“Okay.” Ross smiled at Hannah. “P.K. and I have to edit some of the footage we shot on our last day in New York, but that shouldn’t take too long. Do you want me to pick up Chinese for the three of us?”
“Count me out,” Michelle answered him. “Lonnie’s picking me up after rehearsal. It’ll be just you and Hannah again.”
Ross turned to look at her and Hannah knew she was beginning to blush, remembering what it had been like the previous night when they’d been alone. “Chinese would be good,” she said, hoping that Michelle wouldn’t notice the blush.
“Okay. I’ll see you when you get home, Cookie.” Ross leaned down to give her a kiss.
The kiss lasted a few seconds longer than just a casual good-bye and Hannah was smiling when Ross released her and turned to go. “See you later,” she said.
“More coffee?” Michelle asked Hannah.
“No, thanks. Let’s head out, Michelle. I have a few things I want to do before the rehearsal.”
“Me, too. I have to write up some notes and make a few calls.”
They were about to get up from the table when their waitress came by with the coffee pot “Want another cup?” she asked them.
Hannah glanced at Michelle, and Michelle nodded. “Sure. That way we won’t have to put coffee on at home.”
The waitress refilled their cups and then she turned to Michelle. “My sister told me that you came back from college to direct the Lake Eden Players.”
“That’s right. The college gave me time off to fill in for Tori Bascomb.”
“What happened to her was just terrible!” The waitress sighed deeply. “Is there any chance you might take over as director of the junior play at Jordan High while you’re here?”
Michelle looked surprised at the question. “I don’t think so. At least no one’s asked me. Isn’t there someone at the school who could do it?”
“My sister says no, and she probably knows. She has the lead and they haven’t practiced all week. Do you think the college would let you do it if we all signed a petition or something?”
Michelle thought about that for a moment. “Maybe. When is opening night?”
“There’s a Wednesday matinee the week following the Thanksgiving break. That’s just for the school, though. The real opening, the one for everyone, is the following Friday night. You don’t have to be back in school until the week following that, isn’t that right?”
“That’s right.”
“Could you call the drama department at Macalester and see if they could arrange something? My sister and the rest of the cast would be really thrilled if you could direct them.”
“Are you sure that there’s no one at the school who wants to do it? I wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”
The waitress shook her head. “There’s no one. I asked my sister and she said they asked the English teacher, but she said she’d never directed a play before and she told them she didn’t know the first thing about it.”
“Okay, then. I’ll call the college tomorrow,” Michelle promised.
“Great! My sister will be thrilled!”
As their waitress hurried off with a smile on her face, Hannah turned to Michelle. “Do you have time to direct two plays?”
“Sure. I can do it, but I can’t give you as much time at The Cookie Jar.” Michelle looked a little flustered. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I should have asked you first.”
“Don’t worry about that! I love having you there, but I have plenty of help now that Aunt Nancy has decided to be there the whole day.” Hannah gave a little laugh. “That waitress talked you right into it, didn’t she?”
“Yes, she did. It made me remember what fun it was when we did our junior play. I’d hate to see this junior class deprived of that. It really shouldn’t be too much work since Tori’s already laid the groundwork and I’m just taking over for the last week or two.”
“Three.”
“Okay, three. But I’d really like to do it. I wonder if they have a drama class. I might be able to fill in there, too.”
“You’re willing to do that much work?”
“It’s not really work.”
“What is it then?”
“It’s . . . research. I might really like to teach high school drama. And if I take over an existing class, I’ll find out if I like it, or not.”
Hannah was surprised. “Do you think you might like to be a teacher?”
“Maybe.” Michelle gave a little shrug. “I don’t know yet, Hannah. Maybe I’d like to settle down right here in Lake Eden and teach at Jordan High.”
“I thought you were going to give acting a chance and eventually own and manage a little theater.”
“I might do those things first. And if acting doesn’t work out, and neither does the theater thing, I could come back here and teach. It could be a fallback position for me.”
“I see.” All sorts of things ran through Hannah’s mind like flashes of lightning in an electrical storm. Michelle was young. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. What if she was considering coming back to Lake Eden, marrying Lonnie, and settling down right here in town?
“Don’t worry. I won’t,” Michelle said.
“Won’t what?”
“Just marry Lonnie and settle right here without trying anything else first.”
Hannah blinked and stared hard at her sister. “You knew what I was thinking?”
“Yes.” Michelle laughed. “It was probably that worried look on your face that tipped me off. I’m not going to ‘settle’ for anything, Hannah, but I’m not discounting the notion that ending up right here in Lake Eden might turn out to be exactly what I want to do with my life.”
*
Several loads of laundry and five hours later, Hannah and Mike applauded loudly. Mike had dropped by the condo just as Hannah and Michelle were leaving for rehearsal and decided to watch with them.
“What’s next?” Mike asked Hannah.
“Rod’s going to take some photos of the cast to put in tomorrow’s paper,” Hannah explained. “He thought it would be a good advertisement for the play.”