Behind the Curtains

Chapter 1 // Melody

Grester. SFW.  Please Enjoy! :)

1000 words

        It's 8pm on a Tuesday night and Grace and Mamrie sit in the back of the improv theatre in New York and drink. They had just finished their performance together and Mamrie suggested that they stay and chat for awhile over drinks. Grace didn't have anywhere to be or anything to do so she stayed. About 2 drinks in Grace notices that there is supposed to be a musical performance at 9pm. The 2 friends agree to watch the performance since they have nothing better to do. The next act comes on at soon so in the mean time Mamrie jumps right into full on conversation. 

"So Helbig, how you been holding up?" Mamrie questioned looking intently at Grace.

"Oh, oh ya, ya I'm fine. Don't worry about me, really mames he was a complete asshole and it was probably for the best that he dumped me." Grace replied, staring down at her glass just trying to avoid the topic of her newly ex-boyfriend. 

"Grace, you are a tough-" Mamrie was cut off when a voice came booming though the speakers. 

"And now, performing a few songs for you tonight, please welcome to the stage Chester See!"

Grace and Mamrie turned their attention to the stage and lightly clapped their hands along with the small audience when the man performing walked on. 

Grace was definitly watching now, the man had dark hair and large brown eyes. He was wearing long jeans with boots under them, and a nice grey button down shirt. When he came on stage he walked on awkwardly with a shy smile plastered on his face. Grace smiled at the stage slightly at the sight of him. He was hot, there was no doubt about it. Grace caught herself smirking and was suddenly glad they were sitting in the dark, back half of the theater so nobody could see her besides Mamrie, who had had one to many drinks to be paying attention anyway. 

Chester sat down at his piano and talked into the microphone "Hi everybody, tonight the first song i'll be performing in Keep Waiting an original. Hope you enjoy."

Chester plays the first few chords of the song and sings the first note. Graces mouth drops open slightly at the sound of his voice. He was amazing. Grace listened and shivered a little when he got to the chorous of the song singing so loudly. Grace liked it. She liked chester, as a performer, nothing else. Out of the corner of her eye, Grace sees Mamrie's eyes divert to her phone screen. Mamrie quietly answers the phone and steps out of the theater using hand motions to indicate to Grace that she would be right back. 

Grace closes her eyes and just listens to Chester See sing. Grace is tired now from Chester singing and playing the beautiful melodies on the piano, but she perks up when her phone buzzes on the table. It's from Mamrie. 

"Hey, sorry I had to go...work stuff! Talk to you soon Helbig, have a good night!"

Grace watches Chesters arms. The way his muscles show through his shirt, and get tight when he presses down on the keys. The way his eyes close when he hits the high note...it's beautiful, his music. Chester finishes his last song and stands up to thank everyone. Grace smiles and claps. She's ready to get home, it has been a long night and the drinks didn't help her heavy eyelids. She stands up and pulls on her leather jacket and heads towards the stage door to go backstage to her dressing room to collect somethings she left in there before her show. 

Grace enters her dressing room and grabs her purse and her scarf. Pulling her scarf over her head she walks out of the room and closes the door behind her. Grace turns left to walk down the hall to the exit door leading to the parking lot where she parked her car, when she notices Chester coming out of the dressing room next to her. They meet each others gaze and Grace feels the need to be polite and say something. 

"It's Cheser See right? Great job tonight." she says casually looking awkwarldy at chester as she fiddles with the lock on her dressing room door. 

"Thanks, what did you perform?" Chester asks back.

"Oh, um-m just some-a improve comedy" Grace doesnt know why she blushes when she says this but she does. 

"Oh, really? Awesome. I'd love to see that sometime!" 

"Uh, ya-a thanks." Grace says extreamly awkwardly. What the hell was that Helbig? 

"Well I better get going-

"So, see ya aroun-

They both speak at the same time and laugh. 

"Goodnight Chester, great job again."

"Goodnight---

"Grace" Grace replys forgetting that she knew his name but he didn't know hers. 

"Goodnight Grace" Chester finishes. 

They smile and do awkward waves as they walk down the hallway in opposite directions. "Grace..." chester says as Grace is almost at the door. She turns back to see Chester looking at her. 

"I- uh - I- um perform every Tuesday night at 8 so if you ever feel like coming, then it would be nice to have you in the audience. Chester blushes, and so does Grace. 

"Thanks Chester" and with that she smiles one more time and walks out into the frigid manhattan weather. 

                                                                      *********

When Grace gets home to her apartment she showers, changes, and lays down in bed. She is exhausted. As Grace gets sleepy her thoughts wonder. Shit I never ate dinner, and what was wrong with Mamrie at work? And then a thought that Grace wasn't expecting comes into her head. Chester See. His smile. His arms. His voice. Grace laughs at herself, God helbig get your fucking life together. With that last final thought she pushes it all out of her head and doses off to sleep. 

Thank you for reading!!!! Update coming soon!!! Love ya :) xoxox