Chapter Eight
Mia clapped her hands together and waved the cast toward the front of the stage. “Excellent work today, guys. You’re going to kill it Saturday night. Now go study your lines and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You know they’re just going to head over to the festival, right?” Chase’s voice was low and amused and right in her ear. She had to fight the urge to shiver at the feel of his breath on her skin.
Nobody was paying attention, thank goodness. The kids were too busy packing up and chattering amongst themselves.
And, yes, making plans to go to the festival.
“It gets them out of here, doesn’t it?” She watched as the teens left by twos and threes, hurrying out the door in case she changed her mind and tried to call them back. “We’ve got work to do.”
Chase groaned, but she ignored him. They’d spent the better part of the night before finding audition pieces and going over strategy. She was in full-on director mode, and he just had to live with it.
The door clanged shut behind the last student, and they were alone in the theater. Again.
She couldn’t help but remember what had almost happened between them in the theater yesterday. And what had been interrupted by the phone call last night.
At this point, she was starting to think that live theater was the biggest cockblock she’d ever dealt with.
But some things were more important than her sex life—or lack thereof.
“Okay, better get that stage set up,” she said, shooing Chase toward the stairs. “You need a couch and a lamp. I’ll get the camera ready.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his voice wry.
They’d run lines last night until three in the morning, working on the two pieces they’d agreed on. She had argued for a pair of monologues, but he’d insisted on doing a two-character scene together in place of one of them.
“Everyone else will be at least reading with a producer,” he’d insisted. “Or doing a scene together in person. I want them to see me working with a partner, not just reciting a monologue.”
And since her camera could be operated remotely, she’d finally agreed. A tiny part of her was secretly thrilled to be acting with Chase again too.
By unspoken agreement, they hadn’t told anyone else about his audition. Better not to get anyone’s hopes up until they had good news to share, right?
After last night, she was sure it would be good news too.
Their acting partnership hadn’t faded a bit. Even just reading lines had been fun in a way she hadn’t had in years.
She’d missed this. She’d missed him. And now she was doing everything in her power to help him go away again.
Mia had never thought of herself as a masochist before, but sometimes that was the only word that fit.
“Monologue first?” He stood at the edge of the stage, one hand shading his eyes from the bright stage lights.
“Yep.”
She smiled as he took a deep breath, found his place on stage, and began.
*
“That was amazing!”
Mia twirled at center stage, grinning at him as he jumped down to retrieve the camera.
“It really was, wasn’t it?” For the first time since this audition had been offered to him, he was starting to feel excited about it. Last night, he’d been against the whole idea. He’d turned into a reluctant participant solely on the strength of Mia’s enthusiasm. He didn’t want to let her down, so he’d gone ahead with the audition.
The monologue had gone smoothly, but it wasn’t until he and Mia launched into the scenework that he actually had a good feeling about this.
It helped that Mia was still the best scene partner he’d ever worked with. Talented, generous, able to listen and connect with him better than anyone he’d worked with since moving to L.A.
And when they’d finally filmed their scene together, it was like…magic.
He’d felt it. The rush of performing, the almost audible click when everything falls into place and they’re more than acting, they’re inhabiting those characters, living inside their skin, becoming them for that brief time on stage.
That’s what he’d missed. That’s why he’d pursued this dream in the first place.
He’d found it, originally, in high school theater with Mia. And now, he was discovering it again.
Thanks to Mia.
“Bring that bad boy over here so I can take a look.” Mia made a grabby hands gesture at him as he walked down the aisle to the front of the stage. She scurried over to the edge and sat down, her legs swinging.
“Here you go.” He climbed up onto the stage next to her, sitting close enough their thighs touched. “How do you think we did?”
She shot him a disbelieving look. “You have to ask? We nailed it.” Then she clicked the button for the video playback.
They sat in silence, his chin resting on her shoulder as they watched the scene unfold. He said his last line, and she clicked off the playback before they broke character.
“Chase.” Her eyes were shining. “You were amazing.”
“We were amazing,” he corrected her. “If I get this part, I’m going to owe it all to you.”
It was true. He’d nailed his monologue, but the performance they’d done together had been like lightning in a bottle.
Beautiful and rare.
“So now we just need to get home, download this, and email the files to your director.”
“The director,” he corrected her. “He’s not my director yet.”
“Yet is the operative word,” she said with a grin. “I have a good feeling about this.”
And for the first time in a really long time, so did he.
*
“Sent.” She closed her laptop with a flourish. “Now…we wait.”
“Welcome to the world of professional acting,” he deadpanned. “Isn’t it exciting?”
Mia clasped her hands together and held them over her heart. “Thrilling.”
The thing was, she meant it. Everything about the last couple of days had been wonderful—from working on her play together, to filming the scenes, to the kissing.
She was ready to get back to the kissing.
Unfortunately, as soon as this audition opportunity showed up, they’d both turned their focus to that. And she wasn’t quite sure how to bring up the topic now.
Hey, remember how last night you were going to bone me and we got interrupted? Yeah, want to get back to that now? That sounds like fun.
“Wine?”
Without waiting for a reply, she got off the couch and headed down the hall to the kitchen. Chase followed behind, reaching over her head to grab the wineglasses out of the cupboard for her.
She shivered at the sensation of his broad chest covering her back, however briefly, and opened up the fridge. The chill air cooled her heated cheeks—plus, the wine was in there.
Once she’d poured a glass for each of them, she sat, and he followed suit. “So what’s next?”
He quirked his lips. “Every situation is a little different. Plus, this is theater, so I’m out of practice where that’s concerned. My best guess is that they’ll look at all the audition pieces over the weekend and let people know starting next week.”
“Say you get cast—” she held up a hand to forestall any arguments, “—what happens after that?”
He swirled the golden liquid around in his wineglass. “On the off chance I get the part, I’ll have to be in L.A. by Wednesday at the latest. Rehearsals start on Thursday, and the show goes into previews at the end of next month. Opening night is early August.”
Wednesday. Wednesday was fast.
Wednesday was practically now.
The hell of it was, she knew in her bones he was going to go. His performance had been transcendent—so far beyond anything she’d ever seen from him. She couldn’t imagine anyone else being chosen.
Eleven years ago, she’d kissed him while he was on his way out the door, ready to make a name for himself in Hollywood. Now, she wanted more, even knowing his time here was limited.
She wanted what she could get, in the time they had left. She was ready to reach for that brass ring, and to hell with the heartbreak that loomed.
“So. About the kissing.” Inside, she winced. Smooth, she was not.
“I owe you an apology,” he began.
She stared at him. “Oh, hell no.”
He started to talk, but she held up a hand.
“You are not apologizing for kissing me or ‘taking advantage of me’,” she growled, curving her fingers in air quotes. “I am a grown woman with agency and I wanted to kiss you. Full stop. So shut up.”
“I, uh, wasn’t going to apologize for that,” he said slowly. “But thanks for the clarification.”
She sat back. “Oh.”
“I owe you an apology for not kissing you.”
She stared at him blankly.
“At the graduation party,” he continued. “I treated you like crap. In front of everybody. And I’m sorry.”
“Look, it was a long time ago.” She fidgeted with the stem of her wineglass. “Over and forgotten.”
“I don’t think so.” Reaching across the table, he placed his hand on hers. “I haven’t forgotten.”
She sighed. “Okay, I was hurt for a little while. But we were kids, Chase. You were leaving town. I had the worst timing in the world.”
“No,” he started, but she talked over him.
“And I bet you think this is bad timing now because you’re only here temporarily. But that’s okay. I don’t mind. Really. If this is just a short-term thing, that’s fine. But there’s something between us that I want to explore. I’m tired of waiting for life to happen to me, waiting for the right moment. I’m ready to go for what I want, Chase. What I want is you. Even if you’re leaving again.”
Swallowing the last of her wine, she set the glass down on the table with a thump and stood up. Taking the few steps to his side of the table, she turned sideways and dropped down into his lap.
“Chase.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked him straight in the eye. “Take me to bed.”