If Ever(30)

My heart soars, and I try to tone down my smile. I lean against the brick wall.

He places his hand on the wall beside my head and leans close. He's about to say something, but then pushes away from the wall. "I should go."

"Okay," I say, but he doesn't move. His blue eyes lock with mine, and he slides his hand along my jaw, grazing my neck as he weaves his fingers into my hair.

My breath catches. He leans in and tenderly captures my mouth and kisses me. After a lingering moment he pulls away a fraction and gazes into my eyes.

I sigh.

"Oh, hell," he breathes, and pulls me into his arms, this time kissing me deeply, igniting a fire that has long been squelched. My arms are trapped against his chest. I feel the rapid beat of his heart as I savor the taste of his lips.

A flash goes off, and there's applause and catcalls. We look up to find half the cast watching.

He reveals a boyish grin, the sweetest one I've seen yet. "I really do have to go. I hate to leave you alone to face their ribbing, but get some solace, because after kissing you, I won't be able to think straight for a long time."

My head's swimming in the emotional deep end of the pool. My pulse is racing from the effect of his kisses, and I'm at a loss for words.

He waits for my response, but when I'm quiet, he says, "All right, then." And heads for his waiting cab.

"Tom!" I call. He stops and I run into his arms. He kisses me one last time.

"Girl, you're killing me." He releases me, steps into his cab, and speeds away.

I watch the disappearing taillights happier and more confused than I've been in a very long time. Now what? I still don't have his number. Will I ever see him again?

Dominic and the others are waiting when I drag myself into the rehearsal hall. I feel the blush burning my cheeks.

"Looks like you were having a good time. Thanks for making the rest of us lonely saps feel worse about ourselves," says Tedrick.

I head off to our rehearsal room with Dominic. "What the hell just happened?" I ask.

"Seriously?" He cocks his head. "Do I really need to explain to you why a boy kisses a girl?" Dominic laughs, opening the door.

"But it doesn't make sense." He started something then left it hanging. He lives three thousand miles away. What am I supposed to do with that? I need to talk to Anna.

"You're right. You were probably part of a to do list. Fly to L.A. Check. Sing on Celebrity Dance Off. Check. Kiss a hot girl. Check."

I give him a dirty look. "Very funny. He didn't ask for my phone number." I plop down on a chair, my bag between my feet.

"I'm sure we can track his down. You should ask Larry."

"I'm not going to call him!"

Dominic busts out laughing. "Why the hell not?"

"Because he lives in New York and I'm in L.A. And after the show, I'm going back to Iowa or somewhere equally uninteresting."

He sits and bumps shoulders with me. "But we'll be going to New York City before you go home."

"What could possibly come of it? Nothing. He's a big shot on Broadway for freak’s sake. He's surrounded by gorgeous women every day. You saw how all the girls in the troupe flocked around him."

Dominic shrugs. "I'm just saying, when the love bug strikes…"

But I need logic and none of this makes any sense. "Can we just get to work? I'm exhausted and those pain pills wore off an hour ago."

"Okay. I won't overwhelm you tonight, but I want to get some of this in your head before tomorrow."

But it turns out my head is someplace else. It's on a cute guy with lightning blue eyes and a smile that brings me alive.

After an hour Dominic gives up. At home I take a couple more painkillers, wash off my makeup, and go to bed thinking about Tom and how much he's affected my life in two short days.





10





New York City





What the hell am I doing? I leave Manhattan for two days and my life is turned upside down by a honey-haired blond named Chelsea.

"Hey, Ed." I greet the theatre security guard as I swing in the Crossing Lines stage door for the Wednesday matinee. After a red-eye flight from L.A. spent thinking about the amber-eyed spitfire I just met, I only caught four hours of sleep.

"Afternoon, Tom. Great performance Monday night," he says.

"Thanks. I never pegged you for a Celebrity Dance Off fan." I scribble my initials on the Call Board.

"What can I say? My wife makes me watch, and with that show, once you start, how do you stop?"

"Good point." I take the stairs up two flights to my dressing room. Tossing my backpack on the sofa, I whip off my shirt and pull on sweatpants and a t-shirt. The days off gave my body a well-needed break, but now my brain is overloaded replaying every minute I spent with Chelsea. I head for the Mezzanine lobby to do my physical warm up. It's one of the few places in the theatre with enough space to spread out. I find Paige already stretching.

"You're back. Thank God. Jordan is a good understudy, but he's not you."

"You missed me," I tease.

"Sort of. He ate spicy garlic chicken before last night's show and then didn't bother to brush his teeth."