than he, had had her sights set on him for years.
Trib sighed, shaking his head sadly. “If those two would stop dancing around each other and playing games and just tear off each other’s clothes and do it all ready! She’s so delicious with all those opera-singer bodacious curves—if I were straight, I’d go for her myself.”
“Ew!” Helga was holding up two fingers in the shape of a cross, warding him off. “That’s a picture I don’t need in my head. Let’s talk about exactly how Vivien got Roger Hatchard to be in the show.”
“Ooooh?” Trib made the word undulate like a writhing belly dancer. “Do tell, VL!”
“Well, I’ve been sort of seeing his son Daniel,” Vivien said. “It’s nothing serious—in fact, I don’t even know if we’ll continue on now that I’m here and he’s back in Hartford. He’s a great guy, but he has no interest in moving away from the East Coast, and I’m not going anywhere now that I’ve bought the theater. But it was Daniel who suggested I ask his father to be in the show.”
“Spectacular,” said Trib. “That’ll be a nice draw, and I’m not just speaking for me.”
“That’s it?” Helga was disappointed. “I was hoping for more scoop about the Hatchard family.”
Vivien laughed and shook her head. “Really, it was pretty low-key.”
“So I assume you’re playing the young and lovely Elaine Harper, VL,” said Trib with a smile and a quirked brow.
“No. I’m directing,” she replied, squashing a little pang. “I’ve got Penny Stern—you know, she had that little stint on Bull?—to play Elaine. She grew up in Muskegon—did you know that?”
“But VL…you’re the biggest local celebrity we have—next to that darling Ethan Murphy.” Trib seemed genuinely surprised. “Roger Hatchard notwithstanding.”
“This man. Who even says ‘notwithstanding’ anymore?” Vivien said to Helga. Then she looked back at Trib and smoothly changed the subject. “We’ve got so much to do to get things ready at the theater besides actual rehearsals. There’s a Scout troop that’s going to come in and help with some of the cleanup, and the high school football team, the pom squad, and the drama department are also going to volunteer some time. The students all have to do service hours over the summer, and helping with the restoration of the theater is being considered community service. That’s going to save me quite a bit of money. In fact, I’ve got to meet them tomorrow morning at eleven.”
“Eleven?” Trib said. “That’s getting to be the hottest part of the morning.”
“They’re teens. I’m lucky to get them there before noon on summer break,” Vivien said dryly.
“Good point.” He was looking at her curiously, but to her relief, he didn’t press on his earlier question. “Speaking of Ricky, have you met his son? I’ve been trying to figure out whether he’s a prospect or not. I’ve only seen him from a distance—but that was enough.”
“I’ve met him several times,” Helga said. “And no, I don’t think he plays for your team, Trib.”
He sighed. “I was afraid of that. And he’s a doctor, too!”
Vivien stilled. Something jangled in the back of her mind. “Be seeing you around.”
No. Surely not…
With a feeling of impending doom, she was compelled to ask, “So, this Ricky—what is his last name, anyway?”
“DeRiccio. His name is actually Fabrizio, but everyone calls him Ricky. What’s the matter?” Helga said.
Vivien took a big sip of wine and shrugged. “Nothing.” But inside, she was shrieking epithets at the universe.
“Speaking of cues, that’s mine to get back inside,” said Trib when his assistant manager poked her head out of the restaurant and beckoned. “And I was just getting comfortable. Ah well, a genius’s work is never done. I’ll come by the stage soon, darling, and take a look at the dressing rooms—and the actors. You might just get me to play dead after all. I’ll send Benjamin out to say hi if I can spare him for a few—though he showed up late for his shift yesterday morning, so I’m still annoyed with him.” He smacked a kiss onto Vivien’s cheek, then Helga’s, and then was off in a swirl of lime green.
“Who’s Benjamin?” Helga asked.
“Younger brother of Louise London, believe it or not. Wants to be a chef, obviously, so I helped set him up with Trib for the summer. Speaking of Louise, oh-em-gee, she is driving me a leetle crazy.” Vivien held up her phone to show Helga the fifteen text notifications from the actor. “This is just in the last hour.”
“Well, she