Wicked Force (Wicked Horse Vegas #4.5)(32)

“Hey, girlfriend and boyfriend,” he chirps as he carries his huge makeup case over to the vanity. He doesn’t pay us any mind, and he starts unloading his wares.

Leaning toward Joslyn, I whisper in her ear. “Did you tell Michel about us?”

“Yes,” she whispers back. “And frankly, I’m surprised he’s not making a big deal about it.”

“I’m not making a big deal about it,” Michel simpers, “because I knew it would happen. A blind man could see it.”

“Huh,” I huff out.

“Really?” Joslyn asks Michel curiously.

“Really,” he affirms, and then turns to face us although he’s all business as he speaks directly to Joslyn. “Now, I have to go over to wardrobe and make sure the costumes are ready. I’ll be back in about fifteen to start your makeup so get in your robe.”

“Yes, sir,” she says with a mock salute, which makes me snort.

When Michel struts back out, I move to take Joslyn back in my arms, as I’d like to have one more kiss before her mom storms in on us. Instead, she holds her palms out to me and shakes her head.

“We don’t have much time before Mom gets here,” she whispers uncomfortably. “But I have to tell you something and it can’t wait until after the show.”

I go on hyper alert, every nerve in my body firing. Putting a hand to the back of her neck, I give her a gentle squeeze and try to keep the worry out of my tone. “What’s wrong?”

Joslyn pulls my hand away from her neck by latching onto my wrist and leading me over to the small love seat. She sits down, pulling me along. I sit with enough distance between us that I can angle her way to look at her as she talks.

She worries at her bottom lip and can’t seem to open up the conversation.

“Did something happen at dinner tonight with Ian?” I hazard a guess. Because that’s the only major thing that’s happened since we talked a few hours ago.

Joslyn head-bobs quickly in acknowledgment. “Yes. I signed his contract to represent me, then he had more documents for me to look at. A tentative offer to attach to a movie role provided I do well at the audition.”

“A movie role?” I ask, perplexed. Joslyn’s a singer. We’ve talked about her dreams and they never included acting.

“It’s a role where the heroine is an aspiring singer and it’s about her clawing her way to the top,” she tells me. “It’s supposedly gritty and heavy on drama.”

“Can you act?” I inquire and realize that might be a shitty thing to ask, but I know Joslyn. She’s critical of her own talents.

She gives me a look that tells me just how much I narrowed in on her worry. “No,” she hisses at me in a low voice, I guess afraid her mom could be listening on the other side of the door or something. “I have no clue how to act. Never thought about it.”

“Then why offer it to you?” I ask her, and then feel the need to amend. “Not that I don’t think you could do anything you set your mind to, but this is huge, Joslyn. I mean really huge.”

“I know,” she says almost hysterically. “This isn’t about surpassing my dreams. This is about being something I never even wanted before.”

“Wow,” I mutter as my mind starts to race.

“Justin Voss has already signed on,” she says, her voice actually squeaking a bit in her distress.

I raise my eyebrows and shake my head.

She rolls her eyes. “Justin Voss. Only one of the hottest new actors out there.”

“Cripes,” I breathe out.

“What am I going to do?” Joslyn almost starts to cry and I pull her into me. “I can’t act. I’ll be a total failure. But Mom really wants me to do this and I don’t want to let her down.”

I give Joslyn a hard hug, but then I push her back so I can look at her face. I bend a little so I can peer right at her. “I’m quite sure you pointed out to Ian you’ve never acted before. What did he say?”

“He said he had Hollywood’s best acting coach on standby to work with me and that he could tell by the way I handled myself on stage that I would have some basic acting skills I could easily develop. He didn’t seem to think it was an issue.”

My fear for Joslyn—stemming from her fear—recedes immediately. “Well, that’s good. I mean, he has confidence in you. So it’s probably nothing to worry about.”

Her gaze drops from mine and I have to put my fingers under her chin to force her to look at me. “Talk to me. What’s truly bothering you?”

She shakes her head like she can’t bear to say the words, so I patiently wait. Finally, she lets out an exhale and unloads. “Yes, I’m wigged out they may want me for a big movie role and I have no clue if I’m any good at it. But more than anything, I don’t feel ready for this. It’s just moving so fast and I’m so overwhelmed.”

“How soon do you have to decide?” I ask her.

“They want me in LA for an audition this weekend.” Her face is awash with misery at the prospect. “And if I do good, they’ll offer me the part. They apparently want me for my voice, but if I can act, it’s mine.”

“Wow,” I say as I rub my hand over the back of my neck. It’s a lot to take in.