Page 24 of Beauty and the Beach

Ana wasn't a prima donna. Maud was her understudy. If she wanted to do a show one night, more power to her. Ana could use the time off, especially that Monday that Makoa's friend was getting married. But she was damned if she was going to be demoted because Don thought Ana's tail flips and somersaults made her look like a Beluga whale on an acid trip. She'd show him.

She'd show up for rehearsal with a fucking cherry pie that he could freeze until opening night, because this meant war. As of right now, Ana was going to be the very perfect employee and if Don didn't watch it, she'd sue his ass for sexual harassment.

Blinking back tears, she texted Makoa. Something just came up. Can’t make it tomorrow or maybe all week.

***

THE NEXT DAY ANA WAS back at the theater at 10:30 a.m. She was all fired up and determined to show everyone that she was the best—the only—Eros, the mermaid of love poetry. Throwing open the dressing room door with attitude, she was shocked to see Maud sitting on the floor with her back to the lockers. In the moment when Maud whipped her head up in shock and Ana stormed in, everything changed. All of her virtuous anger fled out of her like air escaping a balloon.

Maud had obviously been crying. She hugged her unattached tail fin tight. "Go away."

Ana stood dumbfounded, unsure to stay or go. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone."

Closing the door behind her, Ana stepped into the room. "I can help."

Maud gave a watery snort. "Yeah right."

"Is it Don?" Ana wondered if he was being an asshat to all the mermaids, not just her.

Turning her head, Maud refused to look at her. "I'm fine." Rubbing her arm over her eyes, she grimly tugged on her tail.

Ana wasn't sure what to do, but decided to act normally. So, she got changed and then sat at the vanity putting on her fake eyelashes and waterproof makeup. Today was their first dress rehearsal and she needed to be perfect. Her pride demanded it. After a few minutes, Maud rolled over and sat next to her while she fixed her face.

"When you want to be a star, you have to make sacrifices." Maud layered on the foundation and rouge as heavy as Ana's. It needed to look good through the water and the glass of the tank. "You sometimes have to do things you wouldn't want to do to get ahead. Acting is a cut-throat business. You have to stand out somehow."

Ana nodded, wondering why Maud was being so talkative. "It's hard with the script we've been given. But I think the audience will be entertained, and you never know who's out there. I hear that the producer for Hawaii Five O is looking for some extras.

Maud perked up a bit at that. "I'm exactly what they're looking for." She straightened her seashell bra.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Ana said, "I've been thinking of doing more traditional theater. Like an actual play. Although, there's a Johnny Rockets restaurant that's looking for a song and dance chick. I might go there while I'm waiting on callbacks."

"This show could be big. We could have jobs for the rest of our lives."

Ana thought about it. Always having to watch what she was eating. Working out to make sure her abs not only looked good, but could support her through all her swimming. She pulled a strand of hair down and looked at it. She was a natural blond, but the salt water was so drying it looked like straw instead of flax. At least it wasn't chlorine they were swimming in. She'd be blind and have green hair.

"It's a stepping stone," Ana allowed. "But it's not my end destination." Like she was telling Makoa or tried to anyway, she busted her ass trying out for sit com pilots, douche commercials, and "girl in the next cubicle" roles. In the end, though, she made rent doing singing telegrams and videocam modeling. She didn't need to be in LA for that. There was enough local theater to keep her in roles until something big hit. Unless something big never came. Then where would Ana be? She brushed her hair and wondered why the thought of Makoa's sexy smile and deep brown eyes kept the despair she usually felt when thinking scary thoughts about her future far away.

Taking a shuddering breath, Maud straightened her shoulders. "I blew Don."

Dropping her brush, Ana whirled to Maud. "What? Ew. Why?"

Maud sneered. "So I get to be Eros when you fuck up."

"I'm not going to fuck up. You just sucked off that pervert for no reason." All sympathy fled from Ana as a niggling of doubt crept it. What if Don didn't care if Ana was good or not? What if all he wanted was his knob shined by a mermaid?

"We'll see."

Ana steamed as she finished getting ready. The other women filed in and even the familiar bickering didn't soothe her. Getting into her wheelchair, she set off to find Don and give him a piece of her mind. Wheeling down the ramp, she realized she was going too fast when the chair hit a tangle of wires.

It stopped. She didn't.

Flying across the auditorium, Ana landed on the folding chairs and then rolled off. Hitting the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. Pain shot through her ribs where she landed on the chairs, and also in her palms where she caught herself from face planting on the cement floor. Pulling herself up was not an option right now. Ana curled herself into a ball and slowly rocked while trying to breathe through her tears.

Ana was so glad no one had been around to witness that spectacular display of klutziness. She was lucky she had been able to catch herself. If she had broken her nose, she wouldn't have been able to continue with the show. And Maud would have gotten her part even without having to deep throat that jerk. Ana forced herself to take deep breaths. She wasn't aware that someone had come into the auditorium until she heard Don's voice.

"We're all set."

---