Romance Backstage

“Yeah, what about it?” she asked quizzically.

“Well, I was sitting there, just thinking. All my life, I’ve watched my father in this business and, like I said, I was raised on the entertainment industry. While other kids were out practicing their Michael Jordan dunks or skateboarding, I was watching tapes of musical theater productions and studying contracts. I never had to answer the question of what I would like to be when I grew up…it was always a given.”

Dru looked away from Raven, his eyes staring off into the distance for a minute. When he returned his gaze, there was a deeper fire evident in his look.

“Watching you dance, so beautiful and so graceful…the way your body moved across the stage so effortlessly. I felt your radiance all the way back where I was sitting. If I could feel so much peace just from watching you, I can only imagine what you felt doing it.”

“It feels like I’m flying sometimes,” Raven said.

“See, that’s just what I’m talking about. I can’t imagine what that’s like. That ability you have to create beauty through your motions is a gift, you know,” he said.

“Yes, I know it is. I worked hard to get to the level I’m at right now, but I think that even if I never land another dancing job, I truly do feel blessed to just be able to dance.”

Dru leaned back in his chair suddenly overcome by the heaviness of their conversation.

“Creative people don’t always know how special they are. Sometimes they take their creativity for granted, you know. They don’t realize that there are so many people in the world who wish they could do what they do.”

“Are you one of those people?” Raven asked.

Their hands had remained connected the entire time they talked, Dru’s fingers laying lightly on top of hers. Now, Raven turned her hand over and closed her digits around Dru’s. He smiled slightly.

“Real talk?” he asked.

“Real talk,” she answered.

“Every time I read a story or a script for a stage play, I have these visions. I actually see the story laid out with characters, sets and everything.”

“So you’d like to what, write…direct for stage?”

“Maybe. Maybe even do both. And movies, too. I have all of these ideas for stories floating around in my brain. I can’t read a book without visualizing it on the big screen.”

“So why don’t you do it?”

“Nah, that’s not part of the plan. I’ve got an MBA and I develop and balance budgets. Period. Recently, my dad’s been giving me more and more responsibilities at Davis Theater Initiatives and my plate is pretty full. He expects me to take over where he leaves off one day.”

“But are you fulfilled?” Raven wanted to know.

“It’s an amazing job. What we do is handle the money for Broadway productions. My dad has always believed that playwrights and artists are a dime a dozen. They come and go, but the producers are what make it all possible. Besides, I enjoy producing. Don’t get me wrong, I do love being the glue that pulls a production all together. It’s rewarding work.”

“But it doesn’t speak to your creative side at all,” Raven pushed.

“No, but it’s enough,” Dru said in a tone that sounded as if he were trying to convince himself and her at the same time.

Raven considered Dru’s statement skeptically. She opened her mouth to say something else, but realized that it was not her place to second-guess him. By the time their meals arrived, the conversation had taken a much lighter tone. They laughed and joked about everything from music to fashion to nicknames.

“Pooh? You actually went into high school with people still calling you Pooh? Oh, my God. How’d you get any girls to take you seriously?” Raven laughed.

“Oh, you’ve got jokes. I’ll have you know, I did pretty well in the dating department. Never had any trouble at all.”

“Yeah, okay. Tell me anything.” Raven smirked.

“All right, well, what about you? What was your teenage love life like?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Were your Friday and Saturday nights booked or were you one of those girls who sat home popping popcorn and watching the late, late movie? Rollers in your hair and pimple cream all over your face?”

It was Dru’s turn to tease. Raven rolled her eyes.

“Uh-oh, looks like I hit a sore spot.”

“No, not even,” she insisted. “Look, in high school I was too busy to even think about boys. I took my studies seriously. And dance has always been a full-time commitment. You know how you guys are…selfish, demanding. Not able to understand why your girl would prefer studying or working on her pirouettes instead of going with you to the big game on Friday night. I just didn’t have the energy to deal with all that.”

Dru considered Raven’s admission for a moment, realizing that she was right to a large extent. Except for one thing.

“If I had met a girl like you in high school, one who was so talented and driven, I would have carried your ballet shoes to class, served as your dance bar and held your textbooks open while you read.”

A smile spread quickly across Raven’s face and she was about to hit Dru with a smart-aleck response. However, her tongue stalled as she looked into his eyes and realized that he was not trying to be funny. The sincerity of his words was unmistakable as she gazed at his bright eyes and unsmiling face.

“I wish I’d met a boy like you in high school,” she said at last.

Dru squeezed her hand warmly.

“Well, you’ve met me now…well, except that I’m a grown man.”

“And I’m a grown woman,” Raven countered.

At the door to the Harlem brownstone where Raven lived with her parents, Dru found it difficult to say good-night.

“So, when can we do this again?” he asked, taking Raven’s hands in his.

“Why?”

“Why? What kind of question is that? Because I had a good time. Didn’t you?” Dru’s eyes were wrought with confusion.

Raven snickered.

“What? What’s wrong? Is it my breath?” Dru asked, cupping his hand in front of his face and blowing hard. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he commanded.

“Relax,” Raven said, trying to gain control over herself and stop laughing. “Dang, you’re sensitive.”

“Oh, so you’ve got jokes. All right, I see what I’m dealing with here. Come here,” he said, pulling her closer to him.

“I enjoyed spending time with you tonight,” he said, this time he stared deeply into Raven’s eyes. “Did you enjoy me as well?”

“Yes. Everything was perfect,” Raven answered softly.

“May I kiss you?” Dru asked.

“Yes.”

With his eyes open, Dru moved slowly, dipping his head toward Raven’s. When his lips met hers, he closed his eyes, succumbing to the colorful sensation of their first kiss. The flutter of a million butterflies rattled his rib cage as he drank her in. Their lips locked and tongues danced for endless minutes as they explored one another like harbingers discovering new territory.

When they parted, Raven kept her eyes closed for a moment, until the woozy feelings that threatened to overcome her subsided. When she opened them, her gaze met his, and she was lost in a smoldering heat that made the balmy summer evening pale in comparison.

“I’ll call you,” Dru said.

Raven nodded her head, words having momentarily escaped her. She watched Dru walk down the steps and to his black Infiniti sedan. From the curb, he turned and gave her that dazzling smile she’d already begun to cherish.

Chapter 6

Opening Night

Raven lit the lemongrass-scented aromatherapy candles one at a time until flames flickered from all five. Seated on the soft carpet of her bedroom floor, she relaxed her arms, laid the backs of her hands on the floor beside her with her palms facing upward. Her long, shapely legs were crossed beneath her. She stared at the candles, fixating her eyes on the light of the flames. She took a deep cleansing breath, allowing the air to move into her lungs, filling them to capacity before she released it. Repeating the motions over and over again, Raven felt the tension easing from her pores and every orifice, seeping from her taut body.

Raven’s mother, Lorraine, had introduced her to meditation when Raven was a freshman in high school. At first, Raven had only participated halfheartedly, humoring what she believed to be another of the momentary fads that Lorraine tried out every so often. However, long after her mother had moved on to praying Pilates classes, Raven began to appreciate the moments of reflection and calm that meditation provided. Now, it was an almost daily ritual that she looked forward to. Whenever she found herself off-centered or stressed out, she returned to the serenity that could be found in her bedroom, with the lights off and candles lit. Meditation allowed her to tap into the inner strength of her soul. Tonight, she needed to draw on everything she had within and then some.

Opening night of The Salon had come faster than Raven had anticipated. Two months of daily rehearsals, script changes and group theater exercises had passed by in a blur of excited activity. For Raven, the past two months had been nonstop thrills, and like a seven-year-old on her first trip to Disney World, she was filled with wide-eyed wonder. While the opportunity to be a part of a major Broadway musical and learn from professionals like Marvin Barkley and her cast members was a once in a lifetime experience, Raven acknowledged that Dru also had a lot to do with the fantasy she was living.

Dru had become an unexpected addition to her daily routine. On the days that his work prevented him from being at the theater watching rehearsals or meeting with Barkley, he would call her in the morning when he knew that she would be up, either stretching or drinking fruit-and-wheat-bran smoothies. In the evenings, he would pick her up for dinner or coffee, or sometimes he would stop by with a pint of ice cream and a new release from Blockbuster or Netflix tucked beneath his arm.

There were, of course, the sideways glances and the passing comments from her colleagues at The Salon that she’d feared. However, she quickly realized that like Carley had predicted, those things were trivial in the wake of her growing affection for Dru. One day, shortly before a dress rehearsal, a few of the female cast members were in the dressing room putting the finishing touches to their makeup and costumes and gossiping as usual.

“You know, Raven, I hear Dru’s got a bit of a reputation among the ladies,” a tall blonde named Jenna said.

Raven looked up from the tape she’d been applying to the three bruised toes on her left foot.

“You don’t say?” she answered impassively.

“Yeah, I mean, he has dated some of the hottest women around,” Jenna’s sidekick, Stacy, added.

“And, while I don’t know personally how true it is, I heard that he’s really got it going on, if you know what I mean. Keeps the ladies coming back for more.” Jenna smirked, giving high fives to the women nearest her.

“Ladies, have you ever heard the expression that a little tact goes a long way?” Yasmine asked, rolling her eyes at Jenna.

“That’s okay, Yasmine. I’m sure Dru would be happy to know that some of the cast of the show he’s keeping funded think so highly of him. I’ll be sure to tell him,” Raven said.

She adjusted the red sequined cap on top of her head, rose and strode out of the room. She gave Yasmine a quick smile, recognizing that at least she had one ally, and headed backstage. She wasn’t about to give those women the satisfaction of thinking they’d gotten to her and she certainly wasn’t about to let them distract her from lighting up the stage. As time wore on, they all seemed to find more interesting people to talk about. Raven was careful not to flaunt her relationship around the theater, but she also did not go out of her way to hide it. Her parents had always told her that it didn’t really matter what you did or didn’t do because people will always find a reason to talk about you anyway. The situation gave her an opportunity to weed out the individuals amongst the cast from whom she needed to keep her distance and discover healthy relationships with genuine friends.

The day she’d introduced Dru to her parents had been unplanned and interesting to say the least. They’d been dating for about five weeks and her mother had already begun commenting that Raven possessed a certain glow that she doubted was coming from the vegetables and fruit shakes she’d been consuming. That evening, Raven had told her parents that she was going out for the evening and had gone down to the front steps of the brownstone to meet him. When he pulled up and parked the car, he’d gotten out, pressed the button on his remote to lock the car and approached the steps.

“What’s up?” she’d asked.

He’d leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

“Are your parents at home?” he’d asked.

“Uh…yeah.” She’d hesitated. “Why?”

“I’d like to meet them,” he said as he began walking up the stairs.

“Whoa…hold up a minute. Where’d this come from?” Raven asked, stepping up two stairs to face him.

“Well, I was thinking on the way over here that we’ve been seeing each other for a while now and—”

“Four weeks,” she interrupted him.

“Six.”

“Five.”

“Okay, whatever. Point is, your parents will be moving soon—”

“Next month. And?”

“And, I don’t want them heading out of town having the wrong impression of me. I wouldn’t want them thinking that I’m just some guy trying to seduce their daughter or something.”

“Oh, really, is that what you were thinking?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. So, I figured, why not meet them tonight?”

Dru looked so satisfied with himself that Raven could not resist having a little bit of fun.

“That’s all fine and good, Mr. Davis, but what makes you think that my parents even know you exist?” she asked.

Dru looked at her, took a step back from her, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. He glanced away from Raven and then immediately returned his gaze to her face. He moved in close to her again, closer than he had been before until his face was inches away from hers. He didn’t say a word, just held her gaze, his eyes burning into hers with an intensity that caused her breath to get caught in her throat. She lost all composure, brushed her lips back and forth across his. He didn’t budge. It was she who made the first move, seduced by his concentrated passion. She slid her tongue into his mouth, tickled his tongue, licked his teeth and sucked his juices.

“Can I meet your parents now?” he asked breathlessly.

He’d called her bluff, which wasn’t difficult to do. Dru knew how much Raven had come to mean to him in the short time he’d known her, and his ego would not allow him to believe for one second that he didn’t mean the same thing to her. He’d told his mother about her, his father and a few close friends. They’d all told him to slow down, assuring him that it was too soon for him to be all sprung over some chick. His boys were insistent that there was no way for him to tell how much he dug her until he’d gotten into her pants. However, he knew that Raven was not just some chick to be seduced. He’d never felt an ounce of what he was feeling for another woman, and he was smart enough to know that her greatest treasures could not be found between her legs.

“Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Dru Davis. Dru, these are my parents, Lorraine and Allen Walker.”

“How do you do, sir?” Dru said, shaking her father’s hand. “Mrs. Walker,” he said, turning to her mother.

They ended up not going out that night. Instead, they sat in the living room eating the tossed salad and leftover baked chicken Lorraine had whipped up. They polished it off with some rum cake and herbal tea. Dru and Allen talked incessantly about basketball, football and any other sport that had the word ball attached to it. Dru reached over every so often, in between heated discourse about Kobe Bryant’s jumper and LeBron James’s hops to touch Raven’s hand or knee, or to nudge her gently with his elbow or smile at her. Two hours went by before Lorraine began to yawn and drag her husband to his feet.

“We’re going to bed now. We’re not as young as you two, and we’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. Dru, it was very nice to meet you at last. Raven’s told us so much about you, but it was nice to get to know you for ourselves,” Lorraine said as she kissed Dru on the cheek.

“Mrs. Walker, I really enjoyed tonight and that cake was amazing.” Dru smiled, the corners of his mouth turned up as far as they could go in that sexy way of his.

“Make sure Raven slices you a few pieces to take with you when you leave. Come on, honey,” she said.

“I’m coming, woman. Young man, drive carefully out there. And remember what I said about that History Channel documentary coming up next month. It’s going to be a good one,” Allen said, giving Dru a firm handshake and a hearty slap on the back.

Raven watched her parents retire to their bedroom at the back of the apartment, shutting the door behind them. She plopped down on the smaller of the two sofas and Dru joined her.

“That was nice,” she said.

“Mmm-hmm. Your parents are cool. So, how about you fill me in on all the stuff you told them about me,” Dru teased.

“Oh, quit it, you. You win. Yes, I’ve talked about you to my parents…a little bit. No big deal,” Raven snapped.

“No big deal, huh? Come here.”

Raven shook her head. “No.”

“Come here,” he said again.

Raven followed Dru’s command, leaning close to him.

“You think you’ve got me right where you want me, don’t you?” she said softly against his mouth.

“No. I hope I’ve got you,” he answered before closing his full lips over hers.

He had her all right, and there was no way that she could deny it. Between Dru and the show, Raven had begun to feel like she had all that she needed and more. Almost. Despite the fact that things in her life were good, really, really good, there was still the gnawing little questions at the back of her mind, tugging at her and keeping from being entirely free to enjoy all that was happening. The little voice that screamed Who am I? over and over again would not be silenced. She’d fought to block it out, fought to keep those feelings of curiosity at bay. She’d focused her energy on the show and on Dru, telling herself that right now, nothing else mattered.

Raven opened her eyes slowly, allowing the room to come into focus. Opening-night jitters were gone, and in their place was a feeling of supreme confidence. She would do her thing tonight and every night that the show ran. She would show the directors, the audience and her fellow cast members that she was a star. She would shine brighter than the Big Dipper and light the whole world with her brilliance. As she rose from the carpet, her cell phone began to ring, its sound causing a smile to spread across Raven’s already beaming face. Without looking at the phone’s display, she flipped it open.

“Hey there, Mr. Producer. Are you all set for Broadway?”

“Indeed I am, baby. How about you?”

“I couldn’t be more ready.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come and pick you up?”

“Yes, Dru, I’m sure. You’ve got things to do. Right now, I want you to concentrate on being the producer, running things and all that jazz. Okay?”

“I hear you. I’m trying to stay focused, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t wait to see you up on that stage, under the lights. All those people are going to be watching you and enjoying you just as much as I do,” he said.

“Boy, are you trying to make me nervous?” Raven asked.

“Nah, baby. Don’t worry, you’re going to be great. Your parents have the tickets I sent them, right? Do they need a ride?”

Raven giggled at the apparent nervousness in his voice.

“Dru, baby, relax. Nobody needs a ride, and everything is on schedule. Your dad is going to love the show and he’s going to be so proud to see his son’s business skills at play. Promise,” Raven said, reassuring him.

They chatted for a while longer before a call came in on Dru’s line. Raven sent a sweet kiss through the phone to him before hanging up. A short while later she headed out the door, wanting to get to the theater early to stretch and practice. Because all she could feel was excitement and adrenaline pumping throughout her body, she had to remind herself to eat, stay hydrated and use the restroom for the remainder of the day.

That night, the show opened and received a standing ovation. Raven poured her heart out into every number, and the sound of the audience’s applause told her that it was all worth it. After the cast had taken its final bows and the curtain had come down for the last time, Raven ran from the stage and straight into the waiting arms of Dru. She held his face in her hands for a moment, seeing reflected in his eyes everything that she was feeling.

“I told you it was going to be great,” she said.

“No, you were great,” he answered before kissing her.

She met the elder Davis before he left the theater. He had an early flight to L.A. to catch the next morning. Like father, like son was all she could think as she stood around backstage talking with Dru’s father. They had the same laugh and the same sense of humor. After saying good-night, Dru and Raven had dinner with her folks at a small restaurant uptown. Afterward, Dru asked her to come back to his place and she nodded, settling against his shoulder as he drove. They were quiet during the short ride, each lost in their own thoughts and basking in the glow of the fabulous night they’d just experienced.

Dru showed Raven around his neat and spacious duplex in Westchester. It was very masculine, with a mixture of solid patterns and neutral and dark colors throughout. It was a two-bedroom home, with the larger of the bedrooms serving as an office and gym. Dru poured a couple of glasses of merlot and they settled on his leather sofa, listening to music and talking.

“Can I ask you a question without you getting upset with me?” Dru asked.

“Of course you can. How can I get upset with you for asking a question?”

“I guess it would depend on the question,” he said. “All right, here goes, and you can feel free to tell me to mind my business.”

“Fair enough,” Raven said.

“And I don’t want you to think I’m insinuating anything or trying to—”

“Dru, would you just ask the freaking question already?” Raven said impatiently.

Dru chuckled at his silliness.

“Okay. Are you a virgin?”

His face brightened with embarrassment even as he asked the question. He’d already come to his own conclusion, but he didn’t want to go solely on what he believed. Doing so could lead him to end up looking foolish.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Well, because, I mean, we’ve talked about our pasts and you’ve basically told me that you haven’t dated much and, well…I don’t want to assume, but…”

Dru realized that he was doing a whole lot of talking without saying much of anything that made any sense whatsoever. He took Raven’s glass from her hand and sat it down on the coffee table in front of them. He moved closer to her, turning his body so that he faced her completely.

“Raven, I really like you. A lot. Like…like I wake up thinking about you, and I go to sleep thinking about you. I love talking to you and laughing with you. Hanging out with you, anywhere, is what I look forward to every day.”

“But?”

“But, nothing. That’s just it. I mean, other women…by now, I would be trying to get some.”

“But not with me? Wow,” Raven said, suddenly feeling let down by where this conversation was headed.

She turned away from him.

“No, no, wait,” he said, placing his thumb and forefinger on either side of her jaw and turning her face back toward his.

“Look, this is not coming out right. What I’m trying to say is that with other women, by now, if sex wasn’t part of the package, then I would have moved on. But with you, it’s different. I’m not saying that I don’t want to make love to you or that I haven’t thought about it, because that would be a bald-faced lie. Man, that would be a lie,” Dru said.