Short piece I wrote after seeing the musical again! I do not own 42nd Street, or any of the characters from it.
Julian walked confidently down the street, humming to himself as he fingered the long yellow scarf in his pocket. He had gotten the address of the party from the callboard, where Peggy had told him it would be. Julian couldn't wait to see her, and ever so slightly quickened his pace. He began to look at the addresses on the slightly run down apartments lining the streets. As he reached the building, he paused for a moment in the yellow pool of light illuminating the front step. What if she didn't want him here after all? Maybe she had just said that it would be grand of him to come because she was excited, and now that the shock of her success had worn off, she wouldn't want him there. She did have the young tenor to keep her company. Julian almost turned around to abandon the party, but something stopped him. The way she had looked at him as she had left the building, that same way she had looked at him right after he kissed her…
He took a deep breath, opened the door, and went in. He took the steps two at a time, before he could lose his nerve. As he arrived on the right floor, he could hear the fast music and laughter coming from down the hall. He traveled the length of the hallway and rapped on the door. The door sprang open, and a thousand cheers greeted him. As he entered however, the room became deadly quiet. He looked around him at all the kids staring at him in astonishment.
Julian cleared his throat, "I, um…" He tried again, "I wanted to say…to say congratulations again kids. You performed one hell of a show." Julian stood there awkwardly, beginning to sweat a little under their intense gazes. Suddenly, there was a rustle of people near the center of the group, and Peggy pushed her way into the empty space that had formed around him.
"You made it Mr. Marsh!" she cried with delight, grabbing his hand. "Come on!" With that, she led him further into the room. The piano started beating away a new rhythm, and quickly the chatter sprang back up in the room around him.
"I'm so happy that you came!" Peggy said, looking up at him and grinning. "I was beginning to get worried!"
"I had a few things to finish up at the theater before I left," Julian replied, smiling back down at her. "I was getting a bit nervous for a minute there," he said, indicating the place he had just vacated, already filled with the kids from the chorus, laughing, drinking, dancing and singing. How they could still stand up, he'd never know.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Peggy said, as she handed him a drink. "They were just surprised. You're a celebrity for goodness sake!"
Julian laughed at this. "I'm no celebrity!"
"Well you are to them!" Peggy laughed. She turned more serious. "And to me too. I want to thank you again Mr. Marsh."
"Please call me Julian," he said gazing into her eyes.
She opened her mouth to speak again, but suddenly Billy Lawlor popped up at her side.
"Care for a dance Peggy?" he said, putting his arm possessively around Peggy.
"Not right now Billy," she replied, shrugging his arm off her shoulders. Billy glared at Julian for a moment, then looked back at Peggy. He clutched his chest in mock agony, and then went off in search of a new partner. He didn't have to look far, Annie stepped right up to him, grabbed him, and whirled him away.
Peggy turned back to Julian, suddenly a little shy, glancing up at him from under her eyelashes.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Julian said on an impulse. "It's getting late, and you must be exhausted. I'll walk you home."
"But you only just got here!" Peggy exclaimed.
"I know," Julian replied seriously.
"I would hate to make you leave the party early just for me!"
"You're the reason I came," Julian said, moving a step closer.
Peggy's breath caught in her throat for just a moment. "Just let me get my coat and say goodbye."
She looked for Billy, worried that he might be upset that she wasn't leaving with him. He seemed pretty involved with Annie though, so she just waved goodbye to the two of them, said a hurried goodbye to the rest of the kids, and grabbed her coat.
"Alright," she said as she returned to Julian. He took hold of her hand and cut a path through the thick mob of people to the door. As they managed to stumble outside into the hallway, he steadied her as her heel got caught in the closing door.
When she had steadied herself, he let go of her, and straightened himself. He couldn't forget propriety, even if all he wanted to do was throw it to the wind.
Peggy found herself very disappointed as he broke their contact. They descended the stairs in silence, glancing at each other from time to time when they thought the other wasn't looking. As they left the building, Peggy moved closer to Julian and slipped her hand into his. He looked down at her in surprise, and she beamed up at him. He smiled in return, and held her hand firmly in his own.