Temptation

Chapter Twenty-Four

Alice walked up the stairs with Esther to her office. She sat at her desk as Alice sat across from her.

"What do you need to talk to me about?"

"I need to know for sure that he won't be returning to this theater."

"I don't think he'd want to come back anytime soon. Did you tell him he wasn't welcome when you spoke with him?"

"Since you asked so nicely, I told him I never wanted to see his face here again." Esther replied.

Alice scoffed as she nodded her head.

"Of course you did."

"And what is this about you staying over at his place and not with Pierre and Cory? I thought I made myself perfectly clear about how I feel towards him." Esther inquired.

"You think I wanted to go back there after what happened? After what you and Pierre told me? You can't control my life... no one can. I don't care what you think. I love him and he loves me and we make each other happy. And you know what? This morning, I thought about quitting."

Esther inhaled sharply, trying her best to keep a straight face.

"Why?"

"Why would I want to work in a place where I'm just going to be judged because of who I fell in love with? Why would I put myself through that?"

"Alice, you know we love you. We only want what's best for you."

"And what if he's what's best for me? He's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Alice explained.

"You think that now, but wait a few years." Esther scoffed.

"Even though I thought about quitting, I came here tonight. I didn't call in sick or anything. You want to know why I came back tonight?"

"Why?"

"Because of him!" Alice exclaimed.

Esther narrowed her eyes as she processed what Alice had said. Seeing that Esther wasn't replying, Alice decided to keep speaking.

"He's the one that reminded me about how much I love this fucking place. He's the one who told me that I should go back and see if quitting is really something I want to consider. You should be thanking him that I'm even sitting in this seat tonight. Is there anything else you want to say to me?"

Esther parted her lips and took a deep breath as she gazed over Alice's face.

"No."

"Okay, great."

Alice stormed out of the office and as the door slammed shut, Esther exhaled sharply and ran her hands over her face.

When the show had finished, Alice left the theater early to make her way back to Tom's before anyone could ask where she was going. Not seeing her in the dressing room, Cory assumed she wouldn't be returning to their apartment that night. As Jamie and Cory stepped out of their dressing room and ran into Pierre, Esther came down the hallway and stopped in front of them.

"I'll meet with him." She announced.

Back at his apartment, Alice knocked on the door and Tom opened it, smiling softly as he welcomed her in. He took off her coat and placed it on the hook before kissing her cheek and returning to the kitchen.

"Making a late night snack?" She chuckled.

"I think the more important question is how did you feel being back at the theater?"