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"Stephanie, e right, and I’ in that on’t I disrupt you while you’re still in your intellectual argu to be teasing?"

"Maybe, thanks, good point," she said "Let me take a look"

"It is disruptive," came a voice from the back of the room "Stephanie, maybe you want hie left"

Looking to the rear of the café area, she saw Grant

He was in jeans and a polo shirt, hair clean, da in the last hour or so, she was certain

How long had he been there, watching them all in silence?

She was iet the hell away

But it would be a mistake

"Are you here for a while?" she called out instead, hoping her voice wasn’t as brittle as it sounded to her own ears

"However long you need ain And you can watch the blocking for me"

He came forward Stephanie heard Lena whisper, "Daood time!" There was pleasure in her voice

Daood time!

No! Damn, it was purely bizarre that he had arrived at all!

Stephanie took her place next to Clay Barton Their characters were the tho considered theolo, at least in his own mind, and she, the flirt, the tease, tsked at by the other tomen, who still tolerated her and tried to clean her up all the time They ran the piece

She didn’t hter of her fellow cast mates

And still…

She had done it all by rote

Because again, snatches of her drea Grant there, watching her…

She suddenly thought of hi her in the night…

Chapter 5

"He knohat he’s doing, huh?" Clay Barton asked softly He and Stephanie had just walked off stage, and Grant was courteouslytoward the rear of the café section, a casualdirection back over to Stephanie

"Yes He’s very good," Stephanie agreed And he had been She was going to call it quits They hadn’t taken a lunch break, and it was nearly six No one had complained They’d covered three of the outlines, and she already knew they were going to be fine They established the course of action for the nights, and the cast had already coreat ad-libs They’d run over a few of the songs, and every member of the cast had, at least, a pleasant voice Drew had an exceptional tenor

Each night, Lena was giving a few sentences and lessons in Italian, as it was part of her character to be a bit of a braggart and know-it-all and flout her ability with the native tongue in front of her co-world travelers Stephanie had been a little worried about how that would work out, but it had been perfect

Suzette spoke fluent French and tried to turn the tables on Lena, only to be inforht, of course, would be different Sohts would be better than others--it was always so when the audience was an integral part of the perfor to have a hit, and, according to Arturo, they were definitely going to have an audience

"The situation is totally bizarre, but I guess I should just be grateful," Stephanieher voice and wending her way back close to the stage "That was phenoether just a few days, and we seereat as an ensemble Thank you all"

"Hey, cool!" Drew called out, still center stage "Does that mean it’s Miller time?"

"Peroni!" Lena teased back "This is--"

"I know, I know!" Drew groaned, breaking in on her "This is Italy"

"Are we breaking?" Suzette asked "Since this is Italy, I’d give a lot for a glass of the truly delicious local red wine!"

"Yes, we’re breaking," Stephanie said "Once again, I want to thank you all"

"Suzette, does thatto join me in the bar?" Drew asked

"Only because we’re an ense the cast close," Doug said "And Lena… you’re having a Peroni?"

"You bet," Lena assured him "Clay, Grant… Stephanie?"

"Sure," Clay said

"I’ll be right along," Stephanie said "I’ve scattered a few notes around You can order me a Peroni, too, okay?"

"Peroni for ht have scattered a few of her pages"