Page 6 of Finding Finn
Wow! I was being a total bitch. Sometimes it’s all that a person has, I suppose, and right now, I was holding onto whatever I had. I didn’t have to stay here forever. It was a band-aid on my life. Eventually, I could find another place to work – maybe a regional theatre somewhere near a big city. But first, I had to make this work.
Buffy was cute. She was very talkative, though. I would have to rely on her for practically everything for a while since I had no idea what it was I was supposed to do. Well, the job listing said what I had to do, but I had no idea how to do it. I’d have to learn quickly, and who knew, maybe I’d even like it. Maybe I’d enjoybeing a mentor to these people the way Liz had been a mentor to me? If I didn’t, this was going to really suck.
Kids were not my thing. Community theatre meant a lot of kids. My patience usually ran out pretty quickly, and I knew I’d have to work on that. I mean, they were doing Annie this season as one of the shows they chose. I fucking hated Annie.
What if they didn’t like me? I wasn’t always the most likable person in the room. I was a dancer with a dancer’s need for perfection. Community theatre was nothing if not perfect.
My inferiority complex only grew as I walked down the street. I was only a block away from Main Street, and all of the little shops looked like something from a storybook. A dress shop, a cute bookstore, a salon – each one of them adorable and quaint. Oh! A bakery called Don’t Go Bakin’ My Heart caught my attention.
I hadn’t had anything for breakfast, so maybe a croissant. I almost walked away. This was Foggy Basin, so the chances of them having anything besides cakes, cookies, and muffins were low. I couldn't afford all of the calories. I wasn’t in dance class every day. I could balloon up if I weren’t careful.
Why not? I pushed the door open, and the most magnificent scents washed over me. A woman with red hair stood behind the counter, reading a book. She glanced up and smiled at me.
“Welcome. What can I get you today?”
I walked over to the glass cases and peered in. What the actual fuck? This place was more like a bakery you would find in Paris or New York than what I expected. “I think I’ll have a croissant, please, and maybe a coffee?”
“Got it. Do you want creamer?”
“Black, please.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before. You visiting?”
“Just moved here. I’m working at the community theatre.”
“Oh, the playhouse! Nice. That must mean that you’re Finn, right? I do a play every now and then. We call it the playhouse around here. I’m so excited to meet you. I’m Tammy Sue.” She handed me a small bag with my croissant inside.
“Is the shop yours?”
“No,” she cackled. “My best friend Percy is the owner. I just work here and keep him and his husband in line. That’s my full-time job.” Her grin was infectious. “Here’s your coffee.”
“Can you tell me exactly where I’m supposed to go? I haven’t been to the comm… the playhouse yet, and I think I’m a little lost.”
“Oh, hon, you can’t get lost here. Trust me. If you just keep walking around, you’d eventually bump into it. Go one more block that way,” she pointed, “and turn down Arts Alley. The playhouse is halfway down. You’ll see the train in front. We’re so excited to have a professional like yourself. We all love the playhouse and have high hopes.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, feeling like a total fraud.
“It’s nice to meet you, Finn. Let me know if you ever need anything,” she smiled. I nodded and walked out of the adorable bakery and followed her directions. It was actually pretty easy to find.
I stopped in front of the train that I knew to be the theatre’s bars and café. That color of red was a choice, and not a good one. Who wanted a ketchup train in front of the theatre? The wooden deck and building stood tall behind the garish trains.
Alright… It was showtime.
I forced my feet to climb the small set of stairs and open the door to the lobby.
“You’re here!” Buffy jumped off the stool and gave me a quick hug. “Oh, we’re very huggy over here. Hope you don’t mind.”
“No, it’s fine.” She really was easy to like. Her enthusiasm was contagious. “Theatre people are alwayshuggy.”
“Oh, no, hon, I meant the town,” she giggled. “So where do you wanna start?”
“I honestly have no clue.” I shrugged. “Feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment,” I replied sheepishly.
“Well, you’re going to have to hit the ground running, I’m afraid.” I turned towards the new voice.
“This is my brother and technical director for the playhouse, Jim.”
I was agog.
