Drea

Pounding on the door of our room jerks me out of a sound sleep, and it takes me a moment to realize exactly where I am. The queen-size bed with the fluffy comforter all to myself is a definite step up from the full-size bed Candace and I used to share back in our apartment.

“One hour, ladies, and you need to be in the dining hall for breakfast.” Cam’s voice sounds through the door.

Candace groans as she rolls over. “I don’t want to get up. This bed is so comfortable.”

I roll over and sit up. “I forgot how nice sleeping alone is.”

She stretches her arms over her head. “You can take the first shower. I want to sleep a little more.”

“All right.”

After I’m showered, I decide not to wait on Candace to head down to breakfast. I didn’t really get much of an opportunity yesterday to chat with the other four girls. They were already in the pool, having a good time and getting to know one another while Candace was busy chatting with Robert, so I felt weird and didn’t want to impose. I opted to sit by myself for a bit before finally giving up and going back to my room to read.

But today, I’ve decided I’m going to do my best not to be socially awkward and try to show the rest of the girls that I want to get to know them.

As I descend the staircase, the smell of bacon and eggs wafts up around me, causing my stomach to rumble. Laughter rolls down the hall, and I follow the sound until I come to a large dining room where everyone sits around a grand mahogany table. A buffet lines the back of the room, and the number of choices on display could rival any restaurant.

I could seriously get used to living like this.

I grab a plate and begin checking out my options.

“You’re Aundrea, right?” a beautiful light-skinned black girl asks as she steps up next to me and grabs herself a plate.

I smile. “Yes. Most people call me Drea.”

“Drea …” She repeats my name as if trying out the sound of it on her tongue to see how it feels. “I like it. It’s cute. I’m Laycee. Isn’t all this crazy?”

The vibe surrounding this girl feels all positive, which immediately puts me at ease with her. “Extremely. It’s all happening so fast.”

“Girl, isn’t it, though? It’s exciting, but at the same time, it’s scary as hell. I mean, who knows Laz’s reasons for making the cuts he did? Some of the girls he let go last night were really talented. Actually, I’m shocked that I made it here.”

“Me, too,” I confide as I put a couple of pieces of toast on my plate. “He wanted to cut me the other night because I have zero dancing ability, but Laurie and Cam convinced him to give me another shot. I hope I don’t let them down.”

“I’m sure you won’t.” Laycee fills her plate with fruits and yogurt. “Come sit by me.”

I smile and follow behind her as she makes her way over to the table. She’s nice, and I’m thankful for her welcome.

“Ladies, this is Drea. Drea, meet the ladies.” Laycee introduces us.

They go around the table, telling me their names, but I have a horrible memory when it comes to remembering that sort of thing, so I’m already drawing a blank when one girl moves on to the next one.

Four sets of eyes expectantly stare at me as I unfold my napkin, and I suddenly feel like I’m in the interrogation seat.

“So, Drea, Candace told us last night that the two of you are sisters. We were all there when she sang, but we weren’t in that room when you went. Do the two of you sound a lot alike?” the one I believe is named Annamea asks.

I swallow down my water before I answer. “No, our voices aren’t similar at all. We’re stepsisters.”

Recognition flashes across their faces as if they finally understand why Candace and I look nothing alike.

In my opinion, Candace is the strongest singer and dancer out of all the ladies sitting at the table, so I’m sure some of them thought I would be just as strong, which means I would be a bigger threat to them. After all, this is still a bit of a competition on who will get to stay and who will have to go.

I’m sure that now I don’t seem like as big of a threat to them.

“Girl, have you seen what Laz has on today? That man is lookin’ mighty fine,” Laycee says to Annamea.

“Doesn’t matter what he wears. He can make a paper bag look sexy. It’s too damn bad the man’s our boss. I wouldn’t mind going a few rounds with him if you know what I’m saying.”

All the women at the table chuckle while a tinge of jealousy rolls down my spine.

I don’t have any right to Laz whatsoever, but the idea of other women lusting after him the same way I do is unsettling. I’m going to have to figure out a way to get these feelings on lockdown because I can’t develop feelings him. He’s off-limits—not only because he’s my boss, but also because a guy like him probably leaves a string of shattered hearts in his wake. Lord knows, I don’t deal with a broken heart very well.

“Look at this fine harem we’ve got here,” Cam says as he steps into the room. “I do believe the finest ladies in all of Georgia are in this house right now.”

As if on cue, Candace walks in, right past Cam.

His eyes instantly flick over to her. “Speaking of fine women, when are you going to stop denying you want me?”

Candace rolls her eyes as she makes her way over to the buffet. “Not going to happen.”

She’s dead set on not engaging his behavior. She doesn’t want to give him the wrong impression because she doesn’t want him to continue his pursuit of her.

He slides up next to her. “That’s what you say now, but one day, you’ll see what a catch I am.”

After everyone is mostly finished with breakfast, I notice we’re missing someone.

“Isn’t Laz going to eat with us?” I ask Cam.

He shakes his head. “He gets up at the ass-crack of dawn to work out. It keeps him focused. He’s a creature of routine.”

“What keeps me focused?” Laz inquires as he enters the room carrying a stack of folders.

Cam grins. “Drea was just concerned that our fearless leader wasn’t eating with us, so I was filling her in on how you rarely socialize these days, preferring a life of solitude.”

Laz blows off what Cam said and doesn’t even bother to acknowledge him. Instead, he busies himself with instructing Annamea to take one of the folders and then pass the rest down.

“In these folders, you will find a daily agenda. While you are here, every moment you have is accounted for. This is a strict schedule because we’re on crunch time to get this group together and make the final cuts. Please take a few minutes to read over everything.”

“Damn, you even have our sleep scheduled? Is this the music business or the Army?” Annamea asks.

His eyes are hard, and he doesn’t find her quip amusing. “I run a tight ship. This isn’t a game. This shit is serious, so yes, it’s very structured. This schedule is just a small taste of what it will be like for the group once it takes off. Things will only get harder from here. This week will be a good exercise to see who has what it takes to make it in a group like this.”

A few of the girls around me seem put off by the idea, but I respect Laz for it. The best way to test someone’s character is to put them under stress. It’ll tell you really quick what that person is made of.

Take my father, for instance. When things stress him out, he turns back to the bottle, which eventually leads him right back down the rabbit hole where the drugs flow. He would never be able to handle the pressure of being a part of a music group.

I learned a lot from growing up with my father. Drugs and alcohol are two things that I don’t personally use. Given my father’s history, I don’t want to tempt doing any type of drug. Who’s to say I wouldn’t become an addict, too? It was the one thing that always kept me clean, which was an extremely difficult thing to do, considering the neighborhood I grew up in where drugs were sold on every corner.

“As soon as you’re finished up here, Cam will walk you over to the studio where Mickey Williams will be ready to begin your voice exercise. It’s time to get to work, ladies.” Laz gives us all one final look then he turns on his heel and darts out of the room just as quickly as he appeared.

Damn. Looks like playtime is over and we’ve moved on to strictly business.

Soon after we all finish eating, we follow Cam down a dimly lit hall until we come to a door. He opens the door and then steps aside, allowing us access inside.

Everyone passes by Cam, but when Candace steps around him, he smiles down at her. “Nice top.”

Candace glances down at the Hellcats tank top she’s wearing and simply shrugs. “Thanks.”

Cam’s grin grows wider, and judging by the expression on his face, he’s just been encouraged to continue his flirtatious ways with her. He turns and follows her inside the room.

Candace seriously needs to set him straight.

Once I step inside, my eyes land on the workings of a private studio. The area is expansive and filled with complicated-looking equipment. The space faces a glass wall where a couple of microphones and a black baby grand piano are situated. Behind the soundboard are three couches and a wet bar. The space is the size of my and Candace’s one-bedroom apartment.

“Wow …” I whisper as I drink it all in.

“Glad you like it,” Laz’s smooth voice whispers from behind me. “We’ll be spending a lot of time in here.”

I turn to find him staring down at me, and butterflies flutter around my stomach. He’s standing there, looking downright sexy in his dark jeans and fitted white T-shirt; the contrast makes his skin appear tan and his tattoos pop. A silver necklace with what looks like two wedding bands hangs around his neck. I fight the urge to reach out to touch his necklace and ask him about it. Thoughts of touching him have been on my mind since I first laid eyes on him at the bar, and he’s all I’ve obsessed about since he walked in on me while I was half-naked. The way his eyes raked over me made me feel wanted, and I liked it … way more than I should have.

Much like I like the way he’s looking at me now.

His gaze locks with mine. “I hope you’re ready to work because, while the rest of these ladies are in here with the vocal coach, you’ll be working with me.”

I swallow hard. “Alone?”

He nods. “Just you and me. I already know you can sing, so I’m not worried about you missing time on that, but your dancing needs work. We both know that.”

I can’t argue with him there. Dancing has never been my strong suit, so Laz calling me out on not being able to do it doesn’t surprise me. I expected it.

Instead, I straighten my shoulders, ready to accept his help. “When can we start?”

His lips pull into a sly smile. “How about right now?”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to miss vocal coaching? All these girls are amazing singers.”

“They are, but you’re better.”

A smile etches across my face, and I can’t remember the last time I wore a smile this big. “Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you.”

“Well, it’s the truth, and this group needs you. I want to make sure you make it, which is why I’m willing to work with you on the dancing aspect of things. Dancing can be learned, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work on your part to make it happen.”

I know he was hesitant about me, to begin with. Laz wanted to cut me, so I need to prove to him that I’m worth keeping around.

“I’ve never shied away from hard work before, and I’m not about to start now.” Confidence rings through my voice.

That answer seems to satisfy him because he takes a step back and crooks his fingers, motioning me toward him. “All right then, come with me.”

I take a deep breath and step toward him, trying to block out the thundering of my heart. The very thought of being alone with Laz is both exciting and nerve-racking. This is going to be a true test of my willpower as I try to resist the sexy-as-sin man who is now my boss.