The applause lasted for a full thirty minutes. Hope took curtain call after curtain call. Her prediction was correct. She had knocked their socks off.
Holding the large bouquet of red roses Sebastian had given to Jeremy to present to her at her fifth curtain call, Hope glanced in the wings where Sebastian stood with one hand on her son’s shoulder. Happiness flooded her, but not contentment. She had her dream, yet there was something else she needed to make her life complete: Sebastian’s love.
* * *
“May I have your attention, please?” Sebastian said into the stage mike at Della’s Place. “First, I’d like to thank Della for allowing me to rent this fabulous nightclub for the opening night after-party of A Matter of Trust. I’ll always have fond memories of the connecting salon.”
“As long as no one else but Gregory tries to cut your hair,” one of the stylists teased.
Laughter erupted. “True. I don’t think I’d be lucky enough to find a woman like Hope twice.”
Hope, sitting at the front table in a white Valentino gown, graciously accepted the many teasing comments from the women in the club.
Next to her, Bridgett leaned over and said, “I knew Sebastian had style. Aren’t you glad I told you to accept his flower, then later helped him make you listen to reason?”
“More than you’ll ever know,” Hope said, her gaze locked on Sebastian.
“And thanks also to all of you for being here to help celebrate.” He held up several newspapers. “In my hand I have some reviews. They all confirm what I’ve known from the start.” His warm, proud gaze settled on Hope. “Because of the brilliant performance of Hope Lassiter, A Matter of Trust is a smash hit and a star is born.”
The club erupted into another round of applause. Hope stood up, waved, and blew kisses. “I always wanted to do that.”
Laughter joined the applause.
Sebastian silenced the audience. “I’ve been a director for thirteen years and seen hundreds of auditions. During that time I’ve never cast a role without seeing the work of the actor or actress first. Until tonight. Tonight I’m going to cast the most important role in my lifetime. “Shelton.”
People in the room turned to see a tall, good-looking black man enter the room from between two white columns. Murmurs grew as Shelton made his way around the tables to the front of the stage. He stopped directly beside Hope. In his hands was a blue velvet pillow with gold tassels. On top was a white orchid and next to it was a blue porcelain Limoges egg with twenty-four-karat gold feet and hinge closure.
Sebastian left the stage, walked the short distance to a stunned Hope, then went down on one knee in front of her. Opening the egg, strands of Puccini’s Aria to Madame Butterfly drifted upward. Inside gleamed a fancy yellow star-burst diamond set in eighteen-karat gold. “I love you, Hope. I can’t imagine living my life without you. I’ve already spoken with Jeremy and he is crazy about the idea of us becoming a family. Please mar—”
“Yes,” she yelled, throwing her arms around him. “What took you so long?”
“I had to special-ord—”
“Never mind. Just kiss me.”
He did.
Applause erupted again. This time it was thunderous.
Shelton shook his head. “She didn’t even look at the ring.”
“She has the man,” Bridgett said. “That’s what’s important.”
“Then I’d say Sebastian is one of the lucky ones.”
“They both are.” Bridgett glanced up at Shelton, a gleam in her eyes. “By the way, are you married?”
Shelton blinked, then spluttered, “N-no.”
“Well, isn’t that nice,” Bridgett said, a speculative smile on her face.
Hope wasn’t listening to anything but the joyous singing of her heart. She was where she belonged. Where she wanted to be, in Sebastian’s arms, and the most marvelous part was that he loved her. Dreams did come true. All it took was a matter of trust.