The Role of Her Lifetime

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

The next morning, Marie’s best friend, Chris Anthony, walked into the apartment. It was really Chris’s apartment, but Marie had been apartment-sitting while Chris was away on a four-month tour.

Chris and her cello had soloed in front of twelve orchestras around the country. Instead of coming home between performances, she stayed where she had last performed so she could relax and practice. Paying for two or three nights in a hotel was cheaper and less time-consuming, and especially less exhausting, than flying home, just to fly out again two days later for another upcoming performance.

“I’m back!” she called as she dragged her suitcases and cello into the hallway. “I’m home!”

Marie stuck her head out of the kitchen where she’d just started a pot of coffee. “It’s about time you got your bony ass back here.”

It wasn’t uncommon for them to be rude to each other. They’d started it years ago when they were roommates at Juilliard. Both knew neither was serious.

Chris ignored Marie as she threw her garment bag onto the chair. “How the hell have you been?”

“It’s always the same,” Marie groused. “I had an audition and a call-back for an opera role, but I haven’t heard anything yet.”

“When was the call-back?” Chris asked.

“Yesterday.”

“Damn! Give them a little time. They probably have a lot of important things to do. They can’t be calling everyone right away to tell them to forget it.”

“Forget it? I was one of the finalists for the lead. At least they’ll give me a chorus job, maybe even an understudy.”

Chris took a deep breath. “Then they’ll call. Just give them time.” She took another deep breath. “Any calls for me?”

“For you?” Marie saw the opportunity to fall back into their usual banter. “Who the hell would want to talk to you?” She paused. “Cheryl called twice. She wants to hear from you.”

Cheryl was the leader of the string quartet Chris had played with for almost ten years.

Chris nodded, then asked, “Car didn’t call?”

Car, or Caroline Weldon, was the love of Chris’s life, but they had had a serious quarrel before Chris signed for her tour and hadn’t talked since.

Marie frowned. “Sweetie, you know it’s over. After you told me what happened that last time, I doubt she’ll call you.”

Chris frowned, too. “You’re right, but I’ve got to go talk to her. No one can kick me out of their life without me fighting it.”

Marie studied the woman in front of her. She’d never seen Chris so fired up. Determination glowed in her eyes.

“I just took what she said without even answering any of the accusations. She called me a coward, and I proved she was right by just letting her throw me out. I didn’t even fight it. I never argued with her. This time, I’m going to prove I’m not a coward. I’ll say what I want to say. I’ll tell her, damn, I’ll show her where she was wrong.”

Car had accused Chris of wanting other people to make decisions for her so she wouldn’t have to take the blame if something went wrong. Marie knew that, throughout the tour, all Chris could think about were things she should have said to Car.

“Bravo, girl. Fight for what you want.” Then Marie softened her voice. “It’s good to have you back, Chris. I missed your sorry butt.”

“I hope you missed more of me than just my butt.” Chris laughed as she threw her big suitcase up onto the couch.

“Well, I missed your ass the most. You know how I like to kick it.”

“In your dreams.” Chris opened the suitcase and took out a clean shirt. “I’ve got to get this straightened out. From what Ryan and Wilson said, she didn’t mean a word of it. She was just pushing me to take the tour.”

Ryan and Wilson were two gay actors who were Car’s friends. Chris had met them and had become close when they all vacationed together. She’d stopped to visit them in California when she had two days free between concerts.

Marie nodded. “It does sound like something she’d do, hon.”

“I’m going up to her place and make her admit it. Even if she’s got another girlfriend, I can’t leave this like it is. I have to know what her intentions really were.” Chris finished buttoning her clean shirt. “Is my car parked near here?”

Parking in Manhattan was always hard. One had to be aware of which side of the street was legal to park on for a particular day. Parking during the daytime hours was always only one side of the street so street sweepers had room to work. Also, you had to fight others in the neighborhood for a space.

“Your car is all gassed up, and I had the oil changed last week. I didn’t use it much but I kept moving it so you wouldn’t be ticketed. It’s parked down the block.” Marie pointed in the correct direction. She picked up the keys from a tray on the kitchen counter and tossed them to Chris.

Chris hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Marie. You’re the best friend I ever had.”

Marie stuck her tongue out. Chris did the same.

“Do you think you’ll stay there tonight?” Marie asked.

“If she hasn’t got another girlfriend and she’ll have me, I’d love to stay there. We have a lot to talk about, if she’ll let me in. Even if we don’t reconcile today, there’s a lot we need to discuss…a lot I need to say to her.”

Car lived north of Manhattan in a gated mansion overlooking the river. Chris knew the code to get in. Hopefully, Car hadn’t changed it.

“Good luck. I hope I never see you again.”

“Me, too.” Chris grabbed her purse and walked out of the apartment.

Marie looked around the living room.

Damn, she thought, she’s home for less than a half hour and look what a mess she left.

The big suitcase was still open, clothes were spread all over the chair. Chris’s cello blocked the hallway.

I guess you got used to hotel bellhops and maids doing everything for you. I’ll do it this once, but don’t get used to it, Ms. Anthony.

Marie closed the suitcase and carried it and the garment bag into Chris’s bedroom. She stood the cello up and parked it beside the couch where Chris usually left it. Then she went into the kitchen to nuke herself a cup of coffee, which had gotten cold while they talked.

For the rest of the day, Marie rambled around her apartment, cleaning places and rearranging the closets. With Chris back, she would probably have to look for another apartment and move soon. She also waited impatiently for the telephone to ring, but it never did.