41. Harlowe
Klaus didn’t get what he wanted. The board thought it was too close to the performance to kick Isobel out.
She hadn’t done or said anything to me. She just glared a lot when I went to tune her violin.
I offered to teach her once. She snapped at me that she knew what she was doing and didn’t need my help.
Okay, then. I didn’t think she realized how much I was prevented her being yelled at.
I got to rehearsal early, found her, got her tuned, and disappeared again.
Dress and tech almost went off without a scratch.
They’d moved the orchestra into the pit, so I was mostly sitting off to the side taking notes.
Klaus was asking for mine now that he liked my tip with the snare drums.
I was talking to Klaus before rehearsal when Orion went storming through the pit to snatch Isobel’s violin away from her.
When Klaus asked what the fuck he was doing, Isobel had decided to sabotage me.
She was fiddling with the knobs on her violin.
It would put it out of tune and make me look like I didn’t know what I was doing.
Klaus and Orion nipped that in the bud. Rehearsals were less dramatic, but Azriel and Topher had to come see me in secret. Apparently, Azriel was pretending she was his muse and Topher was acting like he could get them top billing somewhere.
As much as I didn’t like the ruse, they managed to find out the only reason she hadn’t done anything nasty to me was because of that guy, Dante. I didn’t know him.
They said he was a talented cello player and a fairly decent composer. He could have written around Isobel’s shortcomings and actually given her a career, but he wasn’t as flashy as Immortal Nightmare or as pretty as Leif.
I hadn’t done anything to him. Someone had to point him out to me, so I didn’t know why he was helping her. I just had to trust Azriel and Topher because they were working Isobel for information.
We were finally at opening night. I wasn’t even playing and my adrenaline was still pumping.
I ordered flowers and stuffed animals for all my friends who were performing.
I was sitting off to the side when someone said boo and scared me.
When I turned around, it was Azriel with a full face of Mother Ginger makeup.
“Don’t worry, she can’t see me from here.”
“Hi, Azriel. I think I’m supposed to tell you merde instead of break a leg.”
He beamed at me.
“Yes, that is how you tell a dancer good luck,” Misha said, peering from around the corner.
“Misha takes that very seriously.”
“As he should. You don’t want to curse anyone. It’s why you don’t say the Scottish play in a theatre.”
“Right on. Head’s up. Isobel still doesn’t know what Dante has planned, just that it’s happening tonight. Which is rude as fuck because cast party.”
Rue and Cullen had invited me to the cast party, and I really wanted to go.
“The cast party is at the end of the run,” I pointed out.
“I keep telling him this.”
“Yeah, but if they don’t succeed tonight, they’ll move it to the cast party where everyone is going to be drinking. Meadow was drugged, remember?”
Oh, yeah. I was trying to forget that.
“Thank you for the plant. And the panda.”
I’d gotten Misha a catnip plant instead of flowers and a cute stuffed panda.
Azriel got hibiscus and a platypus. He said he liked making paint from nature and I heard you could make pretty paints out of hibiscus.
I couldn’t resist the platypus after he told me about Belinda’s portrait.
I’d been spending more time around Orion and I knew he enjoyed plants like me, so I got him an orchid and a honey badger.
“We got inside jokes now,” Azriel said, giving me a big wink.
“We think you should stay with us until the end of the semester,” Misha said.
“Ease into it, man.”
“Can she even get into my room? It’s one of the guest suites. If she sees me going in there, she’s going to know Azriel is playing her.”
“Well, I found out a little something about Dante. One of his parents is this big criminal lawyer, but they married one of their clients who they got off. And apparently, they were guilty. They got off on a technicality. The little muppet could know how to pick a lock.”
Wonderful.
“This is fucked up,” I moaned.
“Five minutes until curtain!”
“That’s us. I mean it. If you aren’t at our dorm room tonight, I’ll come get you and carry you like a caveman.
I may smack your arse a few times for a special effects.
It’ll be super embarrassing and maybe a little erotic.
Bring your polish and I’ll do your toes,” Azriel said, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead and disappearing.
How was this my life now? I had a politician’s daughter and her rabid dog after me and Immortal Nightmare threatening to kidnap and spank me. Which was kind of hot. I wasn’t planning on spending the night in their dorm.
The lock on mine was pretty complicated, and I didn’t think Dante could pick it.
He also wasn’t going to kick it in. He stepped in so Isobel wouldn’t do anything permanent or illegal.
Of course, he could be in the type of psycho love that he was willing to do something permanent and illegal to me to get her attention.
Maybe I should take them up on staying in their dorm.
I peered out at the audience. This theatre was enormous, and it looked like the show sold out.
I wondered how many people in the audience were family and friends and how many people were here because Topher asked them to check someone out to offer them a job.
The house lights were on, so I could actually see faces.
I didn’t invite Mom and JaToya’s family because I wasn’t playing this time.
I stuck my head back in and sat down with my note pad when the house lights dimmed. The stage manager did their announcements about no cell phones or filming and added a cute little note about how if you needed to take a lozenge, do it now.
Finally, we were off. The show was starting. I was in the pit and not on a raised platform like Klaus, so I couldn’t see the stage. I’d seen the dancers dozens of times by now. Instead, I focused on the orchestra.
Now that he’d been pointed out to me, Dante had the cello solo in the Adagio with Cullen and Rue that I’d played with Meadow.
He was good. Meadow was better, but he was good.
I could see why Orion kept saying he had the talent to float Isobel.
I’d like to say it was hard to believe someone who played the cello that well could be planning on hurting me, but I knew better.
Cullen and Rue bought the house down. Klaus had to pause because they got a standing ovation and I was just so happy for them. They were stunning in rehearsal, but I was guessing they fed off the audience and gave them back something amazing.
Every time we got on stage, it was magical, but there was just something about opening night. That first time in front of an audience always got me. And when it was a packed house who was into what you were giving out, it just felt fantastic. I wasn’t even playing tonight, and I felt it.
The show wrapped up, and the audience let everyone know how much they loved the show. I missed this. I hadn’t realized how much when I dropped out of undergrad and started waiting tables.
The dancers and orchestra went out to mingle with the audience except for Orion, Misha, and Azriel. I knew a lot of people were expecting them out there and they were only here because of me. They all laughed when I said something.
“If we go out there, they are going to fawn over us. I had one battle in the first act and Azriel just mugged in drag. They need to be talking to Cullen and Rue or anyone else who nailed their solos tonight. We’re a distraction.”
That made sense.
“Plus, I know you’re running so you don’t have to stay with us tonight,” Azriel said, getting really close to my ear.
God damn it, why did these men have to be so hot?
“Uh huh, your room is meant for maybe a really rich married couple. You’ve already got three people in there. Where are you going to put a fourth?”
“We can sleep on the floor,” Orion said.
“Or, we can sleep in a big puppy pile on the bed. I’ve been told I give excellent cuddles.”
“He does.”
“Not you too!” Orion snapped at Misha. “We have a bed and the couch. If you don’t want to put us out of our bed, you can sleep on the couch. It’s a comfy couch. You won’t even be in the puppy pile, Azriel. You’ll be on Isobel duty.”
“Gross. Way to pour ice cold hot dog water someone pissed in all over my cock.”
“Excuse me, who said anything about your cock coming anywhere near me?” I asked.
“You got me a stuffed platypus, love. We have inside jokes now. All my friends with inside jokes get to go near my cock.”
Yeah, if I wasn’t fucking Topher so no one could say I slept my way to the top, I wasn’t fucking these guys either. Even if they were pretty and I kind of liked having them around.
I knew they weren’t gay and were into women too, but I also knew the three of them were super tight. I could catch feelings for them now that I’ve gotten to know them and I didn’t think they were really interested in inviting anyone else to their relationship.
“If you wanted her to run screaming back to her dorm room where we can’t protect her, just threaten to whip out your dick again, Azriel.”
Azriel gave me this stricken look.
“I wouldn’t. I only take my cock out when everyone enthusiastically wants to see it. If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but it’s different for me. Isobel is already spreading rumors I’m only here because I slept with someone. I’m pretty sure Dante is helping.”
“He is,” Misha confirmed. “You’ve also got several dancers, us, and Topher who can just whip out our phones and show anyone who repeats that nonsense your viral video and shut them up.
Isobel is spreading that because she’s jealous and Dante is helping her because he’s in love with someone who doesn’t love him back. ”
“You’re right,” Orion said. “We don’t have that problem as men and it’s stupid you even have to worry about it. Here’s what you aren’t realizing. I heard your music, and I wanted to play with you. Meadow and a good bit of people in the practice rooms join in when you’re goofing off.
“Azriel made a copy of the music from your video and has been listening to it while he paints. He’d probably love the recordings in your cloud drive for inspiration and he pretty much never does that.
You can shut most people up by just playing your violin.
The ones you can’t don’t matter. If they focused on their own craft, they wouldn’t need to slander you to get ahead. ”
Well, fuck. That was one of the best pep talks I’d ever gotten and Orion delivered it in this low, growly voice like I shouldn’t let it get to me, but he was going to personally destroy anyone who said anything like that about me.
Was it hot in here? No. Down girl. Maybe someone needed to pour ice cold hot dog water someone pissed in on me too. It was more than just the rumors with these guys. Topher too.
These guys could also destroy me. But I agreed to do this ballet with them and I wasn’t stupid.
I was going to their dorm room as dumpy as possible with a chastity belt on because Dante and Isobel couldn’t get to me in there.