Wanting You - Mandy Gonzalez X Chris Jackson - COMPLETED

22 - Is This Real?

We are all sat in the auditorium of the Richard Rodgers. We were actually here, Chris and I were back. Only Lin and Karen knew about our relationship besides the creatives. Chris and I had kept it on the down low not wanting for everyone to know. Not yet.

There was a large white sheet covering the set, that they were going to drop to reveal it. We all knew it would be similar to the off-broadway set but had so many more hidden features that would make the show so much better. We had two weeks of tech before a week of tech and dress before previews began February 14th.

"Three... Two... One..."

The cloth dropped and everyone gasped.

"Oh My God!" I heard from Karen.

"No Me Diga." Janet and Andréa said in unison.

"It's amazing." I said nearly in a stunned silence. "It's our fire escape baby." I said pointing at the building on the far left, what would be stage right for us.

"I know gorgeous. I'm so excited to sing up there with you." Chris whispered back before giving me a peck on the lips. We were sat at the back of the group so no one saw except Lin who stood at the front watching us all.

"Okay So dressing room allocations. Stage left, Room 1 is mine."

"Told you so," I whispered in Chris's ear as he giggled.

"2 is Olga. 3 is Elesio. 4, Seth and Robin. 10 is Male ensemble. Then stage right. 5 is Andréa and Janet. Then in the corridor, 6 is Chris, 7 is Karen and 8 is Mandy."

I smiled at Chris, he gave me a little wink. "Thank you for that. I love you." I rested my head on his shoulder.

"9 is Female ensemble. Okay, go unpack all your things! Be back here in an hour you will get your rehearsal schedule for the next three weeks." Chris grabbed my hand. We ran and got our boxes for the lobby and headed to our rooms.

"I forgot how many stairs their were!" I said nearly panting as I carried my heavy box up.

"Same."

I walked into my dressing room, it was really big for a Broadway dressing room. It even had a small couch in it. I walked into Chris's room. "I guess you will be in my room most of the time. Come see!" I took his hand and dragged him to my room.

"This is so unfair." He said glaring at me. "I've known Lin for years!"

"I guess it's a good thing I'm your girlfriend then." I shut the door and pulled him onto the couch. "Bésame." He pulled me into him and kissed me passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck kissing him back just as hard.

"Mandy can I come in." I heard a knock on the door. I pulled back from Chris knowing it was only Karen wanting to come in.

"I love you baby." I kissed him one more time before yelling, "sure thing." Karen walked in and smiled at the two of us on the couch.

"Look at you two love birds. So cute." She came and sat between us wrapping an arm around each of us. "Okay ground rules! You can kiss and make out as much as you like, as long as you don't miss a cue. But no sex in these rooms. The walls are very thin, I could hear your make out from next door."

Chris and I laughed. "Okay, no sex. Got it."

"And you two have 15 minutes to unpack so I'd get a move on. Chris you go do your room. Mandy I'll help you."

Chris stood and walked around Karen to me. He crouched down and took my hands in his. "Bye babe. I love you." He kissed my cheek gently.

"I love you too handsome." I kissed his lips before he stood and walked out back to his room. I stood and opened the box. At the top I found something I didn't put in. I pulled it out and looked at it. It was a letter. I knew Doug had written it with help from a teacher as the handwriting was huge.

'Good Luck in all your shows. I love you mama. Xoxo Dougy'

I turned it over and there was a drawing of the three of us all holding hands. I immediately stuck it to the corner of my mirror. I pulled out the mementos from my home in California. I had a few photos photos with my parents and siblings. I took out a few things I was given during Dance of the Vampires. There were a few other things, then finally some pictures I had printed of Chris and I and a few of all three of us together. I placed everything where I wanted to put it, then put the box in the corner of the room. "Okay lets go." We walked out and I headed into Chris's room. "Babe you ready to go?"

"Yeah on second, just putting this final photo of us up." I saw him put up a collage with loads of photos of the two of us.

"Oh my gosh, Chris, this is beautiful."

He wrapped his arm around me and smiled. "I'm going to fill the blank spaces with photos from opening night and any other pictures we take together."

"I love it and I can't wait to see wait photos you choose. Let's head out." I stood on my tiptoes kissing him before taking his hand, not interlocking our fingers, and walking back out to the auditorium.

"Okay guys. So we are going to run tech scene by scene. It will be a long process as there are lots of lights, four times more than 37 Arts, all the cues have to be written at the same time and making sure everything is exactly what we want. So patience will be much appreciated."

We all nodded in agreement and slight terror before taking the rehearsal schedule. We went home after picking up Doug and had a usual evening.