Page 122 of Play Room Actor

“There hasn’t been an audition yet. He came to me, handed me the script, and offered me the role. Two days later, I performed a scene.”

“I’m really happy for you. I’m glad so many good things have happened to you in the past two weeks.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I was afraid I’d dragged you into my mess. Sometimes that happens.”

Not wanting to dwell on that topic any longer, Kilian got up and cleared the dishes. That seemed to be his strategy for avoiding certain subjects.

“Can I ask you something?”

Kilian stiffened, but then he turned to me and smiled. “Guess I owe you that.”

I immediately got up and walked over to him. “You don’t owe me anything,” I said, placing my hand on his cheek. “You were in the clinic for two weeks. How did it go there?”

Kilian lowered his gaze. “I really thought I had everything under control,” he replied with a shrug. “But apparently, I didn’t anymore.” He paused and played with the hem of my T-shirt. “After the high came the absolute darkness. The end. But my doctor was optimistic—and she was right in the end. It took a while for the medication to kick in.”

“And now? What happens next?”

“I guess I have no choice but to go to check-ups every now and then. It’ll take a while to get the dosage right.”

“It’s good to hear you’re doing well,” I said, drawing him near me.

“I didn’t die,” he murmured against my neck. “That’s normal for me.”

Reluctantly, I let him go. “I don’t mind your highs, but I don’t like it when you’re feeling bad.”

Kilian smiled.

“What?” I asked, suspicious.

“You’ll come to appreciate my depressive phases, because then you’ll at least know where I am.”

“As long as you pick up when I call …”

“Forget it!” He laughed loudly. “It’s not usual for me to stay in Switzerland. I’ve had much crazier trips.”

“Do I want to know where?”

I grabbed a towel and helped him dry the dishes.

“Well … once, I rode my motorcycle to Norway because I wanted to see the Laerdal Tunnel. The ride took almost twenty-four hours, but it wasn’t a problem for me because I was completely high. I drove almost the whole way without stopping.”

“What’s so special about the Laerdal Tunnel?”

“Oh … one day I’ll show you,” he said dreamily. “It’s the longest tunnel in the world. Inside, there are three halls lit with blue light. I rode to the center of the tunnel and have no idea how long I stayed there. It felt like an eternity. It was … like being on drugs. Beautiful. Well … until the descent started. It’s never nice coming down. I woke up in a hospital, unable to make the return trip on my own.”

“How did you get home?”

“With my dad. He came by plane, and we rode back home on the motorcycle together.”

“That was nice of him.”

Kilian dried his wet hands with the towel. “Just as nice as when you picked me up in Engelberg.”

I leaned back against the kitchen counter, dragged Kilian between my legs, and kissed him. “I’d do that for you anytime.”

He kissed me back, sliding his hand to my neck to make sure I didn’t break the kiss.

“Let’s stop for some ice cream on the way to your place. I know a place that makes their own caramel-vanilla ice cream.”

“That’s a great idea,” I replied, stealing another kiss. “Perfect, even.”

The End