Drea

The brakes squeal a bit as I come to a stop at the address Laz texted. I scan the small brick building that looks like it used to be a car repair shop, but cinder blocks have replaced where the garage doors would be. This place has seen better days, but this part of town is known to be run-down.

I put the car in park and look over at Candace. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

“Fourteen twenty Alpine Street. This is the place,” she confirms. “It’s not exactly what I envisioned when I dreamed about auditioning for a music producer.”

“Maybe he’s not as well connected as we thought.”

She frowns. “Yeah, maybe so, but he’s still connected, and that’s all that matters when it comes to getting your foot in the door. Let’s go in there and melt his face off with our mad skills.”

I sigh and tighten my grip on the steering wheel, unable to dig down and find the self-confidence to make me get out of this car.

Candace touches my right hand. “You’re going to be great. Once he gets past that tough-girl persona of yours, he’s going to love you like I do. Hell, the whole world will. You have a gift, Drea, and it’s time to share it with people.” She pats my hand. “You’ve got this, and I’ll be right there with you.”

I lean over and wrap my arms around her, hugging her tight. Candace is not only my stepsister; she’s also the closest thing to a best friend that I’ve ever had. She knows everything about me and has always supported me. I love her for that.

“Thank you,” I tell her. “I’m probably not going to make the cut, but I know you will. And I want you to know ahead of time that I’m happy for you.”

“Stop,” she orders. Then she pulls back to lock eyes with me. “This is not a time for self-doubt. It’s time to square those shoulders and keep repeating over and over in your head that you’ve got this until it sinks in, and you believe it. You’ve got to stop sabotaging yourself like this.”

“I’ll try my best.”

She shakes her head. “No try. Do.”

I laugh a little. “Okay, Yoda.”

“I’m serious, Drea. I need you with me on this. I need someone I can trust by my side.”

“I’ll be on your side, whether I make it or not.”

She smiles. “I know, but think of all the fun we’d have if we could share this experience.”

Dread pits in my stomach, but I know she’s right. If I don’t go through with this right now, I’ll always wonder what would’ve happened. The one thing I learned from my father is that you only get one true shot at greatness, and only fools like him let it slip through their fingers without going for it. More than anything, I don’t want to be like my dad, so I need to seize this opportunity.

Dad once told me that he blew his one shot at a record deal when he was a teenager. Apparently, record labels aren’t into signing teenagers who have knocked up their high school girlfriends. Although he’s never said it, I know he blames me for screwing up his dream because every time he looks at me, he hits the bottle hard. I don’t want to end up like him, living a life full of regrets.

Candace opens the door and then whips her head in my direction before she gets out. “Ready?”

I blow a rush of air between my pursed lips. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go.”

I hop out of my little white Corolla and then shut the door.

This is it. It’s do-or-die time. Let’s hope I don’t get laughed out of the place.

Candace comes to a heavy wooden door and squares her shoulders before knocking.

I’m about to open my mouth and tell her that we should get out of here—this place is dark and a bit creepy and certainly can’t be the right place for an audition of this magnitude—but then the door opens, and a tall, handsome man wearing a baseball cap over his blond hair stands before us.

The man’s dark eyes roam over my sister from head to toe before he meets her gaze. “You Candace?”

“Yes,” she answers coolly, showing no fear whatsoever.

The corner of the man’s mouth turns up into a grin. “Nice. Laz definitely downplayed your hotness.”

Here we go again. Another man entranced by Candace’s beauty. Having her as my sister, it’s a wonder I’ve been able to secure any dates in my life.

“I assume he’s expecting us?” she asks, completely ignoring the man’s attempt to flatter her. “We’re here to audition.”

His eyebrows rise, and his gaze points in my direction, like he was oblivious to me standing here in the first place. “Oh, that’s right—the sisters. He did mention that. Come on in.” He extends his hand to Candace. “I’m Cam Owens. I’m a friend of Laz’s.”

Candace shakes his hand. “Cam? As in the Cam who was in the Romeos with Laz?”

His smile widens. “Yep. You’ve heard of me, I see. You a fan?”

She giggles. “Not even a little bit. You guys were before my time. I’m just good at doing my homework.”

He dramatically throws his hands over his heart. “That wounds me deeply. The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, and I can’t even impress her a little bit with my fifteen minutes of fame. Guess my usual lines won’t be getting you into bed anytime soon.”

She pats his chest as she steps around him. “Better luck next time, Cam.”

Cam stares after Candace as she makes her way down the long hallway to the room that’s lit up at the end of it. “Hard to get ones are my favorite.”

I’m not sure if he’s saying that to me or if he’s just thinking out loud, but I feel the urge to let the poor guy down as I step inside the building. “She’s really very sweet, but when it comes to guys, she’s … particular.”

I begin walking the same direction Candace did when Cam steps up beside me, matching my pace.

His eyes flick over to me. “So help me out. What’s her type?”

I glance up at him. “She likes serious guys.”

“I’m serious,” he argues.

Cam obviously isn’t one for subtleties. “What I mean is she likes men who are deep thinkers.” I picture Alfred, Candace’s History-major ex, who cared more about the fall of the Berlin Wall than falling into bed with his hot girlfriend. A slight smile touches my lips. “Guys who read and are educated are her ultimate weakness.”

He holds his hands out in front of him. “Whoa. Hold on a minute. You’re telling me a chick as fine as her is into nerds—no-fun-having stiffs?”

I laugh at his interpretation. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Huh …” He pauses for a moment and then shrugs. “Well, that sucks. I might not be a genius, but I’m fun, and most girls love that.”

“Candace isn’t like most girls. Honestly, if I were you, I would save myself the heartache and give up now.”

Cam squares his shoulders. “Hell, no. I love a challenge.”

I roll my eyes. Poor schmuck. He doesn’t have a shot in hell, but men who usually get their way with women tend to always have this reaction when rejected by Candace. It’s like they must prove themselves by somehow getting a girl who’s unattainable. My unknowing sis has just become this man’s grand prize.

The hum of several voices grows louder as I step into the room at the end of the hall. It’s painted a bright white with mirrors covering most of the walls, making it appear to be a legit dance studio, after all.

A small crowd of women gathers near the back of the room, and instantly, I know they are our competition. Twelve in all is what I count, not including Candace and myself.

My chances have just dropped from slim to not-a-shot-in-hell because I’m sure all these ladies can dance and sing just like my sister. Having zero dancing ability is going to be a problem for me tonight.

Three metal folding chairs line up in the front of the room—one of them occupied by a beautiful dark-complected woman wearing workout clothes.

She busies herself with making notes on the legal pad in her lap, not giving me or any of the other women a second glance.

I flank Candace’s side. “I didn’t expect so many people to be here.”

She nudges my shoulder with hers. “Don’t sweat it. We’ve got this. We just need to make sure we stand out.”

I check out the girls next to us. All their bodies are perfect, and their faces could rival most supermodels, like Candace.

I sigh. “How am I supposed to do that?”

She chews her bottom lip for a moment and then grabs my arm. “Come with me. I have an idea.”

There’s no time to question her because she quickly pulls me back into the hallway and to the restroom.

She locks us inside and whips back around. “Take off your jacket. We need to do something with that sweatshirt you’re wearing.”

I protectively cover my shirt. “What are you going to do to it? I love this one.”

Candace pulls a small pair of scissors from her purse.

“Why do you have those?”

She gives me an exacerbated look. “Drea, this is an emergency, and it calls for a little creativity. You’re lucky I’m smart enough to come prepared. Hold your hair up out of the way.”

I could spend time protesting the annihilation of my favorite top, but I must admit, a simple sweatshirt with the initial of my first name on it isn’t exactly sexy. So, for the cause, I’m willing to sacrifice it.

Candace goes to work, cutting the neck out of the shirt, and then she discards the extra pieces of material along with the hood into the trashcan. Once she’s finished, she steps back to admire her work and tugs the now-open neckline over one of my shoulders. “Much better. Now, let’s go out there, show up the rest of these girls, and knock Laz’s socks off.”

The mention of his name sends a shiver down my spine. He’s so damn sexy, and the thought of his eyes trained on me makes my body feel strange things.

Laz Rawlings has the power to change my life. I need to do everything I can to impress him and make him choose me.