Unforgettable

And he’d walked away from it—for her!
Now she needed the tissue to blot her face, but her face was against Doug’s shirt.
“They’re going to love The Sanctuary,”  she said between hiccups.
“Not as much as I love you, Jen,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Don’t you know
that?”
She did. She really did. She’d felt his love for her every day, but hadn’t trusted
it. Hadn’t trusted them.
“But your career….”
“We’ll figure it out. Okay?”
Her tears rolled faster as she held him tight. “I’ve missed you so much, my love.
We have to figure it out because I can’t lose you again.” She leaned back and
cupped his face with her hands. “I love you, Douglas Collins. I-I wasn’t ready
back then, but now…I think you’re right. How hard can it be? After all, New
York’s almost next door to home.”
##
She liked Steve Kantor immediately. She felt comfortable with him, as if they’d
known each other for a long time. He sat on one side of her with Doug on the
other, at the round table in a nearby Italian restaurant. Maybe it was the man’s
easy manner, maybe it was because he had Doug’s best interests in mind. Or
maybe it was because he’d let her know that Italian cooking was his favorite,
just as it was hers. Whatever the reasons, she was glad he was Doug’s friend.
“Doug told me you’ve never met a number you didn’t like,” said Steve.
She smiled and sipped her wine. “Not quite. I don’t like those red ones on a
bottom line.”

---

He shot a look at Doug. “Oh, she’s good. Very good.”
“One reason why I keep her around,” Doug replied, his eyes gleaming at her.
“Enough,” she said. “I think we’re getting company.”
Doug stood as the two producers joined them. Steve rose, too. Greetings were
exchanged while Doug made introductions to the Silverman brothers—Alan and
Jeff. The had quick smiles and outstretched hands.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your play again,” said Alan, the taller one.
“I know your work,” added Jeff. “I judged a lot of contests for Playwrights’
House—still do—and you always scored in the top 2.”
The man turned to Jen. “Are you familiar with the one-act he has running off-
Broadway?”
“I know about it,” Jen replied slowly.
“Well, that started as a student project.”
Pride bubbled inside her, and she leaned forward. “And then he improved it until
it got noticed. Doug’s the best,” she gushed, unable to stop herself. “His words
come from his heart and his head. And the audience gets it. They walk away
standing a little taller, feeling more fulfilled. They see the world in a new way.”
“Are you a lawyer?” asked Alan, seeming genuinely curious, and breaking the
silence that followed Jen’s impulsive speech.
Heat rose to her face as she shook her head. “That would be my sister. She’s the
smart one.”
Doug hooted. “Don’t let her fool you. The five of them—the Delaneys—were
born whip-smart.” He tucked her hand in his. “But I got the best of the bunch.”
“Oh-ho! So that’s the way it is,” replied the producer.
“That is the way it is,” said Doug, quietly and with emphasis. “Come up to
Boston in September, and you’ll see her again. Dinner in the North End. The

---

best Italian food in the world.”
After placing orders with their server, the conversation became all business. The
plot, the actors, the creative team of The Sanctuary.  Doug would be hands-on
through the run.
“If  it runs the whole eight weeks.”
Jen’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. She placed it back on her plate and
avoiding Doug’s eyes, focused on the once-amiable Alan Silverman, who’d
asked about her law skills.
“It will,” she said with confidence. “I’m extremely familiar with the
Commonwealth Theater. I know the audiences. I know the people of Boston.
Patrons come from all over the area. One month’s run would be minimal. Two
months will happen. Besides,” she added, “my understanding is that the theater’s
literary management had no trouble funding the show. It’s that good!” She
leaned back in her chair. “But, as always, everyone’s taste is different, and you’ll
have to judge for yourselves.” She looked from one to the other. “I promise you
a warm welcome to my adopted hometown.”
“If she’s not a lawyer, she shudda been…”
The producer glanced at Doug. “You’re one lucky s.o.b. She’s riding shotgun for
you. And sticking close.”
“I noticed,” Doug said wryly. But although he smiled, he didn’t look happy.
Several hours later, all concerns disappeared as the audience viewing The Broken
Circle  got to its feet, acknowledging the cast with long, sustained applause.
Tears ran down Jen’s face, a mix of grief and hope as she relished the satisfying
ending. And she wondered how the new lead could possibly be better than the
woman in the cast now. Fortunately, it wasn’t her problem.
But maybe it was. If she and Doug were a real unit, they had to have each other’s
backs. At least, that’s what she’d noticed about Mike and Lisa. It made sense.
Jen, Doug and the other three men walked slowly to the theater lobby. “I loved
the college production,” said Jen, turning toward Doug, “I cried then too— but
this! It’s so much better than my memories.”

---

“Because the script was brought to life by professionals,” said Steve. “Good
actors can make anything sound great, but they can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk
purse.” He turned to Doug and clapped him on the shoulder. “You are one
talented son of a gun, with an understanding of the human condition that seems
beyond your years.”
“Thanks. Thank you all,” said Doug, including the other two men, “I may look
young on the outside, but inside…? My mom says I have an old soul.”
Is that why he’d been able to see through her defenses years ago? Is that what
gave him the confidence to come back without any promise from her?
“We’re impressed,” said Jeff Silverman. “I won’t say otherwise. Tell your mom
she raised a gifted son.”
Alan shook Doug’s hand. “We’ll come to Boston to see the new play, but we’ll
be calling you tomorrow about this one. We have another idea. The drama,
Doubt,  played on Broadway for a year and a half. Your play is still going strong
after two years. Now’s the time to take it on tour.”
She saw Doug’s eyes widen, his brows lift. He’d been concentrating so hard on
The Sanctuary,  this possibility for The Broken Circle  had taken him by
surprise.
She had lots of questions, and her fingers itched for a calculator. Her work was
cut out for her.

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