Page 98 of If Ever

On our way down we run into Tanya, the girl in the ensemble I met last week, and another woman who plays his love interest. Tanya smiles at Tom and then recognizes me.

"You're back," she says, sounding surprised.

"I am. Nice to see you again."

"Chelsea, I'd like you to meet Paige," Tom says.

Paige is a beautiful brunette. "You were wonderful," I say. "The show is great, and I'm so in awe of all of you."

"Thanks. It's wonderful to finally meet you. Tom talks about you all the time." She smiles broadly looking from me to Tom and back again.

He does? Tanya's head turns as if she's thinking the same thing. "I'm glad you two finally have some time in the same city."

Another cast member dashes out the stage door to applause. Tom frowns. "Paige, do you mind creating a diversion while we sneak out the front?

"Not at all. You guys have fun tonight."

His apartment is just as I remembered with the brick interior walls, wood floors and mismatched furniture that give the place a warm vibe. Tom hangs our coats in a cramped closet.

"Where are your roommates?" I peek around the living room occupied by a big screen TV, a gaming console, and sound system, but the apartment is quiet.

"There's just the one. Ryan went to a friend's late cabaret performance at 54 Below." He flicks on a single light, casting soft shadows in the room.

"I figured you had a couple roommates after meeting all those guys last week."

"Sometimes it gets a little crowded when people need a place to crash, but I try to keep couch surfing to a minimum. One roommate is plenty." He picks up a remote and aims it at a sound system. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Anything's fine."

Soft acoustic guitar sounds float through the air, and I think of Anna teasing me about sleeping with him.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Sure, what do you have?"

He goes to the kitchen and opens cupboards. "Gin and tonic, of course, beer. There are a few left over bottles of booze from various parties, but I did pick up a bottle of red and a bottle of white. The liquor store guy assured me it wouldn't taste like vinegar, so I think they're both safe."

"With that stellar sales pitch, I'll try the red." I check out the view from the living room window while Tom clinks bottles and glasses in the kitchen. The shops below are closed, but the city is dotted with lights as far as I can see. When Tom hands me the wine glass, his fingers brush mine. "Thank you. The city is beautiful at night."

"Yes, it is." He gazes at me, the glitter of lights reflect off his eyes.

We relax on the couch, comfortable sharing the same space. The wine tastes of berries and is velvety smooth. "Definitely not vinegar."

"Good. I was hoping to impress you." He sips his gin and tonic.

"If you're trying to do it with wine, it's not hard. I'm perfectly happy with Three-Buck Chuck. However, tonight at your show, you blew my mind again. How do you perform like that night after night?"

He shrugs as if it's no big deal and swirls his drink. His other arm is draped over the back of the couch behind me.

"I'm serious. You should see how hard it was for me to get through that rumba with Ivan. You transform into this other person."

"And you were spectacular with Ivan. So much that I was ready to fly out there and throw down the glove.”

Clearly he doesn't want to talk about his incredible talent, but I want to know more. "When did you start performing?"

He kicks off his shoes and puts his feet on the coffee table, showing off blue and yellow-checkered socks that make me smile.

"I started in middle school. My mum never knew what to do with all my energy."

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