EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE, five years later:
"Guess who's coming to visit, honey," Rita called from the living room to the kitchen, where Dov was making lasagna.
"Who?" he called back. "Now, Nicole," he said to the little girl clinging to his leg, "You need to go back with Mommy, okay? I'm trying to cook and I don't want you to get burnt." The black haired girl pouted, but went to her mother.
"Daddy is being mean," she stated. She clambered onto Rita's lap.
"Daddy isn't being mean," she said, cuddling her baby. "He's just keeping you safe. He's trying to cook dinner. Why don't you play with your toys?" Nicole did so, and Rita smiled at her with affection. Who would have thought that she'd be married and have two year old so early in life? Five years ago she'd sworn not to marry until she was 30. I guess Mom was right, she thought. A good husband makes all the difference.
"Who is coming, honey?" Dov said.
"What?"
"The person you said was coming to visit? Who?"
"Oh, yes!" Rita remembered her news. "Mom and Dad. They've finally forgiven me for moving out here. I don't think Daddy was ever very angry, but Mom holds a grudge forever. I guess those letters and pictures we sent at Christmas did the trick. A grandmother can't resist visiting her only grandchild."
"I guess not. That's great news! I think Nicole has already begun to notice that while other kids have four grandparents, she only has one." Nicole looked at them with her intellegent dark eyes.
"Am I in trouble?" she asked, pausing in her single minded banging on her toys.
"No, dear. You're fine." Rita tossed a doll to her daughter, who let it hit the ground without making a move, and then retrieved it.
"Okay. Graze, mama."
"Prego." Though Rita still wasn't as fluent as her friend, or Big Nicole, as they now called her to distinguish between her and Rita and Dov's child, she knew quite a bit, and could converse with people without too many mistakes.
Dov entered the room. Although they'd been married for going on three years, Rita was still deeply in love. He could still, when he wanted to, make her stomach flip. He was followed by the aroma of cheese and tomato sauce. "The food is done," he announced proudly. "Set the table."
Rita scooped up Nicole, who grabbed hold of her doll and squirmed a little. The table in the kitchen was the same table Rita and Nicole had had when they first moved into this house. There was a ring at the door. "I'll get it!" little Nicole squirmed out of her mother's arms, and rushed to the door. "Hold your horses, hold your horses," she called in her high voice, mimicking Rita's response to the doorbell. Nicole, or Nikki, as she was often called, had learned to open doors only a few weeks ago, and Rita hadn't yet decided whether to be proud or nervous. Her child was growing up so fast!
"Hello, everyone!" It was Big Nicole, Gaetano and their son, Dominic.
"I thought you would never get here, you goobers!" Nicole called."There was traffic. Did you hear about Theo?"
"Yeah. Second-hand, of course. He has hardly talked to me since-" she broke off. "He hasn't talked to me in a while. But it's great that he's going to be on Broadway. I can just imagine him as Curly in Oklahoma! somehow." She laughed. "So he's still keeping in contact with you?"
Nicole looked away. "Yes. Actually-" the door opened, and a tall stranger came in. He was wearing all black, and his black hat brim covered his face. Rita pulled Nikki close to her, unsure who the stranger was. Until he took off his hat."Theo!" Her hands fell to her sides, all the energy gone. "I didn't know you were coming." He looked the same, but different. He'd grown a gotee, and his there were lines between his eyebrows.
"I didn't either," he said, but with none of the cheer that had so characterized him five years ago. "I had a family reunion, and Nicole dragged me here." He hung his hat up on the hat stand. "So you have a kid. I didn't know."
"Yes. Meet Nicole Eloise Demario. She's two." Nikki stepped forward and scrutinized the man. She was not shy. "He's tall, mama."
Theo laughed, but it sounded as if he hadn't done so in a long time. "Yes, she's your kid for sure. Two years. Wow. It's been a while." This comment seemed to ease everyone, and they went into the kitchen."
"Everything's the same as it used to be," Theo marveled.
"Not exactly," Rita corrected. "Nikki has my old room, and Dov and I have Nicole's. We also turned the basement into an office sort of thing."
"An office? I thought you were going to act." He looked back at her, lip curled.
"I do act. There's still such a thing as taxes. And Dov is a director. He has to do payroll and other stuff like that for renting theaters and buying costumes and props." Rita tried to keep the sharpness from her voice but couldn't quite manage it. It's been five years, she thought angrily. Why is he still so upset about this?

Dinner was rocky. Almost nothing could be said without Theo saying something gloomy, spiteful or just plain uncouth. Rita shot daggers at Nicole, who shot back apologies.
"I didn't think he would still be so angry about it," she whispered to Rita while passing. "He isn't like this on the phone. Maybe he was just hiding it from me." She patted Rita's shoulder. This didn't really help much, but Rita appreciated the attempt.
She finally made her escape to the kitchen, under the pretense of getting a drink for Nikki. Theo followed her.
"You can't tell me this is what you wanted, Rita. I thought you wanted adventure, not the Brady Bunch." He leaned on the counter, and she noticed that his nose was pierced, and his hair had been dyed black.
"I can tell you that this is what I wanted. I'm happy, Theo. I told you that I wasn't the one for you. I told you to find someone else. You didn't listen. Are you happy, Theo?"
"No. I'm not happy. And I'm furious that you ruined my life, and you have a perfect one. A loving husband, a good carreer, and a cute little daughter. And I haven't been able to even hold a job for more than a month, let alone a girl." He pounded his fist agianst the table.
"Theo, I think you're making too much of might-have-beens. We wouldn't have worked together. You're too breezy with emotions, and I'm too-"
"I'm too breezy? Rita, I told you that I loved you! How is that too breezy? I've been regretting that trip even since I left here. I've been sitting at home, thinking that maybe you were wrong. Even when I saw the wedding invite I thought I had a chance. But I don't. I can see that." He tried to laugh. "I think I'll go home and kill myself now."
"You aren't listening to me," she snapped, sick of his pity party. "If you'd just listen you'd understand!" She put a hand on his shoulder to shake him. He almost grinned.
"That's the Rita I know and love," he said. "Talk to me. Yell at me. Make me listen. I want you to make me happy again." He cracked his knuckles.
"I can't make you happy. I can only tell you the truth. Which is: you need to get over me. Now. I'm married. I'm a mother. And I'm not right for you. Don't try to be what you think I want you to be. Be yourself. And do what you want to do." She picked up Nikki's cup. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a family to attend to." She left, and could feel Theo watching her. He left a few minutes later, but looked slightly less moody.
"Thank you both so much. I'll keep in touch." He picked up his hat, and felt his chin. "First thing to go it this growth. It never looked right anyway."

That night, Rita layed awake, mind too busy to sleep. She thought about Theo, and how much he'd changed. I wonder if he'll really keep in touch. And Mom and Dad are arriving in a few days. I really need to get this place cleaned up. Mom can't stand a mess. I can't believe I haven't seen her since I came here. And Dad. A flood of memories she'd been trying to repress came welling up, along with a few tears. She turned over, and hugged her pillow. She would have hugged Dov, but she didn't want to wake him. Nicole slept in her own bed, now, and Rita missed the feeling of the child next to her. Another change. But I can handle change. Life is always changing. She looked at the painting on her wall that Nikki had drawn with finger paints a few months ago. She traced the finger marks with her eyes, and rolled over again.
"Are you still awake, Rita?" Dov asked groggily.
"Yes." The crickets chirped outside the window.
"Thinking about Theo?" He sounded a little cautious.
"Kind of. But not romantically. I'm just thinking about how people change. It seems like all the stuff that happened my first months here was setting up for this. If I had never realized that I wasn't in love with Theo I never would have known that I was in love with you. If my parents had never left me on my own I never would have had the nerve to become a citizen, which I couldn't have done without you, both emotionally and legally, even though that sounds materialistic. And I think Theo's getting back on the right track. He nerved himself up enough to even come here to visit. There have been three family reunions here that he didn't come to before this one. And Eloise and Edward are coming to see us. The only thing I regret is not hearing anything from Peggie. Mom didn't know what happened to her, and Nicole hasn't heard from her, which isn't surprising. I miss her still. We had a lot of good times."
Dov put an arm around her, and held her close, her back to his chest. "Everything will be all right, darling," he said in Italian. Whenever he meant something a lot, or wanted to comfort her he spoke his native language. "It will all be for the best, yes?"
"Have I ever shown you the first thing that made me want to stay here?" Rita murmured.
"I thought that was me," Dov said quietly, but jokingly.
"No, silly." She got out of bed, and groped for the closet door. She stubbed her toe, but found the knob. She took down a box, and opened it, pulling out the picture off the top. Dov turned on the lamp beside the bed. Rita squinted. "Why didn't you turn that on before I stubbed my toe?"
"I didn't know you were going to do it. What is the picture of?" He held out a hand, and she placed the photo reverantly in his palm. "It's a statue. A beautiful statue. Who is it of?"
"It's Saint George. It's in the streets of Florence. The moment I saw it, I didn't want to leave. Maybe he's my guardian angel." She looked at Dov intently, unsure if she should finish her thought, or if it was dumb.
"What?" Dov looked up at her. "Go on."
"It's dumb."
"Rita, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't think anything you say is dumb?"
"Just a few more. I, I thought he looked like you."
"That," he said, kissing her on the cheek, "Is the highest compliment I have ever received." He kissed her forehead. "Now, you need to go to sleep, and I will watch over you, just like Saint George." He put the picture on the nightstand, and pushed her head lightly. She put her head on the pillow. The phone rang. Dov groaned. "I'll get it."
"No," Rita said. "I'm closer. Go to sleep, George." His laughter followed her out into the hallway, down the stairs and into the kitchen. It warmed her heart. "Hello?"
"Hi. Is this Rita?" a famailiar voice said over the phone.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"It's Peggie." Peggie started to cry. "I'm so, so sorry. I can't believe how awful I was. I just couldn't forgive myself. I got the number from your mom. I just wanted to let you know. I'm sorry."
"I forgive you," Rita said, tears in her eyes. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you, too. I'd like to see you soon."
"My parents are coming up in a few days. You could come with them. I want you to see my house, and my family. But you don't have to stay." They both laughed though their tears. Rita tangled the phone cord around her hand. "What have you been doing lately? I haven't heard anything about you."
"Death and the Angels didn't pan out. The lead singer was a jerk who couldn't tell music from a car wreck. That wasn't really my style. I'm doing more punk-rock than whatever that stuff was. I just got a gig with The Superheroes, if you know who they are."
"I've heard of them, I think. Aren't they pretty big in America?"
"Yeah. Kind of. I'm the guitarist and I also do back up vocals. Anyway, it's pretty late for you, isn't it? I'm sorry, but I just had to call."
"That's fine. I'll see you."
She went back to her bedroom. Dov was still awake. "Who was that?"
"Peggie. She might be coming up with Mom and Dad."
"I think," Dov said thoughtfully, "That this is a day of miracles."
Rita heartily agreed.

Okay, fine. Here's more.

"I know what you mean. He's going to be the death of me. I don't know how such a young guy can be so annoying."
"See, Rita? You aren't annoying. He is. So you can rest easy in the knowledge that I like you."
Rita blushed, and went back to sorting costumes. A few minutes later Theo joined them. Georgette was leaning on him, their arms linked.
"Hello," Theo said, not ashamed in the least. Georgette shot Rita a possesive look that said "Flirts with everybody, eh? I can't get him, eh?" Rita rolled her eyes when they weren't looking. Theo was oblivious to her disapproval. "How's everything going around here?"
"Just great," Dov said, and looked at Georgette curiously. "I had no idea you two were involved." He untangled a wig.
"Well-" Theo started to say, but was interupted.
"Of course we are. Have been for weeks." Her voice was too high, and she was speaking like a baby. She batted her eyelashes at Theo, whose slightly glazed eyes blinked a few times. She's so sweet she's giving me a toothache.
"Yeah," he said, smiling indugently at the apparently incapable of speaking without a lisp Georgette. "Yeah, we've been going out for weeks," he affirmed, slightly dazed but making himself sound more sure.
"I'll be right back," Rita said, and fled. She managed to avoid Theo until the start of the play, and until her eyes weren't red from crying.

She entered, the lights making sparkles in her eyelashes, the audience nothing but a blur of peach and red with a few spots of black visible. She didn't look at them. She was supposed to have eyes only for Theo. She forced herself to think loving thoughts of him for the first few minutes, and then she didn't have to force herself. She was no longer Rita. He was no longer Theo. They were Romeo and Juliet, and they were in love.
She flirted, he kissed her hand. She giggled, he gazed adoringly at her. She wept, he brushed away her tears. She stayed at home, he left, promising to return. They married. They kissed.
Rita had been looking to this day with a mixture of dread and anticipation at the beginning of rehearsals. Now she was only curious. She'd never kissed anyone. She didn't count this as her real first kiss; she did want to know what kissing was like, though. She discovered it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Theo brushed aside a lock of her hair. She gazed into his eyes. He leaned in, and took her into his arms. He threw her arms around his neck, and he kissed her. It was a long kiss, and judging by the audience's reaction, it was a good kiss. But Rita felt nothing. It wasn't really very fun, and it didn't really make her feel any happier. It's probably because it's on stage, she thought, and let Theo kiss her however he knew best.
All things considered, the ending of the play, where people threw roses and everyone bowed, was much more satifying than her kiss had been. She beamed at everyone. Some people who worked with her at the hotel were there, along with Gaetano, his father and mother and Nicole. It did not escape Rita's notice, now that the house lights were on, that Gaetano had his arm draped over Nicole's chair, and Nicole was nestled into his arms. I guess I was wrong about that. She also saw the corn boy, who looked in awe. She winked at him, and she thought he caught it, but she wasn't sure. Her heart was so full of joy and love she could have burst. She threw her arms around the nearest person, and kissed him on the cheek. It was Michael, who looked disgusted, but secretly pleased. He looked older, Rita thought, but he's only 14, really. He probably doesn't know what to think of older girls. She also spotted Camile, whose wrinkled face was wreathed in smiles, and whose hands held knitting needles and yarn. She waved to Rita, who blew a kiss back. Dov had given Rita her paycheck early, and Rita had given most of it straight to Camile for the next year's rent. Camile was overjoyed, and when Rita told her about the play, had promised to be there on opening night. And as if that weren't enough, she spotted Martha, the stewardess from the plane, and her family. Rita looked up to the sky, and thanked God.

Theo cornered her after the play. She'd just come out of the dressing room, and her feeling of glamour was just beginning to fade. She had a feeling that whatever Theo was about to say was going to make the feeling go away very quickly.
"So, did you like it?" he said, leaning against the wall.
"Like what? The play? It was great. I can hardly imagine doing any better next time." She carefully did not look at Theo, and folded a costume she found on the floor. A leather jacket. Michael's of course. He was the only one lazy enough to just leave it on the ground.
"No, the kiss. I thought it was great. It really proved that you are the one for me, Rita." He put an arm around her. She pulled away, and looked him in the eye.
"What about Georgette? Isn't she the one for you? Or what about all those other girls you've been flirting with? What about them?" She shoved the jacket into a cubby, and dashed a tear from her eye.
"They don't mean anything, Rita! They were just having some fun. They knew it." He mussed his hair distractedly.
"How do I know if you're just having some fun with me? Did you tell them that the other girls weren't anything? It doesn't mean anything to you, but it means a lot to them, Theo. You aren't very dedicated to one girl."
"But I am! I don't mean anything-"
"Then why even do it? Look, I'm no saying this because I want to be your only flirt. I'm saying this for someone else's benefit."
"What? But Rita, Georgette won't be back in America with me. You will." He put a hand on her shoulder but she shook him off.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm staying here. I told you that already."
Theo laughed. "Yeah, it's funny, Rita, but I know you aren't really going to do it. It was just another hare-brained scheme."
"Uh, no, actually, it's not. I'm staying here. I rented the house out for another year. I'm staying. And I don't want to be your girlfriend, Theo."
"But Rita, I-" He stopped, and went on quietly. "I love you." He sat down on the floor, and didn't look up at her. She sat down next to him.
"Theo, I'm really flattered, and I used to think that I loved you. But I think we both need to find out what love really is before we decide something like that." She was sniffling. So was he.
"I can't go home without you, Rita. I thought that you really liked me. Peggie said-" he stopped.
"Peggie said? What?" Rita's nostrils flared. "What did Peggie say."
"I guess it doesn't hurt anything now, since she's gone." He wiped his face with his sleeve. "Right before she left, when you weren't in the room or anything, she was getting all mad, and she told me that she'd been replaced. I asked her by who, and she said me. She said that you were in love with me, and never paid attention to her. She said it served you right that she was telling me, and asked me if I was as thoroughly disgusted as she was. I told her no, that I'd liked you for a long time. And right after that I took you out to dinner. And I thought you were interested." He shook his head, and put it between his knees.
"I was. I just grew out of it. You will, too. It's just puppy love. You'll find someone better. Someone who isn't clumsy and dramatic. Someone who you can flirt with. But it isn't me."
"But I like you being clumsy!" he said. "I like the drama. I like it all. You're perfect, Rita." She stood up.
"None of that. You need to find someone else, and be true to her. That's all I have to say. Now just-" Before she could go on, Theo lept up, and kissed her on the mouth. She pulled away, furious. "That was rude, Theo. I don't like being interupted, and interupting my by kissing me when I already said I wasn't interested is even ruder. It might sound romantic to shut your girlfriend up by kissing her, but it really only ticks her off." She stomped off, leaving Theo standing in the doorway, confused, hurt, and humbled.
Everyone was gone but Rita. All the stage lights were off but the spotlight. She sat square in the middle, digesting the events of the evening. Everybody she knew, and quite a few people she didn't know, had come to congratulate her on a job well done. Camile told her that she had no idea such a young person could be so talented. The corn boy came up to her when Nicole wasn't there and had roguishly asked for a kiss again.
"You kissed the American, why not me?" She tried to drive him off, but he'd only stuck with her. "Come on, bella! Just one kiss. On the cheek. You know you want to." Rita, who did not want to, was getting desperate when the calvary, in the form of Nicole and Gaetano, showed up. Gaetano said some very harsh sounding things in Italian and Nicole had kicked the boy in the shin for good measure. She tried not to think about Theo, who had avoided her in the crowd. She'd seen Georgette in the dressing room wiping her eyes, and then glared at Rita. At least he's done one thing right that I told him to do. Nicole had triumphantly confided in Rita that this play was hers and Gaetano's first date, and she didn't intend to let him kiss her. Rita had first scolded her friend for the withholding of information, but they'd both began to squee over the news.
She heard a sound. Looking up, she saw Dov. "I guess I'm not the only one, then. Nicole would have stayed, but she was having a romantic interlude with Gaetano afterwards. Am I keeping you here?"
"No, Rita," he said. "You are no bother to me in any way, shape, or form. What are you doing?"
"Recapping, I guess. I had a talk with Theo."
"I know. He told me about it. He accused me of stealing your heart. Gaetano told him about us, I guess. Theo didn't seem very happy about the entire situation." He put a hand over his eyes and looked up at the spotlight,
"That's an understatement. He was really worked up about it. He thought he loved me." She snorted. "As if."
"I wanted to tell you something, Rita. You did really well tonight. If you ever need an acting job, come to me, if you can't get a better offer. You are very talented. I can't wait to see the next performance."
"Me neither. And thank you for the compliment." Rita stood up, and Dov came closer to her.
"How did the kiss turn out? Was it as bad as you thought?" he asked with a half smile.
"It wasn't bad," Rita said, still a little perplexed. "But it wasn't really that great. It was just kind of... there. I don't know if I'm not normal, or if it was being on stage, or what. It was just weird." Dov was very close now.
"I think you're normal," he said into her ear. "Let's test my theory." He cradled her chin in his palm, and there was a question in his eyes. Rita inclined her head and closed her eyes.
She had been wrong. It wasn't the stage at all.

There is no way I can finish this.

"Really? Maybe you could give me some pointers. We're pretty much resorting to the Ramen noodle/whatever Gaetano gives us diet. This would be fine," she said, holding out her hands, "But Ramen noodles aren't healthy at all, and I'm going to burn my brain right out with the neuro toxins. Not a good thing."
Dov laughed. "Maybe this Gaetano and I could split the duty of supplying you ladies with food until you learn how to cook. But why don't you show me the rest of the house, first."

Rita, wanting to save what she percieved as the best for last, showed him the bathroom, Nicole's bedroom and the linen closet before finally revealing her own. He was suitably admiring.
"It's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "What a view! Mama mia!" He went closer to the window, and Rita took a childlike pride in his honest admiration.
"Isn't it?" she said, trying not to sound as if she was taking credit for the beauty. "I was so glad that Nicole let me take this room. She said she wouldn't be able to pay attention to anything with all this color. I guess it doesn't affect me because I'm distracted by everything anyway." She laughed lightly.
"You are not distracted during the practices," he pointed out, turning away from the window to look at her.
"No," she admited. "Not often, anyway. But that's something that's important. A regular job isn't," she said flipantly.
"Not many people would say that. Most people think that acting is just for fun."
"Yeah, my parents, for one," Rita said under her breath. Dov caught it.
"Your parents do not support you?" he said, eyebrows raising. "They let you come here. Are they still in America?"
Rita nodded. "They didn't exactly know that I was going to act. It came as an unwelcome surprise when one of my friends told them." She noticed his stunned look, and hastened to add "None of my friends here. Not Nicole or Theo. Peggie went back home."
"Oh, that friend," he said darkly. "I would not still call her a friend if I were you." She led him out of the room, and down the steps.
"She's still a friend." They were out the door now, and she paused while they entered the car and put on seat belts. She tugged hers tight. "She's just confused. It's probably my fault she's angry anyway." She shifted, and rebuckled her seatbelt. Dov rearranged his shoulders.
"Do you really," he said, looking her in the eye, "Do you actually think that by following what you knew was the right thing to do, you did wrong? I know you, Rita. I know you well enough to know that you don't do important things without thinking. I know that you can be dedicated, and I know that you are a good friend. I know that you believe the best of people even when they aren't as good as they should be. You trust people, and people don't hurt you because they sense your trust in them. I don't think you did anything wrong. Peggie is still manipulating you, even when she isn't here. You can be trusting and not naiive, Rita. You need to find that balance." He started the car.
All was quiet as they drove, and Rita fiddled with her seat belt. He's probably mad at me. Great. I've ruined everything on the very first date. He'll never speak to me again.
"Well," she finally said. "To change to a lighter subject, who is your favorite artist. I mean, you're surrounded by art, so do you actually like it?"
"Of course I like it!" he said, swerving to avoid a pothole. His driving was a lot less eratic than Theo's. "I go to St. Peter's once a month, at least. I was an art student in college. I went to (fill in name of famous art college). I'm just a spectator, though. Actual drawing is beyond my meager skills. I only realized that what I really wanted to do was direct until after I graduated. My father was none too thrilled, I can tell you. He rufused to help pay for anything else. He said if I couldn't make up my mind he wasn't going to pay the price. He isn't angry. He doesn't care what I do, so long as I'm happy."
"You're lucky. My parents don't care if I'm happy, so long as I do what they want me to do." She bit her lip, and reflected on her choice of words. "That's not entirely true," she ammended. "They seem to think that I don't know what happy means, and when I discover that happiness is being a lawyer and getting married to some other lawyer, then I'll be happy. Marrying a lawyer isn't that great an idea if you are a lawyer, come to think of it. What if you get hired for opposite sides of the same case? That would not be a picnic, I bet."
"Probably not," Dov agreed, but added nothing else.
Rita always had trouble deciding what an acceptable amount of talk was. She often spoke too much when silence was in order, and too little when she really needed to speak. She was having this problem now. She couldn't enjoy Dov's company because she didn't know if he was annoyed with her (which she still thought was a likely possibility) or amused, or just plain indifferent. Am I just going to sit here and let this date turn sour? she thought. Does Dov mean enough for me to risk embarrassment and just ask him how much he wants me to talk? Is that even something you ask a date? Having little experience with dating, most of the guys who asked her out were not very pleasant, she didn't know if that kind of question was permissible. If you have to ask, does that mean you're flakey or weird? I guess I'll find out.
They were sitting at the table of the restaraunt, and it was very different from the place Theo had taken her. It was more fresh and less hazy, more brightly lit and easier to see around the room and observe your table mate. The colors were blue and turquoise, and beautiful drawings of the sea filled the walls. It was also smaller than the other restaraunt. Somehow this setting, despite the less romantic scenery, was more intimate. It was less like someone was forcing Rita to get in the mood, and more like they were getting to know her first. This, in addition to her thoughts, made her decide to ask Dov the fatal question.
"Um, I don't mean to sound like a, um, geek, or something, but how much do you want me to, um, like, talk?" The words and sentence structure sounded strained even as she said them. She leaned back into her seat, and pushed the lasanga on her plate around.
"What?" Dov looked, as was a normal response to Rita's types of questions, very bemused.
"I'm sorry. Never mind. It was a stupid thing to say, really. I don't know why I even said it." Rita slurred her words together, making them barely recognizable as words.
"No, it isn't that. No woman has ever asked me that before. I always wonder, but I thought it just wasn't kosher to actually ask. I like to talk a lot, but I've heard typical Americans like the dark, silent type. I don't know why I tried to be that kind of person. I wanted to impress you."
"You don't need to change for me to like you. I never understood that. How do you know what someone likes? What if they like who you actually are, but you try to change? Then they won't like you, and it would be your fault." She shrugged. "So I can talk. I didn't want to annoy you."
Dov threw his hands up in the air, upsetting a glass. He didn't notice the water trickling over his knee. "Why do you think you are going to annoy me so much? Have I inadvertantly said that you were annoying? If so, I'm very sorry, and I didn't mean it at all. You don't annoy me. I like you. If you keep asking me if you are bothering me, that is going to bother me." He blinked as he felt the water trickle down his pant leg. "Oh dear." Rita smothered a laugh at his expression, which was so helpless and adorable. She took a napkin, and handed it to him, then took a few more with which to help him. She patted his knee dry, while he took control of the table. When the area was reasonably dry, she took her seat and resumed the conversation.
"Now that I know I am free to speak, don't think you'll be able to get me to stop. I can't think of one person who can do that."
"I'll be sure to remember that."
"I'll ask the first corny get to know you question, then. Do you have any siblings?"
"Yes. Four. All younger. My youngest sister is 10, then my brother is 16, and my other brother is 18, and I'm 21."
"19 here, no siblings," Rita said cheerfully. "I'm a spoiled only child. I never missed having a sibling, though, because Peggie always lived down the street a few blocks, and there were lots of kids my age in the neighborhood. Read: suburb. Although I don't think allotments are all as bad as people make them out to be. Probably just because I've lived in one all my life. So what do you parents do?" She clasped her hands in her lap, happy to know how to act, finally.
"My father owns a store. My mother died eight years ago." He didn't look down when he said this, like people in movies do. He looked her right in the eye, which Rita was beginning to take as his trademark.
"I'm so sorry," she said, holding her head on her palm. "I didn't know."
"It's fine. How would you know? I never told you. What about your parents?"
"Well, my dad is an accountant. Mom owns a bakery. Eloise's Bakery. Not very original, but she gets a lot of buisness. She's probably serving her bread at the centenial party today. It was either this week or last week." She wasn't looking at Dov, though her eyes were pointed at him. She wasn't focused, and could almost see her mother, wiping sweat from her brow but perservering in the August heat.
"It must be hard for you to be without them." He reached across the table and patted her hand.
"It is." She cleared her throat. "But that's enough of my sob story. Time for another question. If you could meet any person, living or dead, who would you pick?"

They were standing at Rita's front dor, saying goodbye. Rita knew, from movies rather than actual experience, what usually happened at the front door. She didn't really want him to kiss her. Not on the first date. Not only was that unromantic, she wanted her first kiss to be important. Or at least memorable. She was trying to think of some way to let him know that she didn't want him to kiss her without seeming rude, or seeming to think that he actually had any interest in kissing her at all (which had not been proven conclusively) when he hummed a few bars of a song. It was a moment where Rita's heart sang praises for musicals, and also for guys who actually watched them.
"Well, a woman who'll kiss on the very first date is usually a hussy," she started, singing what he hummed.
"And a woman who'll kiss on the second time out is anything but fussy," he continued. He had a very deep and very attractive singing voice, Rita noted with not a little pleasure.
"But a woman who'll kiss on the third time around, head in the clouds, feet on the ground,"
"She's the girl he's glad he's found. She's his shipoopie!" They both laughed, and the tension was eased. He started to walk back to his car. Rita put her keys in the door, then stopped, and called after him.
"Dov!"
He turned around. "Yes?"
She took a deep breath. "Don't think this means I'll kiss you on the third date, either!" she said in a rush.
He made his deep chuckle. "I wouldn't dream of it." He got into his car, still humming the song.

This time Nicole was still awake. She sat in the armchair with her light on, reading a book and eyeing the door, just like a parent. "He didn't kiss you, did he?" she snapped. She was always much more irratiable when she was tired.
"No, he didn't kiss me. I'm fussy." She sat in the yellow sofa and glanced at the title of Nicole's book. "Why are you reading Cooking for Dummies?"
"Gaetano reccomended it. Would you tell me if he did?"
"Would I tell you if Gaetano reccomended the book?" Rita wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't make any-"
"No, you goober. Would you tell me if Dov kissed you?" She shut the book with a snap.
"Oh. Yeah. Of course I would. What kind of person do you think I am?"
"I'm just checking. You're back late."
Rita laid on the couch looking up at the ceiling, trying to make shapes out of the cracks in the plaster. She yawned. "What do you mean, too late?"
"I mean," she got up slowly and walked stiffly to the bookshelf to put the book in its proper place, "you're out past your curfew. Which would be twelve."
"I wasn't aware that I had one. I thought I was living on my own now, Mother."
"The reason is, I'm going to stay up, and I really can't stay up past twelve. I shouldn't even stay up after ten o'clock. Nothing good happens after ten o'clock. Things start to get a little nutso up here." She placed her forefinger in the middle of her forehead. "So it's really time for bed."
"You let me stay out late with Theo," Rita protested.
"Yeah, because Theo wouldn't do anything irrisponsible. Nothing too irrisponsible, anyway. I don't know Dov." She was halfway up the steps. Rita heard her retreating footsteps. She closed her eyes.

"Okay, you guys. It's the night before the first performance. This is really important. We're going to do one run through, and then we're going to go over any problem spots. Remember what scene you're going to be in next. We can't have anyone missing their cues like what happened last time. I'm not mentioning any names, Rosa." There was a ripple of laughter as everyone remembered Rosa blissfully listening to the dulcet tones of Josh Groban and completely missing her cue. After trying to ad-lib for a little while to give her time, Theo and Rita had finally alerted Dov to the missing actress. She was finally located in the dressing room, still in her last costume and humming with great gusto.
"Do we have to do all the sword-fighting?" Michael asked, whining slightly. He played Tybalt, now Tyler, and though he was a teenage boy, he hated the sword fights.
"Yes, Michael. I told you. This is the dress rehearsal. We have to do all the scenes." Dov was speaking with exagerated patience. Rita didn't blame him. Michael was enough to try anyone's temper.
"Are you sure we just can't cut it out?" Michael didn't seem to get the point.
"No!" Ferdinando burst out. "It is important! All of us like it much!" He started to talk sternly to Michael in Italian. Dov waved a hand at both of them.
"Ferdinando, keep a tighter grip on your anger. Michael, keep a tighter grip on your pain-in-the-rearness. We're doing the scene. It's important to the play. Characters die. You can't just cut things out because you don't want to do them."
Michael, judging from his pout, disagreed.
"Okay, so let's start! Backstage everybody!" There was a mad scramble as everyone but Dov, who was finally getting to sit in a real chair and watch the actors on a real stage, got into their places. Rita, although she knew it was a major no no in the acting buisness, peeked out from behind the curtains. She wanted to get it out of her system now so that she wouldn't do it when there were real people in the audience. Dov spotted her, and winked. She stuck her tongue out at him, and popped her head back in.

The run through went smoothly. Rita, even though it wasn't actually a performance, got more involved with her character by being on a stage. She loved acting off the stage, but being elevated, with the lights shining in her eyes and the chalkmarks on the black surface of the stage made all the difference in the world. Unlike many of the other cast members, Rita couldn't wait until she had an audience. She loved being the center of attention, and acting was one time where it was partially permissable. It was not permissable to upstage people.
The only bad part of acting, she reflected after the rehersal, was feeling so completely drained afterwards. She felt like a limp sock. She felt like a dog eared book. She felt like a maxed out credit card. She felt like she was using way too many similes to describe herself. She was called to attention by Theo's voice.
"Are you excited?" he asked, a gleam in his eye. Unlike Rita, he seemed to be more energized after a rehersal. "I am. I feel great." He cracked his knuckles. A month ago Rita would have been overjoyed that he was talking to her. Now she just felt the warm feeling of talking to a friend who enjoys the same thing you do.
"I'm excited, but I think my mind has been boggled. I can't believe that the play is tomorrow night. It's crazy! I feel like it's only been a few days since we started, but it's been two months, or close to it."
"Yeah." He leaned against the curtain. "And it's great to get to know so many new people. Georgette and I have really hit it off. She's a great friend."
"I've noticed," Rita said wryly. He missed her tone.
"She's really nice, and not too shabby as a flirt, either. What a girl. Nothing to you, of course." He bowed. How can he do that? Switch from one girl to another within seconds, and not think anything of it? Maybe I'm just not normal. Probably everybody does it, and I just never noticed. But no, Dov doesn't. She'd been out with Dov several times, and he'd never mentioned another girl he was still involved with, and he never flirted with any girls while she was there. He was respectful of them, and held doors open for them, but he never winked. He saves his winking muscles for me, Rita thought smugly.
"What are you smiling about? What's so funny?"
"Oh," Rita composed her face. "Nothing. Can't a girl smile for no reason?"
"No. You need to have a permit to smile. C'mon." His voice was cajoling. "Tell me."
"I was thinking about Dov. It isn't important."
Theo's eyes narrowed, but he changed the subject. "How's the house coming? I haven't been over in a while."
"It's great. Really nice. We're pretty much finished. You and Gaetano should come over some time."
"Yeah. He's really got the hots for Nicole. Have you noticed?"
"I wouldn't put it in such vulgar terms," Rita said haughtily, "but I've noticed he's fond of her. She doesn't seem to mind. I don't know if it goes both ways, though. She's never said anything to me about liking him as anything other than a friend."
"He'll be heartbroken."
"Don't tell him!" Rita gasped. "I wouldn't have told you anything if I'd have known you were going to tell him!" She punched his arm. "Have you no tact?"
"Not really." He grinned. "Of course I'm not going to tell him. I'm the king of love. I know all about the ways of the heart. That's why there are so many girls after me."
"Well, aren't we big headed," Rita remarked, only half kidding.
"I just had no idea before that so many girls could fall for me. I think every girl here has tried to flirt with me. Some are better than others." He had the tone of a wine conissouer, and Rita didn't like it.
"I didn't know that you were testing us all." She turned her back to him and began to roll up a extension cord. Theo walked in front of her, an expression of surprise and hurt on his face.
"I didn't mean you! It's just-"
"It's fine, Theo." She forced a smile. "I'm just tired."

She arrived early for the play the next day. Dov was there, walking across the empty stage. He was pacing it with his eyes closed. Rita watched from the door. It was a strange feeling, watching someone who didn't know you were watching them. Someone who didn't even know you in the room. He suddenly looked up, sensing her presence for some reason, her breathing or sound, or maybe some extra sense that Rita wasn't entirely sure didn't exist.
"You're early."
"I know. I was going to ask if you needed any help setting up, but you looked so intense I didn't want to disturb you." She came down the red carpeted aisle.
"I was envisioning the play." He went back to pacing, and his eyes closed. "It's kind of a tradition I have. It helps me to focus." He opened his eyes again and smiled at her in a way she didn't entirely understand. "You could start getting the back rooms set up. I'll be back there in a few minutes."
"Okay. Sorry to bother you."
"You aren't bothering me," he said. "You're helping."
She had only been sorting costumes in the prop room for a few minutes when, true to his word, Dov joined her. "Where do these go?" she asked, holding up a pair of gauzy wings.
"Wings? We have wings? We aren't using them, where ever they're from."
"That's what I thought, too," she said putting them on the ground in the 'not using' pile. "I thought maybe you changed costumes on me. Who are these shoes for, by the way. They're possibly the ugliest ones I've ever seen in my life." The shoes were indeed ugly. Made out of what seemed like plastic, the shoes were glossy and purple, with the most outragous heels Rita had ever seen. They were also pointy toed. "I mean, kick someone with these on, and you might put a hole in their shin."
"Use them on Michael," the director said with a groan. "That boy is going to be the death of me. I don't think I stand that... that... imbicile one minute longer."

She dug up a particularly stubborn root, and unearthed several pill bugs in the process. They promptly rolled up into balls. Rita laughed, and rolled them around with a twig. Theo came up behind her and smacked her lightly on the top of the head.
"You are supposed to be working. Stop playing with bugs. You act like you never did this when you were little."
"Maybe I didn't. Maybe you're supposed to be working, too, stooge. What happened to that?"
"What happened to labor laws? That thing it terrible! Is there any way to sharpen those blades? It's going to take me all day to cut the grass." He shielded his eyes from the sun. Rita smacked a hand lightly against his stomach.
"You could use the work out, sissy boy. I bet you couldn't bench press a hundred pounds."
"Could too. I could pick you up with no problem."
"Could not. I bet you couldn't." She folded her arms and tried to make herself as heavy as she could. He wasn't lying. He could lift her easily. "Okay, okay!" she said as the ground rapidly departed from her seat. "I get it, put me down!"
"Oh no," Theo smiled, one dimple showing. This made Rita very nervous. "I'll put you down in due time. Just enjoy the ride, babycakes."
She clutched his arm. "Put me down right now, you oaf. I need to weed the garden."
Theo stopped, his black hair flapping in the breeze. His face, already close to hers, came forward. "Are you sure you want me to put you down right this very second?"
"Yes!" Rita shouted, then hasitly observed the naughty glint in his eyes. "No! No!"
But it was too late. Theo dropped her straight into the creek behind the house without a second thought. Rita flowndered for a moment before standing up, completely soaked.
"You are going to pay for this, Theodore Brown. Help me up right now." The water was warm because of the climate, but it was the principal of the thing. She stood there, jean shorts chaffing her skin, Theo smiling down at her and eyes narrowed. She looked something like a wet cat after it's been given a bath. Theo was enough of a gentleman to help her out. Rita was not enough of a lady to keep from pulling him in with her.
Theo hit the water with a huge splash that sent Nicole and Gaetano running. He came up laughing and coughing. Rita stood over him, holind a large makeshift club in her hands.
"Now we're even. Let's join forces and get the other two." She put out a hand, both to shake on it and to help her friend up. Theo shook, and rose out of the water and walked menacingly towards where Gaetano's head had appeared through the weeds. He quickly came up behind his unsuspecting relative and pushed him in the creek. Nicole was even easier; Rita just reached a hand up and tripped her. This pulling of people into the water was clearly an act of war, so Nicole and Gaetano duly joined forces. Rita and Theo, who were not sneaky by nature, usually splashed wildly until they hit someone. Gaetano came up with strategies and Nicole carried them out.
"Hey, Rita!" a voice sang sweetly over her head. She only had a second to see Nicole perched in a tree before a bucket of water fell directly in her face. She laughed and coughed at the same time, and when she got the water out of her eyes, Nicole was gone. It didn't take many of these types of ambushes before Theo and Rita surrendered. They were forced to carry their friends piggybacked all the way back to the house (they'd gone further and further downstream as the war had progressed). It was getting dark by then, so Rita was not altogether miffed by the extra heat protacting her back. The girls allowed Theo and Gaetano to take baths first, since they had to go back to Gaetano's apartment and didn't want their car smelling like a creek. They finished quickly, and Rita allowed Nicole to take a shower while she saw the guys off.
"Thanks for coming to help. See you later." She blew kisses to each of them. Theo blew one back in a prissy fashion. Rita rolled her eyes. Gaetano half hugged her. Gaetano hugged everybody. He hugged other guys, he hugged old women, he even hugged people he didn't know that well. It was his way of making everybody welcome.

She was cold by now. The water in the white claw footed tub was steaming, and felt like fire against her cold flesh until she got used to it. Rita yawned, and felt like going to sleep right there in the tub. You'll probably drown, she thought. She pulled lumps of dirt and grass out of her hair and put them outside the tub. She didn't want her bath getting muddied.
As had grown to be her habit whenever she had a spare moment, Rita began running lines in her head. "What is this? Sleeping pills?" she muttered to herself. "No, that's not right. Where is my script?" It was on her bedside table, of course, where it always was. It was not helping her much there, and she couldn't go get it. Well, you can, but it would require leaving the bath tub which is really too much to ask someone who's been chased around by crazies all day. It'll just have to wait. She closed her eyes-
And thought of Dov? Where did that come from? She usually daydreamed about Theo. What did Dov have to do with anything? You're just tired, she thought, and forced the image of Theo into her mind. She felt a smile form on her face, adn she tried to imagine him telling her that he loved her.
Nothing. Absolutely no words issued from the image of Theo's face. Is that an omen? she wondered. No. No omens. I am not a suspicious person. I am reasonable and critical. All it means is that I need to go to sleep. She sluiced the dirt off her body, washed her hair and got out as quickly as she could. She wrapped herself in her robe, and as soon as her head hit her orange pillow she was asleep.

"Like, no way!" Rita squealed, opposite the woman playing her nurse. "There's no way his dad's a police officer! He's way too cool for that!" She put a hand to her forehead dramatically and looked up a the celing.
"I'm afraid it's so, ma'am. He told Ben, and Ben told Cara and Cara told Ashley and Ashley told Kyle and Kyle told Travis and Travis told Joye and Joye told me. And now I'm telling you. The boy's father is a police officer, and he's training to be one as well." She waited for Rita's reply, trying to look as if she were waiting for something to gossip about. Rita made her face as blank as possible. Georgette's, the girl playing the maid, face fell. "Oh well, ma'am. I'd best be on my way. The other women are waiting for me, you know. I'll just be off." She mosied toward the door, taking only a few steps before stopping. "You know, he was awfully handsome." She leaned forward, waiting for a responce. Rita turned away. "I would like to spend a lot of time with him, if I could, ma'am. But he's too good for the likes of me. A girl like you would be able to keep his attention, though." Still nothing. She took a few more steps. "I hear he's in love with Rosalyn, actually, so I guess it's no use my trying to get his attention." Rita's jaw twitched, and she spun around.
"In love with Rosalyn? Why, she has a new beau every week! If he won her over he would only have her won for a few minutes!" She spat the words, but tried to make herself understandable.
"Well, he's in love with her for all that," Georgette said with a wide smile, now that she had something to contribute to the gossip vine. Three of her teeth were blacked out. She shrugged her shoulders. "Good night, ma'am."
"That's good, stop for a moment." Dov said from his chair. Rita dissolved into giggles.
"I'm sorry," she gasped, "But that part makes me crack up. Georgette, you are great." Georgette dropped a curtsey. Dov, when Rita had gotten herself under control, winked at her. She was flaberghasted. Dov didn't wink, did he?
"Rita, I love how you're turning more and more into the lovable airhead. Georgette, you are almost perfect. I think you need to be just a little more gossipy. Push you glasses up a few more times. Pretend your chewing gum. I don't know, just do it, yes? Next scene." Dov sat back down, and Theo, Givovanni, Paolo and Franchesca came onstage. Theo brushed against her arm, but she didn't feel the blush rush to her face like she usually would. Stress, she thought. Chalk it up to stress.
As soon as Theo began to talk, Dov put a hand up. "No, no, no, Theo. You need to be more of the steriotypical hero. You need to thrust out your chest. Think a bit of Elvis, I think. Yes, Elvis. Hips and all, you know? Do it again."
Theo said his line, and tried to swivel his hips, but failed.
"Again." Dov barked.
"Hello, little lady-"
"Again."
"Hello, litt-"
Dov stood up. "Like this." He thrust out his hip with a cheesy smile. "Hello, little lady." He struck a pose, arm against his waist and weight on one foot. Rita couldn't keep from laughing. The whole thing was made twice as funny by Dov's accent. He smiled at Rita, a real smile, not the Elvis version, and went back to his seat. "Try it like that." Theo managed somehow, and Rita had another giggle fit, along with most of the other members of the cast, including Dov. "Very good," he commented as they acted. "Very good."

"Rita?" Georgette came up to her after practice, when she was waiting for Nicole to come pick her up to take her to work. Theo had left already, using his bike. Rita had one, but they still had the car, since Rita had rented it until the beginning of August, which was only three days away.
"Yeah? Great job with your part, by the way. It just gets better and better." She folded her arms. When will I learn that this place is cold? Rita thought.
"I have a question to ask you. It's kind of personal." Georgette, too, folded her arms.
"Why don't you ask me, and I'll tell you if it's too personal, okay?"
Georgina, a black haired and voluptious girl, looked a little uncomfortable. "Okay. Are you and Theo involved? I mean, is he your boyfriend?" She spun a lock of hair around her finger. "If he is, I'll lay off, but I like flirting with him, and he seems to like flirting back. I think he might ask me out, but I wanted to make sure he wasn't double timing you, or anything."
Rita laughed a little. "No, we aren't going out. We're just friends. I have to warn you, though. He flirts with everyone." She could tell as she said it, by the set of Georgette's jaw and the raising of her eyebrows, that her warning fell on deaf ears.
"Oh, that was until he met me," the confident girl said flippantly, and walked away. "Thanks for the tip, though," she tossed over her shoulder. She'll be sorry, Rita thought. A lot of girls don't pay attention, and they think he likes them more than the others. The only girl he says anything he means with is me. Unless I'm like that girl, and think that I mean more to him than I actually do. Dov's behaviour came to mind, as was happening more and more frequently. He didn't flirt with any girls. He was respectful and kind to everone she'd seen him with. He is so considerate, she thought, her gaze finding it's way to him. He noticed, and waved to her. She waved back, then heard a car horn. She jumped out of her skin, much to the amusement of many of her fellow actors, who were watching her wave to Dov. They laughed, and she bowed before looking out to see who it was. It was Nicole. She grabbed her umbrella and raincoat, and was attempting to get the raincoat on when a pair of hands came to her assistance.
"Let me help you with that," Dov's low voice was right in her ear. She jumped again, and she chuckled, straightening her collar in the back. "Your collar is always crooked. I thought I'd help you make it straight and tucked in. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," she said wispily, pulling her coat sleeves down. "I appreciate your help." She recovered her composure. "See you later, alligator."
"After a while, crocodile." She ducked out the door and into the rain before anything else could happen.

"So," Nicole slurped a soft drink. "How was practice?"
"Fine," Rita answered, shaking water from her coat and flicking it at Nicole. "I need a drink. Hand it over."
"I don't suppose you know the magic word?" Nicole continued to slurp, unperturbed.
"Open sesame. Alakazam. Honeycomb. Avada Cadavra. Hocus Pocus. Bibbity bobbidy boo. Melon." she rattled off before giving the correct answer. "Please."
"Your wish is my commmand. Don't distract me while I'm driving."
"All things considered, I think I should drive. Actually, I think I have to, according to the contract."
"You let me drive before. And Theo."
"I'm concience smitten. I need to drive. Besides you zone out an awful lot, and it's not too long before we can turn this baby back in. Which will be nice. I'm hoping to use the money from the play to pay for the rent on the house for a while longer. I'm not sure how long." Nicole opened her car door and got out. Rita clambered over the seats. Peggie would have complained about the wetness she was getting everywhere, or about how careless she was, but Nicole didn't even notice. They pulled out, and Rita watched the wet road carefully.
"Don't autogyro," Nicole said seriously. She had pulled out one of her ever at the ready to be on call and on the go books. How she fit them in her pockets, Rita had no idea.
"What? What does autogyro mean? Isn't that some kind of plane?"
"No. That's when your tires slide around and you lose control of the car."
"That's a hydroplain, Nicole! Where did you get autogyro?"
Nicole shrugged and began to read. "Whatever it is, don't do it," she said before becoming dead to the world.
"I wasn't planning on it," Rita said, even though she knew the bookworm didn't hear her.
Even in the rain, Rita found the countryside beautiful. Through the grey of the rain and clouds she could still see the colors that permiated the country. They whizzed by a sunflower field, the flowers heads facing the ground as rain poured over their muted colors.

"Hey, Mama? This is Rita. I was just calling to ask if-"
"Hello?" Her mother picked up the phone. "I told you not to call us anymore, Rita."
"I know, Mama, but I need some of my things from home and-"
"You aren't getting them. We payed for them, and they're staying here." Her voice was clipped and unemotional.
"That isn't true." Rita gritted her teeth but tried to stay calm and reasonable. "Some of them are presents from other friends, and some of them are things I bought with money I made. From a real job."
"No. I'm not sending anything to you. If you call again I'll notify the athorities."
Rita winced as the phone hit the reciever loudly on her mother's end. She made a sound between a moan and a growl. Nicole, sitting at the kitchen table eating pasta, looked up sympathetically.
"No go?" She took a bite of alfredo.
"No." Rita said heavily, and sat down. "I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't even listen. Grr. She's so- so-"
"Stubborn? Manipulative? Selfish?" Nicole suggested, pushing another blue plate of food at her friend.
"Hey, that's my mother you're talking about!" Rita said, stabbing the pasta.
"Sorry. Just trying to be helpful." She poured Rita a glass of water.
"Thanks, Nicole. Sorry. I'm just so frustrated. If I could get a hold of Daddy- But everytime I call it's her. And Daddy must have changed his work number because evertime I call that I get some Chinese dude. Which is most definately not my father." She moved her food around with her fork, unable to work up an apitite. "And things aren't going so well on the legal side of things, either. Aside from just becoming a citizen, which is no picnic to attempt, the easiest way to live here is to marry a citizen or to have some recent family member who was a citizen. There's no way that's going to work out," Rita stabbed her plate again, sending pasta sauce across the table, "because my Mom's side of the family is from Germany, and Dad's from Finland. His family moved to America with my Great Grandfather. Before that they built Saunas since the stone ages. No luck with Mom's side, either. All the other ways involve everything but signing away my soul. Possibly that, too. So maybe I won't be able to stay here, after all. I think I might need to buy that book, "How to Win Back Friends and Influence Parents to Let You Back Into Their Will." She finally took a bite of the food. "Mm, Nicole, this is really good! Did you make it?"
Nicole shook her head. "No way. I burn water. This was Gaetano's doing. He put it in the fridge last night, and I just heated it up. Microwaves are a wonderful thing, or I'd be dead of starvation by now. He says that as soon as my Italian is fluent, he'll teach me how to cook." Nicole beamed. "Then maybe we won't have to rely on someone else to cook. The only thing you know how to make is bread. Good bread, but bread."
"Hey," Rita said, eating with gusto. "It isn't my fault the only thing my mother could keep my attention long enough to learn was bread. That was sheer will on her part. 'No child of mine is going to get married and not know how to make bread.'" She posed like her mother. "Weird thing to think about, if you ask me," she continued, slumping back into her dejected posture. "Do you know any Italian guys I could marry? I'm beginning to sacrafice true love, here. I'm desperate."
Nicole pretended to put deep thought into it. "Nope. Well, I can think of someone who you could, but that would be low." Her face grew cloudy. "That corn boy."
Rita laughed. "Are you still upset about that? Geez, it used to happen all the time back home."
"One, I wasn't there. Two, you understood what those guys were saying. Three, they were guys you kind of knew, right? From school?"
"Yeah. So?"
"That means they knew you. They weren't just kissing any girl who looked nice. Let's talk about something else. You're making me make myself angry."
"I have practice tonight. That makes me happy. Very happy."
"How is it going? I heard a couple of the girls talking about a kissing scene that was happening. Is that you?"
Rita blushed. She'd been dreading the scene on stage. It wouldn't be so bad if it were some guy she didn't care about, but Theo? It didn't help that Georgette was hanging around him, and every time Rita talked to him the girl got a little protective. "Yeah. It isn't so bad as of yet because Dov isn't actually having us kiss when we practice. He says he wants it to look fresh and spontainious on stage. Which is all great for him, but I've never kissed a guy! I will have no idea what to do. I hope Theo has more experience than I do, or we're done for."
"You might not be. Go practice it with him." Nicole grinned slyly.
"I," Rita said, drawing herself up regally, "am not going to commit so wanton an act. Things will just have to go smoothly on stage. Or maybe we'll have a go at the dress rehearsal. I don't want to think about that. Right now, things are going fine. I wish we still had that dumb car. The ride there is going to be killer."
"I said you should practice when we had the car, so I could pick you up if worst came to worst."
"That's my problem, Nicole. I'm too lazy. I don't do what I need to do until it's too late. I heard someplace that you can tell a lot about a person by when they buy Christmas presents. You know, serious and sensible people buy them early, normal people buy them in November. Do you know when I buy Christmas presants, Nicole? I buy them the week before Christmas. I even have to go out on Christmas Eve to get stuff. That shows what kind of person I am. I'm a dumb person." She planted her face on the table. The silverware and plates jumped. A glass nearly tipped over on her reclining head before Nicole steadied it deftly. Rita moaned.
"I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. And my favorite shoes are in my closet in America. In Illinois to be more specific. Actually, they're not in my closet anymore, since nothing in that house, it seems, even belongs to me. They're in my parent's closet. Or my mother's closet, since my father obeys her every word." Her voice was muffled by the tablecloth. "And now my nose hurts because it sticks out from my face and my face is on the table, leaving no room for my nose. I'm going to get bone fragments in my brain and die." She sounded resigned. "What's worse, I just remembered that my shoes aren't in my mother's closet; they're in Peggie's, and if there's any place where I am less likely to get my shoes back than from my mother, it would probably be from Peggie. Great. Is it possible to die because everything is piling up on you? Wouldn't that be suffocation? I think I need some chocolate. But we don't even have any. That's how pathetic my life is."
Nicole patted Rita's back helplessly, and played with her hair. "Rita's hair, likes to dance, likes to dance, on her head!" she sang. Rita sat up.
"What does that mean?" There were tear marks on her face, and an imprint of a lace doily Nicole had made. Ignoring the dirt under her fingernails, Rita wiped her face off.
"It's just a song I made up. Do you feel better?"
"No. Not really. But at least I don't have to kiss anyone tonight."
Nicole patted her hand. "That's right. Go take a bath. You'll feel even better. And we do have some chocolate. Look in the pantry. It's only a Hershey's bar, but it's better than nothing. Be happy."
Rita lept up, knocking over her chair, and rushed to the pantry. She pulled out the bar with a yell of joy. "I've got a golden ticket! Do you want some, Nicole?" She broke it in half, and offered some to her.
"No thanks. It's yours. Now go!" She arose and pushed Rita gently up the stairs. "I also have some bath salts in the cupboard. Use them. I'll tell you when you have to leave." She walked out, and Rita shut the door.

"No, no, Pastor Tom. We want to be married." Rita giggled.
"But Juliet! You're father will have me killed when he hears about this!" Ricardo, playing Pastor Tom, quaked.
"No he won't, you big silly! He'll get over his little tantrum, and learn to thank you."
"I'm afraid he might have killed me when he gets over his little tantrum, as you say." Ricardo held up a hand in front of his face. The hand was shaking enough for even the people in the back to see it. There was laughter.
"He won't. Just marry us, and we'll be off!" Rita took his hand, and looked into his face imploringly.
"Oh, all right. But what about that man your father wants you to marry?"
"He's just some hit man. He won't ever win Daddy over." Rita laughed at the very idea of such a grimy, disgusting man marrying her.
"Okay,that's good for tonight. We'll stop there. Theo, Rita, I want to talk to you for a minute," Dov said, waving his hand to dismiss everyone else. "And be on time, next time, okay, Ferdinando?"
Rita made her way through the press of bodies on their way out to Dov. The setting sun hit his hair, making the dark brown look like there was a halo over top of it. "Yes, Dov?" she asked. Theo was already there.
"I wanted to talk to you two about your interaction. You don't seem as...close as you used to be. It's a little odd, because usually as the practices progress the actors get closer. Did you have a fight?" Rita and Theo looked at each other in surprise.
"No," Theo said, looking back at Dov. "Not anything big."
"Ah." Dov nodded wisely, rubbing his chin. "I wonder... Did you two know each other for a while before this?" They both nodded, brows furrowed. "I think I know what the problem is. Rita, Theo, you are thinking of each other as Theo and Rita. You need to think of each other as Romeo and Juliet. If you do that, I gauruntee it'll be more convincing. And don't worry about the kissing. It'll come naturally, trust me." He smiled. "You can go now, I just wanted to see if anything was wrong between you. I don't want fights breaking out among the cast."
"I understand," Theo said with a grin. "I wouldn't want that, either. I've gotta go, I'm running late for my other job." He sped off, and Dov turned away.
"Um, excuse me, Dov? I had a question." Rita almost tapped his shoulder, but restrained herself. She was not a little girl.
"Oh, Rita! Pardon me. I didn't realize. Go on." He turned around and patted her hand.
Rita was a little disconcerted, but went on. "Um, you said that- This is kind of embarrassing for me- you said that the um, the kissing would be natural? What if, hypothetically speaking, an actress has never kissed anyone in her life. What would you say she, um, do about that." She bit her lip.
Dov threw back his head and let out a large chuckle. "Why didn't you tell me that's what you were worried about, Rita? There's no problem with that! Theo has probably kissed many girls, he'll know what to do."
"But how do you know," Rita stressed.
"I know he's kissed at least one because I saw him." He noticed Rita's eyes widen, and put his hand up. "No, I'm not going to tell you who. But I would say that you have nothing to worry about whatsoever."
"But how can I be sure?" Rita knew she was being a pest, but Dov just smiled.
"You could kiss someone, I suppose." Was it just her, or was his smile a little suggestive. She remembered the wink. She blushed.
"I don't really have anyone to kiss," she stuttered. "I mean, not anyone who means it. Not that they need to if I'm practicing, but I don't know, maybe it would be nice if they actually meant it..."
"You have no boyfriend?" Dov's bushy eyebrows rose. "Do you mean it?"
"Yes, of course I mean it." Rita watched his face carefully, and saw some emotion flash across it. It looked surprised, but something else, too.
"Would you like to-" But Rita was not to discover what Dov wanted to do, because at that moment, Ferdinado ran up.
"Dov! Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?" Dov shook his head quickly, and turned away from Rita.
"No. I'll talk to you later, Rita."
"Oh good, because-" he went into a stream of Italian. I must really be annoying, Rita thought regretfully. He couldn't wait to get away from me and my stupid questions. And Theo kissed a girl? That brought him down a few notches in her book. She knew that he wasn't involved seriously with anyone because he did tell her about girlfriends. When he'd had a crush on Penny Hinklethwait he'd told her and Peggie, and when he'd gotten over her he told them, too. He still told Gaetano, Nicole and her about all the girls who flirted with him, and if they meant anything to him other than a little fun. Recently there'd been no one. Probably Dov was wrong, Rita concluded. It was probably someone else. Like that corn boy. she strode out the door with a mix of confidence and self-rightous anger, whether at herself, Theo or Dov she didn't know, and straddled her bike. She kicked up the kickstand, and pushed off.
And promptly fell over. She inspected her knee, which was only slightly scratched, and kicked the bike. "Dumb thing. I bet Dov could ride you." Where did that come from, she wondered. She mounted the bike again. This time she hit her stride without falling. Go me!
She rode this way, getting progressively faster as she grew more confident. The road was mostly level with no huge hills she had to overcome. She was fairly speeding along, when, as is always the case, she grew too cocky.
It was all the fault of her nose, which was itchy. She got up the courage to scratch it, but with one hand off the handlebars the bike wheel turned and hit a large pothole. Her bike flew one way, and she the other. This time some damage was sustained. She hissed as she peeled her jeans away from the cut, from which crimson blood was flowing. "I don't think all this dirt sticking to it is sanitary," she said, and tried to brush it off. No good. It stuck to her wet knee, and rubbing the skinned knee was a no-no. She glared at the bike. "Dumb machine." A car drove past, and slowed to a stop in front of her before backing up.
"Hey," Dov said, "Are you okay?" She turned around and realized that the black car was his.
"Yeah. I'm fine," she said, flustered. "I'm just great, except this stupid bike is trying to kill me." She pointed to her knee, then displyed it in all of its gory glory. He sucked in a breath sharply.
"That looks like it hurts," he said, getting out of his car. "How did it happen?"
"Oh, it's no big deal. I just scratched my nose, then went out of control and hit a pothole. It's not that bad, I've had worse in my time." She wished for a hair tie. The breeze was strong, and her hair whipped around her face and caught dust; probably not very attractive.
"But you'll probably have a hard time riding home. Those cuts aren't very serious, but it probably hurts to bend." He knelt on the ground to look at it. She bent her knee, trying to show him that it was fine, but couldn't help wincing. He looked up. "Yes. Where are you going?"
"I was going home. It's a few miles up this road, then a few more to the left. I'll be fine."
"I can drive you," he offered, and that same expression was on his face again. Great, she thought. Thanks a lot, bike. As if my director didn't hate me enough already. Now he has to drive me home. Don't talk too much, Rita. Don't talk at all. "It's not out of my way at all." He stood, and the same breeze that made her hair look ratty made his look like a movie star's.
"You really don't have to," she said, trying to let him off the hook, "but if you insist, I'd be glad to let you take me." She gulped, and repeated her urge to herself not to talk fervantly in her mind.
She ducked into the black leather interior quickly. "You can sit in the front, you know. I won't bite." He gnashed his teeth at her, and she laughed.
"I'm used to Theo and Peggie fighting over the front." She closed her eyes briefly. Don't talk too much, especially not about Peggie. "Thank you so much."
"It's no problem. I'm happy to help." He patted the passenger seat. "Now come sit up here. I can't see you if you're back there. And if I can't see it is no fun to talk to you. You have such wonderful expression."
Rita moved to the front. "You're too kind," she said demurely. She hated how she sounded. She sounded like some society lady. But if she tried to sound like herself she would undoubtably annoy him.
He looked at her oddly. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head? You don't sound anything like the Rita who came to practice today."
"Well, I'm trying not to be annoying." She covered her mouth. "Um, to be blunt, and all. I didn't mean to actually say that."
"Annoying? Who said you were annoying? You are a funny and engaging person! Let me at this person who called you annoying." He didn't look at her because he was driving, but he almost did.
"No one did," she said, taken aback. "I just thought- because of after practice- it's just-" She took a deep breath. "I thought today you didn't want to talk to me anymore because I was annoying. I was annoying. Aggrivating, immature, weird. Anything else."
He pressed a hand to his forehead, and pulled the car over onto the side of the road. Oh no. He's going to kick me out for being a pest. Or maybe he's going to kill me. There's a sunflower field right there. He's going to chop my head off and throw my dead body into the field, and no one will know where I am. Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.
"Rita," he said, bringing her out of her head, and into the real world, where the moon was out, and he was looking into her eyes. His eyes weren't green like Theo's, but they held her captive just like his did. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with color, she pondered. Theo's eyes didn't hold her as firmly as they used to, after all. "Rita," he repeated. "I wasn't angry with you. I was nervous. I was embarrassed. I was going to say that I wanted to get to know you better. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out and have dinner sometime. I was going to say a lot of things, but that wasn't the time. When Ferdinando came in I realized that. It was too public, and you were too distracted." And I'm not now? Rita thought sarcastically, until the words sunk in.
"Wait a minute, what? You were going to ask me out?" Her hand flew to her cheek, which was burning with a fierce blush.
"I was," he said, looking out the window. "I was and now I am. What are you doing Saturday night?"
"Nothing, I don't think." She couldn't believe that this was actually happening. From annoying to attractive in less than ten minutes!
"Would you like to go with me to Buono Sapore that night?" He looked at her now, and his eyes were bright. It struck her that he looked like a live version of the Saint George statue she'd seen in Florence.
"I would love to," she said faintly. He started to drive again. His normally serious looking face was broken into a grin. "Bene! I'll pick you up at eight. Unless you want to ride bikes?"
Rita shook her head vigorously, and they both laughed. They drove in silence for a while, until he pulled into her driveway.
"I'll see you on Saturday," he said as they both got out. He opened the trunk and handed her the bike. She rubbed the orange surface gently. Thank you, bike, she thought as Dov drove away, and the red dust followed his car. You might not have meant to, but you made my day.

Rita walked into Nicole's room and turned on the light. Nicole, who went to bed early and was a light sleeper, awoke with a start.
"I think I was wrong about Theo." Rita sat down hard on the bed. "How could I be wrong? I think that I'm actually interested in Dov. My director! I feel like some kind of crazy movie star. Except then I would have ended up marrying Theo, because he stars opposite me. And that's the way those things work. But I'm not marrying anyone."
"What on earth?" Nicole said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She looked at Rita's face and flopped back down. "Of course Theo wasn't right for you. He's too carefree with his flirting. You want someone who only loves you."
Rita's hands fell to her lap. "You mean you knew that all was lost with Theo? You knew that we weren't right for each ohter and you didn't SAY?"
Nicole sat up again, somehow sensing that Rita was not going to let her just go back to sleep. "If I told you, it would be too easy. I thought you didn't want anyone running your life. If I told you, that would be running your life. You wouldn't have listened to me anyway, and would have stuck with Theo no matter what if I'd have said something. So I didn't say anything. What caused this realization?"
Rita folded her hands. "Several things. I thought about kissing Theo, and nothing happened. I didn't get a funny feeling. I didn't even really want to. Then Dov told me that Theo had been kissing some other girl. I guess I realized what you just said; I don't want flirtation, I want something more than that. And I realized that Dov is respectful, and kind. He doesn't flirt, he says what he means. And I like that. Then he asked me out."
"That's wonderful. Now why don't you get some beauty sleep. You'll need to look your best." She looked Rita over. "What happened to your knee?" She looked more concerned about the injury than about Rita's love life.
"Nothing. I just crashed my bike. That's why Dov drove me home. And that turned out great. So everything's wonderful. You can go back to sleep now. I'm pretty tired, too." She yawned, and left the room. Nicole shrugged and picked up a book as Rita skipped out of the room.

Saturday could not come soon enough for Rita. ON that fatal day she rushed through all her hosehold chores and devoted the rest of her time to making herself as beautiful as she could. She took a long nap, took a long bath, took a long nap in the bath, slathered herself with lotions, brushed her teeth several times, ran two miles, took another bath, changed clothes too many times to count, and did her hair. Nicole left in the morning to work at the hotel. Gaetano picked her up.
"What's up with Rita?" He asked, watching her run around like a chicken minus it's head.
"Dov's taking her out on a date."
"Oh. What about Theo?" he whispered.
"Theo is too free with his flirting. She's over him."
Gaetano raised an eyebrow and rubbed the side of his nose.
"Hi, Gaetano! How are you?" Rita interupted the conversation robustly. "I'm just wonderful. I've got a date tonight. I'm happy. Are you taking Nicole to the hotel? Is she working overtime on a Saturday? You should be a little easier on her. She's a hard worker."
"Yes, she is," Gaetano commented, and looked warmly at Nicole. Nicole pretended not to notice, but looked a little proud as her chin went up. "I'm taking her to work, and we're going to work on her Italian some more. You haven't been taking lessons lately," he reproached.
"I'm sorry, Gaetano, I've just been so busy-"
"I know. I'm just teasing you. But I expect you to join her once your play is over. That's an order."
Rita snapped a salute. "Yes sir! But for now I'm getting ready for a date. And Gaetano, don't tell Theo about this."
"Wouldn't dream of it."

Dov pulled into the driveway at 7:55. Rita, dispite the odds, was actually ready, and met him at the front door. "Would you like to have a look around?" she invited. "I normally wouldn't just invite guys into my house, but you're special, and we just got some new furniture moved in. I'm proud." She adjusted her pink sundress, and led him into the living room. The couch was still there, along with all the other furniture, but Nicole had added several paintings and throw rugs, along with some fashionable lamps and bookshelves. He looked at those.
"Does someone read a lot?" he asked, fingering an old volume of Lord of the Rings.
"Yeah," Rita said, moving a pillow to a more attractive location. "Nicole. She's my roommate. Or housemate, rather. We're both renting this. We knew each other in Illinois, where I'm from."
"She has good taste in literature," he observed.
"She has good taste in everything. She decorated. Except for that lamp. I picked it out." The lamp was round and wavy. The shade was hand painted, byt Rita, with clumsy sunflowers, while the base was green with more sunflowers painted on.
"Did you do it?" he asked, inspecting it more closely.
"I did. It's not very good, though. It was just for fun. I really like the sunflowers around here. Wait until you see my room." Her voice squeaked with excitement, and she danced in place. Dov's shoulders shook with surpressed laughter.
"This is the kitchen, which isn't used very much because the only thing I can cook is bread, and the only thing Nicole can cook is hot pockets, Ramen noodles and frozen pizza. And she isn't very good at the last two, if you can keep a secret."
"I can cook," Dov said surprisingly. "I used to not know how, but when I went off to live on my own I had no roommate, and Ramen noodles get disgusting after a while."

Wow, really need to edit some junk.

"Alright, everyone, quiet, quiet. We're trying to get this play ran through. We're just doing a read through tonight, but you still need to show emotion. This is important, yes?" Dov clapped his hands as he spoke to get everyone's attention. Rita had already gravitated to some Italian girls who were nice to her so far, and Theo was explaining some Americanism to a few Italian men. They sat in their seats in the audience while Dov stood on the stage. Well, he called it a stage and audience, but since they weren't practicing in the actual theater, the stage was the middle of the room, and the audience was in front of whoever happened to be onstage at the time. They were practicing in some club meeting house, and the florecent lights did nothing for anyone's complexion. Although anything anyone had to say without seeming to judge them) they said nothing to Dov. He seeomed above all that peripheral junk, and highly focused. When he spoke, Rita felt terribly uncouth and crass. His accent and expressions made everything he said seem holy. Theo laughed at her for this viewpoint.
"He's just a regular guy. He's probably an actor. Don't make such a big fuss about him," he'd said. But Rita couldn't help being intrigued by his unruffled calm and organization skills. He somehow managed to pull 30 plus people together with only his voice.
"This cannot be right!" he exclaimed from the stage. "I am the director. You are the actors. You should be on stage. Get up here, all you in the first scene, and I will sit. We will try to time this baby, and see how things go." A few of the younger actors shuffled, but no one else moved.
"What? Ah, yes, I've forgotten the scripts! You don't know who you are!" He laughed, and reached into his briefcase. "Some of you know who you are, of course. The people in the choir are to stay for the first part, to see how things are going to run, then they're to go to the other room," he pointed to a door, "and practice with the music director." He clapped his hands again. "All right, all in scene one." Theo tapped Rita on the shoulder.
"What?" she whispered. He pointed to his script, to the name written along the top. In neat but elegant handwriting was written the word "Romeo." Rita's eyes widened and her eyebrows went up as she looked at his part. She glanced at Theo, who seemed to think it a great joke.
"Funny, eh?" he said quietly before running on stage.
You know what this means, don't you? This means you're going to have to kiss him. You have to kiss Theo. Theo who probably doesn't even like you that way. He said you were a good friend. He said he would stick with you. But he never, ever, never ever never said that he would like to kiss you. You're the only one who feels that way, Rita. She looked at her script carefuly, trying to get her mind off of Theo's part.

"Ms. Malone!" Someone was standng next to her, but since she'd successfully managed to keep her mind off Theo she hadn't looked up. She could dimly hear people laughing, but the blush that crept up her face seemed to have caused a ringing in her ears.
"You can call me Rita," she heard herself say.
"Rita." She looked up, and Dov was looking down at her. "It's time for you to enter." She had figured as much, so her blush only grew slightly redder when he said that. He took her arm, and walked her to the stage. "At least you were studying your lines, yes?"
She smiled at him, grateful that he wasn't trying to humiliate her as many teachers at school had done when she'd zoned out. She was so easy to pick on, partially because of her blush.
The scene she had nearly missed was the party scene, where Juliet and Romeo meet for the first time. Only in this version, the Capulets and Montegues were not warring households; Romeo worked for Juliet's father, who was secretly a Mafia leader. As a front, he owned a restaraunt, the one where Romeo worked as a waiter. Romeo's father was a policeman. They meet for the first time at the Christmas banquet, and fall in love.
Rita read through her lines, sitting on the cold stage floor, without really thinking about them. She still read them with feeling, but she didn't put herself into the lines. She looked at Dov occasionally, but could tell nothing through his serious appearence. He pulled at one dark eyebrow and his lips were compressed. He closed his eyes occasionaly, probably envisioning the blocking to be done the next practice. She already felt a cameraderie with her fellow stagemates, but she didn't know if that was wishful thinking or actuality. She watched behind the scenes features on DVDs at home and had always envied the way all the actors were comrades. She wanted a friendship like that, easy joking fun, sweat, hard work, but no strings attatched. They weren't people who would call you up at two AM saying that their husband had left them and could you help. They were the type of people you only saw for the practices, who you got to know well, but not too well. Rita wanted that balance almost as much as she wanted to act well. She shifted her weight, and felt the cold grey specked linoleum seep through her pants in a new place. Theo was saying his line. His deep voice sounded far away, and Rita thought that maybe she needed some sleep. She was really out of it, and she was pretty sure Theo noticed. He'd already shot her a few worried looks. After rehearsal, when they were wrapping up and Dov was noting a few comments he had on their performances, Theo scooted up to her. "You okay?" He put a hand on her shoulder."Yeah," she shrugged him off. "I'm fine. I'm trying to hear Dov. Shush."He backed off with a look of faux indignation, but was still worried, judging by how he continued to watch Rita. She finally ignored him and could concentrate on what the director was saying.
As she was leaving the grey room, and Theo noticed the moose head hanging on the wall, Dov pulled her aside."Rita," He looked right into her eyes as he spoke, and Rita looked away uncomfortably. She wasn't used to such directness. "Are you all right? You seemed a little...""Tired?" Rita supplied. "Yeah, I guess I was. I'll probably sleep in tomorrow- Oh, I forgot I'm going to see Michelangelo's David, so sleeping in is out. Anyway, I'm fine.""That's not what I was going to say, but that's probably part of it. You should get a lot of sleep. And bring a purfumed handkerchiff with you to the museum. It gets pretty smelly in there." They both laughed. "I was going to say that you seemed a little distressed. Are you having problems with any of your friends or family?" He looked pointedly at Theo."Oh, well, kind of. A friend of mine, one of the girls I was traveling with, got upset because I tried out for this, and to make a long story short, left to go home early in a huff. But I'm not really upset about that. No biggie." She shifted her weight to one leg, and crossed her arms over her blue tank top. The pose may have worked but for her bottom lip trembling. She hoped that Dov didn't think he knew her well enough to comment. She would have felt strange, and the director would have lost some of his heavenly glow in her eyes. Theo might think that good, but Rita wanted to keep him as perfect as possible.He smiled. Probably noticed the lip, she thought ruefully. He didn't mention it, but said, "I just wanted to make sure you were fine. You seemed a little distant.""I'll do better next week." She straightened. "I wasn't horrible, was I? I'm so so sorry! I'll do better, I just..." He didn't interupt her, but he obviously had something to say, so Rita trailed off."You did fine, I could just tell because I'm a director. It's my responsibility to look over my flock, yes?" She nodded."I have to go, Mr..." She realized she didn't know his last name, and was hopelessly thinking of something to say."Dov. Call me Dov, please. I'm not so much older than you, so there's no need to be formal.""Thank you, Dov. I'll see you on Thursday, then." She waved, and joined Theo in the hall."What did he want?" he asked curiously."Just seeing if I was okay. You'd think there was a prize for asking, or something. I'm absoluetly fine." She pulled her hair tie out and re did it."Okay then. Just being friendly, you know." He cracked his knuckles. She opened the car door, and climbed in. It was a sign of her distractedness that she let him drive. He had embraced the Italian style completely.
"Why don't you take her hand, Romeo? Juliet, you need to be a little more flighty. People need to see that this is puppy love, yes? Continue from line 13." Dov waved a hand at Rita and Theo as he spoke, and they nodded."Oh, Romeo-" she started. "Stop!" Rita turned wearily. "Yes, Dov?""I said flighty, not deep emotion. Have you read the original?" Rita nodded. "Forget it. This is not exactly the same. This is America! Girls don't fall in love at 13! They still think boys are icky, yes?""They'd like you to think that," Rita said, which caused titers from the younger members of the cast."Really? I never knew. And I thought little Rosa next door really hated me when I was 11. Start with that line, again please, Juliet?""Oh, Romeo, you are so smooth!" Rita said, batting her eyelashes and swooning. Dov clapped."Very good. Keep going.""We must be married at once," Theo said in a deep voice. "I can't wait another moment without you, Juliet!""Oh, my love, what will my father say?" Rita quavered."Your father?""My father!""I don't care about your father. We must go!""But you threw his best hitman in jail! He'll never accept you. You'll have to leave the country!" Rita collapsed in his arms with a small shriek. "I can never leave you, my love!""Nor I, you! But I must. You will have my heart, Juliet, and I'll come to get you as soon as I can." He left Rita to her helpless sobs."Very good!" Dov exclaimed, standing up. "But we need to work on that blocking a little. Romeo, would you really just push Juliet aside like that? No, you need to hold her, then lower her to the ground." The Italian used his hands a lot when he spoke. Despite this extra help, Theo looked confused. "Here, I'll show you." He took Rita's arm. "Do you mind doing that scene again?"Rita shook her head. "Oh, Romeo, you're so smooth!" She fawned over Dov, whose eyes crinkled with surpressed laugher. He held back, and delivered something close to Theo's lines without cracking a smile. When she threw herself into his arms, he held her for a moment, and it threw her back to the days when she was little, and put her head against her father's chest to hear the rumble of his voice when he spoke. It was much like the rumble she heard now, but she was carefully peeled away, and left alone, where she collapsed on the floor into sobs. She stood back up immedietly, and almost laughed as all traces of crying disappeared from her face."Do you see?" Dov said, a little breathless. "Do it just like that. No do that scene again. Great job, Juliet. You're really having fun with it."Rita smiled, and became Juliet.
"Nico-ole, I'm ho-ome!" Rita shouted into the hotel room. Nicole's head popped up from the chair."Hello. How did rehearsals go?" She was holding a book, but Nicole's cheeks were pink, and her clothes were rumpled."Did you just get in? They went great!" Rita beamed."Oh, yeah. Gaetano took me out. He and Theo are coming over tonight to play some board games and eat pizza. Plus he wants to give you a test to see if you've been studying your Italian.""Yeah, yeah," Rita muttered. She hadn't really been studying. She'd been too busy trying to see every sight there was in Florence. She was trying to convince Nicole that they had the money to take a trip to Rome, but Nicole wasn't biting."Also, I found a great apartment, and I think we should go look at it today. It's only a few blocks away, and we can afford it. We can't live in a hotel forever, you know.""Why not?" Rita grabbed a bottle of water out of the mini bar and unscrewed the cap. "That kid Eloise lived in the Plaza." She chugged some water."But her mother was paying. Something I don't think your mother will do, despite she and the adorable terror share a name. So let's go see this place. I've already been there, but I want your opinion. Theo can come, too, but he's not living there.""I know. He's sleeping anyway. That acting sure does take a toll on a person." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and took another drink. "Man, this water really does make me feel healthier. I feel one hundred percent better here than any other place I've ever lived.""All the more reason to look at the place. Let's roll out."
"Oh, Nicole! It's right out of a storybook! It's amazing!" Nicole was positively glowing."Not only that," she said, looking at the red brick house with as much pride she'd show if she'd built it. "Not only that it's affordable."Rita fingered the green ivy growing up the wall, and felt it's cool, smooth surface in comparison to the rough textured brick. She looked at the little garden filled with all types of wildflowers that Rita couldn't label; she'd never had a garden at home. The house was perched on a hill top, and you could see for miles around. It was 10 minutes out of Florence, and surrounded by countryside. Best of all, one of the many sunflower fields that Rita loved was clearly visible from the green front porch. They knocked on the deep red door, and a little Italian woman opened the door."Hello, ladies! Welcome! Come inside!" she said with a heavy accent. She was old and wrinkled, but wore a huge smile. Rita smiled back, and entered, followed by Nicole."Thank you," they said as their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. The inside of the house was filled with color. Brilliant yellows, purples, greens, blues and reds splashed the walls, and though there was little furniture, it was all unique. The couch was bright yellow and the legs and arms looked like solid slabs of polished but old wood. The coffee table was a green box, and the kitchen table was painted blue. It was small inside, but not too crowded. The woman bustled around, and motioned toward the yellow couch with busy hands."I'm Camila. I own house. I am renting it." She struggled with her English a little, until Nicole rattled something off to her in Italian. The woman's eyes widened, and she repied. Rita could understand most of what they were saying, but was at a loss to supply anymore conversation. Nicole was in take charge mode, now. Rita leaned back, and listened."Let's take a look at the upstairs," Nicole finally suggested to Rita, who nodded eagerly and led the way. The second floor of the house was just as brilliant as the lower floor. The walls were mostly olive green and cherry red."There are two bedrooms and one bath," Camila said in Italian. Rita curiously pushed open one of the doors. Inside it was sunshine yellow, and the bed, chair and desk were all a crisp shade of blue. She spared only a moment's thought for the decor, however. She was more captivated by the view. The sunlight streamed in through the open window, and she saw the sunflower field. The yellow walls seemed to become an extention of the field. Rita could also see the red roofs of Florence off in the distance. She went to the window, inhaling the breeze and feeling it brush against her face and ruffle the coarse blue curtains beside her."We'll take it," Nicole murmered to Camila, who's wrinkled face burst into a grin."Oh, graze, bella. Graze!"
Nicole was dreamy the whole ride back home. Rita looked at her curiously a few times, waiting for her to say what she was thinking about, but word never came. Rita was rather dreamy herself. They were actually renting a house! That was another step! Tomorrow I'll see about living here legally, she thought happily, and looked in the rearview mirror. She leaned across Nicole and patted the glove compartment."Safe and sound, I hope." She waited for an answer, but none came for a while."I'm sure it is," Nicole said. "The dashboard doesn't usually eat contracts, as far as I know. I've never owned a smart car, though, so they might be fueled off of the things. I have no idea." She fingered the glove compartment's lock. "You wouldn't mind if I started working at the hotel, would you?""Of course not! That's fine. Why are you asking me?""I just wanted to make sure that was fine. Gaetano offered me a job, and I think we could use the money. Speaking of which, we need to buy bikes. They're much more practical than cars, and we can't afford to rent anymore."Rita nodded reluctantly. She didn't really want to give up the luxury of driving, but Nicole was right. Renting for this long was expensive. "Okay, bike shopping is offically on the list. We only need one, right?""Uh, not if we both want to go to the same place at the same time. I think two would work a lot better. And I think you need to get some part time job. You might be able to work at the hotel, too. You aren't getting any money until the show's out, so we need some ready cash.""Sure, hotel," Rita said. "But I don't have to stop with the play, right?"Nicole stared at her. "Of course not! Where did you get that.""Nowhere. Never mind. Hey, look! Corn for sale! Let's get some!" Rita stopped the car sharply, and turned into the little stand. She opened the door and rushed out, hair flying in the breeze. She quickly purchased several bags of the yellow sweet corn, charming the young man at the counter without even knowing it. She spoke in halting Italian, and he tried to speak back to her."Hello," she said in Italian. "How much, please?" "Quanti costa, prego?" She pushed her hair out of her face, and smiled.The dark skinned man, he was probably in his mid 20s, held up five fingers."Five euros?" she asked. He nodded, then touched his cheek. "What?" she said in English, unsure of his meaning."Baciami." He patted his cheek again, and gave her a rougish look, one eye brow up, lips pooched."Um, just a minute. Aspetta." She made a time out sign with her hands, and ran to the car. Nicole rolled down the windows. "Nicole," Rita asked distractedly. "What does baciami mean?""Who told you that," Nicloe said, eyes narrowed.Rita pointed. "That guy over there. He said five euros, and Baciami. He pointed to his cheek." Nicole opened the door quickly, hitting Rita's shins. "Ouch! Jeez, Nicole! Be careful!" Nicole was ignoring her. She approached the man and began to speak very quickly and very sternly in Italian. The man did not look embarrassed, only gesured for the money, which Nicole gave, and handed over the corn. Rita had by then taken refuge in the car, and was cowering in the passenger's seat when Nicole entered. "The nerve," Nicole stormed, strapping her seatbelt on with a little more force than was actually needed. "I have never seen such... Such audacity in my life." She shook her head quickly, and Rita caught a glimpse of a tightly clenched jaw and eyes sparkling with anger."What did it mean, Nicole," Rita asked, screwing herself up to ask. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?""No," Nicole fumed. "You didn't do anything but be your usual charming and beautiful self. It meant kiss me."Rita laughed. "Why was that so bad, Nicole? Just a kiss on the cheek-""He probably would not have stopped there, Rita. He was a scoundrel. A nogoodink. He was unfit for human consumption. Think of something mean and there you go. I can't believe he had the nerve. Wait until Gaetano hears about this. He'll be astounded." Rita setled back into her seat, content in the knowledge that there was someone reliable looking out for her.
The house looked different already, even though all the furniture was still there. Some of the minor personal touches were there, but Nicole and Rita were already making it their home. A few pictures were hanging on the walls, and Rita had been installed into the sunflower room. Nicole had said it was too bright for her, anyway."It's a very pretty place," Gaetano said, putting a hand over his eyes and looking up at the exterior of the house. "I wish I lived here. Almost. I like my own apartment. It will be even nicer with a roommate. Especially a crazy American roommate like my cousin, Theo." He clapped Theo on the back. Theo punched him lightly on the shoulder."Yeah, good times. Good times." The phone rang. "Hey!" he yelled. "Someone get that!" Rita ran into the house from the garden, where she had been lovingly fingering leaves and flowers. She rushed into the purple kitchen taking long strides and snatched the phone."Ciao, this is Rita," she was slightly out of breath."Hello, Rita? This is your mother.""Mama! I miss you. How did you get this number? We just moved in yesterday, and I haven't called you about it yet. I really miss you and Daddy.""No enough, apparently, to come back to us. We just talked to Peggie, who told us this outlandish tale about your moving to Italy plan. Is it true?" Eloise's voice was crackly, but Rita could still tell the tone was sharp. It probably was a bit like the lemon grass she was chewing on, except more harsh. She sighed, picturing her mother's pursed lips, her elegantly plucked eyebrows arched."Yes, mama. I'd like to stay here. That's why I'm renting this house. How did you get the number, by the way.""The hotel gave it to me. Is it also true that you are acting again?" Eloise's voice was yet harsher."Yes. That is also true." Rita's tone was weary but firm. She fingered the phone cord and bit her lip."You've gone against our wishes in that, also, then. It it also a fact that you are romantically involved with that boy?" Eloise spoke the words "that boy" with the utmost distain."No. That is not a fact." No matter how much I wish it were, Rita thought to herself, but did not say. Eloise exhaled deeply."Thank the good Lord you have not sunken that low. I want you to come home right away, Rita Marie. You don't need to be away from us any longer. I can tell we're going to have to detox you as it is.""No. I'm staying here, Mother. I have a job, two, actually, I have friends and I have a house. I'm not coming back. I am not a child, and I do not want to go back home, where I will be coddled and treated like I have no mind.""I never said you have no mind, Rita. You have too much of a mind of your own, and I have always said so. If you don't need to come home to your family, then you don't need our money any longer. And you don't need to bother about calling us. We don't need you anymore, since you are so grown up. I'm disappointed to hear that Peggie was right in her appraisal of you.""What appraisal?" The phone clicked, and a dial tone sounded. "Great. I didn't want them to completely drop me. I don't need the money, but the support would be nice." She trudged out the door."Who was it?" Nicole asked, breaking into Theo's story about an Italian girl he knew. These stories bothered Rita a little. He had, by any other girl's standards, gone out with her several times, and yet he flirted with other girls constantly. He wasn't greasy, or anything like that, it just didn't seem to mean anything to him. It did mean something to Rita. She wished for a moment that Theo could be a little more like Dov. Dov always said exactly what he meant. She shook her head. I am not in love with Dov, I'm in love with Theo, and I'll just have to deal with his problems. At least he's not jealous. Jealous is worse. "Hello? Earth to Rita? Who called?" Theo said loudly, flapping a hand in her face."It was Mama. We can count her monetary and any other kind of support out of out budget. Peggie told her that I'm planning on staying, so she's angry. I don't know about Daddy. He didn't talk to me. He's probably amused. He usually is. Mama's just so uptight about me. Anyway, she's told me in no uncertain terms that she wants nothing to do with me anymore." She folded her arms. Everyone else looked stunned."Are you serious?" Theo asked, head thrust forward like a chicken about to have his head chopped off."No, I just made it all up," Rita said sarcastically."Whew," Nicole said, missing the irony in Rita's voice. "I actually fell for that. Don't scare me like that, Rita!" She laughed. Gaetano leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She dropped her cup. "You mean you weren't kidding? You were kidding? I mean, the first time you weren't kidding and the second time you were?"Rita nodded. "I wasn't and was kidding."Gaetano looked solumn. "A family is a big thing to lose, Rita. I'm very sorry.""I'm not, exactly. I feel almost free. I was worrying about what they would say for so long, I'm almost glad it's over, even if they did the worst.""We'll adopt you," Nicole said with feeling, and hugged Rita tightly. Rita sank into her embrace, and Theo joined in. After a little hesitation, Gaetano joined in."Are you sure you don't just want to go home, Rita?" Theo said into her ear."Of course I'm sure!" Rita said, pulling away."Yeah, of course!" Nicole repeated, hands on hips. "Do you think she'd rent a house if she wasn't sure?"Theo put his hands up in front of his torso, guarding himself from further attack. "Okay, okay, I was just asking. It never hurts to be careful.""Except if you're driving, apparently," Rita said."Hey, driving is different. You don't need to be half as careful as you do when you're living.""You won't be living for much longer if you keep driving the way you do now," Gaetano said, laughing."No more making fun of me about my driving. Let's get this garden and yard work taken care of. Stop slacking off, you all!" Theo picked up a manual lawn mower and tossed Gaetano a rake. "Rake something up, you wacko.""Yahoo," Rita added, and remembered Rita with a pang of regret. She picked up a spade and turned to the garden. The soil was so soft she hardly needed her tool. Camila had taken good care of the house and garden, although the yard looked a little mangy. She had explained that she was far too old to run around with the old push mower and it was too expensive to buy a gas one, so she had just let the grass grow. Theo ran past, grass flying out behind him, yelling. He whizzed by again a few seconds later, running pell mell and grunting."I have to get the thing going really fast to make it do anything!" He yelled the next time he went by. Sweat dripped from his forehead. Rita laughed, and pulled out another clump of grass. The soft earth felt moist and plesant between her fingers, reminding her of younger days, when she'd made mud pies and threw them at the mean neighbor boys. She tossed one at Nicole now, who was working beside her. Nicole squealed, and tossed one back. Pretty soon they were rolling around in the grass, gettting dirtier than little kids. They tussled for a while, until the heat made them want to stop. They went back to pulling weeds, much to the amusment of Gaetano, who was "raking something" a feet yards away. Within a few minutes they were tusseling in the grass again. Getano laughed, and leaned on his rake."You two are nothing more than little girls!" he said. "You had me fooled." Rita stuck her tongue out at him, and went back to weeding. She wuold ask Nicole, who'd had many gardens as a child, what the different flowers were. Hollyhocks, bluebells, and herbs danced through her mind."What's this?" she asked, pointing to a yellow flower with a black center."Black eyed susans," Nicole replied. "I can't believe you don't know any of this. I thought all little kids grew flowers!" She rubbed her face and left behind a smuge of dirt."Not me. Mama thought I'd get too dirty and unladylike." She brushed the dirt off her dress as she spoke. "I guess it makes sense, but I kind of missed out on simple country folk pleasures, you know? Too busy playing with my Lighty Brights and Water Babies, I guess. What's this?""Lamb's ear. That used to be my favorite, when I was little. It's not pretty, but feel it." She rubbed her fingers across it and smiled. Rita felt it, and was surprised that it was so soft. It felt like velvet kind of. Or some soft fabric, at any rate."I like it," she said, and pulled a leaf off the plant to stroke against her face. She smelled it. It tickled her nose, but the only thing she smelled strongly was damp soil and worms. She put the leaf in her pocket and went back to work. Theo ran past again. The grass strewn behind him looked more like it had benn ripped out of the ground than actually cut. Still, Rita considered. That is a lot better than using those shears to cut all the grass. By the time we would finish, the grass would be all grown up again where we had started.