Broken Juliet(79)

“Marco, I’m trying to get Miss Taylor to give me the scoop on her relationship with her costar. She’s being cagey. Care to elaborate?”

“Dear lady,” Marco says, “if I could figure out what’s going on between my leads, rehearsals would have been far less fraught with tension and angst. Then again, the show would have been lifeless. Whatever’s going on between them, I pray it continues. Now, let’s talk about the fabulous write-up you’re going to give us.”

Marco puts his arm around the woman and leads her away.

I barely notice. Ethan’s still staring at me. Amid all this excitement and energy, he calms me.

He excuses himself from the women around him and walks toward me, so handsome in his suit. People congratulate him as he passes, and even though he acknowledges them, he keeps his attention on me.

When he reaches me, he holds out his champagne glass.

“To us.”

“To us,” I say, and clink his glass. “We were amazing tonight, even if I do say so myself.”

“We were,” he says, “but I wasn’t toasting the show.”

He leans in and kisses my cheek. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, you make me think very bad thoughts. Please stop.”

I sip my champagne and resist fanning my face. “Funny. I was about to say the exact same thing to you.”

The rest of the night is a blur. We spend time with his parents and sister. Chat with Tristan and his date. Have our photo taken for a slew of social pages. And through it all, a simmering tension crackles between us.

Every look is filled with heat and expectation. Every touch sends sparks twisting through my abdomen.

When the party wraps up, he’s there with my coat. As he slips it on, he presses a soft kiss to the side of my neck.

I shiver and close my eyes.

“Sorry,” he says and steps away. “I just … I’m finding it very difficult to keep my hands off you tonight.” He shakes his head and laughs. “Well, let’s be honest, I find it difficult to keep my hands off you all the time. Tonight is just extra tough.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO


BEGINNING OF THE END


Three Years Earlier

Westchester, New York

The Grove


Erika walks into the room like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. There’s absolute silence. The tension is palpable.

After Saturday night’s showcase, agents, directors, and producers had the weekend to submit offers. Now, it’s the moment of truth when we find out who’s been offered what.

“First of all,” Erika says as she hugs a stack of envelopes, “let me just say how proud I am. The quality of your performances on Saturday was excellent, and I couldn’t have asked for any of you to be more committed in sharing yourselves with your audience. Having said that, for those of you who don’t have firm offers, don’t despair. It doesn’t mean you’re not talented, and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re not employable. It just means you weren’t right for the roles being filled.”

She walks around the room and gives out envelopes. Ethan gets two. So do I. A handful of others get double offers. Most get one. A select few don’t get any.

Aiyah sits with empty hands and bursts into tears. Erika hugs her and assures her the work will come.

I open my envelopes with shaking fingers.

The first one is from a repertory company in Los Angeles that wants me to become a permanent member. They perform contemporary pieces and work on a profit-share basis.

When I open the other envelope, I have to read it three times to fully understand what it says. It’s from a producer. He wants to do an off-Broadway production of Portrait. Fully professional. Five weeks of rehearsal, plus a tentative six-week season. He’s already secured the rights and wants Connor and me to be his stars.

I look over at Ethan. He’s frowning at one of his letters. I say his name, and he looks up.

“What is it?” I ask.

He holds up the two pieces of paper. “Well, in the first one, the Lowbridge Shakespeare company wants me to join their next European tour, doing Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet.”

“That’s fantastic!”

“Yeah.”

“Then why do you look shell-shocked?”

He shakes his head. “The other one is … it’s the New York Shakespeare Theater. They want me to do Hamlet.”

“Which role?”

He looks dazed. “The lead. I guess they liked my monologue.”

“Oh my God, Ethan, that’s incredible!”

“Yeah. I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it. You’re amazing, and your offers prove that. Why aren’t you happy?”

“I am, it’s just … I have no idea which one to choose. The European tour is a longer contract, but the other one … I mean, it’s Hamlet. For years, I’ve been saying I’d give my left ball to play that role.”

“Then do it. It’s one of the most coveted male roles out there. And you would absolutely hit it out of the park.”

He shrugs. “I hope I would. But, hey, what about you?”

“Well, I’ve been offered a spot in The Roundhouse in L.A.”

“Seriously? Those guys are impressive. Their productions are cutting edge. And the other one?”