“What is your emergency, sir?” the 911 dispatcher asked. “What happened?”
Carmelo wanted to tell exactly what happened, but then he looked at the gun. It was undoubtedly unregistered. And he thought about both men, especially the main one: the boss. That man was no amateur. He knew what he was doing. “I shot myself,” he said. “I found this gun on the beach, didn’t know who it belonged to, and I shot myself.” Then Carmelo cried out as the pain intensified. “Send an ambulance,” he yelled. “Why are you asking me all these questions for? Send an ambulance now!”
And Carmelo thought about Roz through his agony. And how he always thought he got her good. But now, as he laid there, as he waited for the ambulance to arrive, he couldn’t believe how good she got him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Over the next several months, the relationship between Roz and Mick grew stronger. What surprised Roz was Mick’s level of commitment. He seemed determined to make it work. He came to town often, sometimes three times per week, just to spend time with her. He had businesses in New York, but none of them demanded that kind of attention. Whenever he was in town, he spent nearly all of his time with Roz. Her acting class was still going strong, even if her acting career continued to wane, but because she had Mick, because her life was no longer revolving around getting some elusive big break, she loved things just the way they were.
Until she got a call from Barry.
It was a Thursday night. Mick was in Philly taking care of business and Roz was at home, in for the night she thought, handling her own. But Barry called. He wanted her to come down to the rehearsal hall. He had a part for her in his current Broadway play. “We had to fire one of the actresses,” he said over the phone. “I thought about you. Come over to the theater and we’ll talk.”
Roz was certain that this was all Mick’s doing, so she took what should have been great news with a grain of salt. “I couldn’t get a part in your chorus line a few months back,” she said skeptically, “but now you want me as one of your featured actresses? This has Mick written all over it.”
“I knew you would think that,” Barry said. “But I’m telling you it’s not true. I haven’t spoken to Mick since you and he had dinner at my house. I’m his friend, I love him to death, but that’s how he treats me. Once per year, sometimes twice, he might give me a call or drop by. Mick has nothing to do with this. The fact that you’re dating Mick has nothing to do with this.”
Roz wondered how Barry would know she and Mick were still dating if he hadn’t heard from him, but she also knew that New York was a small big town. Word spread like wildfire. And she wasn’t going to look that gift horse in the mouth any longer. She agreed to meet.
She arrived at the rehearsal hall in the middle of set runs. Barry was in the middle of it all, as usual, but he managed to pull away when he saw Roz.
“You made it,” he said with a grand smile.
“You convinced me that Mick wasn’t behind your decision,” she said.
“On come, Roz. He doesn’t control me in that regard. But come with me. I need to explain this part to you carefully. You have some big shoes to fill,” he added, as he began walking away.
Roz hurried behind him, and followed him upstairs to one of the private rooms. “Why did you have to fire her?” she asked as they walked.
“Too many demands. Lack of chemistry. A plethora of reasons. We’re glad she’s gone.” Then Barry glanced back at Roz as she hurried behind him. “But I will not tolerate all of that diva drama with you.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Roz said. She was surprised that she wasn’t more excited. Just a few months ago and this would have been like a dream come true. But now that she had Mick, she realized how limited everything else affected her. Especially since it was Barry giving her this break. Especially since Barry wouldn’t give her the time of day just a few months ago.
“We’ll talk in here,” he said, unlocking one of the private rooms. He and Roz went inside. He closed the door behind them.
But when they got into the room, and Barry leaned against an old discarded desk, Roz felt strange. He was a very busy man. Why was he lingering like this? “So which part is it?” she asked. Normally, the director would give the new actress the Book and do some dry line runs with her. But Barry was just sitting there staring at her.
Roz began feeling uncomfortable. “Okay now, what is this about, Bare?” she asked.
“Why it’s about you, Roz,” he said. “It’s always about you.”
Roz frowned. “What’s always about you?”
“You want in?” Barry asked her. “Would you like to be in my play?”
Roz was puzzled. That was the reason why she had come. “Yes,” she said.
“The part is yours if you give me some and give it to me raw.”