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“Hamlet and Ophelia,” Sebastian muttered next to me. “Guess the verdict’s clear.”

If even the stage manager saw it through his thick glasses, Eva would only need to nod.

Captivated by Dominic’s voice, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. His movements were so natural, and the words rolled off his tongue with such ease.

He was Hamlet.

Who is this guy?

Witnessing him now in his element, commanding the stage and drawing the attention of everyone in the room, I couldn’t help but reminisce about last Friday and smile.

He’d played the role of an ordinary guy well. Almost had me fooled—if it weren’t for that one thing under the stairs.

Seeing his pulse quicken with every beat in his neck as I got closer to him had revealed his true self. He hadn’t been opposed to me or the idea of a one-night stand. Maybe I should’ve been a bit more persistent; maybe something would’ve stirred in his pants by now.

Hmm … I examined his face more closely. He even took out the nose ring. Not that it didn’t suit him, but now, he looked even more attractive to me.

If Sebastian hadn’t shown up and pulled me away, I probably would’ve crossed the line and kissed him. I didn’t even realize it at the time, but shortly after, I was flying high and didn’t recognize myself anymore. That was why I held back from seeking him out for another chat in the cloakroom.

While the strip club had been filled with warm red tones, I was completely captivated by the orange streetlights, igniting a vibrant explosion of colors in every direction.

Sebastian and the guys had headed home, but I decided to take the first tram to the zoo hospital, aiming to launch myself into another realm of its entirely blue-lit station.

As a lighting designer, my absolute favorite color was dark blue, and the underground tram station was simply brilliant. I spent three hours there, walking back and forth along the tracks, sitting on the bench, and snapping photos of the blue ambiance. I didn’t leave until my phone ran out of battery, and then I went home to work on a lighting plan.

It wasn’t often that I had an entire weekend free since there were usually performances to attend. But the season was winding down, and the four shows I was responsible for were only running sporadically.

So, I was excited to dive into new projects. That was the part of my job I found most thrilling—watching a production take shape and figuring out how to light each scene.

By now, Hamlet and Ophelia had finished their scene, and Theo sent the actors off for their well-deserved lunch break while he and his team finalized the role assignments. I took the opportunity to head up to the third gallery to install the color changer and do a quick walk-through with two stagehands. When I got back down an hour later, I witnessed one of the most beautiful smiles I’d seen in a long time.

Dominic.

His white teeth were dazzling, and the sparkle in his blue eyes was so overwhelming that I felt a lump in my throat. Standing alongside Vanja, he shook hands with Theo and Eva, basking in the joy of getting the role.

I mean, hello? He’s our new Hamlet!

“All set,” Sebastian said suddenly next to me. “I talked to Peter, and he agreed. I can help you on Friday.”

“Cool! I really appreciate that.”

“You said 1 p.m.?”

“Yeah. The opening’s at 5. I just need someone to run through everything again.”

“But the schedule’s already set, right?”

“Of course!” I laughed. “What do you think?”

“Well … you’re the one who’s always tweaking the software at the last minute.”

“No tweaks,” I said, raising my finger. “Improvements.”

“Sure, sure. I’m curious to see what you’ve got.”

“Ah, here they are,” Theo’s voice called from behind me. “Sebastian! Kilian!” He turned to us with a wave. “These are our new leads: Dominic Pereira as Hamlet and Vanja Vogel as Ophelia.” He gestured toward us. “This is Sebastian Odermatt, the stage manager, and Kilian da Silva, the lighting designer.”

“Hi!” Vanja greeted us, shaking our hands. She was still thrilled to have landed the role.