Suzette/Evie
After a week of performances, rapturous applause and so many curtain calls she’d lost count, Suzette was on a high. As the heavy curtains swished to the floor after the final matinee performance and the applause died away, she began making her way back to the dressing room. As always, the adrenalin rush from dancing left her feeling exhilerated.
Tiring as it was to give two performances a day she’d always liked the afternoon houses. Today was no exception. An audience full of ballet-crazy girls, their exhilaration as they’d watched spellbound was palpable and had reached her across the footlights.
Malik was waiting for her in the dressing room. “Great performance, Suzette. One of your best ever. Magical.”
Suzette smiled. “Hope the magic stays for this evening,” she said quietly.
“You sure you want it to end this evening?” Malik said. “I’ve a short season of modern ballet booked down in Nice for Christmas week.” He looked at her hopefully. “You are so fit now, you could easily do it.”
Suzette shook her head. “Thanks but no thanks.” She picked up the chain with her engagement ring from the drawer she’d hidden it in. Impossible to wear around her neck while performing, but she’d wanted it close. Time to tell Malik about her engagement.
“I’m looking forward to the next stage of my life. Tonight this goes back on my finger and is never coming off,” she said showing Malik the ring.
“Pascal? He’s a lucky man. I wish you every happiness.”
Hearing a quiet knock and the dressing room door opening, Suzette turned. “Libby and Lucas. How lovely. I wasn’t expecting to see you until the after-show party.”
“We’re not stopping,” Libby said as they kissed cheeks. “We don’t want to disrupt your pre-show routine but wanted you to know we’ve all arrived and to wish you luck.”
“Thank you. Pascal and Marquisa—where are they?”
“Gone straight to their hotel,” Lucas said. “Pascal sends his love and he’ll see you later. And so will we.” A minute later Libby and Lucas were gone.
“Suzette, I have things to do. I’ll be back in an hour.” And Malik was gone too.
Left on her own, Suzette settled down into her familiar pre-performance routine. As she reapplied her make-up an hour later it struck her that this was the last time she’d ever sit in a dressing room, preparing for a show. Her life as a ballet dancer was taking its final curtain call after thirty years. Tonight’s performance was sure to be emotional and stressful. She could feel the tears building up even now. Thank goodness no one in the media knew this was to be her last-ever performance. The pressure would escalate if they did.
Malik returned just before the five-minute call rang around the dressing room.
“Ready?” he asked, hugging her.
Suzette nodded. “Thanks for everything, Malik. We will keep in touch after tonight won’t we?”
“Of course. We were good together weren’t we?” Malik said releasing her and catching hold of her hands and looking at her seriously. “You tell Pascal he’ll have me to answer to if he ever hurts you. ” He squeezed her hands. “Ready?”
Suzette nodded and took a deep breath. Time to dance for Pascal.
Thunderous applause echoed around the theatre and camera flashlights dazzled as Suzette curtsied, taking curtain call after curtain call. A huge wave of adrenalin had swept through her body. She’d done it. She knew without being told tonight had been one of the best, if not the best, performances of her career.
The music had taken her over completely tonight and she’d given herself up utterly to the emotional storyline of true love fighting evil. For over two hours in the guise of Odette, the true love of Prince Siegfried, she’d danced for her own true love, Pascal. As the dying notes of the finale faded away and the curtain fell, Suzette struggled to bring herself back down to earth while the audience rose to their feet and applauded like never before.
Single-stemmed roses were flying onto the stage from all directions as Malik appeared with several large bouquets, closely followed by the stage manager with another armful.
“This is unreal. You told people I was retiring didn’t you?” she whispered to Malik, accepting the flowers.
He nodded. “Only this afternoon when you showed me your engagement ring. Forgive me? I truly wanted you to go out on a high.”
Suzette reached up and kissed his cheek. “I forgive you. This is amazing.”
“I think these are the flowers you will treasure though,” Malik said handing her a bouquet of twenty-four white-and-pink lilies and pointing to the card nestling in amongst them. ‘To my darling Evie. With all my love Pascal.’
The stage manager handed her a microphone as she struggled to control her emotions, and he ushered her forward to the edge of the stage.
Clutching her flowers she looked in the direction of the box where she knew Libby and everyone would be and blew a kiss to them before addressing the audience.
“Merci. Merci. You have been a wonderful audience. Merci to all my loyal fans for your loyal support down through the years.” Struggling to control the tears that were threatening to fall, she stood for ten seconds letting the atmosphere engulf her.
Sensing the curtains beginning to slowly close, she stepped back to allow them to pass in front of her.
Blowing one last kiss out over the footlights she said, “Tonight it’s time for Suzette Shelby to say a final thank you—and goodbye.”
As the curtains closed hiding her from view she turned and saw Pascal standing in the wings, his arms open wide waiting for her. It was time to live Evie’s life.