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I was removing stage makeup when I heard a familiar, if muffled voice yelp. I was through three doors before I realized what I was doing, pain in my chest momentarily forgotten. A door crashed open in front of me, and I can only imagine what I must have looked like. It was almost a relief to see that it was nothing but Bill, a rather unpleasant character actor of about forty; who had decided that Suki would make a fine light of love and wasn't taking no for an answer.
Because we had to work together, I did him the favor of not hitting him in the face while I was getting him out of the way. Suki flung herself around my waist, skittering around to hide behind me.
“Jesus, Alex. What was that for?”
I wheezed slightly, and the side of my mouth twitched into a grimace. “I could ask you the same thing, Bill. She's not fifteen!”
“If she's gonna work in theater, she'd best get used to it.” Saki arrived, late, but with his hands around prop that would have caused a great deal more damage to Bill than my fist. My guess was that he had been on the other side of the theater. I made a patting gesture in the air, trying to wave him off.
“Stuff it.” I snapped. “If I catch you laying a hand on her-”
“I didn't think you went in for the younger type, Alex.”
“Give me the vase, Saki.” I put out my hand, accepted the it, and weighed it in my hand for a moment. It was painted to look like porcelain, but it was metal; it had to take a great deal of rough handling on stage. Bill shut up, I don't think he liked what he saw in my eyes.
“I'm going to say this once more, Bill. My cousins” I jerked my chin, indicating the twins “Are here to work nothing more. And if you bother them, I'm going to get quite cross.” Over hand, I flung the vase, and it stuck into the plaster beside his head. “You'll find that I can be quite unreasonable about some things.”
“They're your cousins? Why didn't you mention it?” He had no trouble believing it.
“It was bad enough I was trying to find them work;” I sighed suddenly feeling the pain in my chest again. “If I'd told everyone they were my cousins, I was sure that everyone would think I was seeking some sort of preferential treatment or favors in having them work here, as opposed to just needing the few extra pence a week.”
He had the grace to actually look embarrassed. I would have been cross at that, if I hadn't known that I probably wouldn't have even heard the distress if I hadn't been on guard about them.
If it had been any other young girl, he would have gotten whatever he wanted out of her. The thought made me sag further.
“Alex, you don't look so well.”
“Heh.” I grinned. “I'm not used to confrontation, I guess.”
Bill laughed it off. “I know, gave me quite a turn; I thought you were going to kill me.”
“Oh I would have.” I said with as much cheer as I could muster. “Never doubt that.”