"You know him, I guess?"
He looked at her quizzically. "Yeah, you might say."
The two guys then chuckled at what Elyse surmised was an inside joke. She sighed and drummed her fingers against her thigh. The blond guy pulled a baseball cap from inside his jacket and slipped it over his short hair cut.
"So," Elyse asked, "in your experience, do these powwows go on very long?"
"Depends on how fast the headliner wants out of there. Like, if he's jonesing for a drink, or has a hot date, or if he's just plain sick of listening to Miles!"
The two guys guffawed. Elyse chuckled and inspected the manicure she'd gotten earlier that day.
"What color?" the blond guy asked.
"Huh? Oh, Tutu Pink."
He reached for her hand. "Let's see--if you don't mind."
She complied and lent him her hand. He admired the light-pink lacquer on her nails.
"Very nice. You have pretty hands. Well, you have pretty everything, from what I can see."
Elyse thanked him and took back her hand. During the pregnant pause that followed, she felt the blond guy watching her. It made her self-conscious, so she stared at the photographs hung all the way down the length of the wall, unable to discern who was in them from where she was standing.
The dressing room door finally opened part way, and a cacophony of male voices flooded the hallway. The blond guy reached his hand out to Elyse for a shake.
"Hey," he said, "it was nice talking to you. What's your name?"
Elyse shook his hand, but her name was lost in the voices that suddenly converged loudly in the hallway. Mickey arrived at the front of the pack and jutted out a hand to the blond guy in the baseball cap.
"Hey, Bobby, good to see you. How's it shakin'?"
"Not bad, guy, not bad. Good show, tonight."
"Thanks, dude."
As the group gathered around the blond guy and his linebacker buddy, Mickey came over to Elyse.
"Hey, glad you made it, darlin'." He gave her a quick hug and lowered his voice. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything."
Elyse gave him a blank look. "Huh?"
Mickey nudged his head toward Bobby. "Wouldn't want to step on the bigger swinging dick, you know?"
Elyse frowned. "No, I don't."
"Hey, no offense." Mickey chuckled. "Just a reality in this biz."
"What biz?"
"Show biz. Entertainment. Whatever you want to call it."
"And what reality is that?"
"The one where the famous get laid before the underlings."
She looked at him with incredulity. "Meaning..."
Mickey stopped and stared at her. "You do know who that is, don't you?"
Elyse nudged her head toward the blond guy in the cap. "Who, him?"
Mickey nodded.
She shrugged. "Should I?"
"Hello? Star of New York's Finest ? Biggest hit series on prime time right now." He lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "Plays the hot stud captain on the police force."
"Oh," Elyse said offhandedly, "pardon my ignorance. 'Fraid I haven't been paying much attention as of late."
Mickey chuckled. "I love it--doesn't even know who he is!"
She glanced at the blond guy caught up in conversation with the rest of the pack.
"Well," she said, "he certainly is good-looking."
"Most women would fuck him in a heartbeat."
"I didn't say that," she countered dryly.
"I didn't mean to imply--"
"Whatever. I was just making small talk out here 'til you came out of the dressing room."
"Oh, I'm sure--"
"Listen, I had a great time, tonight. Unfortunately, I have to get up early for work in the morning."
"Oh, right, I understand."
"Thank you soooo much for inviting me. And for getting Shar in, too."
"Sure. Any time. Where is she, by the way?"
"Waiting outside. Which is why I have to run." She gave him a quick hug. "See ya," she chirped as she beat feet away. "Thanks again!"
When Elyse reached the lobby, she detoured into the empty ladies room. She took her time applying a fresh coat of lipstick and used the hand cream next to the sink. On her way out, she was looking down pulling on her gloves, when she collided with none other than the famous actor in the baseball
He looked at her quizzically. "Yeah, you might say."
The two guys then chuckled at what Elyse surmised was an inside joke. She sighed and drummed her fingers against her thigh. The blond guy pulled a baseball cap from inside his jacket and slipped it over his short hair cut.
"So," Elyse asked, "in your experience, do these powwows go on very long?"
"Depends on how fast the headliner wants out of there. Like, if he's jonesing for a drink, or has a hot date, or if he's just plain sick of listening to Miles!"
The two guys guffawed. Elyse chuckled and inspected the manicure she'd gotten earlier that day.
"What color?" the blond guy asked.
"Huh? Oh, Tutu Pink."
He reached for her hand. "Let's see--if you don't mind."
She complied and lent him her hand. He admired the light-pink lacquer on her nails.
"Very nice. You have pretty hands. Well, you have pretty everything, from what I can see."
Elyse thanked him and took back her hand. During the pregnant pause that followed, she felt the blond guy watching her. It made her self-conscious, so she stared at the photographs hung all the way down the length of the wall, unable to discern who was in them from where she was standing.
The dressing room door finally opened part way, and a cacophony of male voices flooded the hallway. The blond guy reached his hand out to Elyse for a shake.
"Hey," he said, "it was nice talking to you. What's your name?"
Elyse shook his hand, but her name was lost in the voices that suddenly converged loudly in the hallway. Mickey arrived at the front of the pack and jutted out a hand to the blond guy in the baseball cap.
"Hey, Bobby, good to see you. How's it shakin'?"
"Not bad, guy, not bad. Good show, tonight."
"Thanks, dude."
As the group gathered around the blond guy and his linebacker buddy, Mickey came over to Elyse.
"Hey, glad you made it, darlin'." He gave her a quick hug and lowered his voice. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything."
Elyse gave him a blank look. "Huh?"
Mickey nudged his head toward Bobby. "Wouldn't want to step on the bigger swinging dick, you know?"
Elyse frowned. "No, I don't."
"Hey, no offense." Mickey chuckled. "Just a reality in this biz."
"What biz?"
"Show biz. Entertainment. Whatever you want to call it."
"And what reality is that?"
"The one where the famous get laid before the underlings."
She looked at him with incredulity. "Meaning..."
Mickey stopped and stared at her. "You do know who that is, don't you?"
Elyse nudged her head toward the blond guy in the cap. "Who, him?"
Mickey nodded.
She shrugged. "Should I?"
"Hello? Star of New York's Finest ? Biggest hit series on prime time right now." He lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "Plays the hot stud captain on the police force."
"Oh," Elyse said offhandedly, "pardon my ignorance. 'Fraid I haven't been paying much attention as of late."
Mickey chuckled. "I love it--doesn't even know who he is!"
She glanced at the blond guy caught up in conversation with the rest of the pack.
"Well," she said, "he certainly is good-looking."
"Most women would fuck him in a heartbeat."
"I didn't say that," she countered dryly.
"I didn't mean to imply--"
"Whatever. I was just making small talk out here 'til you came out of the dressing room."
"Oh, I'm sure--"
"Listen, I had a great time, tonight. Unfortunately, I have to get up early for work in the morning."
"Oh, right, I understand."
"Thank you soooo much for inviting me. And for getting Shar in, too."
"Sure. Any time. Where is she, by the way?"
"Waiting outside. Which is why I have to run." She gave him a quick hug. "See ya," she chirped as she beat feet away. "Thanks again!"
When Elyse reached the lobby, she detoured into the empty ladies room. She took her time applying a fresh coat of lipstick and used the hand cream next to the sink. On her way out, she was looking down pulling on her gloves, when she collided with none other than the famous actor in the baseball
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