We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall

Author:Susie Orman Schnall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 2020-06-15T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Vivi

Friday, June 9

“Vivi, dear, you were gorgeous out there. It was like watching a swimming angel!”

“Thank you, Ed. I’m so pleased that you thought so.”

Ed had been waiting for her outside of the dressing room after that night’s eight-thirty show.

Now she was sitting at her dressing table, wiping off her makeup and blotting the grease from her hair. They had canceled the ten-thirty performance. Once they’d put the sign out front that said Johnny Weissmuller wouldn’t be performing the final show, tickets stopped selling. Ed decided to call it a day and send everyone home early for the night. Vivi was ready to swim again, especially with Dean, but she didn’t mind getting some rest. She’d be doing four shows a day for the next four months.

She felt like there were fireworks going off inside her. She had accomplished what she had set out to do. She had learned the part and she swam it well. She didn’t miss a mark or a stroke and the audience rewarded her with applause and shouts.

Dean was a marvelous partner, even better than Johnny. It was hard to explain, but she likened Dean to a generous lover. Johnny went out there, swam his part, and expected Vivi to hold her weight and be there for him when he needed her. Dean was different. He swam in a way that made her feel like she was shining, as if he were supporting her, as if he were reading her body and responding intentionally.

Once the show was over, Vivi learned Johnny was suffering from severe gastrointestinal distress. Ed reassured the cast that Johnny would be fine tomorrow and the show would go on.

She delighted in the comments and congratulations she was receiving from the other cast members.

“Every time I wasn’t in the pool, I watched you from the wings,” Sadie said, sliding a chair next to Vivi’s and locking eyes with her in the mirror. “And you were incredible, better than Ruby or Eleanor had ever been,” she said, whispering the last part so she didn’t have to deal with any side-eye from a Rubette.

“Oh, thank you, Sadie. You have no idea how much that means to me,” Vivi said, doubting the comparisons to Ruby and Eleanor were true but enjoying the compliments nonetheless. When Sadie asked if she wanted to join her and some of the other swimmers and divers at the Rheingold Bar in the Sun Valley Pavilion, Vivi felt bad turning her down, but she was already imagining her bath and her bed and the luxurious sleep she would have, dreaming about how well the show had gone.

“Not bad.”

Vivi looked up and caught eyes in the mirror with Ruby, who was standing behind her. “Thank you, Ruby,” Vivi said kindly. “You taught me everything I know.”

“You didn’t let me down, so that’s good. You girls coming to the Rheingold for drinks?”

“I am,” Sadie said, “but Vivi needs her beauty sleep.”

“I’ll join you all next time,” Vivi said as she finished packing up her bag so she could leave.

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