Free All My Tomorrows by Colette L. Saucier Page B

have to be in Louisiana by the end of the
month.”
    “Louisiana in August. Ech. At least that’s during
the Olympics so I don’t have to send you off to a medical convention or
something.”
    “Well, that’s the thing I need to talk to you
about. I don’t want to come back.”
    Alice thought she must not have heard correctly.
“What?”
    “I’m leaving All My Tomorrows, Alice. I
need you to write me out.”
    “Shit – how long do you have to be on location?”
    “It’s not just this film. I really want to give
this a shot. Don’t hate me for saying it, but I don’t want to spend my entire
career on a soap.”
    “Of course I don’t hate you. I feel the same way.
Don’t you dare repeat this, but I do want something more. As long as you don’t
kick me out of your life, I want you to have everything you want.”
    “I would never let you out of my life. In fact, I
wanted to see if you would come with me on location.”
    “Louisiana in August? No way. Not happening. You
might have to suffer for your art, but I don’t.”
    “I’ve been so worried about telling you. I’m sorry
you have to change the storyline.”
    “Well, I’m sorry, but I will not kill you.” The
bartender stopped mid-pour at Alice’s declaration.  “I refuse to kill you off,
just in case you want to come back. Peter’s leaving, so you can go visit him to
spend time with your devastated brother, and while you are there, you meet the
man of your dreams.” Speaking of which… “Now I have to find out when
Rich is getting here.”
    Alice set off on the journey to the front of the
house, stopping only to speak to Jack-and-Giselle – they were joined at the
hip, after all – and with a few missteps along the way. She finally retrieved
her purse from the “cloakroom” and pulled out her cell. A text.
    Still in malb not gonna make it sorry prob
better not to spoil the party by pissing off vold
    She would have thrown the phone across the marble
tile except she really liked the case, but she did shove it back into her purse
with great force. That’s it. I’m going to go . Except she had not eaten
much all day, and the three glasses of champagne had gone straight to her head.
    “Fuck it.” She tossed her purse down and marched
toward the party.  She barely knew this guy; she was not going to let his
non-appearance prevent her from having fun with her friends – really the only
family she had.
    Alice had not counted how many glasses of
champagne she had, but it must have been quite a few to get her out on the
patio dance floor. She had to admit, the band could imitate just about any song
from the eighties like a New Wave mynah bird. In fact, although she didn’t know
whether to credit her friends or the upbeat music or the champagne – perhaps
the combination – she could not remember the last time she had had so much fun.
She and Eileen and Jack and Giselle were hopping around frenetically under the
stars and twinkling lights to some song she didn’t even recognize but sounded
like eighties pop.
    After ten or more fast songs in a row, the music
stopped, and a saxophonist came into the stage lighting. As the opening riff
for “Careless Whisper” began, Jack-and-Giselle again became a unit, and a
cameraman took a laughing Eileen into waltz position.
    Alice turned to leave the dance floor and stopped
just short of walking into Peter. Before she understood what was happening, he
had taken her hands and tugged her toward him.
    “Where’s Winnie?” she asked.
    He furrowed his brow and peered at her through
squinted eyes. “Why would she be here?”
    He stepped forward as she resisted. “I’ve been
dancing – I’m all sweaty.” She was, too. Her blouse clung to her chest, and her
scalp was drenched.
    “So am I.” He traced her face with his eyes and
pulled her into his arms.
    Her arms were trapped against his damp chest, so
she had no choice but to circle them around his neck; but that only brought
their bodies closer.