dry.”
“I see.”
“I have some ideas. Maybe I could give you some of the plays to look over and you could decide.”
“Me?”
“Might as well.”
Alice shrugged. She didn’t have anything better to do in the daytime anyway, and while her mother recovered, reading a few plays would be preferable to sitting around the house twiddling her thumbs. Or trying to avoid confrontations with her mother. “Okay.”
Tanisha searched for something among the mess of papers on her desk, then groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I could kill Willie.”
Alice hadn’t heard their entire argument, but she’d had the distinct feeling that it wasn’t altogether work-related. If at all. The brief snippets she’d heard, and the intensity of the exchange, had made her wonder if Tanisha and Willie were involved. Was that why he had walked out on her and the theater, because of a lover’s spat?
“I’ll be honest with you, Desirée—”
“Alice.”
“Whatever.”
Alice raised an eyebrow.
Tanisha ignored her and went on. “Look, Willie wanted more pay, and frankly, the theater’s struggling to stay afloat as it is. I don’t know what you expect, but I definitely can’t pay you anything near the kind of money you earn on one of your films or TV shows.”
Alice chuckled softly. “I didn’t think so, and I wouldn’t expect that kind of payment. In fact, I don’t expect anything at all.”
“I have to pay you.”
“Consider it a favor.” For Mia, not for her.
Tanisha shook her head, dismissing the offer. “No, I’ll have to draw up a contract and present it to the other board members. We have to pay you something.”
“Then how about a dollar a week?”
Tanisha’s mouth nearly hit the desk. “You’re joking.”
“I don’t need the money, Tanisha. That’s not why I’m taking the job. I’m doing this for my niece.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am.”
“All right. I’ll draw up the contract. I don’t think the board will object, not when we need all the money we can get. You can sign it later this week and officially start on Saturday.”
“Great.”
“Now, I’m going to send out some press releases to let the world know that you’re the new teacher. I’d also like to schedule a press conference. The media will no doubt be interested in this. Do you think you can be available sometime, answer questions for the media?”
“Just tell me when.”
“This is great.” Tanisha’s lips curled in a smile. “I can capitalize on the fact that you used to take classes here, and how you went on to great success. With a name like yours attached to the theater, maybe we can finally get some big corporate sponsors.”
Tanisha was tactless, but Alice wasn’t offended. She understood that the theater was struggling to survive, and she would do what she could to help out. For Mia. And for herself, she acknowledged. Because this place brought back so many happy memories. Besides, she would need something to occupy her thoughts while she stayed in Chicago.
And that, she just realized, was what she’d committed to doing. At least until the summer.
Alice glanced around the office. Framed pictures lined the walls. Pictures of children posing for the camera. Candid shots of children performing on stage. There was a picture of Tanisha with a group of children, her arms spread wide around them. A picture of Tanisha and Marcus.
Alice’s stomach clenched at the sight. Marcus stood beside Tanisha, his arm snaked around her waist, and they were both smiling brightly for the camera. In one hand, Tanisha held some type of plaque.
It shouldn’t disturb her. Hadn’t she had years to get over Marcus’s marriage to Tanisha? Still, Alice wrenched her gaze away from the photo and turned her attention to the other side of the office, where she perused the pictures on that wall. Unlike the left wall, which boasted color pictures, this side had several black and white photos. More candid and posed
“I see.”
“I have some ideas. Maybe I could give you some of the plays to look over and you could decide.”
“Me?”
“Might as well.”
Alice shrugged. She didn’t have anything better to do in the daytime anyway, and while her mother recovered, reading a few plays would be preferable to sitting around the house twiddling her thumbs. Or trying to avoid confrontations with her mother. “Okay.”
Tanisha searched for something among the mess of papers on her desk, then groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I could kill Willie.”
Alice hadn’t heard their entire argument, but she’d had the distinct feeling that it wasn’t altogether work-related. If at all. The brief snippets she’d heard, and the intensity of the exchange, had made her wonder if Tanisha and Willie were involved. Was that why he had walked out on her and the theater, because of a lover’s spat?
“I’ll be honest with you, Desirée—”
“Alice.”
“Whatever.”
Alice raised an eyebrow.
Tanisha ignored her and went on. “Look, Willie wanted more pay, and frankly, the theater’s struggling to stay afloat as it is. I don’t know what you expect, but I definitely can’t pay you anything near the kind of money you earn on one of your films or TV shows.”
Alice chuckled softly. “I didn’t think so, and I wouldn’t expect that kind of payment. In fact, I don’t expect anything at all.”
“I have to pay you.”
“Consider it a favor.” For Mia, not for her.
Tanisha shook her head, dismissing the offer. “No, I’ll have to draw up a contract and present it to the other board members. We have to pay you something.”
“Then how about a dollar a week?”
Tanisha’s mouth nearly hit the desk. “You’re joking.”
“I don’t need the money, Tanisha. That’s not why I’m taking the job. I’m doing this for my niece.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am.”
“All right. I’ll draw up the contract. I don’t think the board will object, not when we need all the money we can get. You can sign it later this week and officially start on Saturday.”
“Great.”
“Now, I’m going to send out some press releases to let the world know that you’re the new teacher. I’d also like to schedule a press conference. The media will no doubt be interested in this. Do you think you can be available sometime, answer questions for the media?”
“Just tell me when.”
“This is great.” Tanisha’s lips curled in a smile. “I can capitalize on the fact that you used to take classes here, and how you went on to great success. With a name like yours attached to the theater, maybe we can finally get some big corporate sponsors.”
Tanisha was tactless, but Alice wasn’t offended. She understood that the theater was struggling to survive, and she would do what she could to help out. For Mia. And for herself, she acknowledged. Because this place brought back so many happy memories. Besides, she would need something to occupy her thoughts while she stayed in Chicago.
And that, she just realized, was what she’d committed to doing. At least until the summer.
Alice glanced around the office. Framed pictures lined the walls. Pictures of children posing for the camera. Candid shots of children performing on stage. There was a picture of Tanisha with a group of children, her arms spread wide around them. A picture of Tanisha and Marcus.
Alice’s stomach clenched at the sight. Marcus stood beside Tanisha, his arm snaked around her waist, and they were both smiling brightly for the camera. In one hand, Tanisha held some type of plaque.
It shouldn’t disturb her. Hadn’t she had years to get over Marcus’s marriage to Tanisha? Still, Alice wrenched her gaze away from the photo and turned her attention to the other side of the office, where she perused the pictures on that wall. Unlike the left wall, which boasted color pictures, this side had several black and white photos. More candid and posed
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