He wasn't going to tell her that; she was going to have to ask him. Rose drew in a deep breath. But then she saw her mother. Lu was at the opposite side of the room, watching them.

If I lose him I'll have nothing, Rose thought. She didn't ask her question.

“I haven't been a saint,” Bobby said.

And what he was supposed to say next was But that was in the past, Rose. Now I've met you. I'll never look at another woman again. I'll never leave you and I'll be yours forever. In all of the plays her mother had starred in, that was what the leading man said to the leading lady.

What Bobby said to her instead was “I'd be crazy to try to tell you there haven't been girls in the past. You're too smart for that.”

You got your lines wrong, Bobby! Rose thought. And I need to hear the right ones. I deserve them. But then she looked across the room. Lu was still watching them.

Rose shrugged. “Who'd want a saint?” she asked with what she hoped was a worldly smile.

But Bobby looked at her and asked, “Don't you?” And she knew he'd surprised himself; that was not what he'd intended to say.

She thought for a moment, then said slowly, “If anyone ever made a fool of me, I'd hate him for the rest of my life.” And she knew that was the most honest she would ever be.

“I'd never want you to hate me.” And she knew he was telling the truth too.

Antoinette Landovich left the party about twenty minutes later. Whatever she'd wanted to accomplish, she'd left undone. Bobby stayed at Rose's side for the rest of the night. He was charming and funny and everyone liked him. He never mentioned his musical once. But Rose didn't care about that anymore.

AFTER THE PARTY was over, Rose walked Bobby to the elevator. The hallway was empty and later on she would wonder if they had timed it that way without realizing it. Because that was when he kissed her. And Rose discovered that all the clichés were true; her knees really did wobble, the floor did fall away from under her feet, and if the elevator hadn't arrived when it did, she would have stood there kissing him all night. But the elevator did arrive and he got on it, looking as dazed as she felt.

If I lose him, I'll die, she thought as she watched the elevator doors close. And she had to wait a few minutes until she was sure her face wasn't going to give her away before she went back inside the apartment.

Lu was sitting on the sofa with her feet up.

“I'm going to bed,” Rose announced.

“Who was that girl?” her mother asked.