twelve

“The reviews are in!” Peggy cried sometime later. She thrust her phone at Evan, saying, “You have to read them. I’m too nervous.”

Evan took the phone and began to scroll as Harper and I crowded behind him, trying to read over his shoulder. “Check The Times, first,” Peggy said as she sat down in a nearby chair. She nervously chewed on her thumbnail while Evan pulled up the site. As his dark eyes scanned the readout, a smile tugged at his mouth. “It’s good news, Peg. You can leave your thumb alone. They loved it. Listen, ‘Dealer’s Choice is a touching story with a superb cast. Jeremy Hamlin shines as Frankie Davis, a down-on-his-luck grifter. Nina Durand and Brooke Casey have a natural chemistry in their respected roles of mother and daughter. Ms. Durand brings real pathos to the role of Frankie’s wife, Patsy, and Ms. Casey is marvelous as his daughter Lilly. Ms. McGrath’s debut is sure to please theater goers of all ages.’”

Peggy gave a squeal of excitement and jumped out of the chair. Grabbing the phone from Evan’s hand, she peered down at the screen to read for herself. “Oh my God!” she said. “It’s true! They really did like it!”

Evan rolled his eyes. “Well, of course they did. You think I’d make up a fake review?”

Peggy didn’t answer; she kept scrolling through the phone. She let out another happy shriek, saying, “Listen to this! Variety called it, ‘Eloquent, moving, and exquisitely toned. A sure hit!’” Peggy executed a little happy dance and then scrolled some more. “And here’s Dan’s review!” she said as she began to read. However, within seconds Peggy’s smile faded and her mouth opened in surprise.

A faint line appeared between Evan’s eyes. “What does it say, Peg?”

Peggy raised her head, her glance briefly landing on Nina. Just as quickly, she looked away. “Oh. Right. Sorry,” she replied to Evan with a quick smile. “Dan said, ‘Ms. McGrath’s debut play, Dealer’s Choice, is a charming and wry tale of the boundaries of family obligation. Famed producer, Fletcher Levin, invested a considerable amount of money in the production, and his efforts have paid off. Under Mark Abbot’s nuanced direction, the actors’ struggles become our own. Jeremy Hamlin delivers a masterful performance as Frankie Davis, a grifter trying to better his family.’” Peggy paused as if she was skipping over something, and then continued. “Brooke Casey steals the show with a natural grace and elegance seldom seen in an actress her age. Ms. Casey delivers an astonishing performance as the young ingénue, Lilly Davis, who is forced to save her father and her family. Broadway certainly has a new star on its horizon.’”

Peggy looked up and clicked off her phone with a bright smile. “Great job everyone,” she said. “I’m so proud of all of you and more grateful than you’ll ever know.”

Nina regarded Peggy, her expression thoughtful. After a moment, she pulled out her own phone and began to scroll through it. Peggy saw her and sought to distract her. “I know! Let’s get a photo of everyone,” Peggy said. “Can we do that?” Tossing her phone to Evan, she continued in an overly bright voice. “Evan? Will you take the picture? Come on, everyone. Gather round!”

However, before anyone could move, Nina’s distinctive voice rang out. “‘Broadway staple Nina Durand once again proves that she can act, but that she’s better at overacting,’” Nina read from her phone. “‘Unlike a fine wine that improves with age, Ms. Durand has not, although no one can accuse her of not trying. Ms. Durand’s portrayal of Patsy Davis is cartoonish at best.’” Her words effectively silenced those around her. Nina slowly raised her head from her phone and looked around the room for Dan. He was standing in the room’s far corner in a conversation with Zack, seemingly unaware of Nina’s ire. Her eyes narrowed and she took a step in his direction. Peggy’s arm shot out in an attempt to stop her, but Nina shrugged her off.

“Nina, who cares what he thinks?” Peggy said. “He’s a jerk. Everyone knows that. It’s just one review. Everyone else loved it.” Next to me, I heard Harper’s sharp intake of breath. I snuck a glance at her. Her face was white with anger but she said nothing.

“No,” Nina said in a low voice, her gaze still on Dan. “He went out of his way to be nasty. This isn’t a review; it’s a personal attack. So now I’m going to do the same. After all, turnabout is fair play.”

Some long dormant sense of self-preservation seemed to come alive within Dan.

With a slow turn of his head, he scanned the room, his eyes landing almost immediately on Nina. A flash of some emotion I couldn’t quite identify flickered across his face before he erased it with a smug smile. Nina stomped across the room until she was standing right in front of Dan. “Who the hell do you think you are, you lousy son-of-a-bitch?” she hissed as she jabbed her finger into his chest.

Dan said nothing. Next to him, Zack slowly backed away. Neither Nina nor Dan seemed to notice. “Say something, you lousy son-of-a-bitch!” Nina yelled.

Dan smirked. “You already called me that. Perhaps your limited vocabulary is part of your acting problem—”

Dan got no further than that before Nina slapped him across the face. Hard. Dan blinked but did not move. After a painful moment in which it seemed the entire room was frozen in shock, Dan gave a slight nod of his head. “And this would be an example of the overacting I mentioned.”

“Go to hell, Dan,” Nina said. “You’re nothing but a—”

“Yes, I know,” said Dan, cutting her off. “A lousy son-of-a-bitch. I believe you’ve already made that point. However, I do agree that perhaps it’s time for me to leave. I seem to have put a damper on your celebration.” With a quick move, Dan drained the rest of his drink and set his empty glass on a nearby table. Walking to Harper, he said, “I’ll be at the apartment if you need me.”

Harper said nothing. She stared at Dan as if she were looking at a stranger. Dan shrugged and leaned in to kiss her cheek, but Harper pulled away before he could do so. “Right. So goodnight then,” Dan said, as if she hadn’t just snubbed him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”