Page 5 of Finding Finn (Foggy Basin Season 2)

“I’m gonna go back to the office. Jim? You’ll bring him in so I can get him situated after the uh… tour?” Her eyes sparkled. Her good humor was contagious and easy to be around.

“Sure.” He sighed loudly.

“Thanks.” I managed, feeling like he wanted to throw me out of the theatre instead of giving me a tour. He may have been hot, but he was a bit of a prick.

“Do you want to start outside?” He gestured to the doors I had just come through.

“Alright. What’s the story with the train?”

He opened the door and we walked outside.

“They’ve been here since we opened. They used to be just for decoration, and a decade ago, our old executive director had the idea of turning them into bars to alleviate lobby crowding.

It’s easier for people to go outside than try to get a drink in our little lobby. ”

“Good idea.” I walked over to the engine. “Why are they red?”

“I have no idea. They always have been.” He crossed his arms, and I tried to look anywhere else but at his biceps.

“Huh?”

“ You don’t like the color ?” He sounded annoyed.

“No. Not really. It seems so bright and shocking.” I scrunched my face up.

“Well, an engine and caboose sitting in front of a theater are kind of shocking if you’re not expecting it.”

“True. I just think a soft green would blend in better with the wooden deck and all of the plants. Maybe a yellow stripe?”

He huffed. “We can discuss that later. I’m not against repainting, but the town does get used to stuff as it is.

Repainting the trains would be fairly expensive.

They’d have to be sanded and get a coat of non-rust before we could paint.

I'm not sure that’s where you’d want to spend the theatre’s money.

But we can look into it if that’s what you want. ”

“That’s all I’m asking. The red makes me feel like there’s some kind of impending doom. If I remember correctly, the deck is where you do cabarets in the summer.” I changed the subject.

“Spring and fall, too. We usually do a dessert cabaret series. We put small tables around, and as you can see, there is a platform that creates the stage. We can get a five-piece band and a few singers on stage,” he said proudly.

“Are the platforms removable?” I walked over to the large deck and stood on the edge.

“Sure.”

“It might be nice to do a musical out here during the summer. It’s quite pretty with the small green space in front and the trees behind.” It really was quite pretty.

“We can look into it. I don’t remember us doing anything out here besides cabarets and concerts. But it’s an idea .”

“You don’t like it?” I shook my head. I was not making a good first impression with the hunky tech guy.

“Lighting would be complicated. But it could be done, I guess.”

“You can be honest with me, Jim. You know the space much better than I do.”

“It can be a discussion. I suppose it would depend on what show we do.” He looked completely unenthused.

“This is a great space, Jim. I think it could be used for a lot. It’s so big. Does the theatre rent the space for weddings or parties?”

His face brightened. “Now that’s not a bad idea. Of course, the resort will open pretty soon. That might take most of that business.”

“Resort? Really?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty great, to be honest. My friend Ben is in charge of it. They have their own performance space there that will host concerts. He would love to talk to you about bringing our shows over to the resort. It could be a great way to increase our budget.”

“That’s cool. I mean, I know nothing about the town, so… I guess, I will have to rely on you and Buffy until I start to get to know the place.” I thought I was doing a great job of acting like I knew what I was saying.

“Of course.” He finally uncrossed those beautiful arms. “We’re all here for the same reason.”

“How long have you worked here?”

“I graduated from college with a degree in technical theatre, and Mister Gambin offered me a job when I came back home to figure out my next steps. I loved this place, so it was an easy choice.”

“You never wanted to go somewhere else?”

“This felt like where I needed to be. I love Foggy Basin, and this theatre has always been a special place to me.”

“You’re married?” I glanced at the ring on his finger.

“Wrong hand. No, I am not married.” He raised his left bare hand.

“Oh, right,” I smirked.

“Want to see the theatre?” I saw his eyes roll into the back of his head as he turned and led me back inside.

He showed me around the space, and for a community theater, it was quite nice.

There was almost no backstage space except on the sides, but the stage was quite large and wide, if not very deep.

He was proud of the theatre’s capabilities and eager to tell me about the technical specs, which sounded like he was speaking an alien language to me. I finally held up my hand.

“Jim, I understand nothing about what you’re saying. I’m mainly a performer. I’ve directed a couple of high school shows during my off time, but this is all going to be very new to me.”

“I’ve overwhelmed you?” he frowned. “I guess we’ll get used to each other. You want to go into the office and have Buffy and me explain a few things to you?”

“What would happen if I said I wanted to crawl back in my bed?” I chuckled. “I barely slept last night.”

“Jet lagged?”

“I… maybe?” I shrugged. “I’m just nervous. You’re all new to me, just as I am to you. I really want us to get off on the right foot.”

“Come on,” he walked out of the theatre and through the lobby to a blue door in the corner. “These are our offices. Well, you and Buffy have an office here. Mine’s in the tech booth.”

“Of course. Tech guys have always been an enigma to me. We get to know some of them, but most don’t seem to care very much about anything besides their jobs. You’re all a hard nut to crack.”

“Yeah, that’s probably because most of the actors find it hard to think about anyone else but themselves,” he smirked.

“Of course, it’s not that way around here.

You see Tom Brandy in Music Man on a Sunday matinee, and he’s changing your tires on Monday.

Foggy Basin is full of people who actually like each other. ”

“It’s not like that in New York. I can totally see the charm of this place.”

“I hope so. It’s in your hands now.” He opened the door.

“How was the tour? Did my brother bore you with how many gobos could be hung from the grid? He’s such a nerd.”

“This is why families should not work together,” Jim growled. “So, these are the offices.”

“It’s not much. You have the office in the back, and my desk is right here. Through that door is the green room.”

“The green room is actually the only backstage area we have. It’s the dressing room and makeup room too. We hang curtains up as the show needs so people can have their privacy.” Jim leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Damn… He had mighty nice arms. Those biceps were a thing of beauty.

“My community theatre had a boys' and girls' dressing room, but they were all downstairs.”

“Want to see your office or…” she gestured to the table in the middle of the room.

“Can I be completely honest? I have no idea what I’m doing.

This is all very new to me, but I want to learn and I want to help this theatre stay successful and an important part of the community.

I’m going to have to rely on you both while I learn the ropes around here.

I don’t even know where to buy groceries at this point. ”

“No worries, Finn. That’s our job.” Buffy tried to make me feel better.

“We’re going to have drinks tonight, right? Are we also eating dinner?”

“I can run and grab lunch for us if you’re hungry,” she offered.

“For now, let’s just get to it. What do I need to know?”

“Let’s start with the season and our first show. Auditions are in a week.” Jim walked over and sat down at the table.

“Annie. It’s not my favorite.”

“Is it anyone’s?” He laughed. “But it sure makes us a lot of money.”