“Well, I had to try.” He turned to Gabe and said, “‘Love her, love her, love her! If she favors you, love her.’”
Gabe nodded. “Now that I can do,” he said and kissed me on the top of the head.
I looked at Reginald. “Great Expectations?”
“Ahhh yes, my dear, and it seems all my work here is now done.” He smiled and offered a wink. And with that, he emptied the bills and coins from his hat into his pockets, shimmied the cap back onto his head, and turned to leave.
Chapter Thirty-Four
We took Reginald’s suggestion and went to find some dinner at the fish-and-chips place around the corner. He wasn’t kidding. It must have been one of the most well-known hot spots in the city because the line was halfway down the block. It wasn’t a proper sit-down restaurant—instead, you ordered your food from the café window and took your plate to one of the nearby benches or, if you were lucky, wooden picnic tables.
“How about we divide and conquer,” Gabe suggested. “I’ll go and secure us a place to sit and a couple of pints and you stand in the queue?”
“Sounds good,” I answered, and watched him duck out of the line and make his way down the street.
Fortunately, due to the limited menu, the line moved pretty quickly. You had three options: fish and chips, bangers and mash, or shepherd’s pie. It all looked （and smelled!） delicious, but since Reginald raved about the fish and chips, I decided to go with that for me and Gabe, plus a shepherd’s pie for good measure.
After I paid, the cashier handed me a ticket and asked me to kindly step to the side. About ten minutes later, my number was called and I was handed two orders of fish and chips bundled in newspaper, the oil spreading farther and farther across the printed letters with each passing second.
“Don’t forget about your shepherd’s pie, dear,” the cashier hollered as I almost walked away without it. I couldn’t help but laugh—she sounded just like Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd. I’d have to remember to tell Charlie about her when I got home.
I rose to my toes to search the nearby benches and picnic tables for Gabe, finally spotting him sitting on a bench underneath the lamplight a little bit up the road, waiting for me. I crossed the street to him, trying to not get any of the oil from the newspaper on my coat, and noticed he was talking on the phone to someone. As I made my way closer, I heard Gabe say, “Keep your chin up, okay? I’ll be home tomorrow. Love you.”
I cleared my throat and purposefully stepped into a crunchy pile of leaves so he’d know I was there.
“Oh, hey,” he said, sliding his phone into his pocket and jumping up to help me with the food. He reached for the shepherd’s pie that sat on top of the pile I was carrying and ushered me over to the bench, helping me to balance everything as I sat.
“So, um . . . any luck with the drinks?” I asked, curious if he’d fess up to whatever took him away from his original task.
“Oh shoot. Drinks. I got distracted trying to find us a place to sit. And then once I did, I didn’t want to lose it. I realize now I should have probably executed the plan in reverse.”
“Hey, Gabe? Just now, were you talking to Marisol? I know she and I aren’t friends anymore, but you don’t have to hide talking to your sister from me.”
His expression was tinged with guilt at his attempt at secrecy. “I know the two of you ended on bad terms. I figured now that we’re back together, best to keep those two worlds separate. At least for the time being.”
“Does she know you’re here with me?”
He scrunched up his face. “The truth?”
“Always.”
“No, I didn’t tell her. I haven’t told her anything about us yet. I wanted to make sure it was all real first.” He leaned back against the bench and started to untuck the corners of the newspaper to unwrap his fish and chips and popped a french fry into his mouth. “She’s had such a tough time since Mom died, I wasn’t sure how she’d take the news. Part of me thinks she’d be thrilled. Another part . . . I don’t know. Regardless, she could use a friend like you in her life right now. But you know Marisol, stupidly stubborn, she’d never be able to admit she had any part in what exactly went wrong between you two.”
“She didn’t. Not really. I’m the one who was in the wrong.”
Gabe set down his forkful of shepherd’s pie and said, “Maybe it’s not too late to right the wrong? I mean, if today taught us anything, it’s that the ghosts of your past will keep haunting you until you confront them. That was the whole point of A Christmas Carol, wasn’t it? Or do I need to go look for Reginald?”
“No, don’t do that. I think you got it exactly right. He’d be so proud.”
We finished our dinners, scarfing down the last of the delicious fish and chips, and wiped our greasy fingers on a handful of napkins. Gabe crumpled up his newspaper, tapped my knee, and stood up from the bench. “It’s getting late. Ready to go back to the hotel?”
“Gabe, this really was amazing. This whole trip. You changing plans last minute to incorporate all of the Dickens stuff for me. I’m just . . .” I kissed him to fill in the blank and hoped it conveyed the gratitude and love that his sweet gesture incited in me.
“I know it was tough for you to get away from the city, but I really loved going on this adventure with you. I hope it’s just one of many to come.” He leaned in to kiss me again, pulling me in close with both arms.
The next day, we grabbed a black cab and headed to Heathrow. I rested my head on Gabe’s shoulder and stared out the window for the entirety of our taxi ride, enjoying the last few glimpses of London street life before heading back to the States. As we pulled into the traffic queue at the airport, I pulled out my phone to check the time, wanting to ensure we’d left ourselves enough, and noticed an email had popped up from Joanna at the casting agency. My heart dove into my stomach.
Avery,
Below please find the details of your final callback for the role of Marley in Marley Is Dead.
Location: Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow St, NY
Date: Tuesday, April 3rd
Time Slot: 1:00PM
In the interest of full disclosure, you are one of three finalists for the title role. We will be reading all three actresses that same day, so please be prompt and prepared. We look forward to seeing you for your callback.
Best,
Joanna Kitt, The Gerber Agency
My mouth had fallen open and I didn’t hear Gabe calling my name from outside our cab, let alone realize that the car had even stopped. I lifted my eyes filled with tears to Gabe, still waiting with an extended hand to help me out of the taxi. I wasn’t one of a dozen or even half a dozen—I was one of three actresses left in the running for the lead.
Before this trip, I’d believed this audition was just another that would end in disappointment. Maybe it’s why I didn’t put up more of a fight when Gabe mentioned Paris at such an inconvenient time. But no, I could feel it in my bones, this opportunity was mine for the taking, and I knew that, after years of ignoring my gut and my passion, I was never again going to look back and say, Damn, I wish I’d given it more.