been chewing from between my teeth, and was already turning around to head back into the theater, as I said, “I’ll just be a few minutes.”
He didn't have a chance to speak again as I hurried inside. A security guard stopped me, to ask where I was going, and I lied, saying I thought I had dropped a credit card at my seat. He let me go on the promise that I'd be quick. I raced along, moving down the aisle and straight to the stage, where a member of Tracey's crew was working.
“Excuse me?” I called to him.
He lifted his head from unplugging the microphone. “Yeah?”
“Is Tracey available to talk?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, she doesn't do autographs.”
“No, no,” I said hurriedly. “I don't want an autograph. I really just want to talk to her. I have questions and—”
“I'm sorry. She isn't available.” He stood up to wrap the cord, pretending I no longer existed.
“Please,” I begged, gripping my hands to the edge of the stage. “I just—”
“You the press?” he interrupted, now looking angry and menacing.
“What? No, I'm—”
“Tracey doesn't deal with the press.”
My desperation was slowly getting the better of me and tears began to sting the backs of my eyes. “I'm not a member of the press. Please. I just ... I just really need to talk to her. I-I need to—”
“Lady, in two seconds, I'm getting security in here. So, turn around and—”
“No, Chuck, it's okay.”
I looked up to see the whimsical frame of Tracey coming toward us. She had taken off her fairy tale dress, trading it for a skin-tight pencil skirt and blouse. She wore an expensive pair of heels, her lips were coated in a smooth, crystal pink gloss, and I realized she only played a part when she entered her stage life. Off stage, she was simply Tracey, gorgeous and with expensive taste.
“You sure?” Chuck asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
“Yeah,” Tracey said, nodding as she waved a signal for me to follow her. “Come on, honey. Let's get a drink.”
***
“Are you sure you don't want to invite your boyfriend?” Tracey asked on our way to the bar.
“No,” I said. “He doesn't drink.”
Tracey nodded as if she knew. I supposed maybe she did. I always assumed that people’s abilities varied and I wasn't sure what hers consisted of. Maybe she could read minds or see the future, for all I knew, and I couldn't wait to find out.
After meeting Tracey, I had gone back to Vinnie and told him I had run into a friend and that we were going to grab a drink. It didn't make me proud to lie to him, but a little fib was easier than the whole truth. And I figured, maybe it wouldn’t even be necessary to tell him the truth. Tracey might’ve held the secret to turning this thing off and I could be free forever.
Tracey and I entered The Thirsty Goose. I had made the suggestion, not knowing where else to go in the city, and Vinnie's friend recognized me right away with a broad, friendly grin.
“Andy, right?”
I smiled at the nickname Vinnie had given me. “Yeah, hi. Nice to see you again.”
“You, too. Where’s my boy tonight?”
Guilt washed over me as I forced myself to smile. “Home.”
Goose was tall and reminded me of a Viking, with his long, reddish-blond beard and hair. He towered over Tracey and me, and when his bright, blue eyes swept over us, I felt the slightest bit intimidated. Like he saw me and my lies, and all I wanted to do was crawl beneath the bar and hide.
But then he smiled, wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “Ah, ladies’ night, huh?”
“Yeah,” I replied, relieved and ashamed.
“Well, then, what can I get for you?”
After I’d ordered my martini, I looked to Tracey expectantly, only to find her unabashedly transfixed on Goose, watching as he collected the ingredients, martini shaker, and glass. Glancing at her hand and not seeing a wedding ring, I wondered if her life had kept her from having a relationship, too.
She eventually ordered a gin and tonic, and with drinks in hand, we found a quiet table in the furthest corner, away from other customers. We silently sat and sipped from our glasses, as I mustered the strength to ask the first question and break the ice. But how the hell do you even start that conversation? I had waited so long for this opportunity, but I had never made it this far before. Now, sitting