Wild Trail (Clean Slate Ranch #1)(81)
But opening night performances drove Wes nuts, so he was in the kitchen, bothering Miles while he tried to keep up with the appetizer orders. Apps went out first. The show didn’t start until all entrees had been served, so as not to interrupt the flow.
“Fire two calamari, three crab dip, six ahi rolls,” the kitchen manager called out as more tickets rolled in.
Miles surged into motion, grabbing the appropriate food and dancing around Wes, who couldn’t stop bouncing from foot to foot. Miles made the ahi rolls faster and better than any of the other prep cooks, searing the tuna just right before tucking it into a spring roll wrapper with homemade slaw and a spicy house sauce. The restaurant had a reputation for made-to-order food, with only a few made-ahead exceptions.
Wes hadn’t eaten since lunch, and his stomach gurgled unhappily. He was tempted to grab something off the prep station, but Miles would probably smack his hand with his knife. Besides, food would only make him feel more nauseated about the show.
“Don’t you have makeup to put on?” Miles asked after he tripped over Wes for the second time in three minutes.
“It’s on,” Wes replied.
“Vocal chords to warm up?”
“I did my rhymes, but this isn’t a musical.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Is there any place you can be other than underfoot?”
“I’m sorry, I know I’m being an oversensitive jerk. I’m always nervous before a new show.”
“I know,” Miles snapped, “which is why I’m trying to be nice and accommodating, but I also have work to do. Besides, the apps are almost done and you’ll have to perform soon.”
“Fuck me.”
“You’ll be great. You always are.”
Miles’s confidence helped boost Wes’s. A little. “Thanks.”
“Break a leg, okay?”
“Yeah.”
*
Wes felt silly later for how worried he’d been, because the play went off without a hitch or single missed line of dialogue. All of the light and sound cues were correct, and when they went out for curtain call, the audience roared. Wes basked in the attention. While Hollywood had been his dream, there was something wholly unique about a live performance in front of an audience. A certain adrenaline rush that nothing else matched.
He floated on that rush afterward while he changed from his costume to his street clothes in the green room. They had curtained areas for the shy folks, but Wes had never been accused of being shy. After chatting with his cast members—including Gary, whose sister was back at work and doing well—Wes headed out the back door of the restaurant to where the employees parked.
Only to find himself engulfed by Mack’s broad, tall form in a smothering hug. Mack lifted him right off his feet and twirled them both once before setting him down again. Wes gaped helplessly at Mack, and at Reyes, who stood off to the side with a smiling Miles.
“You came to the show!” Wes said, still not quite sure this was real.
“Of course I did,” Mack replied, pride radiating in his smile. “When you mentioned a new show opening tonight, I called Miles and we plotted.”
Wes cast Miles a wide grin. “You are a sneaky son of a bitch, do you know that?”
“Yeah.” Miles shrugged. “Plus, Mack has never seen you act before. He deserves to see how talented you are.”
Some kind of silent message hid inside those words. Tell him about the script. You’re really good and he’ll see that. Take a chance and trust him.
“You’re incredible,” Mack said. He pressed a hard kiss to Wes’s mouth. “I’m absolutely blown away.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re my boyfriend,” Wes teased.
“Will it help if I say you’re really good?” Reyes asked. “Because you’re really good, so stop fishing for compliments.”
Wes laughed as he leaned into Mack’s chest. “I was terrified at first, but once I hit the stage, I lived it, you know? I had so much fun.”
“I could tell,” Mack said. “You’re a natural.”
“Thank you.” More than anything else in the world, Wes wanted to hear that kind of praise from Mack. “That means so much to me.”
*
Mack tried to ride the high of seeing his boyfriend perform live theater, of seeing how amazingly talented he really was, but dark thoughts kept trying to ruin the moment. Thoughts of Wes wasting his talent in dinner theater when he deserved Broadway. Thoughts of Wes deciding he needed more than what he had here and going back to Los Angeles. Thoughts of losing him, just when Mack had found him.
No, he pushed those thoughts aside and basked in Wes’s glow. His excitement was infectious, even if it poked at Mack’s ego a little. Mack had had silly thoughts of asking Wes to become part of his ghost town attraction, to play a character in the reenactments of bank robberies and bad guys for tourists, but Wes was meant for bigger things. Anyone with taste could see that.
Wes wouldn’t be acting in his dinky little ghost town. It had been a silly thing to dream about, anyway.
“You wanna go out for drinks?” Mack asked. “Celebrate an amazing opening night?”
Wes’s blue eyes gleamed. “Definitely.”
Their quartet barhopped several times, with casual conversation scattered throughout and Miles acting as both guide, and eventually, as designated driver. Wes downed a Long Island Iced Tea at each venue, with Mack and Reyes sticking to beer, so Wes was pretty drunk when they all arrived back at his apartment. He clung to Mack possessively, which worked because Wes was having trouble standing, and the whole thing was pretty damned amusing.