She would give him the thumbs-up sign, as though to ask ''you okay?'' and he would just smile and nod his head.


    Mira quietly instructed everyone that this part of the session was over and that now they should join together with their partner on one of their mats.


    Partner?


    Gael looked at her suspiciously, "partner? Did you know we would have to find partners?" His hushed voice actually sounded a little flustered. "What if I get stuck with Karen over there?" he joked and he pointed at a woman in her mid-fifties, obviously only there to brag to her friends about doing yoga, but really just wanting an excuse to wear yoga pants every day.


    Blue was nervous but still gave him a small laugh. "Fine, I''ll rescue you from Karen. But you have to promise not to drop me?"


    The smirk dropped from his face and his eyes got wide, "uh, what do you mean ''drop you''?"


    At first, all they had to do was sit down and put their feet together in the air while sitting a few feet away, then reach around their legs to hold each other''s hands. The hardest part was keeping their legs straight since Gael''s were so much longer than Blue''s. She began to quietly giggle, mostly from the nerves but also from the sight of them in this awkward position. She honestly couldn''t believe he had agreed to this.


    "I can''t believe I agreed to this," he joked as they wobbled a little and tried not to disconnect their feet.


    They made it through a few more poses, including one awkwardly intimate one called parivritta sukhasana where they were sitting back-to-back and had to reach around and grab each other''s knee to stretch their spine. She could feel his back up against hers, completely touching every square inch. His hand on her knee was firm, but he kept it where it was supposed to be like a gentleman. Maybe he really was taking this seriously?


    Each pose was a little more difficult, but they were getting slightly better at knowing what to do. Luckily Blue had done this more than a few times, so she was able to keep as steady as possible to help Gael stay rooted.


    "Remember, this is as much an exercise for your own strength as it is an exercise in working with another person," Mira said. "You must look into their eyes and notice how they are doing, adjust in a way that might help ease their burden. This is to open your mind to the world outside of yourself. We are all connected and when we help each other, beautiful things can be accomplished. You must trust your partner and let go of yourself."


    They were currently in trikonasana , or triangle pose, facing each other. Their legs were split like when doing a hamstring stretch, one hand on the ground and one hand straight up in the air. The hands that they held up were supposed to be touching, but Blue''s wingspan was significantly smaller than Gael''s so she slowly slid her hand up the length of his arm as high as she could. She felt his skin spark under her touch, and it felt more intimate than she had intended it to be.


    They stared into each other''s eyes since they were almost nose-to-nose. She could feel his warm breath on her face and smell his scent again. Coffee, mixed with vanilla and cedar. She felt a little dizzy, probably from the blood rushing to her head, or maybe from being so close to him. His eyes were dark again, this time with an intense look in them. She felt like there was a connection forming between them, like a small silver cord that was starting to weave in front of her. She could see it beginning to link the two of them together, still thin and wispy, but growing thicker with every weave.


    The pose ended and they both stood up at the same time, bodies still touching. Gael took a step back and ran his hand through the hair that was falling.


    She wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her, right there in the middle of yoga class. This was starting to become agonizing, the back and forth between them. She knew now, at that moment, that she couldn''t turn back. She wanted him, he wanted her, and not knowing exactly what he wanted to do about that was getting exhausting. Maybe she was wrong all this time, maybe she needed to make the first step? Based on what she knew about his past with Carrie, was it possible that he was afraid to make the first move and let go of his past?


    "And now for our final pose together today we will attempt an acro yoga flying pose. If you do not feel comfortable trying this, please feel free to sit down on your mat and breath together. I encourage you all to trust your gut, but push yourself to try something new if you feel up to it."


    Blue looked at Gael, "what do you think? Are you up for it?"


    He shrugged and said, "I mean I''m basically a pro at this point, so might as well give it a try."


    Mira continued, "It is important that you practice a very firm connection with this pose. Your mudra , or hand gesture, must fit perfectly together and your grip must be unyielding." She demonstrated with a woman at the front of the class. "Choose who will be your base, and who will fly."


    "You can hold me up, right? You seem like you would be a strong base, all five feet of you," Gael joked with her as he reached for his water bottle at the top of the mat.


    Blue smirked at him. "Nah, I''ll let you be the base. I like to be on top."


    Gael choked on his drink a little and he wiped his mouth with his arm. His mouth hung open for a second, then he shook his head slightly and muttered to himself, "I bet you do..." as he laid down on his back. He put his feet up in the air as Mira instructed and Blue leaned into them with her hips. His legs were bent so she could reach his hands with hers and he grabbed them.


    "Okay now flyers, lean into your base, and let them gently push their legs up and into your hip bone. Keep your body in one line, from shoulder to heels. Bases, with straight arms, receive the weight of your flyer in your feet, then straighten your legs slowly. Make sure your heels are directly over your hips to keep as steady as possible."


    Blue felt her entire weight push on Gael''s feet as he slowly lifted her up. He wasn''t struggling since she was so slight and small, but she still wanted to keep as steady as possible so she didn''t fall. He was staring up at her and she began to make a funny face at him, trying to get him to crack a smile since he looked like he was focusing too hard on not dropping her, not enjoying the moment.


    He grunted, "don''t make me laugh, I might drop you!"


    Blue began laughing at him which made her abdomen unsteady. They started to wobble and he let her fall to one side gently, landing on her feet. She sat down next to him on the mat, holding her hand over mouth trying not to laugh so hard.


    "Your face!" she whispered. She couldn''t breathe because the more she tried not to laugh, the more she laughed. "You should have seen the look you had when I started coming down, like I was about to fall to my death!" She was getting louder and it was contagious. Gael started laughing, then the couple next to them. Soon, everyone in the back of the room was wobbling and falling, laughing at themselves and each other.