Page 36 of Nora Goes Off Script

He responds immediately, and my heart rate quickens:I can’t believe I missed that. Give her a hug from me.

Me:She’s so happy

Leo:What’s next?

Me:Quick lunch, lightbulbs, and then Little League

Leo:Ugh. Good luck. Love you.

•••

“Where’s Leo?” Mr.Mapleton greets us as we walk into his store.

“L.A. An audition,” I say again.

“He’s coming back,” says Bernadette.

“Did he give a specific day?” he asks. He’s stopped sortingthrough the pile of drill bits on the counter. I have his full attention.

“Thursday,” I say.

Mr. Mapleton smiles. “Ah, then he’s coming back. As long as he has a plane ticket for a specific day, he’ll be back. Good,” he says, reassuring himself.

Leo doesn’t buy plane tickets,I don’t say. “Arthur’s play is Friday night. That’s more solid than a plane ticket,” I say. I am promising things over which I have no control, but I’ve succeeded in saying the words that will soothe me and keep Mr. Mapleton from feeling sorry for me. Arthur squeezes my hand, making me feel like maybe I’ve soothed him too.

Arthur actually has a pretty good game. He has a base hit and no errors. I want to text Leo about this, but sort of feel like it’s too much. I’ll tell him when he reaches out to me. That’s what a normal, not obsessed, girlfriend would do. And for now, that’s what I’ll pretend to be. He’s doing his thing and has other stuff on his mind, I’ll pretend I do too.

•••

There’s something goingon with the director. Leo’s telling me about it on the phone Tuesday night. I’m lying in bed and he’s saying a lot of words. I just like hearing the sound of his voice.

“I mean, I would have wanted the part without Bohai directing,” he’s saying. “But the chance to work with him sort of clinched it. If they fire him, it’ll be a lot of starting over again.”

“And why would they fire him again?” I’m getting sleepy. I want him to keep talking.

“If these accusations have any truth to them, then he’s a creep and no one’s going to want to work with him, including me. I was supposed to have dinner tonight with the producer to find out more, but she canceled.”

“What are you doing for dinner then?”

“I bought a chicken, actually.” Leo sounds truly pleased with himself. “And a salad.”

“Wait. You’re cooking?”

“No. Well, I thought about it. I went to Whole Foods. Have you ever been to a Whole Foods?”

“I have.”

“It’s nicer than the Stop n’ Save.”

“It is.”

“Well, they have a lot of chicken. I just stood there looking at all the raw chickens and kind of freaked out. Two people stopped and took my picture while I was studying them. I didn’t think I could figure it out without you, but did you know they sell chickens already cooked? And salad?”

I laugh. “Yes, I did know this. Listen, when you come back, I’ll walk you through roasting a chicken.”

Leo’s quiet for a second. “No, thanks. I just want you to roast me a chicken. I don’t ever want to eat another chicken that wasn’t roasted by you.”

My desire to put on an apron and roast this man a chicken is profound. I don’t even own an apron. I just want him to be close enough to me that I can hand him a plate with chickenon it. “Okay,” I say. “Let tonight be the last non-Nora chicken you ever eat.”

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