Whimsical Perfection

36. Insanity

"Love is merely a madness."

        —Rosalind, As You Like It

~♤ ▪︎ ♤ ▪︎ ♤~

It was now the last of the rehearsals. Word had spread out all around the country, and all social media sites were buzzing with energy. Everyone was super hyped up about the new play, which apparently had the best director-actor duo. Now that my new play was inching closer to its release, my name and face was plastered on almost every post on social media. According to various publicists too, us coming together for this play was apparently a huge deal for our audiences.

It was absolutely hectic at work too. In order to give a perfect and impactful live performance, the only key was to practise. From day to night, that's all we did. Going over the script a thousand times, pointing out the minutiae, and correcting the main and side actors over and over again, was all I did these days. The expectations of the audience only increased our anxiety as we strived to put on a stellar performance, and that was why everything about that night was suddenly forgotten.

Those memories were packed up prettily, and were stored safely in one small, dusty corner of my brain, and that's how I preferred it. It was still a miracle Isaac had readily agreed to keep our relationship professional afterwards, but I was not complaining. There didn't seem to be many conflicts between us lately, and that pleased the producers to no end. Everything was going perfectly, as it should be, and that brought me peace of mind, even in such a chaotic work environment.

Sometimes, when I occasionally got free time, I wondered what it would be like, if I hadn't proposed this thing to dissipate as soon as we started it. I wondered endlessly about Isaac's choice. Would he have said something like this, on his own accord? Would he have offered something different? Or would he have said nothing, and just invited me over whenever he felt like it? And would I have complied?

Hell no. I'm not his slave.

Right. That's not who I am. But it was hard to pinpoint anything, since it was impossible to read him. I could sense obvious frustration, cockiness and anger on his face, but that was the extent I could go to. He wasn't the type of man to come straight with all his emotions out on the table. He was an epitome of a complex human being, making it difficult for me to feel him out. Although this trait did give him that alluring, mysterious aura, it was also a pain for me to decode his expression every time I talked to him.

Guess I'll just have to stop figuring him, since the deal was already made.

The last three weeks passed by like a cool breeze, and it was now showtime. The grand premiere day arrived, and the chaos followed closely behind. The main interview was the first event of the evening, after which, the play would be performed, accompanied by a grand after party for all the VIP guests afterwards. And I unfortunately, would have to be present for all three events. Lucky me.

As I sat in my waiting room, getting all preened up for the interview, Aaliyah sat next to me browsing through social media, and telling me all that people had written about our play. Not that I had asked her to, but she said this was the best way to pass the time.

"Ooo, this comment says you and Isaac should date. I can't believe they're matching you with my brother, instead of the heroine." She said, chuckling to herself as if she just cracked the joke of the century.

I scoffed. "Yeah right. And you should finally start seeing a man."

She laughed harder at my comeback, both of us knowing very well that she would never even give a man a second glance. That's how gay she was, and that was her unique charm. A sweet, sassy lesbian best friend was just the right dose of endorphin I needed in life.

At the same time, it was kind of disturbing how instead of spilling the beans to my best friend, I had decided to keep that one night stand with Isaac, a secret. Would she be livid? Absolutely. Should I be worried? Probably. But it was done without a second thought since I had a lot more on my plate. This was a big day for Aaliyah too, since she was here to cheer for the both of us, and I didn't want to ruin it for her by telling her about it.

But, in that moment, I just couldn't bear it anymore. The guilt of keeping this a secret for weeks finally came back to me, and in a fit of nervous excitement, I mindlessly rambled, spilling the tea.

"I slept with Isaac."

It was as if the world stopped, as soon as I said those words. The make up artist had stepped out of the room for a second, and I made full use of it. But now that she had returned, and Aaliyah had still not recovered from the shock of this extremely sudden revelation, I started to doubt if this was a good way to drop the bomb.

Maybe not. But the milk had been spilt, and there was no use crying over it. I'd just have to deal with the insanity that follows.

But that insanity was now a part of my daily routine. No big deal.

~♤ ▪︎ ♤ ▪︎ ♤~