look in the mirror, sprays herself with perfume, and runs down the stairs into the kitchen. Bobby, their farmhand, is sitting down for soup at the kitchen table. He grins at her affectionately.
BOBBY
Where are you going, Miss Price?
LILY
Never you mind.
BOBBY
But I do.
LILY
I’m going on a real date, Bobby, with a real man.
BOBBY
Fine by me. You’ll come back when you know what’s right for you.
LILY
You just see if I do.
She snaps her purse shut, shoots him one last glare, and stalks out the door as sexily as she knows how.
MOM
Phyre.
I flip the play shut. Mom is calling from downstairs. I consider pretending I didn’t hear but she calls again.
ME
Yeah!
I can’t hear her reply, so I reluctantly slide off the bed and go into the hall. At the bottom of the stairs, I see you beside her, looking up at me.
ME
Hi!
Right now I’d rather read the play than anything but as I look down at your open expression and Mom disappears back into the kitchen, I figure I can spare a minute. Trotting down the stairs, I jump the last step and meet your gaze.
YOU
So what did she say?
You haven’t taken off your coat yet so, instead of inviting you in, I pull my sweater off the peg by the door and we go into the garden. There’s a chill in the air but it smells good out and we wander over to the tree house we built in fifth grade. “Tree house” equals plank between two branches, barely five feet off the ground, but it seemed death defying at the time. We squeeze side by side onto the plank, legs dangling.
YOU
So?
ME
Mia thinks I should audition for the play this year.
I look at you in the light from the windows of the house, wondering if your expression will give away the “Is that all?” that I tried not to feel.
YOU
Of course you should!
I smile.
ME
She gave me a copy and I had just started reading—
YOU
Oh, sorry, would you rather get back to it?
ME
No. No, that’s okay.
Sitting in the tree beside you, staring up at the night sky, it really does seem okay. The breeze picks up and makes me shiver.
YOU
Cold?
I shake my head, even though I am a little. Then, forgetting that I wanted to be by myself tonight, I suggest we get hot chocolate and go up to my room to read the play together. We attempt a dismount at the same time, getting temporarily wedged together in the crook of the tree. After choreographing the maneuver, we head inside, laughing.
MY BEDROOM. SOON AFTER.
You’re lying beside me with the play, catching up on the first scene. I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling, picturing Lily, excited and nervous. I’m caught up in imagining how I would feel when you reach your arm across my chest—to rub Holly behind her ear. I had completely forgotten she was there, still curled in a ball on the cushion on the windowsill! Not seeing my surprise, you keep your arm across me for another moment, rubbing her tummy. I watch her unfurl under your hand. Turning your attention back to the play, you ask me if I’m ready to read the next scene together. I sit up. The idea now seems somehow embarrassing. It feels more intimidating one on one than it would in front of an entire audience. Audition jitters maybe.
ME
You’ll read Bobby?
YOU
I’ll rock Bobby.
You encouragingly tilt the page toward me as you start reading the next stage direction.
THE PRICE HOUSE. MORNING.
Whistling, Lily skips downstairs into the kitchen, buttoning her dressing gown. Exhilarated, she happily sets about making breakfast. Bobby’s head appears around the kitchen door:
BOBBY
How’s lover boy?
LILY
Bobby!
She tightens her robe across her chest, self-conscious.
For your information, I had a great time. He was a gentleman—it was a magical evening.
Her mind drifts back to her night, hearing the music, a smile spreading across her face.
And we’re going out again on Friday.
Bobby’s face falls. He tries to hide his disappointment, and says nothing for a second.
BOBBY
Right. Well. Got to get to work.
Lily looks after him as he closes the door behind him. She is surprised to see him leave, cutting their habitual banter short. The kitchen seems quiet now without him.
I snap the play shut.
ME
We don’t need to do this now. I have the whole weekend to prepare.
YOU
Well, now I want to know what happens.
ME
Are you going to audition?
YOU
I was that good?
Silly question, you’re not really one for the limelight.
ME
How about set design?
YOU
Or lighting!
You swivel my bedside lamp so it shines in