The Musical
Part 3
"Kurt, hello."
I was beaming all over my face as I walked up to him in reception at the apartment.
"Hello Peter, you look like the mouse that got the cheese."
"No, you are."
I leant over the counter and gave him a quick kiss.
"You are auditioning for a part in a new musical due to open on Broadway in a few months. The auditions are on Wednesday and you will be successful."
"What have you been up to? Whose body did you have to sell, mine or yours?"
"If you are rubbish probably both of them."
I laughed and gave him another kiss.
"Come up as soon as you finish."
We were like two kids after the door was closed, hugging and kissing falling all over the place, laughing and crying.
"I'm so happy Kurt."
"You're happy, what about me. I'm delirious. Tell me all about it."
So I did. Not the favour I had to pull of course.
"Now. Plan of attack. I have some of the music and dance sequences from it. For the remainder of this week we are going to practice every free moment we have. I'll get hold of the orchestra music tomorrow. We can start basic dance routines now if you like so that I know what work you need."
"Crikey Peter you don't waste any time do you?"
"Nope, if you want it bad enough you have to go for 110% from the beginning and never slack off. When we were rehearsing `Top Hat' I used to fall into bed some nights totally exhausted and cry myself to sleep in Mike's arms. The day the world learned I was his lover was because I had given so much in one rehearsal I had collapsed and Mike had rushed on stage and taken me in his arms."
"Wow, I can see you are going to be an awesome teacher."
It was fantastic, he was really good, the confidence he had gained being my lover had turned this mousey concierge into a beautiful swan, (yuk terrible analogy, but you know what I mean.) He was great and got a part on merit.
I missed his face when I returned from rehearsals but he `phoned every day to tell me how he was doing and we had dinner together and made love together almost as frequently as before.
Curled up in my arms one evening on the couch he told me.
"I met Mike Andrews today."
I stiffened and Kurt laughed when he felt it.
"It was ok Peter, he was nice, congratulated me on my performance and asked me how you were. Funny question as he sees more of you than I do. I said you were fine and had helped me a lot.
`Yes, he is a wonderful person isn't he Kurt. Very easy to fall in love with.' I blushed but nodded. He's still in love with you Peter.
He laughed and said, `We had better become founder members of the Peter Donovan appreciation society.' Then he left."
Kurt stayed the night and it was fun getting up together to go off to rehearsals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike and I had dinner together a couple of weeks later. His excuse was that he wanted to discuss the opening of `California', which was now only a week away.
We did and then he changed the subject to one that I liked but was wary of with him.
"Young Kurt is quite a talent Peter, isn't he? Not as good as you of course but still impressive"
"Yes he is, I was surprised how easy he was to teach in the run up to his audition."
"I am considering terminating his contract for the new show."
I looked aghast and spluttered, but before I could say anything Mike laughed and said.
"Because I think he might like to take the lead in `Top Hat', we are just about due a change."
"Mike, you wouldn't be cruel enough to wind both of us up on this would you?"
"No Peter I am being honest with you. You know that is a good trait. You need to be honest with yourself as well. That boy would be even happier than he is now if you were."
"What do you mean Mike."
"You told me you don't love him. I don't believe you anymore. When you talk about him, you have the same look in your eyes you used to have for me, your whole being lights up. He is a very lucky guy, but you ought to tell him. You could tell him about `Top Hat' at the same time and give him a double present."
I took Mike's hand across the table and told him,
"You are a very special guy Mike Andrews, I don't think I would find it too difficult to fall in love with you if I wasn't already in that fine state. We fucked up Mike didn't we? I'm sorry I can't go back."
I could see the tears in his eyes and I had to leave or we were both going to be embarrassed.
"I'm sorry Mike," I said softly, "I have to go."
He saw the tears welling up in my eyes as well and nodded.
"I know, see you tomorrow."
I cried all the way home for what might have been, and more importantly for what was.
Kurt was sat in the lobby waiting for me with a very worried look on his face. When he saw I had been crying he looked even more worried.
"Don't say anything, just come up to the apartment."
As soon as I closed the door, I fell into his arms and just sobbed for about ten minutes. I couldn't speak and Kurt was getting frantic. Of course, I calmed down and pulled away from him. I looked deep into his eyes.
"I'm sorry Baby, I was crying for a lost love. Mike Andrews is such a lovely guy. If I didn't have you, I would probably fall in love with him all over again. He made me realise something tonight I have been avoiding. Kurt I love you, I think I probably have for a long time. I was just too afraid to commit again after Mike."
Immediately I was smothered in kisses and tears as someone else experienced an emotional overload.
When he recovered, I asked him why he was looking so worried when I came into the lobby.
"Something funny is happening at the theatre, another guy started training for my part. I think they are going to ditch me but I don't know why. I know I am doing ok."
"They are going to ditch you lover, Mike told me tonight they are going to terminate your contract."
I waited for his reaction, just before the tears started I said,
"Because they are going to offer you the lead in `Top Hat'." I was grinning ear to ear.
He looked at me in disbelief.
"I'm serious, he will probably tell you tomorrow."
He went ballistic, picked me up and danced around the room with me, kissed me as if it was going to be our last and laughed until we fell onto the couch. Then we had another bucket of tears. Boy was this ever a night for the weepies.
"The day you walked through the door of this apartment block was the luckiest day of my life."
"And mine." I said. "Kurt now that I can say it. I love you and I love being in love with you. Can we live together?"
"Are you really serious enough to want to do that Peter? It's a big step. I would want to love someone to distraction before committing to that."
I looked into his eyes and then laughed.
"You old fraud, you are just fishing. For your information, I do love you to distraction, which is why I want you in my bed every night. Or better, our bed."
"Can I stay tonight Peter, I am too excited to sleep without you. I can get my rehearsal gear and be back here in less than an hour."
"Yes please, and let's go out and celebrate."
We celebrated all right, but if we had gone out to do it we would have been arrested. We shagged each other senseless, and on empty stomachs.
In two short years I had gone from a nobody to a star, been loved by the highest profile man on Broadway and was now the lover of another budding Broadway star. I thought I had a whole lifetimes luck in that time. But it went on. California was another smash hit for Mike, and Kurt was lorded for his role in Top Hat. The press compared his performance with mine, so when they found out we were lovers we weren't off the front pages of the entertainment papers for weeks.
Kurt and I took a much larger apartment together and then I left him. Only for a three-month spell to take the guest lead in `California' in London's West End.
After `California', Mike took both Kurt and I into his next musical with equal billing. He told me he only did that for Kurt knowing I would accept it. During rehearsals, he was all over Kurt with praise and help. I started to wonder if he was making a play for my lover and started to get irritated with both of them. One night just before we were due to open, I let it all out when we got home from rehearsals. Kurt was flabbergasted.
"Peter are you serious, Mike Andrews and me?"
"Yes, I have been watching the two of you for months, it's driving me crazy. Go with him if you want to, I don't care anymore. I'll go, my understudy can open with you."
Kurt just burst into tears. Through his huge gut wrenching sobs he said,
"I'm sorry Peter, please don't do this to me. I love you so much I can't live without you, I told you that long before you loved me. I'll do anything for you, I'll leave the show, I'll give up show business and just be your houseboy and look after you. Anything, anything Peter I love you so much. So much more than I thought possible. Please, please don't leave me Peter."
He fell on the floor in obvious pain, curled up into a little ball and just sobbed as if his heart would break.
"Oh Baby, I'm sorry, I thought you were falling in love with Mike, I know he is with you. Please forgive me."
He threw himself into my arms, looked deep into my soul and sobbed even harder if that were possible.
"I love you Peter, I'll always love you. There is no chance in the world that I will ever be unfaithful to you. Don't you know you are my whole world? I can't function without you. Please tell me you still love me."
"Yes, I still love you. I would have gone, to leave you clear to go with Mike if you wanted him, but I would have died inside as well."
Our love making that night was the most passionate and most tender it had ever been. Neither of us could possibly have doubted our joint commitment after that.
Our new show was another smash hit and we stayed in it for nearly two years without a break. After that, we went on a world tour for three months returning to Broadway as stars in separate shows.
I have lost count of the years we have been together and the hit shows we have been in. Kurt has his directing debut next month and I am taking time out to help. We are still as much in love now as we were at the beginning.
Mike Andrews has a new boyfriend about every couple of months and swears until he finds someone like Kurt or I they will all be transients.
"I have had the best, and nearly had the second best, the two of you are just so wonderful, couldn't we have a threesome just once guys?"
We laughed, Mike suggested that every time we had dinner together, which was frequently, particularly after Kurt and I bought the apartment above his.
We actually both love him dearly, he doesn't change, and once in a while, we both talk about what might have been if it had not been for Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
I think I am the luckiest guy in the world. Well wouldn't you? Your best friend is a world famous director and your lover is a Broadway Star, hopefully soon to be a successful director as well.
I love happy endings, and mine is looking pretty good at the moment. ==========================================================================