Page 37 of Absolute Certainty
Aw, thanks, Jay. I saw you, told Sam, too. Seriously, thanks for coming. Meet me outside the stage door after? It might be a tad crowded, but it’s usually not as intense as it is during a night show.
JAY
Sounds good.
The rest of the production flew by during the second act, and when Sahar came out in a wedding dress, Jay was sure he’d somehow ascended, leaving his corpse in the orchestra seat, row D.
He knew that the show was now a Tony Award-winning musical, and he fully understood why. It was a clever, captivating adaptation with sensational performances from the whole cast.
He was partial to one of them, sure, but the overall artistry was undeniable. Jay trekked out with the crowds and stepped out to where a few people had already been huddled at the stage door. He dodged the masses, finding a secluded area that afforded him some breathing room, but still somewhere Sahar could spot him. Propping his foot up against the brick wall, he leaned back.
Jay peered down at his phone, keeping himself busy by jotting down some ideas in his notes app.
Flesh out the flashback with silence stretching out between H and K.Talk to Pat about the finale’s third act.
He exited the app and checked his emails, deleting a few spam messages before noticing a screening invite he’d circle back to when he could read beyond the subject line.
The low chatter nearby grew to cheers, prompting Jay to whip his head back toward the stage door. And there she was, popping out with her glimmering smile, waving to everyone standing by to meet her. Denim shorts hugged her hips, and a white racerback tank bared her gloriously toned arms and shoulders. Her hair was down, stage makeup still on, and her olive skin glowed in the sunlight.
She said something he couldn’t catch to the fans standing by, then quickly signed a few Playbills and eyed him.
When she bopped over to his side, Jay lowered his foot down from the position he’d supported it in and angled his body toward her. Before he could catch what was happening, she had outstretched her arm and reached up to hug him.
Circling his arm around her waist, he welcomed the feel of her close to his body. It was the quickest hug of his entire life, and he wanted nothing more than to hold on—keep her near, breathe in the scent of her citrusy perfume, tip his head a fraction, and kiss her.
Fuck.
“Thank you for coming,” she said before parting from him.
He smiled at her. “You’re welcome. You were a fucking star. Do you have to stick around more?”
She shook her head, ushering him forward by walking. “We usually don’t during matinees. I have such little time, and I need food. A lot of them are lovely and understanding.”
“In that case, did you have somewhere you wanted to go?” Jay asked.
“Honestly, no, I just started walking.” She let out a small laugh. “I could go for anything. The one thing I’m blessed with is zero food allergies. Do you have any?”
“I don’t.”
Jay looked over at Sahar, her lips pursed in thought. “We could go to Sam’s favorite Japanese restaurant nearby, Summer Nori?” she suggested.
“Yeah, I know it. Works for me. I’m buying,” he said quickly.
“No, you’re not. This wasmyidea.”
“Should’ve called it first, then,” he added with a wink.
Sahar cocked an eyebrow. “I did when I asked you to come with me. The person who invites pays.”
“Never heard of that rule, so it’s not valid.”
“Jay.”
“Sahar,” he parroted.
She opened her mouth to say something, shook her head, and then closed it.
They rounded the corner in companionable silence, the comfort of her smile filling his heart with an ease he wasn’t sure how to cope with. A few short steps, and they were inside the restaurant, greeted at the front desk by a hostess, who he assumed also knew Sahar.
