The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison

Author:Nicola Harrison [Harrison, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

* * *

The only singing I heard as I rushed out of the cabin in bare feet, my shawl wrapped hastily around my shoulders, was the sound of coots and warblers making themselves known well past dawn. Our Follies group would be packing up and moving on to the next camp after breakfast, and I’d promised to meet Alberto on the lake one more time beforehand. He was staying only a few more days, and then he’d be heading to Philadelphia for a show, then back to Italy.

Archie and I had both slept in, and when I woke, I had to peel myself away, not wanting to leave him sleeping soundly next to me, but eventually I tiptoed out of bed. I climbed into the first boat I saw and rowed out on the lake in hopes of catching Alberto at the tail end of his vocals, just to say goodbye.

“Yoo-hoo,” I called out. The lake was smooth as glass, and there was barely any fog. I could make out the shape of his canoe from a long way off, but there was no sign of Alberto. “Ciao, Alberto,” I called out. Could he have gone for a swim? I wondered. But the water was calm all around, and the air was too cold at that time in the morning.

“Hello,” I called again as I approached. He popped up from lying flat in the canoe with an arm over his eyes.

“I thought you do not make it,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

“I thought you’d drowned,” I said.

“I did. In last night’s wine. My head is booming.”

“Does that mean we’re not warming up?”

“Absolutely not. But the air out here is helping il mio mal di testa.” He rubbed his temples.

“I know how you feel. I didn’t go to sleep until three in the morning. Archie and I sat out by the campfire.”

“Are you innamorata?”

“Well, it’s a bit soon for that,” I said, feeling myself blush but unable to keep from smiling at the thought of Archie’s touch.

“I always know immediately if I’m in love.”

“You make it sound like it’s a regular occurrence.” I laughed. “How many times have you been in love?”

“Molte, molte. Too many times. You?”

“Molte,” I said with my hands.

The truth was I’d never been in love before. I hadn’t allowed myself the time or inclination—I’d had one goal, of becoming a star, for as long as I could remember.

And yet the thought of leaving the camp and not seeing Archie again for a while weighed heavily on me. I’d be traveling to the other camps for the rest of the tour and it was only mildly likely that Archie would be in Manhattan upon my return. I’d taken every opportunity I had to be around him during my time there. I walked by boccie ball games in the afternoon, I stayed around the campfire long after the other performers went to bed. I even found myself wanting to rush through rehearsals to see him again, and now, after

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