It’s in Her Kiss had all the markings of a critically acclaimed new production, and Sophie would be lucky to be associated with it in any capacity. If only they’d seen her potential as Bianca…
She took an overenthusiastic sip of her coffee, scorching her tongue in the process. Hot coffee seared its way down her esophagus, burning through her disappointment. She hated feeling like this. Lately, it had been happening more and more often, and frankly, it scared her. If she let herself get consumed by bitterness, it would ruin her joy for performing.
She went home, changed, and headed to work at the diner. As was her usual audition protocol, she did her best to put it out of her mind. It was out of her hands now. In all likelihood, she would never hear another word about It’s in Her Kiss. That had been the theme of her year, anyway.
When her phone rang with a call from Estelle the following Monday, Sophie wasn’t sure whether that meant good news, or if her agent was merely calling about a new audition. Either way, she answered with bated breath.
“Congratulations,” Estelle announced. “You’ve been cast as a member of the ensemble in It’s in Her Kiss.”
“Really?” Sophie found herself grinning despite her earlier frustration about the audition misunderstanding.
“Yes,” Estelle told her. “And they’ve also selected you as the understudy for the two female leads—Bianca and Melissa.”
“No way,” Sophie breathed, a ripple of excitement spreading through her. An understudy was a step up from the ensemble. It meant she might get a chance to play the lead, a chance to prove herself in a way that might open more doors for her in the future. And it also came with a much nicer paycheck than she would have received for the ensemble alone.
“Rehearsals will begin next week, with previews opening just after the new year,” Estelle told her.
Sophie did a little happy dance in the privacy of her living room. She’d landed her first acting gig in over a year, and while it wasn’t the role she’d wanted, it was still better than she’d expected to receive.
It wasn’t until after she’d gotten off the call that she thought to wonder who had been cast as Bianca. Had the role gone to Jules? Had Sophie been cast as her understudy?
Jules pulled leggings and her favorite fleece-lined hoodie over her leotard, muscles comfortably sore after her hour-long dance lesson. She gulped what remained of her bottle of water as she packed her bag to head home, noticing a voicemail on her phone. A shiver slid down her spine. It was probably her mom. After all, she called every day, and Jules hadn’t talked to her yet today.
But when she checked the call log and saw her agent’s name there, that shiver turned into a full-out tingle, coursing through her system to land in a nervous ball of energy lodged in her stomach. Unlike her first audition for It’s in Her Kiss, she felt like she’d nailed her callback. Did she dare hope? Not bothering to listen to the message, she pressed the icon next to Pierce’s name and dialed.
“Hello, Julia,” he answered, his standard greeting. Somehow, he’d never managed to embrace her nickname. His tone gave nothing away, but it never did.
“Hi, Pierce. You called?”
“I did,” he confirmed. “I was hoping to congratulate the new Bianca Scott in person.”
“What?” Her voice sounded embarrassingly like a squeak, and she pressed her free hand against her lips. Her knees went soft, and she dropped onto the bench behind her.
“You heard me,” Pierce said, sounding genuinely pleased, which was a lot, coming from him. “You got the part.”
“Oh,” she whispered as happy tears welled in her eyes. “Wow.”
“Can I take you to lunch to go over all the details?” he asked.
“Yeah…yes, that would be great.” She gave her head a shake, still waiting for it to sink in. She’d done it. She’d landed her first leading role. Her fingers clenched around the phone.
“How about Flora at one?”
“Perfect. I’ll see you there. Thanks again, Pierce.”
“My pleasure,” he said.
She stood as she ended the call and twirled in the changing room, glad she was the only one in here at the moment. As much as she wanted to shout her news from the rooftops—and call her mom—she also wanted a few minutes to savor it for herself, to walk home with a secret smile on her face and a spring in her step.
So that’s what she did, daydreaming her way home as she envisioned herself up on stage with the spotlight in her eyes, basking in applause from the crowd, taking a bow during curtain call. For the first time, she’d be the one out front. It was more than a dream come true. This was a pinnacle moment in her life, the reason she’d left her family in Miami and moved to New York. It was the realization of their hopes and dreams for her, and okay, it was starting to sink in now.
She felt herself smiling as she climbed the stairs to her apartment and let herself in. Pippin trotted out from behind the red-patterned curtain she’d strung across the room, hiding her bed from sight. It provided as much privacy as she could hope for in a studio apartment. He meowed as he reached her, twining his gray-striped body around her legs.
“Hey, Pepito,” she said as she knelt to rub him, one of her many nicknames for him. Pippin was her affectionate cat. His brother, Phantom, lifted his head from where he slept on the couch. Phantom was less vocal about his affections, but he was a total goofball, often sleeping in the most ridiculous positions and making meme-able faces, which had made him the star of Jules’s Instagram feed.
She turned on the espresso machine to make café Cubano, although surely the last thing she needed right now was caffeine. Her hands shook as she poured ground espresso and water into the machine.
Bianca Scott.
Fresh tears pricked her eyes. She went into the bathroom for a quick shower while the machine heated up. She’d make her coffee, and then she’d call her mom. Her mom would tell her grandma and her brothers, and before Jules knew it, her whole family would have booked tickets to New York to see her on opening night.
Opening night. This is really happening. Jules dressed and returned to the kitchen. She brewed her coffee on autopilot as her brain spun through visions of herself on stage, performing the piano solo she’d learned for her callback audition. With a happy sigh, she lifted her cup and inhaled the rich aroma. It wasn’t as good as her grandma’s, but Jules hadn’t found anywhere in Manhattan to get a better cup of Cuban coffee than her own.
She blew on it and sipped, letting the sharp flavor zap away the haze in her brain. Then she sat on the couch next to Phantom, picked up her phone, and dialed.
“I did it. I got the part,” she blurted the moment she heard the call connect.
On the other end of the line, her mom let out a shriek more reminiscent of a teenager than a woman in her fifties. “Oh my goodness, baby, I am so proud of you! I just knew it. I knew in my heart this was the one for you.”
“I had a good feeling about it too, but if I had a penny for every time I’ve felt that way over the years…”
“It’s your time,” Paula said. “Oh honey, I just can’t believe it. Hang on, let me get your abuela.” There was a pause, and Jules heard her mom call, “Mami, get in here! She got the part.” Another pause. “Yes, she’s on the phone right now.”