High C

25. High C

"Hi. Are you up?"

"Yes."

"Are you thinking about me?"

"Yes."

Bob could practically hear DeeDee's sleepy smile through the phone.

"Just checking," he said. "You know I took my shower this morning with a cap on because I could smell your perfume in my hair and I didn't want to lose it."

"Your hair?" she asked, giggling and yawning at the same time.

"I told you I love it when you fiddle your fingers at the nape of my neck, didn't I? Drives me crazy. Why do you think I put on such a long movie?"

"Oh" she said. "That's my hand cream,"

"Yeah, well I'm nuts about you and your hand cream."

"Good. I'm pretty nuts about you too. I'm having a hard time picturing you in a shower cap though. Is it one of those poofy ones with flowers on it?"

"It's actually a bald cap I borrowed from the theatre."

"Even better!"

"So listen, what do you say we get together a little early this afternoon and drive each other crazy a bit before Maya's ribbon cutting thing?"

"We promised Natasha and Rodney we were going to meet up for dinner first."

"That's right, we did. Oh well, I tried," he said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Make sure you try again later. If you like my hand cream you're going to flip your bald cap over my body butter."

"Stop it," he laughed. "I'm gonna have to shower again."

"See you tonight."

"Can't wait."

Bob dressed for work with that lighter than air feeling of all being right with the world. His daily audiences at the children's theatre made him feel like a hero, and Steve Wurtz had already started swirling around ideas for a new show with a role for him in mind. Better yet, he seemed to want and value Bob's input. It was almost too good to be true, and if it was, he still had DeeDee, the real dream come to life, even if his mind had never conjured one up as wonderful.

Nearly three weeks of dating her had convinced him she was The One, but to say that they were dating, rather than seeing each other, seemed silly to Bob, not only because it already felt like more, but because off-duty they were both homebodies who preferred to spend most of their time in. They'd cook for each other, at his place or hers, stay up late watching television, make out – in no particular order. Once, at midnight, she decided she needed to make them a panzanella salad and he teased her for insisting that all the bread cubes be the same size. She laughed even as she reprimanded him for laughing. "You know I love an even slice!" she said. Then teased him back, "Besides this way no one's getting a better plate and I know how you like things to be fair."

They could talk for hours or not at all. They loved their families, had the same taste in music and movies – especially musicals. She got all his old references, laughed at his jokes, and amused and amazed him constantly with her wit and her intuitiveness and her sweetness. Where he was loud, she was quiet, where he was quiet she was insightful, when he amused and amazed her too, she told him so. He did not have to hope she had fallen for him too. He knew it. Within their relationship, nothing was a performance. They had quickly become each other's side-person, a double-act with no need of a spotlight.

They'd be together again that evening to join Natasha and Rodney at the Grand Opening ceremony for the new Globus theatre, with a sneak preview performance of Maya Adler's much gossiped about Alpinia immediately following. Steve Wurtz would be there, along with Gene and Gwyn, though Gene had made it perfectly clear he would not be entering the theatre under any circumstances.