“Have you forgiven me, yet?”
“I don’t know…” Anne teased.
“I hated doing it. It was the hardest acting job I’ve ever had.”
“Wow,” Steven chuckled. “I didn’t know I was that bad.”
“You know what I mean,” said Ellen. “Anne looked so hurt. I felt awful. No offense, Anne, but you’d make a terrible actress. You couldn’t hide your emotions at all.”
“I don’t know,” said Steven. “She had me convinced she was done with me at the party.”
“That’s because I was done with you.”
“And I still owe Ben for letting me borrow his girlfriend.” Steven extended his hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. We’re already sold out for two weeks, thanks to your support and the extra publicity.”
“I’m glad. But I got the best end of the deal.” Steven gave his wife a squeeze.
“I guess I don’t get credit for your match with Ben, do I?” Anne asked Ellen. “You managed to get his attention without my help.”
“You mean I managed to get her attention,” Ben lifted her fingers to his lips and placed an adoring kiss. “I kept asking her to do special rehearsals with me, just so I could spend time with her.”
“I thought you were worried about the play because I kept forgetting my lines every time you touched me,” said Ellen.
Anne spotted Johanna and hurried toward her with Steven trailing behind.
“Johanna! I’m so excited y’all came. All the way from Germany to Texas!”
“I would not have missed it. I am surprised it took Steven so long to make it happen.”
“You owe Johanna too,” Anne declared to Steven. “She was the one who came up with the plot for me to teach you a lesson at the Christmas party. Although… I did keep forgetting the plan.”
“Johanna!” Steven complained. “You already knew the truth. Why were you plotting against me?”
“If I had not stirred up her anger a little, she would not have even gone to the party. Am I right, Anne?”
“Wait, Johanna,” said Anne. “You knew? Why didn’t you tell me before the party? Why did you make me memorize all that stuff and follow that silly plan? Why didn’t anybody just tell me?”
“Anne, dear, you still had not admitted to yourself you were in love. I had to get you to that party and force Mr. Gherring’s hand. I knew if he saw you with another man, he would quit his little charade with Ellen.”
“It almost backfired when Anne ran away,” said Steven. “It’s a good thing I’d already enlisted Rayna to keep an eye on her and report back to me.”
He laughed as Rayna and Antonio came up behind Anne to give her a hug.
“Rayna—you traitor,” Anne teased her friend. “Seriously, that night, I was really mad at you.”
“It’s not like Mr. Gherring told me he was in love with you. I’d never have been able to keep that a secret. He only told me he was worried about you getting in trouble since, you know, you’re not really a New Yorker.”
“And I was helping her,” said Antonio, “because it turns out keeping track of you was a full-time job.”
George and May waved the newlywed couple over. “You look beautiful, Anne,” said May.
“May cried through the whole wedding,” said George. “My handkerchief is sopping wet.”
“Now we’ve got you matched up, we need to get back to work on Spencer,” said May.
“Has he said anything more about Emily?” Anne asked. “Because she’s not telling me anything.”