Page 49 of Two Chances With You

By now, the Serpent has already taken it too far. He decides to make a fight of it. “But this is ridiculous. What are we doing, a bizarro Miss Italy? You can send the viewers the subtitles with the explanation to their home addresses.”

Mazzocca shakes his head. “It’s a great idea. You were already thinking about it, weren’t you, Romani?”

Romani says nothing for a little while. Then, all of a sudden, a smile spreads across his face. “No, I hadn’t thought of it, but you’re right, absolutely right. Okay, mark down this one too, Carlo.”

The choreographer doesn’t appear to have understood a single thing that’s happened, but he marks down that last, much-yearned-after checkmark. “Okay, now, ladies…” The choreographer gets up out of the front row and heads to center stage. “Let me start by thanking all those who have participated but weren’t selected…”

***

Ele shrugs and says, “You’re welcome.”

I elbowher. “Don’t always be such a pessimist. Be constructive, be positive, you bring certain jinxes down on yourself.”

The choreographer starts to read aloud. “Now then, Calendi, Giasmini, Fedri…” And certain of the young women suddenly brighten, smile, and take a step forward. Others, whose names have already been passed over in the list, look gloomy, once again seeing their chance to shine, if even momentarily on TV, vanishing into the distance. “Bertarello, Solesi, Biro, and Fiori.” Ele and I are the last to step forward.

Ele looks at me. “I can’t believe it. Now they’re probably going to do like inChorus Lineand the dancers who take a step forward are the ones they send home, and all the others get to stay.”

“All right, now. The women whose names I called will start next Monday. Now, this is important, at noon in the offices to sign your contracts and then at two here in the theater to start rehearsals. Rehearsals go from Monday afternoon to Saturday. Then Saturday evening, we’re on the air, live, is that all clear?”

One of the women cast in the show, one of the younger ones with big eyes, raises her hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“Actually, Idon’tunderstand.”

“You don’t understand what?”

“What you said.”

“Oh, we’re off to a great start. Here’s what you do. Stick close to the dancer with the red hair who’s right next to you and just do whatever she does. Did you understand that?”

“Pretty much,” says the young woman, annoyed now as the redhead smiles at her, trying to encourage her. Maybe she didn’t understand something either.

Ele runs her hand through her hair. “I can’t believe it. They actually picked me!”

“Well, believe it. You’re done with this whole rejection syndrome,” I say.

Ele and I head for the exit.

“I’m going to be a star! Weeee-haw! I can’t believe it!” Ele yells.

“Well, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high on that last point.”

Tony sees us and waves in amusement. “Well, how did it go?”

“Just great.”

“For both of you?”

Ele looks at him, grimacing angrily.

“That’s right. They took us both, and before anyone else.” And we leave the building, laughing merrily and shoving each other. “Every so often, you need to know how to sell it, right?”

“Holy guacamole, the car!”

“Where is it?”

“It’s gone.” I look around in concern. “I’d parked it right here. My car…Someone stole it. Fucking car thieves!”

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