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I went back on stage Monday night, but my heart wasn’t in it. I did my best, and luckily no one knew anything was wrong. Nick joked about my ‘wild weekend’ exhausting me. He had no idea just how true that was.

About a week after I returned to Wicked, Cooper called. His show was only a month away, and we had details to work out.

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When I got home, Lisa was there, doing yoga in the living room. She was bent back into some strange pose that a normal person would have found painful. I just shook my head as I threw my purse and music on the couch. She untangled herself and got up, shutting off the TV.

“That was refreshing,” she said, beaming at me. “You should try it.”

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I was so busy over the next week that I didn’t have time to dwell on missing Orlando. I spent a lot of time at the theatre, getting Adam ready to perform with us, and actually doing the show itself. It amazed me how quickly he picked things up, how fast he fit in with the rest of the cast. By the time he was set to go on, he was more than ready.

That night was hectic, as Nick paced around, ever the nervous director, fretting about this or that. I had to laugh as he passed by us for the fourth time during my make-up application. He was completely wired.

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Lisa was already gone when I got up the next morning. I crawled out of bed, brushed my teeth, pulled my hair up in a ponytail, and went to the kitchen for coffee, tying my robe around me as I went. I was just adding milk to my coffee when someone knocked at the door. I took my cup and went to answer it.

“Adam,” I said when I opened the door. “Come in.” I stepped back so he could enter.

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Since it was Saturday, we were due at the theatre for our regular performance that night. I actually got butterflies in my stomach as I thought about seeing Adam again, but I pushed them aside, refusing to let the giddiness overwhelm me. It’s not like we were in a new relationship or anything.

When I got there, I went into the dressing rooms to pull on my undergarments so I’d be ready to be painted. As I was adjusting my halter top over my slip, the door opened, then closed, and I was pulled into warm arms.

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I didn’t know where else to go, so I hailed a cab and gave the driver Adam’s address. It was after nine, so I hoped he would be alone. When the cab pulled up in front of the building, I paid the driver and hurried upstairs.

Adam opened the door to my frantic knocking a few minutes later. He had a plate and a dish towel in his hands. I threw myself into his arms, kissing him furiously.

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The following morning, bright and early, I was in a courtroom, waiting for Ramsey’s trial to begin. The room was intimidating, all dark woods and drab colours, and the judge sitting behind the bench didn’t look at all friendly. I hoped that would serve us well when it came to dealing with Ramsey.

I was prepped that morning by the prosecuting attorney, Caroline Grey, and knew that it would be a very long day. I was needed for that day and the following day, and possibly on the Friday as well. The rest of the time was mine to do with as I pleased, mainly to rehearse for Cooper’s show.

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The rest of the week flew by, and before I knew it, Friday had come, and we were scrambling through a final dress rehearsal. Cooper had turned into a complete and utter dictator, and by the time we’d gotten through half the show, we were all ready to throttle him. After he’d made me do the same song four times, with outlandish notes for each time, I finally got angry.

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I shook myself and looked away from Adam. “I’m kind of busy here, Cooper,” I said slowly. “Can it wait?”

“Honey, I need you to do one more song for me,” he said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I’d been crying. “For my investors.”

“What?” I said, trying not to get annoyed. “Didn’t they just sit through an entire show?”

“I need you to sing so I can go over the techniques you’re using,” he said. “A couple of them are really interested, and I couldn’t say no when they asked for an encore from the fabulous Charlotte Madison. Please?”

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“Charlie, love, stop worrying so much,” Orlando said, taking my hands in his. “I’m sure he’ll ring you soon.” He leaned over and kissed me gently. “Just relax.”

I tried to smile, but the nerves that were knotting wildly in my stomach made it more of a cringe. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve been waiting for that phone call since I was a little girl.” I sighed and let him pull me closer to him on the sofa in my living room. “I never thought it would actually be a possibility.”

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