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“Drop me off right here,” Sam shouted as the Maxima approached the historic white building that housed the famed Langdon Playhouse. Established in 1929, its horseshoe stage hosted countless plays and concerts for the Newport Beach community, and this would be Sam’s first visit to the historic landmark. Before Aki could finish his goodbye, she slammed the car door and rushed past a set of stained wooden doors which led into a quiet lobby. Her gaze darted around the large room hoping to catch a glimpse of Mr. Davis just in case the auditions went overtime. But there was no sign of life.
Her stomach began to churn as she glanced at the time on her watch. It was twelve twenty, and even though Aki did a respectable job navigating around the accident, nothing could change the fact she was late for her audition.
It was your fault. How could you oversleep? Now you’ve lost the opportunity of a lifetime.
But Sam refused to acknowledge defeat. There had to be a way to get a second chance. She hoped that maybe Stephanie could convince Mr. Davis to give her a second chance.
Maybe they’re still inside the auditorium discussing the auditions.
Sam tried to remain hopeful. If God had brought her the opportunity of a lifetime, why wouldn’t he make it happen? Why would there be an accident that made her late? Nothing made sense to her as she walked with a hopeful heart into the auditorium.
But as her gaze traveled to the dimly lit stage and back, her heart dropped like a stone. There was no sign of Mr. Davis or any auditionees in the three-story room. A wave of disappointment washed over her as the consequences of her late start and the accident set in. She had blown her biggest break, and who knew how long it would be before she would come across a similar opportunity. One, three, or maybe seven years later? She had come so close to fame, the good life, and living her lifelong passion. And now it had slipped through her fingers.
A part of her couldn’t help imagining the thrill of singing onstage beside the famous women all fancied up in their flowing evening gowns. She knew the lyrics to most of their popular songs and had even chosen one to use for the audition. But the closest she would come to that dream was singing a solo alone on that stage.
Sam closed her eyes and tried to imagine the moment. She pictured a sea of devoted fans waving their hands in the packed auditorium as she prepared to sing the hit song Your Unfailing Love. She could feel the energy of the crowd and the floor shake as the music started to play. The show of overhead lights dazzled the crowd as she gracefully walked through a pillowy layer of fog toward center stage. She could feel the silky softness of her lace gown caress her skin and her straight blonde hair flow freely behind her. Sam pictured a microphone in one hand as she prepared to sing. Then she tilted her head and let her silky voice flow past her lips.
