Free Lights Out Tonight by Mary Jane Clark Page B

expectations?”
    Meg shrugged. “I guess so.”
    “Do you feel your acting is improving?”
    “It’s hard to say,” Meg responded. “I’ve gone to the acting classes, but I haven’t gotten a part in any of the plays I’ve auditioned for.”
    “I gather it’s a very rare thing for an apprentice actually to get a part in one of the Main Stage productions.”
    “It is,” said Meg. “But I haven’t even gotten a part in any of the one-acts.”
    The arrival of their dinner saved Caroline from having to give a lame pep talk—she was relieved to have the respite. She so wanted a good relationship with Meg, but their conversations were always so strained.
    “Good, isn’t it?” asked Caroline after they’d both taken a few mouthfuls of noodles.
    Meg nodded as she chewed.
    Caroline tried again. “It’s an accomplishment that you’ve been picked to appear in the cabaret this weekend, Meg. I know your father is thrilled about that. He’s so excited about seeing you perform.”
    “Well, I guess he would be after paying for all those acting and voice lessons.”
    “He’s very proud of you, Meg. And he loves you very much.”
    “I know that.” Meg pushed her plate away and sat back in her chair.
    “That’s all you’re going to eat?” asked Caroline.
    “I’m not that hungry.” “Don’t you feel well?”
    “Honestly?” Meg asked. “Honestly, if you must know, I feel pretty sad. Two of the apprentices were killed in a car accident last weekend.”
    “Yes, I read about that in the newspaper today,” said Caroline. “Did you know them very well?”
    “I didn’t know the guy much, but I knew the girl. Amy and I were assigned to pick up cigarette butts and trash from the lawn in front of the theater the week we arrived, and I liked her right away. We’d been hanging out a lot together this summer.”
    “I’m sorry, Meg. I really am,” said Caroline as she placed her fork at the side of her plate. “The paper said they had been smoking pot.”
    “So?” Meg looked directly at her stepmother. “Does that make it any less sad? Does that mean they had it coming because they got high?”
    “Of course not, Meg. I didn’t mean that at all. It was just an observation.”
    As Caroline listened to her own response, she realized she was forever tiptoeing around her stepdaughter. Over the months she and Nick had dated and then been married, Caroline had tried to be patient, but she was getting tired of editing herself so as not to offend Meg in any way.
    “Oh, before I forget, here’s the makeup and moisturizeryou wanted.” Caroline pulled a paper bag from her tote. “And I got those leather sandals from your closet.”
    “Thanks.”
    As she handed the shopping bag to Meg, Caroline decided she had to say something about what she’d found. “You know, Meg,” she began, “when I was in your closet, I came across something that worries me.”
    Meg snapped. “What were you doing snooping around my room?”
    “I wasn’t snooping, Meg. That bag of marijuana and rolling papers must have fallen from the closet shelf to the floor. At least I guess that’s what happened. You didn’t leave that stuff out where anyone could find it because you wanted to be caught, did you?”
    “Of course not.” Meg frowned. “But it’s really not a big deal, Caroline.”
    “I bet those two kids who died didn’t think it was a big deal either.”
    Meg said nothing.
    “Look, Meg, at this point I’m not going to mention anything to your dad, but I’m very concerned. I want you to promise me that you’ll never mix drugs with driving.”
    “All right,” said Meg, “as long as you don’t worry my father with any of this.”

 C H A P T E R 
28
    The lights in the studio were on far later than usual as Remington studied his portrait of Belinda Winthrop as Valerie. After having seen the run-through of Devil in the Details, he was devastated that he hadn’t captured on canvas what he saw onstage.
    He