Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
MASON
O h, so that’s how we’re going to play this?
I cocked one eyebrow at the offered hand but took it, having to suppress a smirk at the way she jumped when our fingers made contact. Her palm felt callused against my skin. That little body was all muscle–almost no softness on her anywhere. I assumed she was a dancer, but I should have known better. You didn’t get that kind of upper-body strength from dancing alone. A woman that small was born for gymnastics.
“It’s nice to meet you, Juliet.”
I hated letting go of her hand, but if I held on any longer, our show director was going to notice something was up. Brett was already giving me a suspicious look. The last thing I needed was to draw more attention to the situation. She ran out on me once. I was not going to give her the excuse to do it again. I tried asking around over the past few weeks, but all I had to go on was a first name and that she worked in the entertainment industry. There were literally hundreds of performers in Orlando.
But the number of aerialists at this skill level? Much smaller.
I mentally kicked myself for thinking she was a dancer. I could have found her that much sooner–and maybe then I would have been able to concentrate on what Brett was saying.
Something about peppermint. We were originally supposed to be doing a show based on a Christmas ballet, but a last-minute rights issue had thrown everything off. Brett and Tanya, the choreographer, had cooked up an original story over the past three days. The plot made little sense, but it would get the job done.
“Right, Mason?” Brett asked, snapping me back to reality.
Shit.
Learn the part first. Worry about getting the girl later. I couldn’t have her thinking I was bad at my job.