𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨

Act 22

"You're late," Devil leered.

"I know. The train was a bit slower than normal," Dice answers. 

"Whatever. Did you get her family business situated?" 

"Yes sir. They all plan on coming. Even the pastor's daughter."

"Excellent. Good work. Maybe I should let you leave more often."

"You would never. The show's about to start. If you need me, we'll be backstage."

Dice comes out of the huge double doors. His face gleamed with sweat. I may have been a little bit too sneaky and had listened to his whole conversation with the Devil. I was supposed to be singing a duet with Dice tonight. He also got me my own solo to do, with a song that I wrote. He said I could get really big in the show business and then we could both be famous. Agulara still came here every night. I wanted her to be overflowing with jealousy. 

"Baby is everything ok?" I said, resting my hand on his cheek. 

"It's fine. You know how he is. Are you ready to go on stage tonight?" he asks, laying his hand on top of mine. 

"Yeah. You're definitely going to outshine me though," 

"Nonsense. New people are always the talk of the night. Why don't I go show you around backstage?" 

We go down a lesser known elevator and take it almost all the way down. The doors open up to a small room with vanities lined up on the walls. There were all kinds of people doing make-up and getting dressed. One girl was cutting her hair to look like a picture that she had taped on the mirror. There was a coat rack that had multiple different shiny dresses on it, including the one Agulara wore on me and Dice's first date. 

"Heya Doll! You got someone you think we should meet?" a girl putting on a pair of heels said to Dice. 

"Actually, I do. This is my fiancé, Century. We're hoping we can get her in the show biz," he explains. 

Everyone looked up at us. 

"Dice, and whatever your name is, don't you think she's a little too ugly to go on stage?" a different girl called out.

"I didn't say that when I gave you your job, Elliana," he snaps back at her.

"With all do respect boss, she would be pretty without the huge crack in her face. Though, it will get her pretty popular," a guy on the floor said. 

"Can one of you girls dress her up while I go get ready?" Dice asks. 

"Sure boss," a younger girl replies.

She gets up off of the ground and drags me over to her vanity. Immediately, she gets to work with my makeup. 

"Don't listen to what those other people say. You're beautiful. Boss has a very high taste in women, if you haven't already noticed. By the way, my name's Bellona. I work as a back-up ballet dancer. What are you doing tonight?" she mumbles while picking out a dress for me.

"I'm doing a solo," I respond.

"You're singing? On you first time on stage? No one ever gets to sing except for him and Agulara. We're all just dancers. You're so lucky," she exclaims. 

"Oh it's nothing, it's just what he wanted me to do. I'm really not enthused," I remark.

"You'll be great, don't worry. The worst thing you could do is be nervous. All finished!"

With one final stroke of a brush, I had a light face of makeup on. She made me change into a pastel purple gown with a long cape. Glitter fell on the ground from it and sparkled. 

"Oh come on, she's going to need something more complementary than that!" a guy came up. 

He held a sage green, short, strapless dress to my body to compare. I really didn't like the green. It contrasted with my face. The dress looked super small, almost like it was just one piece of fabric.

"Leslie you must be blind! Look at this one," one girl rushed up, yanking a champagne flapper dress off the rack. 

"No! This one's better," a black and red dress was shoved atop of all the others. 

"Guys, were missing a key thing. Agulara's dress. Dice replaced Agulara with her. It would be fitting," someone across the room yelled. 

Bellona took her dress off the hangers and handed to me. I changed real quick and stepped back from behind the curtain. 

"Gorgeous. That dress makes anybody fabulous," Bellona sighed in amazement.  

I sat down for a bit with her and talked while I waited for dice. She told me a bit about her life, I would tell her about mine. She pulled a cigarette out of a box on her vanity. She motioned the box twoards me. 

"Want one?" she asked.

"Oh, I could never. My lungs are too fragile. My brother actually made me black out once with cigarette smoke," I answer.

"Hmph. Suit yourself. Boss should be down here any minute." 

The elevator made a ding noise. The rickety doors opened and Dice stepped out.

"Well, speak of the Devil! I got her all dressed up for ya boss. She looks real nice," Bellona remarked. 

"I can see that. We go on in a little bit. You look beautiful," he says. 

"Thanks darling. You always look stunning," 

One guy groans really loud. 

"Oh baby I love you so much. Oh yes I just love you soooo much," he says in a mocking tone. 

"I suggest you start watching what you say, Alton. Before too long, you'll be in the Boss's office," Dice calmly scolded. 

Everyone got silent. Someone who looked like he was a stage worker walked into the room. 

"Dice, you're on in five," he declared. 

"Thanks Stan, we'll be there in just a second," Dice acknowledges.

Stan leaves the room and shuts the door back. 

"Now, I want you all on your best performances today. This may be my last show as a single man," he says.

"Whatever you say, boss," everyone says in unison. 

We head out to the front of the stage. The staircase there was small and narrow. I felt like I was going to get trapped in there if I didn't go up them fast enough. Dice didn't hold my hand. 

The curtain was pulled in front of the stage and musicians were taking their place on the platform they had. They were trying to get ready to play for the next six solid hours. Once all the musicians took their place, Stan handed Dice a stick. 

"They're a bit rusty. Tune them to a concert b flat. One of our trombones is sick," Stan claimed as Dice walked up to them. 

"Will do," is all Dice said, standing in front of the band. 

He raised up his hands and motioned something with his hands. They all played a note, all at once.

"That clarinet is super sharp. Fix it," Dice yelled. 

He waved his hands again and they all stopped playing. Shaking his head, he handed the stick to someone else, who almost dropped it. He walked back over to me.

"Would you like to start the show with me?" he asked. 

"Yes!" I said excitedly. 

He walked me over to a spot in the middle of the stage. He wrapped his arm around me and smiled. Stan handed him a microphone. He cleaned up his outfit a bit, then looked at me. We both nodded at each other then he motioned for me to look straightforward. The curtain was still covering the audience. 

"You're on in three, two, one," Stan yelled from the sidelines.

When he said one the curtain pulled back. The band started playing. My life flashed before my eyes.