Page 50 of Paths Crossing, Episode Four: Ash & Audrey
I tried to see them and to focus my vision on the audience. But I couldn't. As I looked out, my eyes were blurry from tears. I was able to smile and look normal and not contort my face, but the tears were present in my eyes, and I could not focus on the audience, no matter how hard I tried. I didn't blink. I knew that if I blinked, a tear would fall, so I just held my eyes wide open and let my vision be blurry.
After the curtain call, we went backstage to change so that we could head out to the lobby to greet any audience members who had stayed.
I knew Luna would be out there with Josie.
Carly and a few others were here from the restaurant. And Ash. He was here, and I knew he would be waiting in the lobby with the others. I reapplied deodorant and wiped my body with a damp towel before changing.
Collin liked to have us dress nice when we went to the lobby after shows, and I had on black slacks with a baby blue blouse. I felt confident and happy because everyone in the dressing rooms was in the best mood. Don't get me wrong, there were tears about it being over. But mostly there was laughing and fun. We were all relieved that it had been one of our stronger performances, and today's audience had been especially good.
I was moving quickly—we all were. We wanted to go outside and see our loved ones.
I got dressed while giving about fifty hugs.
I gave a hug to everyone I saw, and to some people, I gave two. I gave Collin two hugs. I told him that this experience would not have been the same without him, and that was the truth.
Considering how many goodbyes I said backstage, I managed to get out of there quickly.
There were a ton of people in the lobby, and it did not take me long to find mine. Luna hollered my name and instantly ran my way.
Chapter 18
Ash
Ash had not seen his woman in a whole month, and the first time had to be like this.
The freaking fishnets.
He found it difficult to think straight.
His heart felt like it might explode.
He was now waiting for her to change and come out into the lobby. His parents and siblings had come too, along with Val's boyfriend. They were all still with him in the lobby. He didn't want to overwhelm Audrey by having so many people with him, but they wanted to go to dinner together, and they insisted on waiting to congratulate her about the show.
Josie was there, too, along with Luna and a few others.
Ash was still gathering his wits after what he had seen on stage. He was nervous for her, but it was for no reason. She was amazing—perfect out there. It was a good thing she didn't have a main role, because he wasn't sure his heart could take it.
He felt so engaged every second she was on stage. Her voice was captivating. She was a beautiful dancer, and he could not take his eyes off of her the whole time. Ash had watched with clenched fists, feeling this odd mix of pride and possessiveness. He loved seeing her out there doing her thing. But he hated thatother men had seen her. It was too much. He was in love with her. He wanted to make a life with Audrey. He hadn't seen her in a month. And his first vision of her was this beautiful spectacle.
Now he was about to see her again. It was packed in the lobby. His family was there. Her family was there. Ash was tightly wound, like a spring. His chest was tight, and he had to remind himself to breathe. He could see his off-white sweater move as he took a deep breath and his chest rose and fell.
He was holding a bouquet of flowers, and he flexed his hand around the stems just to give himself something to do as he waited.
Conversations went on around him.
He was even a part of some of them.
But all he could think about was…
And then there she was.
Several people had come out before her, but this time it was Audrey. She was walking with another young woman, and they were both smiling. Her hair was still styled the same way it had been for the play—a huge mass of curls. It was bigger and curlier than usual, and he wondered how she got it like that. She looked beautiful in baggy, pleated dress slacks with her silky, button-down blouse that was tucked in. She was perfect, and his heart felt like it might actually explode.
Ash took another deep breath.
He could hear his mom saying that she saw Audrey, but he didn't take his eyes off her. He watched as Luna ran to her mom and they embraced. The smiles and the love were so beautiful. She hugged her daughter, and then they shared a short exchange. Audrey wasn't preoccupied with greeting everyone else. In those seconds, she stooped down and fully focused on Luna.
Ash was dying to see her. Selfishly, he wanted her to turn her attention to him. But the sight of her, so sweetly attentive and devoted to her daughter, it was even better than getting what he wanted. She stood, and Luna began pulling her toward the group. She seemed excited and determined, and Audrey could do nothing but get pulled along by her daughter.
