Chapter 8 – (Never) meet your idols

Joanna and Mina enjoyed the play as they both spent most of it starring at Macaroy Sherman. He was a man, who had only become more handsome with age, curly beard, small intense eyes that could make a special type of woman fall in love with him by just looking at her. And he was an amazing actor, which was what both Joanna and Mina admired most about him.

He played the part of an indecisive king, who failed at protecting his country from a coop, and he did it masterfully. By the end of the play, Mina and Joanna were both left in tears and incapable of speaking for several minutes.

They walked out and stood by a table, looking out over the stairs for some more minutes, before Joanna finally said. "That was just marvelous."

Mina wholeheartedly agreed with a slow nod. "I have no words."

"Not only was the performance phenomenal, but the costumes, the design of the backgrounds and settings, the makeup, hair and… just wow." Joanna continued to marvel over the design of the play, as she had been quite impressed by it. She was so tired of theatres adapting old plays to a new setting without having the changes make sense.

"They just stayed so close to the text," Mina pointed out, smiling at Joanna's excitement, "yet, they changed the words the play could benefit from changing. And they cut a couple of scenes, which I completely agree with." Mina moved slightly closer to Joanna in her excitement.

Joanna nodded eagerly, "Yes, that last scene became so much more impactful without having the moral explain straight to us in the previous scene!" Joanna smiled at Mina and her eyes glowed with joy and happiness.

Mina leaned closer, "and what a last scene!? The kiss was perfection."

What? Joanna thought, it can't be, no, she isn't flirting with me. But then again, I don't have to focus on my studies at this moment… This is my time off, so if I want to enjoy myself, should I stop this.

Mina moved her hand around Joanna's waist. "I felt so ashamed to be looking, but it was so exciting that I couldn't look away." Mina moved her other hand slowly over Joanna's face. "Did you look away, Joanna?"

"I-I didn't. No," Joanna admitted. Her pulse was off the chart, she thought. It would be most interesting to coupled herself up to a few medical machines to see how this affected her body.

Mina leaned closer, "then I hope you won't look away now."

"hrm-hrm," a person behind them cleared his throat to get their attention.

Joanna and Mina turned around to discover Macaroy Sherman standing there.

"Ladies," Macaroy Sherman took a bow for them, "It's always a pleasure to meet such devoted theatre lovers as you. I trust you enjoyed our performance this evening?"

Mina and Joanna quickly stood up straight.

"Absolutely, Mr Sherman. It was such a joy." Joanna sent him her best smile. She had been practicing a lot lately and hoped it had paid off.

Control yourself, Joanna! She shouted in her head. Be cool. You can do this. You're a controlled person. Completely in charge of your emotions. You're not the type of person to become star-struck!

But she was. Luckily Mina handled the situation quite well.

"It really was Mr Sherman, we're so blessed to have experienced your performance." Mina smiled kindly, but her hand was still around Joanna's waist, and Joanna could feel her pulling slightly as if aiming for the exit.

"You flatter me, miss…?"

"I'm Mina Reed and this is Joanna Charleston."

Joanna didn't complain about being introduced, though she was a bit jealous at Mina's conversation with Macaroy Sherman. She would have to take control if she wished to speak with Mr Sherman as well.

"In that case, miss Charleston…" He turned to Joanna with a wicked look in his eyes, "and miss Reed could I tempt you by inviting you back to my hotel?"

Joanna and Mina felt the air being pulled out of their bodies. Did he just say, what they thought he said?

"Ye-yes, we can certainly be tempted," Joanna said, as she forgot all about the study session, she had with George the following day, and forgot all about being a devoted student and becoming a world-renowned scientist. It didn't seem to matter at that moment.

Mr Sherman nodded and smiled confidently as if she had expected nothing else. "Then, please follow me to my car. Don't fret; it isn't a long drive."

Joanna and Mina walked behind Mr Sherman beside each other.

"Joanna," Mina said and pulled her closer whilst they walked. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"I will never have this chance again," Joanna said but her mind doubted her actions as well. She didn't know, what would happen when they arrived at the hotel. And she didn't know what she wanted to happen. But in an admiring way, she loved Mr Sherman. She adored him for his amazing work in the same way as she adored groundbreaking scientists.

"Right." Mina nodded determinedly. "I will come with you."

"It sounds like you mean to protect me."

"I must admit that I do plan on that." Mina wasn't smiling anymore. "You know what they say: Never meet your idols." Mina turned her head towards Joanna. "There's a reason for that. Just remember to be careful."

Joanna was quite surprised by Mina's sudden change in mood and her distrust towards Mr Sherman. She couldn't find any reason as to why Mina should dislike Mr Sherman when she admired him so much. What could have affected her feelings towards him?

*Click-Click* Mr Sherman's car unlocked, and he opened the door to the passenger's seat next to the driver. "Miss Charleston?"

Joanna stepped away from Mina, towards the car. "Thank you, Mr Sherman." She got in the car and made herself comfortable.

Mina and Macaroy Sherman looked at each other as he closed the door behind Joanna.

"Miss Reed?" Sherman tilted his head and gave her a pretend smile. "Do you still desire to join us?"

Mina returned his smile with the same cold eyes accompanying it. "I will, thank you." She walked towards Sherman but as she was about to open the door, he put her hand on the handle.

"You don't desire me, yet you still wish to join us," he speculated as he stared intensely at her. "Thus, I must conclude that you desire something else. Could it perhaps be our sweet miss Charleston?"

Mina narrowed her eyes and arose to stand in her full height, about a head taller than Mr Sherman, as to look down upon him. "I would prefer not to answer that question." She smiled coldly and leaned towards his ear and whispered, "but just know, that I intend to protect her if you exceed the limits. If you do anything inappropriate."

"In that case, I hope I shall be the one to determine what is appropriate." He opened the car door. "Take a seat miss Reed."

They soon drove off into the night towards Mr Sherman's hotel room.