The Boy I Love (23 page)

Sally found Jeremy in the pub.

‘Not drinking before a performance, I hope?’ she scolded.

‘No, don’t be daft. I take my career way too seriously to do that,’ replied Jeremy. ‘Would you like a drink?’

‘Just an orange juice, please,’ said Sally. ‘So how are things? I have hardly seen you this week. Is it strange not being in the next play? Mind you, the way things are going
you should be grateful you are not in it. What about those wigs and costumes, eh? I can’t believe Gwendoline is going to get away with her whole concept. And we have got all the bloody
repertories coming to watch us make fools of ourselves.’

Sally was in full flood when she suddenly realized she was getting no response from her friend at all. He was staring off into space, fiddling with a card.

‘Hey! Hello, earth calling, anyone at home? Jeremy, whatever is the matter with you?’ Sally shook his arm and finally Jeremy focused on her.

‘I am so sorry, Sally. I have a lot on my mind. There is so much to tell you, but I am not sure we should talk about it now as we have got a show in an hour. Can I come to your place
tonight, after the play finishes? I really need to talk to you.’

‘Yes, of course you can, silly. We’ll get some fish and chips or something on the way home.’ Sally gave him a hug, finished her orange juice and went back to work, leaving
Jeremy once more gazing into space. At the stage door Sally bumped into Giles and Robert deep in conversation. She nodded as she passed but didn’t stop. She was curious as to what their
relationship actually was. Were they lovers? She didn’t think so, but maybe they had been once. Robert certainly kept close to the man at the top, and played all sorts of political games that
Sally could only guess at. She really didn’t care, unlike Sarah; the latter, it would seem, was on a mission to make herself the leading lady. She really was something else, and Sally
wasn’t sure she had much respect for the girl. Success at any cost? Not for Sally anyway. She wanted to be able to face herself at all times, and know she had shown integrity and respect to
herself and others. She adored being an actress and just wanted to be able to do the work, knowing she had fulfilled those criteria.

Sally went down to the Props Room to find Heather, who was as usual surrounded by an assortment of props, dirty coffee mugs and always one member of the crew asleep in her chair or eating her
biscuits.

‘Sally, the very person I do want to see!’ exclaimed the stage manager happily. ‘Can you be on the book tonight? I need to have a meeting with all the heads of departments
about our next offering. I gather you actors or rather actresses are not happy with your costumes?’

Sally chuckled. ‘Well yes, that would be an understatement, but to be honest with you, Heather, I don’t think anyone much cares what the actresses think. Giles has a vision of sex
and Ancient Greece that he is going to parade before the residents of Crewe and the directors of the Repertory Organization, whether we like it or not. We will either be run out of town, or never
work again – or both! Yes, I will be on the book tonight, no problem. Is everyone in and on the job who should be?’ she added.

‘All present and correct. Thanks, Sally, I owe you one.’ Heather gave her a smile and set off to find her team.

The evening show went without a hitch until Act Two, when Percy, in his robes as Sir Thomas More, got the edge of the huge coat he wore caught in the great oak door. Obviously the great oak door
was only plywood cleverly disguised by the scene builders and painters as solid oak. If one opened or closed it too vigorously, it shook, or was in danger of snapping. Percy was trying very hard to
extricate himself while giving a rather moving speech to Mrs More. Peggy was also trying to hide the problem from the audience by standing sideways, and holding out her long dress. Word spread
backstage and suddenly the wings were full of actors bent double with laughter. Percy kept looking into the wings towards Sally, desperate for help, but even she was trying hard not to laugh. It
was just one of those awful things that happen onstage sometimes. Suddenly there was a ripping sound which Peggy covered with a wrenching cough, as she fell upon Sir Thomas and tried to get him out
of the great oak door. But the bloody door was stuck fast. Peggy was now so determined to get them off the stage that all reason and logic left her – and the next thing, she was climbing out
of the window, pulling Sir Thomas with her. Bearing in mind they were supposed to be in a castle, even if they were lucky enough to have been on the ground floor, it was still a leap to terra
firma. But Peggy could not care less about the reality of the scene, she just wanted out. So Sally brought the curtain down as Sir Thomas More disappeared, arse over tit, out of the castle window.
Happy days!

Percy and Peggy came charging into the wings absolutely furious.

‘Why didn’t you do something, Sally? How could you leave me there struggling?’ Percy demanded. ‘I have
never
been so humiliated in all my life. Come on, Peggy,
let’s get changed for the last act, though God knows if anybody has bothered to stay and watch. My performance was
ruined
.’

Percy was off up the stairs followed by a placatory Peggy clutching a packet of digestives that she always kept in the wings for emergencies. The rest of the play passed without incident and the
cast took an extra curtain call, so Percy was mollified.

Everyone decided it was definitely a night for the pub.

‘You coming, Sally?’ asked Simon, giving her bum a squeeze as he passed. Truth be told he rather fancied Sally, but the opportunity had never presented itself yet. Maybe tonight.

‘Get off my bum, you pervert,’ Sally laughed. ‘Sorry, Simon, not tonight. I have got a date with fish and chips and Jeremy.’

‘Oh Gawd, more line learning and intellectual discussion about his “Acting”,’ mocked Simon. The boys often took the mickey out of poor Jeremy now, because he did take his
work so seriously. ‘Well, more fool you is all I can say,’ Simon went on. ‘You could have had a fabulous evening with me in the pub. A few pints then a quick trip to Mrs
Wong’s and back to my place for a shag. What more could you want?’

Sally shook her head as she took a swipe at the incorrigible boy and told him to get lost. She finished clearing up and switching off all the lights, then went upstairs to get her stuff from the
dressing room. As she passed Peggy and Percy’s dressing room she heard a stifled giggle. She paused and knocked on Peggy’s door.

‘Are you OK, Peggy? Can I get you anything before I go?’

There was the sound of shuffling and someone moving around and then Percy’s voice rang out loud and clear.

‘She has gone home already, my dear. Thank you for your concern. Let us just hope the great oak door opens tomorrow night, shall we? Good night.’

Sally called back a good night as she climbed the stairs to her room. Well, what was that all about? No doubt young Sarah doing some more work on her part . . . Just then, Jeremy came out of the
boys’ dressing room and interrupted her musings.

‘Hi. Are you ready to go?’ he asked.

‘Just getting my bag and stuff,’ she replied.

As they went downstairs Sally tried to listen for any sounds from Percy’s room. Jeremy looked at her as if she had gone mad as she tiptoed past the door.

‘What the . . . ?’ he started to ask, but she put her finger to her lips and mouthed, ‘Tell you later.’

Outside, Sally took Jeremy’s arm and started to explain all about the incident with Sarah and the dresses and her new role. Jeremy, however, was only half-listening as he tried to work out
exactly what he was going to tell his friend tonight. He had spent the whole day trying to get Eddie out of his mind. All through his preparations for the evening performance, all he could
concentrate on was Eddie’s kiss. His mouth. There had been a moment onstage tonight when he had dried, forgotten his lines. It is every actor’s worst nightmare. One minute everything is
going swimmingly then suddenly there is a pause. Jeremy had a vision of Eddie’s smile in front of his eyes, he was leaning in to touch his face and all around was silence, deafening silence.
Silence! Christ, who was supposed to be talking? The face in front of Jeremy was Percy’s, panic in his eyes, begging Jeremy to come up with his next line. The moment seemed to last for hours
though it was only a few seconds, but Jeremy wanted to die. Never had this happened before. He was mortified. He apologized to Percy when they came off stage but the older man just laughed it
off.

‘Don’t worry, mate, happens to the best of us. Doesn’t half give you a kick in the bollocks though, eh?’

‘Jeremy?’ Sally’s voice was concerned. ‘You keep going off into another place, and I have no idea what you are thinking. Are you worried about work, because if you are,
don’t be. You are a marvellous actor and I am sure they are going to give you Laertes in
Hamlet
. It will be so exciting and—’

‘Sally, please.’ Jeremy literally stopped Sally there and then in the street and took both her hands in his as he faced her.

‘Please stop. I have to talk to you. I am going mad. Sally, I have fallen in love!’

When the two friends got back to Sally’s flat, she put the fire on, opened a bottle of wine and made poached eggs on hot buttered toast, while Jeremy poured his heart
out. Once they were settled in front of the fire Sally offered her opinion.

‘Why is it so terrible that you have fallen in love? You should be over the moon,’ she managed to say through a mouthful of toast.

‘I know, I know,’ groaned Jeremy, ‘but it is not part of my plan. I do not want to get involved with anything other than my work. You know we have talked about this so often,
Sally. I feel it is important that I focus completely on my job. We have got
Hamlet
coming up, and that will be tough for all of us.’

‘But dearest, life can never really be ordered and controlled like you are suggesting, and in fact, having someone in your life can add to your understanding of yourself and others, and
help you with your performances.’ She watched her friend fiddle unenthusiastically with his food. ‘Don’t you want that?’ she couldn’t resist asking.

Jeremy smiled. ‘Not really hungry – here you are, I know you are dying to have it.’ He passed her his plate. ‘The other thing we haven’t mentioned is the whole
issue of being gay. I don’t understand how this has happened to me, when I have never fancied a man before. Why now, suddenly?’

Sally thought about this as she ate the last piece of toast. ‘But have you ever really fancied a girl? Anyone?’ she asked.

Jeremy finished off the wine in his glass and poured another. After a couple of sips he answered Sally with a sigh. ‘No.’

Sally suddenly had a vision of Mack for some bizarre reason. She had fancied him when they had met again when she was home in Cheltenham. He had never got in touch afterwards, and yet Sally had
felt there was a real connection between them. But then like Jeremy she was not really interested in anything at the moment except acting. So whose fault was it that Mack had not been given
sufficient reason to call?

‘It is so hard to deal with these intense emotions, isn’t it?’ she said softly. ‘But I really believe you must go with your heart. Eddie obviously feels the same about
you. But what will his parents say? Surely they will not understand their son and heir being gay? Oh Jeremy, I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Go gently and don’t rush things
– and be careful.’

Jeremy leaned over and gave Sally a big hug. He felt so safe with her. He loved the fact they could talk about anything and share intimate secrets about themselves. Would he have that with
Eddie? Just the thought of him made Jeremy’s stomach do a somersault. It was no good, he knew, trying to discuss anything rationally; he had to pursue this thing to whatever conclusion
occurred. He was completely smitten.

He left Sally with a promise to go slowly and embrace his newfound love with caution. However, as he walked home in the cold November night, he was already planning how he could meet up with
Eddie as soon as possible.

After Jeremy had left, Sally cleared up and started to take her make-up off when the door opened and her sister bounced into the flat, followed by Simon carrying a bag of beers.

‘Hi, Sally, didn’t expect you to be up. Still, just as well you are, as we would probably have woken you up anyway. Sit down, Simon, and give me the beers, and I will stick them in
the fridge. Would you like some scrambled eggs on toast?’ Dora suggested as she made her way to the kitchen. But before Simon could answer, Sally piped up, ‘Actually I just used up all
the eggs. Jeremy came back for a drink and we had poached eggs. Sorry.’

Dora made a face. ‘Oh pooh. Well, that is a bummer. Have we got any bread left? We can have toast and Marmite or something then.’

Simon flicked open the top of a can and joined in the discussion. ‘Don’t worry about me, darling. Beer is fine. Come on, don’t fret. Come and sit with me.’

Sally could guess where this was leading and she followed Dora into the kitchen as her sister went to put the beers in the fridge.