Adrienne's Duet Pt. 01

"And that girl who plays the lead is simply wonderful. What a talented young woman she is. And I could tell she enjoyed singing that duet with you. You could see it during the curtain call, the way she looked at you. That was very sweet."

"Okay mom, you're embarrassing me. Look, I have to run backstage, and then the cast is going out to celebrate. I won't be too late."

"No need to hurry home. Just be careful, and have a wonderful evening. Congratulations, sweetheart."

As soon as her mom departed, Adrienne made a beeline for the dressing rooms in hopes of sharing a congratulatory hug with Juliet before she was mobbed by her admirers. Juliet had mentioned that her family would also be there for opening.

When Adrienne saw Juliet, she was already engaged in conversation with an older woman, who Adrienne guessed to be her mother, based on the striking similarities in their features. The woman was dressed quite elegantly, as Adrienne would expect her to be.

As they conversed, Adrienne hung back, but Juliet's eyes caught her presence. She immediately ran over and hugged Adrienne. "Mom, this is Adrienne Sokol. She's the cellist who plays the duet with me," she said, breaking their hug. "Adrienne, this is my mother, Clarissa Langford."

"Hello, Mrs. Langford," Adrienne said in a cheerful voice, holding out her hand. "You must be very proud of your daughter. She's quite amazing."

"Yes, she is, thank you," Mrs. Langford replied in a pleasant, though reserved manner, while placing a possessive hand on Juliet's shoulder.

"And..." Juliet cut back in, "unless I'm mistaken, Adrienne probably knows something about the lovely roses waiting for me when I got to the theatre. Signed by a mysterious person with the initial 'A'."

"I hope they weren't too much?" Adrienne said, crinkling her nose and mouth in discomfort.

"Too much!? I loved them! The other girls were quite jealous."

"You sent my daughter roses?" her mother asked, her brow lowered in consternation.

"Yes, she did. Because she loves me," Juliet broke in.

Adrienne felt her face flush with embarrassment at hearing the word 'Love' mentioned. For she knew in her heart that she liked Juliet. But she also could see that Juliet's mother was not at all pleased by the news. In fact, she abruptly changed the subject.

"Don't forget, dear, Randall is coming to our house for dinner," she said, ignoring Adrienne and speaking directly to her daughter. "Now there's someone I'd like to receive roses from," she added, with a pointed look back at Adrienne.

Adrienne was stunned. Clearly, Juliet's mom was attempting to steer Juliet toward this Randall fellow, just like Juliet had said. It was awful to see her friend disrespected in that way. The woman's need to control her daughter was upsetting to witness. However, the effect it had on Juliet was even more distressing. The girl's vitality instantly evaporated. She looked sad, even.

Adrienne felt a flush of anger overtake her, and had to suppress her urge to grab Juliet by the hand and whisk her away from there. But before Adrienne could respond, Clarissa Langford was commandeering Juliet away. "We should go, dear. Your father and brother are probably out front with the car. Very nice meeting you, Adrienne. And congratulations on a successful opening."

"Thanks. See you, Juliet," Adrienne called out to her friend.

Juliet responded with a fluttering wave of fingers, as her mother led her away. As for Adrienne, she no longer felt up for a night out drinking with the cast, and made her way home.

~*~*~*~*

The next performance went off without a hitch. Yet despite the success and buzz of the production, Adrienne's mood had turned sour. She knew someone by the name of Randall was commanding Juliet's attention, and the thought of her friend becoming involved with this man was difficult to accept. Adrienne's feelings were sending mixed messages, confusing her. Most of her anger was directed at the mother for disrespecting Juliet. And yet, she also had pangs of jealousy. Unsurprisingly, that evening, Adrienne didn't get to speak with Juliet either before or after the performance. And during curtain call Adrienne looked up from the pit hoping for some friendly eye contact from the actress, but Juliet's focus was on the audience. She never once gazed down to the orchestra pit, even when Adrienne took her bow.

The next day, Juliet didn't mention how her dinner date went, and seemed quite distant. Adrienne had texted her suggesting they have a brush up rehearsal, or do dinner, but Juliet was always 'too busy'. This sudden break in their friendship greatly saddened Adrienne, and she cursed herself for sending the flowers. And yet, she knew the flowers had cheered Juliet. And that made it worth sending them. She thought about encouraging Juliet to stand up to her mom, but something told her not to go there. And so, she decided to put her energy into her studies.

After the Saturday show, the cast planned to convene at a local bar to celebrate the first week's run, with drinks and karaoke. "Are you coming?" Juliet asked Adrienne, as they prepared to depart the theatre.

Adrienne shrugged her shoulders. "No, I don't think so. Besides, you'll want to be with your theatre friends."

Juliet gave Adrienne an odd look. "You're my friend...aren't you?"

Another shrug. "Yeah, but...I don't really fit in with the theatre crowd. And it's not like we're that close. I mean, you've been pretty busy lately..."

Juliet's face dropped. "Adrienne..." She seemed to struggle for a moment before continuing. "Look, things at home right now are complicated. As I said, my mother can be very controlling and sees anyone outside her precious circle as a potential threat."

"So, I'm a threat? Why, because of the flowers?" Adrienne asked, trying to downplay any deeper subtext.

Juliet smiled. Was it an apologetic smile, or the smile of a happy remembrance?

"I loved the flowers. And you mean a lot to me, Adrienne. I know we haven't connected much recently, but it's just that, right now, I'm trying to keep the peace at home. It's difficult for me. So, will you come?"

Adrienne trusted Juliet was being honest, and yet she sensed that they weren't on the same page anymore. What that page was, Adrienne didn't truly understand. Again, she demurred. "I don't know...I don't sing."

"That's okay. You can listen to the rest of us make fools of ourselves. Or maybe you could bring your cello and do Karaoke Cello?" Juliet joked.

Adrienne smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. "Yeah, I suppose I could come. For a bit."

Juliet beamed a smile and gave Adrienne a firm, impulsive hug. "That's the spirit!"

~*~*~*~

Adrienne entered the bar to the sound of blaring music, and a cacophony of chatter and laughter. She took a seat in a dark corner and listened to several of the show's male chorus members perform a choreographed rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. During the number, a waitress came over and she ordered a microbrew from one of the many taps.

Adrienne then saw Juliet sitting at a table left of the stage with a group from the show, mostly singers and actors, laughing it up. There didn't seem to be many from the orchestra, and she barely knew the singers. She considered walking over to let Juliet know she'd arrived, but there was a young man with her that she didn't recognize. He wasn't in the show, and that led Adrienne to surmise that it was Randall. Unlike Juliet, he was dark complected, and sported a neatly trimmed mustache. She watched them for a bit, and while they joked with each other, they weren't looking all lovey-dovey, so it was difficult to tell.

Adrienne felt tempted to go over and find out more, but instead, she held back. She knew she had promised Juliet that she'd make an appearance. But she wasn't sure she could handle much beyond that. The table was pretty raucous, and Juliet seemed to be in high spirits. Even if Juliet did welcome her to the table, she knew she'd just fade into the background. She'd much rather have time with Juliet alone, and that bothered her. She knew it came across as selfish and petty, and yet that was her comfort zone.

A few more performers got up to sing. And then, Juliet stepped to the microphone, and broke into Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Adrienne was stunned to hear a throaty, husky sound coming from Juliet's mouth, so unlike the clear high soprano range she used in the show. Like everything Juliet did, it was finely executed.

"Mind if I join you?"

A slim, pale skinned girl sat down next to Adrienne, all decked out in black. Her ensemble consisted of dark jeans, a short-sleeved tee under a leather vest, and a bright silver belt buckle. Her hair was dyed pitch black and cut so it just hung past her ring studded ear lobes. She had a cute face, subtly ornamented with a lone ring in one eyebrow and one more in her right nostril. Her eyelids and lips were colored in a purplish hue. It was a classic Goth look that the girl seemed well suited for.

"Sure," Adrienne replied, eyeing the girl.

"You're really crushing on that girl, aren't you?"

"What girl?" Adrienne replied, feigning confusion.

"The hot blonde killing it with Adele. She a friend?"

Adrienne nodded slowly. "Sort of. We're all members of the cast performing Impressions of Mara at the Campus Theatre. It's the spring musical."

"You a singer too?"

Adrienne laughed. "God no! I'm in the orchestra. I play the cello."

"Nice. I like the cello. I mean, to play it, you have to put it between your legs. How sexy is that? My name is Lilith, what's yours?"

"Adrienne." It was obvious that the girl was hitting on her.

"Hi, Adrienne," the girl nodded. "So, tell me, are you open to having some fun?"

"Uh...what sort of fun?" Adrienne knew as soon as she asked, that she was giving this girl too much of an opening.

"Well, I don't live too far away." Lilith was leaning in so closely that Adrienne felt her warm breath. It had a minty scent.

For a moment, Adrienne lost her voice, before releasing a short laugh. "Uh...I really can't tonight. Besides, I'm not gay," she explained, though ever since Juliet entered her life, she'd been wondering if that were still true.

"Uh, huh," Lilith's reaction was skeptical. "Well, my bad then. I saw you crushing on that girl and thought maybe you were. But who wouldn't crush on her? She's hot. Though based on the attention she's been giving that dude at the table, I'm guessing she's straight."

"Looks that way," Adrienne sighed, second guessing all the signals she'd been picking up from Juliet over the past week or so. And it's not like Adrienne was clear on her own sexuality. "Actually, we're just friends. Besides, she's got this overbearing mother who has her completely under her thumb."

"Look, Adrienne, why don't you come home with me? At worst, you'll figure out if you're gay or not, and at best, you have a fantastic evening of sex. I'm not looking to cut in on whatever you hope for with that blonde chick. Just looking to hook up with a very attractive girl for the night. What do you say? You're awfully cute. I'd love to slip between the sheets with you."

Adrienne was not a person who took risks. But she felt as if she'd reached a crossroads. The girl's proposal offered more than just sex. It offered her a chance to find out who Adrienne Sokol really was, as a sexual being. Was she a lesbian? If not, why then was she obsessing over Juliet? One way to explore these questions was to follow Lilith home.

Adrienne glanced over where Juliet sat. She was holding court on some topic, and to her dismay, the mysterious fellow, who was wearing a very nice suit, had his arm draped around her neck.

Meanwhile, Lilith took in the scene, casually sipping on her beer as she waited for Adrienne to decide what to do.

"You know, Lilith, as tempting as you are, I think I'm going to pass," Adrienne finally answered, downing the last of her beer. "I'm tired, gonna' hit the road."

Lilith was clearly disappointed, but was gracious in defeat. "Okay, can we at least exchange numbers?'

"Uhm, sure," Adrienne said, hoping she wasn't getting herself into anything too complicated. After they swapped phones and entered their digits, Adrienne got her coat to leave.

"I'll walk you out," Lilith said, as she got up and followed Adrienne out. As they exited, Lilith dared an affectionate gesture by placing her hand on Adrienne's lower back. Adrienne liked the feel of Lilith's hand, and yet also felt as if her space had been violated. How did she end up with all these complicated emotions, she wondered, as the girls exited the club?

Unbeknown to Adrienne, Juliet happened to notice Adrienne leaving the club. She was going to shout for her to come over to their table when she saw that she was with another girl, and that they were heading for the exit. She became instantly confused. Why would Adrienne come to the club and not bother to join her and the cast? And who was this other girl she was with? Was Adrienne in a relationship with her? Was Adrienne gay? Juliet had mulled that possibility over in her head a few times, but Adrienne hadn't given off any definite signals that she was a lesbian, and Juliet didn't feel comfortable being the first to bring it up.

But why did Adrienne not come by? Feeling a bit stood up, Juliet turned her attention back to the table, and to her brother whom she had hoped to introduce to Adrienne. She thought about mentioning to him that she'd just seen Adrienne leave the club. But instead, she pretended that Adrienne simply hadn't shown.

~*~*~*~*~*

It wasn't that late when Adrienne got in. Other than a brief kiss from Lilith outside the club, she headed straight home. Her mother was in the living room watching television. "Hey honey," Caroline Sokol called to her daughter, patting the sofa by her side.

"Hey Mom," Adrienne replied, sitting down alongside her mom, with a weary sigh.

"You're home early," Caroline noted. "Weren't you going out with the cast?"

"Yeah, it really wasn't my scene," she answered with a tinge of discouragement in her voice.

Her mother picked up on it right away, and figured her daughter wanted to talk. Flicking off the TV, she turned slightly to face her daughter. "What's up? Something on your mind?"

Adrienne figured she'd just put it out there. "I guess I've been feeling a little confused lately."

"What about?" her mom asked.

"There's this person I'm attracted to, and I don't know what to do about it," she offered, purposely omitting the gender of the person in question. It wasn't that she feared her mother's reaction, for Adrienne knew her mother to be extremely open minded. And they'd been through so much together over the years, particularly last year when they provided each other vital emotional support after Caroline's husband, and Adrienne's dad keeled over from a heart attack. No, it was her own feelings that Adrienne feared.

"Care to tell me more? Do I know this person?" Caroline prodded her daughter, careful not to control the flow of conversation.

"Sort of. She's in the show," Adrienne answered, realizing she'd just used the feminine pronoun. "You remember the actress who plays Mara, the one I'm doing the duet with in the musical?"

"Of course, I do. And she's the one you're attracted to?"

"Yeah."

"I have to say, Honey, I'm not completely surprised. I mean, you two definitely have a chemistry. I could see it, just watching you play together."

Adrienne was surprised by that statement. "Really? You could tell that from watching?"

"Well, that and the way you've talked about her to me. I can see that her friendship means a lot to you. And she's a beautiful young woman." Caroline had noticed how radiantly happy her daughter was whenever she talked about her rehearsals, always going on about Juliet's voice and her talent, and what good friends they'd become.

"So, what do I do?" Adrienne groaned.

"Well, my first question is, what do you want to happen?"

"I don't really know," Adrienne admitted. "I've never been attracted to a girl before."

"Well tell me this; does it bother you that you're attracted to her, to another woman?"

Adrienne had to think about that for a few moments. "Yeah, it does bother me a little. Like I'm ashamed to have these feelings, and that ticks me off. It's like I'm hung up on it, or something."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. From what you've just told me, this is all pretty new to you," her mother offered. "Are you afraid of what other people will think?"

"Sure. I've seen what gay kids go through. The teasing can get real nasty."

"Yes, it's disheartening, I know," her mother sighed. "Have you told Juliet how you feel? Do you get any sense that she's interested in you, in that way?"

"No, I haven't told her. I want to, but what if I do and she freaks out? I really like her, and I don't want to do or say something that makes her distance herself from me. Our being able to work together is important to the show."

"Adrienne, if she's as nice as you say she is, she'll be fine with whatever you choose to say to her. I suggest you take it slow. Continue to cultivate your friendship with her and see where it leads. Maybe she'll share her feelings with you at some point."

"Not if her mother has anything to say about it."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Adrienne decided not to mention the flowers. "Well, Juliet says that her mom is always trying to fix her up with guys to date. And when I met her mom opening night, she didn't seem too pleased to see me hanging with her daughter. Though, according to Juliet, they're very wealthy, and her mom is a bit of a social climber. So maybe I'm too poor for her daughter."

Caroline Sokol snorted derisively. "You're a college student for crying out loud. And you're very talented, and you are going to do just fine in this world. So, Juliet's mother can go take a flying leap."

Adrienne laughed at her mother's sense of humor. "Come here, sweetie," Caroline urged, swinging her arm behind Adrienne who scooted in close for a nice hug. "I love you very much, and I'm glad you felt you could come talk to me about this. And you've never been attracted to another girl before?"

"Not that I can think of. But I don't exactly chase after guys either. Maybe I am gay. Or maybe it's just her, I don't know."

"Adrienne, who you choose to love is between you and that other person, and no one else. Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to find the right person. I just hope when you do fall in love, it's with someone that truly cares about you. And if it's with another woman, then so be it. As long as she brings you happiness."

That night, in bed, Adrienne touched herself, but it felt forced. Despite her mother's advice to take it slow, Adrienne felt her heart hurting. Juliet hadn't rejected her in any way, and their relationship was still in its infancy, yet it felt like any further progress was no longer possible.

Maybe she should have gone home with Lilith? That night, Adrienne cried herself to sleep.

~*~*~*~*

The following evening, prior to curtain, Adrienne was tuning her cello when she heard a familiar voice calling her name from the edge of the orchestra pit. "Hey Adrienne!" Looking up toward the first row, she saw Juliet staring down at her. She was already in costume and her make up.

"Hey Juliet," Adrienne smiled back.

"Can I have a quick word with you?" she said, in a hushed voice, while looking around.

"Sure," Adrienne said, setting her cello down and making her way over to where Juliet was leaning on the rail. "What's up?"

"What happened to you last night? I thought you were going to join us?"

Adrienne's guilt caused her insides to tighten. She swallowed once. "Uh, yeah, I was," she began hesitantly. "I was going to come, but... I decided to bail. I hope you're not angry with me."