Page 12 of No Angels

“Since the audio is available, I’ll try to make time to join you.” I thread my arms through the sleeves of my jacket and wind my scarf around my neck.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about. Can you meet me for coffee in the morning at Cupcake on Main? Around nine?”

“Can we make it ten thirty? I have to take Mom to her appointment at eight.”

Her eyes fill with sympathy. “Of course. I’ll see you then.”

I’m sitting at one of the outdoor tables, nursing the cinnamon roll iced latte Emma suggested, when Farrah takes the seat across from me.

“Good morning,” I say. It is a good morning for the most part. The air is crisp since it’s mid -November, but I can still feel the sun on my face. And Mom’s treatment went well this morning. I left her bundled on the couch and asked Mike’s mom to check on her around noon.

“Good morning.”

“You’re very chirpy for a Monday morning.”

She laughs and it’s like a sprinkle of powdered sugar. “I don’t mind Mondays because I love my job.”

“Is your job the reason for this coffee date? Mike told me you and the mayor have grand schemes.”

She sets her coffee on a napkin and rests her chin in her hands. Her gaze is filled with excitement. “I don’t know how long you’re staying, or if you’d be interested, but they finally settled the estate for the old Majestic Theatre.”

I wrinkle my brow. “Why do we need to discuss that?”

“Well, the town might be buying it to create a cultural arts hub. The mayor and I were talking yesterday about making it the home of community theatre productions.”

“We had our sixth-grade talent show there. I remember the acoustics are fabulous. It was shabby even then. It’s been closed for so long, I bet it’s pretty dilapidated.”

“If we can convince the town council it’s a solid investment, we could really use someone with your experience and connections to lead it.”

I laugh self-consciously. “I’m used to the spotlight, not the behind-the-scenes stuff. I’d probably make a hash of it.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Farrah admonished. “I think you’d be great. And sometimes it’s good to have someone at the helm with a fresh perspective. Can I give your contact info to the realtor, Cindy Davis? I think you know her. She went to Willow Creek with you and Mike. She was the head cheerleader.”

So his prom date never left Willow Creek. I wonder if they had a fling after I left. “Sure. Why do you need me to speak with her?”

“Before we pitch this idea in front of the council, we need a realistic idea of how much work would need to be done to restore it. Since you’ve been in theatre your whole life, we thought your insight would really help.”

“I can help with that, but I don’t know much about building integrity or stuff like that.”

She grabs my hand across the table. “Thank you so much! I know the more stuff like this we do, the greater the appeal for families with young children to move here. If we build a rich, interactive cultural arts scene, it’ll help lure them away from the city. And we’re going to have Mike inspect the building for structural issues.”

Chapter Five

Mike

I hand over aniced maple latte from Cupcake on Main and drop into the seat next to her. She has a pile of paperwork in her lap, but she’s staring at the raised dais with a bemused look on her face.

“Zane said you’re thinking about running the Majestic.” I don’t say I hope the rumors are true. If she’s considering it, that means she’s considering other stuff too. Like staying here for good.

She snorts. “So the town gossip mill is still going strong. Farrah just told me about it over lunch. I haven’t had time to think about anything. Are you trying to bribe me with this latte?”

“I never said I wouldn’t resort to bribery if it’ll convince you to stay. So you’re thinking about it?” I hold my breath and wait for her answer.

“I don’t know, Callihan. Maybe. I always thought I’d never come back here. And running a community theater is a lot of work. Probably way more work than doing a Broadway show because usually there aren’t deep pockets to keep everything from going off the rails. I don’t know if I want to get stuck herding cats on a shoestring budget.”

“Can it really be that bad?”

“Yep. I have friends all over the country who do it and they swear it’s all held together with duct tape and dental floss.”

---