The plush lobby of the historic downtown theatre was already empty. I jogged through, glancing at the time on my phone.

Damn it. I hate being late.

Silencing my cell, I shoved it into my purse and pushed through the swinging doors for the orchestra level. The house lights were off, but I didn't need them on to know the seats were jam packed. Felicity told me opening night had sold out. The usher handed me a playbill and took my ticket. He clicked on his tiny flashlight, looking at my seat number with a grimace. He whispered, "We'll have to wait here for a bit of a lull in the action."

Truthfully I didn't mind pausing there for a minute to regain my composure. Panting from the race to get there, I nodded and smiled at him in a way that I hoped looked apologetic. And that's when I heard a voice that completely destroyed any chance at restoring my equilibrium.

Either I was having an auditory hallucination, or Kyle's deep baritone was coming from the stage, albeit with a faint twang in it that was not his own. My head whipped toward the sound. There, illuminated by the glow of spotlights, stood Kyle, live and in the flesh. And a lot flesh it was. He wore classic Levis, a leather belt, cowboy boots, and nothing else.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, a little too loudly.

The usher and a few audience members closest to me hissed. "Shhhhh!"

Is he the guy that Felicity has been raving about?

I wanted to look at the playbill to see if Kyle was the lead, but that would mean taking my eyes off of him, and I could not bring myself to do that. He was tanned and glistening, each abdominal muscle prominent. They looked better than what I'd imagined as he drove me home after our date. Transfixed by the pure sex appeal that oozed from him, I wondered, "Who was lucky enough to get the job to grease him up?"

My heart raced, though I stood deadly still. The whoosh of blood in my ears blended with the laughter that emerged from the crowd after another actor must have uttered a comical line, which I hadn't even heard. The usher's voice seemed far away as he said, "Now miss," even though he was close enough to reach out and touch me. He gently guided me by the arm down the dark aisle to my seat, which was blessedly at the end of a row.

I sat and took a deep breath which did little to calm the maelstrom I felt inside. When Kyle next left the stage, I flipped open the program for Picnic, to see the cast page, and confirm my suspicion.

Shit. He's the lead.

And lead he did. Kyle was simply amazing as Hal in William Inge's Pulitzer Prize winning play. For the next hour and a half, I watched while he wooed the ingenue, trying to ignore the pit in my stomach as he danced with, caressed, and kissed her. Listening to him say the words, "I love you," sent a shiver down my spine. It was irrational to be jealous, this was a role and he was reciting lines. But when he said those words with such raw emotion and conviction, I believed him. My nails dug into my palms, as the thought struck me that maybe I wasn't envious of the actress, but of Felicity. More than once it seemed to me that she'd hinted at making Kyle her leading man off the stage too. I wasn't sure if I could handle that idea. Hell, I wasn't even sure how I could face them at the after-party.

I was so intent on watching Kyle, that by the end of the play, my eyes burned. I had barely blinked, and some tears spilled down my cheeks.

During the curtain calls, the house lights came up. The actors could see their opening night audience. Kyle ran out and swept into a deep bow. Everyone cheered and rose for a standing ovation. When Kyle stood tall again, he was grinning from ear to ear, looking nothing like Hal, and very little like Kyle from Homey-O-Station. He looked like a different, better, version of himself. For as gruff, grumpy and introverted as he was at work, I never would have guessed he'd come so alive on stage. He seemed completely at ease with himself. But maybe the secret was that this this didn't feel like work to him.

The applause wasn't slowing down, so Kyle turned toward each grouping of seats, giving little head nods of thanks. When he got to my section, his eyes somehow found me amongst the chaos. Maybe it was the bright yellow fifties style dress I wore in homage to the play. Our eyes locked, and for me the world seemed to stop turning for an instant. All noise ceased in that moment too.

Kyle took a step backward. Smile evaporating, his features morphed into a look of utter shock. Mouth open and eyes wide. He put a hand over his heart for a split second. And then, within the space of a breath, time ticked again. Kyle turned toward the next section, with a wave this time, before falling back in line with with his cast mates, so they could receive their accolades.

That's when I made a decision. I couldn't go to the after-party. I'd wait for Felicity in the lobby as originally planned, but I'd just give her a quick hug before taking off for home. After the curtain dropped, I bolted up the aisle toward the bathroom to freshen up. If by some chance I saw Kyle in the lobby, I wanted to look somewhat put together. Even if I felt like I was falling apart.

Before I could get there I heard a woman call my name out. Felicity's mother, Charity, was standing near the bar. She spread her arms wide and said, "Get over here and give me a hug!" Squashing me up against her ample bosom, she asked, "How are you feeling dear?"

As I tried my best wrap my arms around her in return, I said, " Hey Miss Hamilton. I'm doing alright. Thanks again for that delicious tray of mac and cheese. I restrained myself from eating it all so I could freeze some for later this month."

"It's the least I could do honey after you got sick." She pushed me out at arm's length, looking me up and down. "You need some meat on your bones. Come to Sunday dinner with Felicity after the show closes."

"I will, if I'm not working." I crossed my heart. "And speaking of Felicity. I'm so proud of her. The show was amazing. Wasn't it?"

Charity wrinkled her nose. "A little too much skin on display for my taste. Although I must admit that tall, young man is easy on the eyes. He'd make even me feel petite." She winked and giggled.

Calling to mind the memory of shirtless Kyle, I blushed. Soon the rest of Felicity's family crowded around nearby. All of the women seemed enamored with Kyle, while the men begrudgingly admitted that he had some talent.

When Felicity came in to the lobby everyone cheered her name. She swept through a gauntlet of hugs, winding up in front of me. "Sorry if you're all hugged out, but I have to squeeze you right now," I said, gripping her hard. "Fel, you're amazing, and the play was stupendous."

"Awww shucks." Felicity laughed, then said, "Keeping Kyle shirtless for almost the entire first half of the show is the secret to my success. Now you see that I wasn't kidding about him. He's so good Ro."

I said, "About that." But then Felicity's family interrupted, wanting to say their goodbyes.

Felicity held a finger up to me. "Hold that thought. You can tell me at the bar." She started to walk into the throng of her relatives again.

"But I... I need to..." I stammered, before trailing off with a whisper, "...go home."

I sighed and put my coat on.

One drink. I'll go for one drink.