is a collection of the author’s recent writings. It is his ninth published book.
The two girls sat in the booth inside the door of the side-street eatery. They were talking quietly.
Richard was sitting at the counter at the back of the room. He was eating lunch with his friend Marc. They were eating the stew that was the "special of the day."
He had seen the script book on the girls’ table when he and Marc had come in. He now sat watching the two girls talking. The brown-haired girl was facing him, and the other sat with her back to him. He knew the theater Marc worked at was around the corner, and either one or both the girls were actresses.
He was thinking the brown-haired girl was pretty, and didn’t seem taken with herself, the way most young actresses were. He also thought she must be new here in the city because she certainly didn’t seem cold and callous the way people in Chicago were. She seemed genuine as she talked with the companion.
"Who are the two girls?" he asked. "Any idea?"
Marc looked around the guy to his left and then leaned forward again.
"Yeah," he said. "The one facing us has a bit part in that play we’re rehearsing at the Marquee. I’m not sure about the other one."
"The one about the Romans?" Richard said.
"Yeah," Marc replied.
Richard took another spoon of the stew.
"What’s her part?" he asked.
