I caught Jody’s sparkling blue eyes across the crowded auditorium. She smiled gracefully as she accepted the praise of another happy parent, but her gaze kept wandering to me. I leaned as casually as I could against the high-school desk we were using as a prop onstage and enjoyed the time to watch her interact with people who appreciated her fully.
Well, maybe not fully. They loved her for the care she invested in their kids, for her gentle way of drawing them out, for the confidence she fostered in them, but none of them could fully share my awe of her. She’d consumed every part of my life for the last six months. First in Darlington, then in New York, she’d left her mark on my career, my life, my body. I popped open the collar of my baby-blue oxford shirt in an attempt to stem the rising heat that always accompanied thoughts of her in my bed every night.
She arched an eyebrow my way as if she could tell I was thinking about what we’d done together that morning or our shared promise of an encore when we finally made it back to our loft. Despite the shot of attraction that passed between us, or maybe because of it, we kept our distance until all the students had left. None of the kids in the summer theater program needed to see their playwright ravishing their director.
“Job well done, Stevie,” Edmond said, approaching cautiously.
“What’s that?”
“The play,” he said, then added, “and what you’ve done for Jody.”
“I haven’t done nearly as much for her as she’s done for me.”
“Well, you’ve both done a lot for the youth theater program and for all the kids involved.”
I smiled thinking of the fun we’d had over the last few months. We’d toured New York from Broadway to the Stonewall, but the joy of sharing the city I loved with the woman I loved couldn’t compare to sharing the work we loved. Who would’ve expected the words I’d written on Rory’s and Beth’s front porch to become the basis for a play directed by Jody and performed by teenagers from my own neighborhood? “It’s been more fun than I could’ve imagined. The kids are fantastic, and watching Jody work with them to bring my words to life—I don’t know how to explain it. It’s the surreal in the mundane, truth in fiction. They’ve reminded me why I wanted to do this work in the first place.”
He smiled sadly. Why wasn’t he happier? “What did you think of the adorable little gay boy we have playing you?”
“I thought the director was very flattering with that casting.”
The response, like all the others since he’d arrived just before showtime, was too subdued for Edmond.
“All right, what gives? I gave you a new play. I did the press gleefully. Hell, I spoke at the program fund-raiser last week, and you haven’t even hugged me yet, much less told me what else you have lined up for my fall publicity stunts.
“I’m so sorry, Stevie.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s all my fault. I pushed you too hard.” He crumpled dramatically onto my shoulder, his product-filled hair smelling of lavender and mint. “I’ll never forgive myself for putting you through that assembly and the concussion and your nightmare. It was so painful to watch the character playing you go through all that awful torment in high school.”
“Oh, Edmond.” I wrapped an arm around him and patted his back. “Is that why you’ve been so distant lately?”
He nodded, sniffling quietly. “I wanted to wait at the hospital with the others, but I knew you wouldn’t want me there when you woke up. Ever since then I’ve been waiting for you to fire me.”
“Fire you? That trip back to Darlington was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Really?”
“I’ve got a new play, a new purpose, and the love of my life. I know the stage show doesn’t go past the high-school stuff, but that’s only because it would be inappropriate for teenagers to act out the vast of amounts of sex I’ve had lately.”
His shoulders shook with laughter.
“I’m not going to fire you. Hell, if Jody sticks with me long enough, I might just make you the best man at our wedding.”
He looked up excitedly. “I’d rather be the flower girl.”
I shoved him playfully away from me and caught sight of Jody headed toward us.
“What are you two plotting?” she asked suspiciously, “and should I be worried?”
“Not at all.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and drew her near. “I was only saying how grateful I am to him for making me go back to Darlington, because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have experienced all the joy you’ve given me over the last few months.”
Jody looked to Edmond for confirmation. “Joy wasn’t exactly the word she used, but it was implied, and either way I’m happy to have played a part.”
She smiled brightly at me and snuggled a little closer before turning back to Edmond. “In that case, what’s the next step for getting Stevie’s play produced on a wider scale? You know we’re only in New York for a few more weeks.”
“So I hear. Rory and Beth are giddy about having you two closer, but are you sure returning to Illinois is the right move?”
Jody turned, deferring to me on this topic as she had for the last month. She’d done well in New York, and I’d relished the freedom we’d shared, but seeing her work with the kids here reminded me of how much she had to offer the students in Darlington, especially now that she was out of the closet. “We have to go back.”
“They haven’t found a way to fire me yet,” Jody added.
“Rory said she’ll hire the best civil-rights lawyers in the state to represent you if the school brings suit.”
“It won’t happen that way.” Jody sounded sad. “Illinois’s laws are a lot more gay-friendly than they were when I started teaching, and even Drew Phillips realizes what a massive lawsuit he’d have on his hands if he fired me for no other reason than my sexual orientation.”
I tightened my hold on her and clenched my teeth at the thought of her answering to that bigoted bully again. “What she’s not saying is that he’ll try to make her life as hard as possible until she quits.”
“Then why go?” Edmond practically whined. “You’ve been a rousing success here. I can find you both plenty of work, and life would be so much easier without having to fight the small-mindedness every day.”
I understood that impulse. It still woke me up many a night. I often lay awake watching her sleep and wishing for a way to keep her safe and happy. I wanted to find a smooth path for us both, but while my instinct to avoid conflict still pulsed through me, it was no longer my strongest impulse.
Jody lifted her chin until our eyes met, then gave me a little squeeze, seeming to sense my concern. “It won’t be easy.”
Did she worry I would run? Or did she know that I pulled all the strength I needed from her? I kissed her quickly and resolutely, calm flowing through me along with the sense of purpose she inspired. Looking into her deep-blue gaze, I replied with the truth only she could’ve made me see. “I know it won’t be easy, but some things are worth fighting for.”