Page 55 of As They Are
It was rare to see her so serious, but everyone knew both of them had been crushed when the funding was cut.
“I bet you’ll both be happy.”
“It’ll be like old times. Maybe I can sneak her to the back like before we told everyone we were together.”
“Gonna carve more desks while you’re at it?”
“She’d kill me if—” Marjorie paused. “How did you know about the desk? That was before you moved here.”
“There’s no chance you’d forget you heard that?”
“Nope. I’m always gonna need an answer. Just ask Theo. He knows I don’t let things go.”
“Wren and I ... snuck in a while ago.”
Marjorie gasped. “Youwhat?”
Now people were turning to us. “Keep it down. I don’t want Mike hearing about it.”
“That’s the final straw. Where’s Dale?” She turned and hobbled away. “I have a bet to enter!”
I winced and looked at Henrietta. “Sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be. It keeps her entertained.” She shrugged. “Oh, and I’ll be entering it too. You sneaking in somewhere? You have itbad.”
I sighed. “You people never let stuff go.”
“Watching you young people fall in love is all we have.” Her eyes traced the crowd. “Oh, Marjorie’s handing money over. I better place mine too.”
She was gone before I could tell her not to waste her money. People were gonna be pretty mad when they lost it all. Maybe Hugh would finally win something. He was known for being negative.
Eventually, Wren came back out. When she finally did, her shoulders were tense, and I stepped away in case she needed me.
She walked over the second she saw me.
“How’s it going?” I asked.
“We’re about to refilm the reunion scene.” She took a long drink of water. “I’m sticking to my guns and focusing on what really matters.” Her eyes moved to the people behind us. Kerry,who had been recording the whole thing, waved. Wren waved back, which turned into nearly everyone in town waving at her, grins on their faces.
“Good.”
“I don’t know if it’ll change anything in the end, though. It seems like it’s pushing back the inevitable. The show needs itslove.”She said the word as if it were a curse.
“You can make it about any love. It could be for the town or ... someone else.”
She raised her brow. “Someone else?”
This was treading near something I couldn’t follow through on. “I meant somethingelse. Work with anything you have.”
She considered the words, looking between the town and me. “You’re still staying, right?”
“I will.”
The director called her back over. I watched closely as she was instructed on what to do. From here, I could barely make out the conversation.
“You’ll run and hug him,” the director said. I could hear her far better from my new spot. “He’ll apologize, and then you’ll say you’re happy to see him. And then you’ll kiss.”
“I already said no to kissing him. I don’t want to.”
