The Playing Fields

Chapter 44

Nigel tried and failed to get their attention then grabbed Milo and told him to jump ahead in the script and make his entrance. "We'll just have to skip their lines, you get out there and tell them, time's up." He pushed the angry Milo toward the stage and stood back, crossing his fingers.

"Good move, nephew."

"We'll see. My god would you look at them out there."

"Private Courts." Milo adlibbed, strutting onstage. "Time is up."

The two lovers parted noisily, allowing the skirt to resettle.

"But Majuh, suh." Amanda jumped back into her part with a breathless adlib her own. "We haven't had time to talk!"

The audience gave a short, sardonic laugh.

Ramon stood frozen, back still to the auditorium; Milo was supposed to have crossed to his desk so that Ramon could keep his swollen face to stage rear.

"Private Courts! I am giving you an order, sir." Milo sneered, standing his ground, well aware that Ramon would have to face him to answer and thereby humiliate himself in front of everyone.

Holding her skirt down, Amanda swept around to stage front, improvising her lines directly to the crowd. "It's so unfair," she wailed dramatically. "That life's cruel events are tearing our love apart. Go Courty, leave me with the memory of that final embrace that ah may savor what we shared to mah dyin' day." With arms outstretched, she called a little louder, "Take mah man away, Sergeant Bender. Don't let me see that light fade in his lovin' eyes."

"Hurry," Nigel called, "she's giving us an out. Get Allen out there!"

Complaining and struggling, Allen was unceremoniously pushed back out, limping noticeably.

THE COMINGS AND GOINGS

Ivan led Carmela into the private box joining his wife and Arthur, who were seated already. "Dashed sorry we're late, sweet." He whispered, slinking into his chair. "Most incredible thing. The lock on Carmela's front door came loose, and I had to get the old tools and uhm, do a bit of a fix up." He glanced over, judging her reception of his fabrication.

Gertrude turned to the blandly silent Carmela. "Some little thing always comes up doesn't it dear. Did Ivan do a good job with his... old tools?"

Carmela met her gaze with equanimity, "He performed admirably... I barely needed to crack the whip." She smiled complacently, their eyes confirming their mutual suspicions. "I'm sorry to have missed visiting Mr. Paisley's home, was it nice?"

"Very." Gertrude crinkled her eyes. "We reminisced about our old office routines. We worked together you know... very well." She added, concluding the semantic duel of innuendo.

*****

Cal and Melaine slipped into their seats in the middle of the second act, ducking their heads together in hushed giggles.

"I feel like a truant schoolgirl." She snickered, checking the surrounding seats for anyone she might know.

"It's a good thing they did away with the lash then." He whispered back. "'Cause that would make me a dirty old man."

"Cal." She giggled again, wrapping her fingers around the inside of his thigh.

"Shhh, we'd better pay attention to this, there may be a test later." Melaine's smile faded slowly as she stared unseeing at the stage. Yes, there will be a test later she thought sadly, a test of her principles and her resolve.

*****

"Arlene! For Pete's sake, will you- oooh- stop. I can't- I can't- aaaah- miss these lighting cues."