I Just Can’t McShake this Feeling by Jennifer Anthony

Noelle stood center stage before the set of the McDonald’s counter. The curtain rose to reveal a full house, with Lance sitting smack in the middle of the front row, thanks to a McSpecial value ticket from the leading lady. The unmistakable scent of McDonald’s French fries and burgers wafted in from the lobby’s concession stand.
      It was opening night of McDonald’s: The Musical, and Noelle was pumped with adrenalin. She waited until the band began a slow reggae rhythm, turned to the male lead beside her, and burst into song.
      “I’ll shake it and shake it and sure won’t break it. I’ve come a long way since the Happy Meal…”
      Her love interest, a cool dark drink of water with dreadlocks past his shoulder blades, stepped forward to take her hand. “Girl, you’re big now, and tasty, but let’s not be hasty. Hotcakes, I think we just need some time apart…”
      “But you’re the hamburglar who’s stolen my heart…””
      The two pulled away from each other, turned to the audience, and sang in unison.
      “Why can’t he beeeeeeee on my menu?” crooned Noelle, while her companion sang, “Why can’t she beeeeee just fast food?”
      So began the two-hour play about the fry guy afraid to commit, and the cashier willing to suffer through and wait out his indiscretions with the drive-through girl, the lobby lady, and the restaurant manager.
       Even though Noelle had stayed up half the night twisting and turning in bed, anxious about opening night, she knew she had found her groove. The audience laughed, wept, and even sang along when they caught onto the chorus lyrics. So much so that it was hard not to smile and slip out of character when the audience joined in on the chorus of Big Mac Daddy, the final number.
      The show ended with a standing ovation, and a bouquet of red roses tossed from the center of the front row. When Noelle strained to see who had thrown them, she saw Lance give her a little wave and sheepish smile before hustling out into the aisle and beating a hasty retreat.
      Although she had invited Lance to the opening night cast party, he had politely declined, explaining that it wasn’t his scene. She knew he’d rather have a one-on-one date. He had, in fact, suggested it several times since his break-up with Becky, but Noelle liked him too much to be a convenient rebound. So she had declined his numerous offers, with the excuse that she was overbooked between the jewelry store and the impending opening night of the play.
      But now that the play had opened, she knew her excuses were going to get stale, and Lance might stray to other pastures. So she had to tow the line between letting him know she was interested, and making sure that he was over his ex-fiancée.
      As she made her way to the lobby to allow the audience to gush over her, she hatched a plan to call Lance from the party, let him know that she appreciated his support, and suggest the possibility of a coffee date the following morning.
      Her four best friends were waiting for her in the lobby. They had moseyed through the crowd and stood near the bar, drinking wine.
      “You were amazing!” Allison said, when she caught sight of her friend.
      “You came!” Noelle said, hugging her friends one by one.
      “Oh, please,” Kyoko said. “You knew we wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
      “Plus you would have killed us if we hadn’t come!” Roxie said.
      “You just have to introduce us to your leading man,” Graciela said, with a wink.
      Noelle took five minutes to soak in as much praise as possible from her friends before slipping away to garner accolades from others. Men and women alike rushed at her, itching to lavish her with compliments. It was a far cry from the way she was treated at the jewelry store, and could easily turn addictive.
      But she gave them just a few minutes of her time before slipping backstage to change, scrub off the several layers of make-up, and get ready for the cast party. She tried to swallow her proud smile, but it welled up and spilled all over her face.
      One celebratory glass of Pinot Grigio became two, and then three or four. Before she knew it, it was far too late and she was far too sauced to call Lance.
      After three cups of coffee and two aspirin the following morning, she settled into her armchair and readied herself to call Lance and suggest a lunch date.
      But his voice mail picked up after three rings, and his recorded voice sounded tinny and rather distant. “Hey there, sorry I missed you. I’ve gone to the Hamptons for the week, so I’ll call you when I get back.”           
      Stunned, Noelle hung up without leaving a message.
      A week? In the Hamptons? Surely he hadn’t gone alone.
      She could feel the self-confidence from the night before oozing out of her body.
      Now, despite herself, she liked Lance more than ever. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was with another woman.
     
     
     
     
     

Daily Sales Email, or Subscribed to our RSS Feed? Don't miss a Sale!

Posted by Mirela Gluck at 11:32 AM
bargain news |