STAGESTRUCK - The Complete Series (29 page)

The police officers interrupted and introduced themselves; Ramos assured Marion that the investigation would be his top priority. The detective gave us each a card, promised to call as soon as he learned anything, and then the officers excused themselves to go back to the precinct.

“Kate I’m so sorry that this happened.” Bruce told me. “Marion’s right, I should have put a camera up after the first break in.”

“It’s okay Bruce, I didn’t take it as seriously as I should either.” I told him. “I appreciate you all being here, but I really do want to go home and if Dylan and I don’t leave soon someone’s going to spot us and blow our cover story.”

“Of course, you kids get home safely and text me as soon as you’re there. You both have my cell, call me if you need anything. And for god’s sake, call me if something else happens.”

I promised her I would a Dylan peeked out into the hallway. “It’s clear,” he announced. “Let’s hurry.”

Dylan wrapped a comforting arm around me and we managed to make it out of the building without being spotted.

Dylan and I spent most of Sunday lying on his couch watching old movies. I could tell that he was disappointed to miss both Sunday performances, but I was thankful to have him with me. I know that what happened at the theater is small in comparison to all of the horrific crimes that happen in the city, but it was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me.

Dylan ordered takeout from the Italian restaurant down the block and Peter picked it up for us. I picked at my food, too unsettled by the day’s events to eat. He noticed and offered me a joint from the drawer of his coffee table; I was both surprised and relieved that he smokes. After half of the joint, my appetite grew and I was able to eat some of my pasta. Dylan opened a bottle of wine and I downed three glasses. The wine did its job and I was finally able to get some sleep.

Monday morning, my alarm went off at nine o’clock and I rolled out of bed.

“What are you doing?” Dylan asked as he rolled over and yawned.

“I still want to go to the youth theater today. I need to call and make sure that it’s alright if you come with me.”

“Kate, are you sure that that’s a good idea right now?” He asked, propping himself up on the headboard. “It may be better to stay away from the kids until whoever’s following you is caught. The last thing you want is to lead a psycho into their classrooms.”

I shook my head. “I want to go. My work at the youth theater was mentioned in the Times profile, so the… stalker… already knows about it.” I was having a hard time saying the word out loud. “Besides, it’s one thing to trash a dressing room. It’s quite another to hurt an innocent child. I don’t mind if you want to skip this week, but I really feel like it would do me good to see the kids.”

“If you’re going, I’m going.” Dylan insisted. “What time does class start?”

“Not until four but I’d like to get there early. I thought we could go have lunch first, maybe do a little window shopping. Janette and I still need new furniture for our new place, our old stuff would just look sad there.”

“We can do that.”

I was surprised by how quickly he’d agreed. “Really? I was expecting to hear a lecture about staying home and safe.”

“You have to live your life, Kate.” He shrugged. “And to be honest, I don’t want to stay cooped up in here anymore than you do. Whoever this asshole is, they haven’t been overly aggressive. Violent maybe, with the way your dressing room was destroyed, but they haven’t tried to physically hurt you. I think we’re pretty safe in public.”

Though I was still rattled by the break in, I was thrilled at the idea of getting out in the city. I was also well rested and eager to start spending my latest pay check. Dylan and I dressed quickly and left the apartment. We ate breakfast at a small café and then set off for Fifth Avenue. We spent three hours looking at furniture and after three dozen texts to Janette; I bought a reclaimed barn wood dining set and a new pair of leather armchairs.

I’d never spent so much money in one day and I’d never had so many people watch me do it. Dylan and I drew attention everywhere we went; we were only able to shop after the staff of Pottery Barn closed the store for us.

Dylan handled the crowds like a pro and I tried to follow his lead. “Just act like you’re deaf.” He advised. “Smile, wave, acknowledge that they’re there, but don’t react to what they say in any way.”

“Gotcha,” I perfected the technique over lunch; I felt glamorous and sophisticated and for a while I forgot about all of my problems. By the time we made it to the youth theater, I felt better than I had since the day I won the role.

The other teachers tried to keep their professional distance, but they couldn’t help but stare at Dylan. A few worked up the courage to come over and introduce themselves; Dylan accepted their compliments graciously and made them feel at ease. Before I knew it, the entire staff was gathered in the lobby, listening to Dylan’s stories. I finally had to interrupt.

“Dylan? I don’t mean to be rude, but the kids will be here soon.”

“Oh of course,” he smiled. “I’m sorry, sometimes I have a tendency to ramble. Before you all leave, I want to thank you for letting me help out today. I can’t wait to get more involved with the program.”

Sherman Halsey, the Chief Director of the theater, shook Dylan’s hand and announced that he and I would handle my old class on our own.

“I know that you can’t fit it in to your schedule all of the time, Mr. Matthews, but anytime you want to stop in, we’d be honored to have you. Kate, I take it you remember how to get to your classroom?”

“Of course, Mr. Halsey. And I’ve settled in to the show, I’d like to be put back on the Monday schedule if there’s room.”

“The kids will be thrilled to hear that. All of the attention you’ve been getting lately has made them feel very important; I think they feel famous by association. And you’re certainly setting a great example. Congratulations on all of your stunning reviews. I hate to rush off, but I have a class of my own to get to. Your kids spent last week reading over three different scripts. They’re supposed to be voting on their favorites today and moving straight in to rehearsals, but I don’t see the harm in pushing that back one day. If you’re up for it, I’d like for the two of you to do a question and answer session with them. That should help the novelty of Mr. Matthews wear off and the next time you visit, they’ll be able to concentrate.”

“Sounds great, thank you again.” Dylan replied.

I lead him to the classroom and he immediately jumped on the stage. “You just can’t stay off of those, can you?” I teased.

He blushed and jumped down. “I guess at this point, its instinct.”

Kids slowly started filing in to the room, their mouths dropping when they spotted Dylan. Once they got over their shock, I was peppered with questions.

“Miss Kate we’ve missed you, are you coming back for good?”

“What’s it like to be in a REAL show?”

“Is Dylan Matthews your new boyfriend?”

“Alright kids, one at a time. I’m back for good, but on Mondays only because I’m still playing Loraine. Mr. Dylan and I are going to tell you all about what it’s like to be on Broadway, but we have to wait for everyone else to get here.”

Several of the kids jumped as a resounding thud filled the room. I turned towards the noise and saw Fiona. She was standing in front of a desk with her arms folded in front of her; the stack of books she’d slammed onto the desk were scattered across the floor.

Dylan looked confused. I whispered “She’s Max’s niece.” In his ear and then officially started class. I knew that Fiona was upset with me and I really wanted to talk to her, but I also knew that it wasn’t the time.

“Alright everyone, it’s time to get started. I want all of you to get a bean bag and arrange yourselves in a circle. Mr. Sherman said that we can take a free day, so Mr. Dylan and I are going to let you take turns answering your questions. And before we start, I want to remind you to be on your very best behavior. Mr. Dylan is thinking about being a teacher here, so we want to impress him.”

The kids eagerly gathered the bean bags and formed a circle; Fiona was the only one who lagged behind. I drug two plastic chairs to the circle and Dylan took a seat. “I’m going to need a minute with her, do you mind?”

“Not at all,” he smiled warmly. He turned to the kids. “Alright guys, I think most of you know who I am, but I don’t know anything about you. Before we start with the questions, I want you to take turns telling me your names, your favorite play, and your dream role.” He winked at me and I knew that the kids were in good hands. I made my way back to Fiona; she hadn’t budged from her spot behind the desk.

“You don’t have to talk to me, but you do have to listen.” I told her. I gently put my hand on her shoulder and guided her to my desk. I took a seat, looked her in the eyes, and took a deep breath.

“I know that you’re disappointed in me. Fiona, do you know what a misunderstanding is?” She nodded. “I thought so. That’s what happened with me and your uncle Max. It was nobody’s fault, we just aren’t supposed to be together.”

“But you ARE supposed to be together.” She argued. “People have misunderstandings all of the time. You just like HIM better.” She added, pointing at Dylan.

“Fiona, Dylan is my friend. I know that you’ve seen our pictures in the papers, and I know that you think that it’s Dylan’s fault that Max and I aren’t together anymore. But that’s not true and Dylan’s not the bad guy.” I explained patiently. “He’s actually a really nice guy, and he’s taken the time to come here and help all of you learn. Do you think that we could join the rest of the class?”

She studied me critically for a while before speaking. “You’ll be here every Monday?”

“Yes.”

“So I’ll still get to see you?”

I nodded. “I’ve missed you guys so much. I promise I’ll be here every week.”

“Alright… I guess we can go to the circle.”

She still had a pout on her face, but she reached for my hand as we crossed the room. I took my seat next to Dylan and Fiona drug a bean bag to the base of my chair. The kids had finished their introductions; Dylan had them all enthralled with a story from his early days on Broadway. I had a feeling he was embellishing some of the finer points, but there was no denying that the kids were in heaven.

I’d expected the kids to have plenty of questions for me, I was their teacher after all, but I soon realized that I could walk out of the room and no one would notice. I would have been jealous but the way Dylan interacted with the kids was adorable; I was more than happy to sit back and observe.

Dylan joked back and forth with the kids in a way that reminded me of a loving, entertaining big brother. He remembered all of their names and acted like everything they said was important. We were all having a blast and time flew. Ten minutes before class was over, Mr. Halsey knocked on the door and came in.

“It looks like the kids had a blast today.” He smiled. “Kate, Dylan, I thought that you might like to duck out a little early. If you’re here when the parents arrive, they may never let you leave.”

“Thank you, that was very considerate.” Dylan told him. “Not that I wouldn’t love to meet all of your parents.” He said, turning back to the kids. “But Miss Kate and I have dinner reservations tonight.”

“Awww, but Mr. Dylan, you’re my mom’s favorite. When we watch you on T.V., she reminds my daddy that you’re on her list. I don’t really know what that means, but it must be good because it makes her really happy.” A little boy named Xander told him.

I don’t know how Dylan and I managed to keep straight faces, but we did. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll make sure my schedule is clear next Monday and I’ll stay as late as you all want me to.”

The offer appeased the kids and Dylan and I hugged them all goodbye before sneaking out the back entrance of the building. As I stepped out into the alley, I was blinded by flashbulbs. I groped for Dylan’s arm and listened to the voices around us.

“Dylan, we were surprised to hear that you’re doing youth work. With your grueling schedule, how do you find the time?”

“Kate, how did it feel to see the kids again?”

“Dylan, how did the kids react when they saw you?”

My eyes refocused and I saw that we were surrounded by a group of reporters and cameramen. I smiled and nodded, just as Dylan had taught me, and tried to pull him towards the street. Dylan remained rooted in place, wrapped an arm around my waist, and pulled me back to him. I was surprised when he addressed the reporters.

“Kate and I both value the work of the youth theater program. These kids are the future of our industry, of our art form, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to work with them. Yes, our schedules are grueling, but being here is like taking a breath of fresh air. The kids teach us more than we could ever teach them. And I must say, I’m so happy that I’ve found someone who shares my passions.”

Dylan leaned down and planted a firm, forceful kiss on my lips and the flashes started firing again. He pulled away, said goodbye to the mob, and finally headed for the main street.

“What the HELL was that?” I snapped once we were clear of the reporters.

“I don’t know what you mean.” He innocently replied.

“First of all, how the hell did anyone know where to find us?” I demanded.

“I made a call.” He shrugged. “I figured it would make a great human interest story. The kids get us, we get publicity. It’s a win win.”

I shook my head. “It’s exploitive and wrong.”

“Who am I exploiting? It’s not like a pranced the kids out and held a photo shoot. We did a good thing. Some reporters got an anonymous tip and caught it on camera. The fact that we’re getting a little good publicity doesn’t negate our motives for being here.”

“That’s exactly what it does!” I insisted. “Look, Dylan if you want to keep coming here with me, there can’t be any more anonymous tips. I don’t want the kids hounded by the press when they show up for class. I don’t want the kids drug into this at all. You didn’t even want me to come today; you said that I shouldn’t lead a psycho here. And then you call and invite reporters?”

“There’s a difference between a mentally disturbed stalker and a cameraman.” He said defensively. “But I give up, we’ll do it your way for now; I think you start seeing things my way soon enough.”