Jules gave a weak laugh, raking a hand through her hair as she let Bianca’s discomfort become her own. “Yeah…Trevor.”
“I knew it!” Liz said triumphantly. “You like him.”
Jules let her eyes linger on Liz, giving her a veiled look of longing as Bianca wrestled with her secret feelings for her friend. “I like him, but I’m not sure I want to date him.”
They finished the scene, and then Jules performed an upbeat song that would be part of a group musical number. She’d rehearsed it dozens of times, and yet, with the casting team watching, she flubbed the lyrics, beginning to repeat the first verse instead of moving into the second. Hopefully, it wasn’t a fatal mistake, but it definitely wasn’t the impression she’d wanted to make.
When she’d finished singing, the playwright, a short-haired woman named Maggie Tate, lifted a hand to get Jules’s attention. “One last thing,” she said. “As you know, It’s in Her Kiss is a coming out story. I’d like to know how you feel about that responsibility, and are you comfortable kissing a woman onstage?”
Jules blinked like a deer in headlights. “Yes, of course,” she blurted, hoping the team hadn’t seen her momentary panic. She’d never kissed anyone onstage before, and she’d never kissed a woman, period. She’d thought about it, though. Lately, she’d thought about it kind of a lot, and oh God, she wasn’t sure how she felt about her first time being onstage. But none of that mattered if she didn’t do something to salvage this audition. “I really relate to what Bianca’s going through, and I would consider it an honor to portray her journey onstage.”
“Thank you,” the casting director said. “We’ll be in touch.”
Jules thanked everyone for their time, gathered her things, and left. She didn’t feel nearly as confident as Sophie had looked as she made her way back through the waiting room, and she wasn’t at all sure she’d handled the question about Bianca’s sexuality well. Jules jogged down the stairs, bursting with restless energy. Maybe she should change and go to the gym, anything to keep from sitting around her apartment waiting for the phone to ring.
The first thing she noticed as she stepped outside was that the rain had stopped, and thank goodness for that. The second thing was Sophie Rindell walking out of the coffee shop next door.
“Post-audition caffeination?” Jules called with a wave.
Sophie glanced over her shoulder, pausing so Jules could catch up to her. “Something like that. How did your audition go?”
Jules put on her jacket, sweeping her hair out from beneath the collar. “Good, I think.”
“I’m glad,” Sophie said.
They stared at each other for a few seconds of awkward silence. Making idle conversation in the waiting room was one thing, but Jules didn’t make a habit of hanging out with her competition after the audition. Something told her Sophie didn’t either.
“Which way are you headed?” Jules asked, halfway hoping they were going in different directions, an easy way to say goodbye.
Sophie gestured to the left. “I don’t live too far from here, near Prospect Park.”
“Oh yeah? We’re practically neighbors.” Jules fell into step beside her.
“You audition a lot?” Sophie asked.
“Every chance I get,” Jules told her with a laugh.
“Same.” Sophie gave her a thoughtful look. “You look vaguely familiar to me. Maybe we’ve crossed paths before.”
“It’s possible,” Jules agreed. They fell into an easy conversation as they walked, discovering that they’d auditioned for several of the same productions, although maybe not at the same time, and Jules found herself glad for Sophie’s company after all. It was always fun to chat with someone else who understood the crazy whirlwind of the theater life.
“Hey, I’m actually meeting a few friends for a drink on my way home,” Sophie said. “Want to join us? There’s a new gay bar on Seventh that we wanted to check out, if that’s your scene.”
“Dragonfly?” Jules asked hesitantly. She didn’t know much about gay bars, but she did know this one.
“That’s the place,” Sophie confirmed with a nod. “Have you been?”
“I have, although maybe not for the same reason as you. I adopted two kittens from the owner.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Josie runs a kitten rescue, in addition to owning the bar. And sure, I’ll join you guys for a drink,” Jules said, making a snap decision. Going out for a drink sounded like the perfect distraction while she waited for her phone to ring. Plus, it would be nice to see Josie and update her about the kittens.
They made a left onto Seventh and walked several blocks to Dragonfly, its lavender logo reflected on the wet sidewalk. Jules hadn’t been here in a few months. Hopefully, Josie was working tonight. She followed Sophie through the door, pausing just inside while Sophie looked for her friends. Soft jazz music played over the sound system, and the white fairy lights that usually spanned the ceiling had been accented tonight with purple and orange in honor of Halloween, which was just a few days away.
A pair of women waved from a table along the back wall, and Jules and Sophie made their way over to them.
“Hey, ladies,” Sophie said warmly, giving each of her friends a quick hug before turning toward Jules. “This is Jules. We met at the audition, and she stopped by for a drink. Jules, this is Gia and Kit.” She gestured across the table at her friends as she introduced them. They waved at Jules, their expressions open and friendly.
Jules dragged an empty stool to their table and sat beside Sophie. “Nice to meet you guys. Do you act as well?”
“Nope,” Gia told her. “I’m a financial analyst, but I love to live vicariously through Sophie.”
As it turned out, neither of Sophie’s friends were actors, which was somewhat unexpected. Not that all of Jules’s friends were part of the theater world, but certainly most of them were. They both seemed nice, though, and Jules was glad she’d decided to come. The four of them chatted through a round of drinks, the alcohol helping to keep the conversation flowing.
“So, you guys auditioned for the same role today?” Kit asked, eyebrows lifted as she sipped from her drink.
“Yep,” Sophie told her.
“And, according to my agent, we should hear about callbacks tonight,” Jules added.
Sophie straightened on her stool. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Ooh,” Gia said, looking delighted. “This could get interesting.”
Jules glanced at Sophie. “Yes, it could.”
“Jules?”
She turned to see Josie standing beside their table. Tonight, Josie’s ever-changing hair was streaked with pink and purple, a perfect match for her personality. Jules beamed at her. “I was hoping to see you tonight.” She turned toward Sophie and her friends, remembering that this was their first time visiting Dragonfly. “This is Josie Swanson. She owns the bar and runs a kitten rescue in her spare time. I adopted two kittens from her this spring.”
“My theater kittens,” Josie said happily.
“Yes,” Jules confirmed. “I named them Phantom and Pippin.”