TO BE OR NOT TO BE - PART 4

TO BE OR NOT TO BE - PART 4

by
Spanky de Bautumn
Part 3. Everybody was working hard for opening night when tragedy strikes and Sunny has to make a decision.

Walking back to the hotel, I was lost in thought. I was excited but at the same time scared to death, confused and clear of mind, thinking it could work out fine but knowing it could all blow up in my face. I walked right past the hotel and got to the next corner before I realized it.
I didn't see Antonio. It was around eight, and he was probably on his lunch break. I really didn't feel like seeing him tonight, I had too much on my mind.
Back in the room, I fired up a joint. As I watched the smoke float around the room, there was a knock on the door. I knew it had to be Antonio. I opened the door, but it wasn't Antonio, it was Mark.
"Hi, Sunny, how you doing?" He asked.
"Kind of got a lot on my mind."
"I'll bet. Do you mind if I come in?"
"Oh yeah, sorry. I'm not all here at the moment."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he said walking into the room.
He sat in the chair by the window. He was dressed in a gray sports coat and slacks with a black polo shirt underneath, argyle socks and expensive loafers. I flopped down on the bed.
"Smells good in here, got any left?" He asked with a smile on his face.
I pulled what was left of the joint out of the ashtray and handed it to him with the lighter.
"Do you want something to drink?" I asked him.
"What do you have?"
"Soda, root beer, vodka, OJ and, ah, water."
"What are you having?"
"I think I need a screwdriver."
"Me too."
I mixed the drinks while Mark sucked on the roach. I started thinking about what Mel and Shari had said about Mark. He showed up out of the blue and had never given me this much attention in the past two years. Of course, he could be just worried about the play and wants to make sure I'm alright with it and that I can, in fact, pull it off. I decided to hear him out before I'd worry one way or the other. I handed him the drink, he blew out the smoke, then put his plastic glass up to toast. I tapped his glass with mine.