Her Own Little Show • •

[Marc Dominique Delabarre]

Marc knew that it hadn’t exactly been smooth sailing for him and Bella since they had both arrived in New York. It seemed like the city wanted to throw one thing after another at them until they were both on the brink of despair. Still, they had fought and clawed their way back each and every time and if that didn’t count for something, then Marc didn’t know what did! Right now, everything had been peaceful for a little while and the drama had been reserved for Bella’s time on the stage, rather than for their personal life with the dogs and Laurence. The Frenchmen took that as a sign and he wanted to take this chance to show Bella exactly how invested he was in their relationship and how much she truly meant to him.

The tiny piece of expensive and antique jewellery had resided in a secure safety deposit box since Marc had arrived in New York. The first chance he had after surprising Bella that morning, he had gone and put it someplace safe where Bella couldn’t accidentally find it and where he wouldn’t worry about it every time they left their apartment for work or a date. It seemed like a smarter idea once Laurence and Arcade joined the happy couple and Gemma, but Marc needed more than just the ring inside that box. He needed to plan, to work out the perfect way to propose to Bella that captured every part of their relationship in that single moment on bended knee. He mulled over ideas and kept a hidden file on his laptop with a bizarre password to protect it, just in case Bella did magically find it. He didn’t want his girlfriend to have the tiniest of hints about what he had planned and Marc was hoping that his final grand gesture would sweep her off her feet enough to say yes, and accept his marriage proposal.

He took his time to plan everything correctly. He had spoken to her family, confided in his own French relatives and spoke to Laurence to make sure the young boy was happy and understood everything that was happening before it actually happened. There was still a lot to do after all of that though, and Marc spent most of his free time taking secret phone calls, regularly changing passwords and emailing all kinds of strangers who he had previously only caught a glimpse or two of when he met Bella at her rehearsals for a lunch date. With the actress he loved so busy, he thought it easy enough to plan all of these little details when she was out, but there were still times when the people he needed to speak to could only speak to him when Bella was home and so Marc had to sneak out to the balcony or the bathroom and make up some excuse upon his return about his little sister or about work. He wanted everything to go off without a hitch and the closer it came to Bella’s opening night the more the nerves got to him.

He had everything organised perfectly. The second Bella left for the theatre he had packed Laurence off to spend the night with Bridget and then decorated their apartment with flowers and candles, ready for their return and with the optimistic idea that none of this would go to waste. He knew that part of his plan might upset Bella at first, but she really had nothing to worry about; it was just part of his grand scheme. He showered and changed and then made the phone call to Bella to tell her that Laurence was sick with a stomach virus and that they couldn’t make the opening night. He expressed his apologies as he grabbed his keys and hung up after a quick “I love you”. She might not think he was coming, but he would be there and he would see every single minute of it. The butterflies had erupted in his stomach by the time he parked his car and the nerves he felt were probably equal to those of the actors as he greeted one of the managers who was in on his plan and who guided him to the secluded box from where he could watch the show without Bella seeing him. Before leaving him alone, the older gentleman promised to return to collect Marc when the time was right, but for now he just had to wait.

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• • •

TAGGED! Bella <3
WORDS! 784
OUTFIT! Neat Nerd!
LYRICS! Gimme That Girl - - - Joe Nichols
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Arabella Marie Curtis]

Bella was done with Marc. She didn't want his sorry-filled messages, the sad phonecall, or the flowers that would probably be waiting for her on the kitchen counter when she returned home tonight; she didn't want any of it. Laurence came first, she understood that, but, this one night, couldn't she be pushed up on the list, at least for a few hours? It wasn't like this hadn't been planned for weeks; it'd been marked on the calender since the moment the directors announced the date for opening night. The kid got sick though, and Marc dropped everything he was doing to tend to the little stomach bug; Bella was completely forgotten once again. They'd been hitting some rocks lately, mainly the one where the couple barely got to see each other for more than a few minutes. She hadn't expected that to tear them apart though, especially not after everything they'd been through. But, tonight, she was seriously considering how bad their relationship was becoming. She didn't see him often; he was more worried about Laurence than anything else in their lives. They didn't have their fun date nights anymore, or even spend more than a few quick hours in bed together; it was all falling apart. Bella just wished it wouldn't crumble on the one night she really needed to focus.

She didn't have time to fuss over Marc. Since his "I can't make it, sorry" message, she'd been a wreck; but, now, it was time to crack down and go into actress mode. She could worry about him later, after she'd finished with the performance and had one too many drinks at the opening night party. For the moment, she put her mind towards stage makeup and setting her props; busy work to keep her distracted and calm. She chatted with the other nervous cast members, laughing and running lines before the theatre was officially opened. Bella didn't bother checking to see if her assigned seats were filled; the one person she'd wanted to be there was too busy to even bother showing up.

The stage managers were calling places, and, before Bella knew it, the show was well on its way through to its final scene. It'd been a flawless performance; better than the emergency dress rehearsal held the night before. She was proud of the work she'd done, a product of hours of practice and passionate rehearsals. The way her eyes sparkled was proof enough of how much she loved doing this and, even without her family or friends there to see it, she wouldn't give up her theatre for the world.

Bows came and went, and she ate up the applause that made this crazy, insane career worth the high cost. She waved with everyone else as the curtains closed, falling into the hectic buzz that came after a show. Re-setting the stage for the next night, a pile of quick-change costumes being strewn about to be hung back up, props being moved back to the prop table, cast members hugging and smiling; she joined a group of her closest friends and tried her best to join in their celebration.

• • •

WORDS: 550!
TAG: Mr Delabarre! <3
LOCATION: On Stage, Broadway
OUTFIT: PRETTY WOMAN!
LYRICS: "The Last Time" by Taylor Swift
NOTES: <3 <3 <3