Abide with Me (33 page)

“You’re right about one thing, Kirby. Trent is my business,” Raymond said firmly, “but Pops’s health is between him and God. You, Kirby, are not in charge of that. You, little brother, are not responsible for Pops’s condition.”

“But I meant what I said,” Kirby insisted. “It just pissed me off that Pops was mad at you. He was saying that I needed to change my major to prelaw. Said some shit about how somebody had to protect the Tyler legal legacy. I told him I had no interest in being a lawyer or a judge. He’s the only one in the family who cares about that shit. I think I really hit a nerve when I said he was the one who wanted to be a federal judge, not you. I told Pops he can’t live his dreams through us. It’s not fair.”

“What did he say?”

“Told me to stop disrespecting him and Mama. He was so mad it looked like smoke was coming out of his eyes and ears. He started sweating and a few minutes later his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell out of the chair.”

“That must have been scary,” Raymond said, reaching to grab Kirby by the shoulders. “Thanks for sticking up for me, little brother. It means a lot to me that you did that.”

“I just hope the price isn’t too high,” Kirby said as he looked
through the window at his father’s fragile form. “I don’t think I could handle it if he didn’t make it.”

Raymond put his arms around Kirby’s shoulders and whispered, “Everything is going to be all right, little brother. No matter what happens, the Tylers will survive. Now let’s go back in that room and make sure Mama knows that.”

After a three-day absence, Nicole was ready to reclaim her role of Dena Jones. A local Grand Rapids doctor had given her a tentative clean bill of health. She returned to her hotel room to pick up her makeup bag after seeing Jared off in a taxi to the airport. Nicole had assured her husband that she had just suffered a little case of food poisoning and was fine. She was touched that he loved her so much that he flew to Grand Rapids to make sure. She felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Nicole picked up a note from Yancey telling her that the director had called her for a meeting, so she would meet her at the theater. Nicole was thinking about her loving husband and enjoying the silence when the phone rang.

“Hello,” Nicole said.

“Nicole. I’m so glad I caught you.” It was her agent, Dennis.

“I was just getting ready to leave. How are you doing?” Nicole asked.

“I’m doing fine. It’s just that I have some bad news.”

“Bad news? What kind of bad news?” Nicole asked.

“This is the part of my job I hate. You know I love having you as a client, don’t you, Nicole?”

“Sure. You’re not dropping me, are you?” Nicole asked as she sat on the bed.

“Of course not! We’re going to make each other a lot of money. I think you’re talented, beautiful, and will have a long, long career.”

“Then what’s the bad news? The
Dottie
producers haven’t gotten their money situation straight?”

Dennis’s voice changed to an apologetic tone. “I just hate this and I don’t understand what has happened. I mean, in all my years of working with producers and directors, I can honestly say this just blows me away.”

“Come on, Dennis. I’m a big girl. Tell me,” Nicole demanded.

There was a brief silence, and then Dennis said, “You’re not coming back to Broadway with the show. They want to buy out your contract for the rest of the tour.”

Nicole was stunned and silent. Was she hearing Dennis correctly? She got up from the bed and walked toward the window; she rustled the curtains gently as she gazed out at the lights of the small metropolis sparkling seductively below. The night looked clear and peaceful. Nicole’s mind traveled to other times of great disappointment in her life: the night in Hot Springs, Arkansas, when she was named a runner-up instead of the new Miss Arkansas, and again when she finally made it to the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, where again her name followed the words “and the third runner-up is …” She thought of high school, where she wasn’t even allowed to audition for a principal role in a production of
Brigadoon
. Back then Nicole still had the future to look toward, but now the clock on achieving her dreams was ticking loud and fast.

“Nicole? Are you still there? Are you all right?” Dennis asked frantically.

“I’m here, and I’m okay. When did this happen?” Nicole asked.

“The producers called me this afternoon. And I laid into them and told them we were going to take this to the union. They assured me they are willing to pay out the rest of your contract, and if you’re so inclined you can stay with the show. They just didn’t think it was fair to have you think you’ve got the role when it comes to Broadway. They even had the gall to suggest the standby role for you when the show comes back to New York. I told them ‘hell no,’ ” Dennis said.

“Standby for who? Who are they replacing me with?” Nicole asked calmly.

“What have you heard?”

“Nothing, I’m not really in the gossip loop. I didn’t even believe the director rumors and look what happened. They’re probably going after a name. I mean, since they weren’t able to convince Jennifer Holiday to come back, it makes sense they would want a big name for Dena. Someone like Audra McDonald or even Toni Braxton. I read somewhere she was interested in doing Broadway,” Nicole said quietly.

“So what should I tell them? Have them write us a check now or later?” Dennis asked.

“I’m doing the show,” Nicole said firmly. “At least tonight. I’ll let you know about tomorrow,” Nicole added, her voice cold with anger.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Nicole said as she looked at her watch. “I’ve got to go. It’s almost seven-thirty.”

“You’re something else, Nicole, and I respect you more than any actress I know.”

“Thank you. I’ll call you in the morning. I’ve got a show to do,” Nicole said as she hung up the phone.

Nicole grabbed her leather makeup bag and caught a glimpse of her hurt and pained look in the mirror. She fought back an oncoming
panic, though she wanted to open her mouth and just scream. Nicole didn’t scream, but she was unable to stop the tears that flowed silently and easily as she walked out of her hotel room.

In the office of the general manager of the Devoss Theater, Yancey Harrington Braxton was getting some good news. And even though she reacted as if she were shocked and stunned, Yancey had expected nothing less.

“Are you serious? This isn’t some kind of sick joke?” Yancey asked as she performed for the new director and two producers.

“No, we’re not kidding. We want to offer you a contract to play Dena Jones once we hit Broadway,” Jim Keith, one of the producers, said.

“Yancey, when I saw you perform the other night, I knew you were born for this role,” Chris, the new director, said. “I mean, I’ve seen a lot of Denas, but I’m certain you’re what Mr. Bennett had in mind when he conceived this show. You’re talented, young, and beautiful. You are Dena Jones and the critics in New York are going to love you like they did here.”

Yancey brought both her hands to her cheeks and said, “Oh my. This is wonderful. I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say you’ll do it. We know you’re close with Nicole, but we all know this is a business,” Chris said.

“But what about Nicole? I mean we’re friends and she’ll be devastated,” Yancey said with a sincere look of concern on her face.

“Nicole is a professional and there will be other shows. Besides, she’s probably tired of this role.”

“You think so?” Yancey asked.

“Of course.”

“If you think Nicole will understand, then I’ll do it,” Yancey said. “When do you want me to start?”

“Maybe as soon as tonight,” Chris answered. “Legally and, of course, worrying about the union, we’ve offered a buyout of Nicole’s contract, but we’ve agreed to let her play out the tour. But usually in situations like this the actor or actress will take the money and run.”

“So what do I do?” Yancey asked.

“About what?”

“Tonight. Should I prepare to play Michelle or Dena?”

“Just go to your dressing room and let’s play it by ear. Don’t say anything until we make an official announcement. If Nicole shows up, then put your Michelle face on. If we hear from her agent that she’s not going to make it easy for us, then we’ll take it from there.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” Yancey said. “I promise I will not let you down. I will give you the performance of a lifetime every time I hit the stage.”

“We know that, Yancey, and that’s why we’re making the change. We’ve contacted your agent and we’ll begin working on a contract that you’ll be satisfied with.”

“I’m not worried about that. This is a role I’d do for free, but since I don’t have to … well, I just don’t know what to say.” Yancey got up from the chair and started hugging each of the producers and the new director and kissing them on the cheek. When she left the office, her only regret was that she didn’t have enough time to call and tell Ava, the woman she treated as a big sister, who was actually her mother, the great news.

Ava Rose Parker had lived her life large and hard, with few regrets and fewer attachments.

An accomplished entertainer, she had performed her jazzy renditions of classic ballads in the best clubs, drunk the best wines, and eaten the best foods that all of Europe had to offer. She had dined with Moroccan royalty, partied with rich Frenchmen, and been pursued by the wealthiest members of Spanish society.

Although Ava had been a celebrated cabaret performer for fifteen years, she had never forgotten her less than auspicious beginning in Jackson, Tennessee.

Ava was a traffic-stopping beauty, with big, round, doe-brown eyes and long thick lashes, dimples that punctuated her glowing butterscotch cheeks, and thick black hair permed to tameness that tumbled just past her shoulders. When she strolled down the streets, the boys in Jackson catcalled her Miss Brick House; her male suitors across the Atlantic referred to her as statuesque.

At age sixteen, she had been a contestant in the Miss Ebony Mid-South beauty pageant, a popular pageant for African-American young women from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Besides receiving wonderful prizes, the winner continued on to the Miss Black America pageant as a front-runner. Beginning with their first rehearsal for the pageant, Ava assumed Nicole Springer was her only real competition. During the two-week event, each of them had won swimsuit, talent, and evening gown competitions on their respective nights. Ava surmised that if she could get Nicole out of the way, she’d be certain to win the crown.