Page 27 of A Chance at Forever
She spun on her heel and fled down the steps.
To take her mind off the sadness she perceived in Rusty’s incredible green eyes and the feeling she might be losing out on something special because of her mistake with Alan, Victoria settled on the piano bench and pounded out mournful melodies.
*
For the nextthree weeks Victoria drilled her drama classes. They began each period with a series of exercises designed to improve their voice range and limber their bodies as well as free their minds from distractions. After that she taught them simple stage directions and gave each student a gamut of emotions to play.
She showed them technical aspects of stage production and took note of who seemed to be excelling in that area. She also taught them the history of drama so they grasped the various forms from early Greek tragedies to morality plays to contemporary. Busy every minute of every period, Victoria and her students were often surprised when the bell interrupted them.
One afternoon she stood in front of her class with pride shining in her eyes and announced, “The time to prove ourselves is here. The first pep rally of football season is next week, and we’re bound by tradition to perform a skit like the other clubs on campus. I know you haven’t done it in the past, but I’d like to this year. What do you say?”
The entire group chorused, “Yes!”
Troy spoke for them. “What’s the point of being in the Thespian Society if we don’t perform? We can write the skit, Ms. Lockridge. No problem.”
Victoria beamed at them. “I’ll tell the sponsor of Student Government to put us on the roster. On Monday, I want to start working with individual voices, so while I’m doing that, the rest of you can work on the skit. I’m so proud of you. Before the bell rings, we need to form a prop and costume committee.”
*
After football practiceon Friday, Rusty went home, showered, and dressed in black jeans and a baby blue ribbed knit sweater. The cooler fall weather invigorated him, and he anticipated the first game of the season next week being played on the Bears’ home field. His recent illness had hit him hard, but he’d regained some of his former weight and had maintained his bulk.
He grabbed his keys and wallet and hopped into his truck to meet Steve and Danny at Jerry’s Bar and Grill. Unbidden thoughts of Victoria crowded his mind. Rusty had kept his distance from her at school, though the brief glimpses he’d caught of her served to increase his interest. She looked fabulous in her professional attire, but he preferred his memories of Victoria in West Bend when she’d worn her hair in a messy, wind-blown bun, shorts, and a loose blouse. He let out his breath.
Stop it. You don’t have the right to get involved with any woman, let alone one who makes your heart beat faster. And don’t forget she shot you down.
Steve and Danny had arrived at the bar and grill before Rusty and waved him over to their dark walnut table. A frosty mug of beer waited for him. He shook hands with his friends and grabbed his beer.
“It’s good to see you guys.” He spoke loudly over the noisy crowd and the music.
“You, too,” Steve replied. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah.” Rusty set down his beer mug. “Ready to shoot some pool?”
The friends chose their pool sticks and broke the racked balls. Danny shot first and sank two balls in the side pockets.
“So, why didn’t you guys tell me that Victoria Lockridge bought the McFarlands’ old place?” Rusty aimed his cue stick and sank a ball in the corner pocket.
Steve and Danny glanced at each other. Danny tilted his head, indicating Steve should answer Rusty’s question. “Um, it slipped our minds.”
“Huh,” Rusty grunted.
Steve missed his shot. “Mia said you met Victoria in Colorado. Must have slipped your mind to mention it.”
Rusty took his next turn and sank another ball. “I’ve had a lot going on.”
“So, what do you think about her?” Danny lined up his next shot and missed.
Rusty shrugged. “I don’t think anything about her. Victoria isn’t interested in getting to know me. She believes I was dishonest with her because I wasn’t forthcoming about my past and where I live and work. Even though I explained I didn’t recognize her name right away, she accused me of deliberately deceiving her. End of story.”
Steve and Danny exchanged a look.
“Give Victoria some time,” Steve advised and chugged his beer. “She just came out of a bad relationship. From the tidbits Mia shared about the situation, this guy, Alan, what’s-his-name, did a real number on her. We met him during Christmas, and he gave us a bad vibe. I mean, she left her family’s company and moved all the way to California to get away from him.”
Rusty sent two balls flying into corner pockets. “That explains her attitude. I’m willing to be friends if she is. Are you ready to eat? I’m starving.”
They binged on hot wings and drank more beer. In between rounds of pool, the friends laughed and joked before leaving the bar and grill around eleven-thirty.
“Don’t forget our first game of the season is next Friday,” Rusty reminded them as they sauntered toward their vehicles.
