Chapter 17 #2
“Friends?” I held out my hand.
Max grinned boyishly and gave my hand a theatrical shake. “Friends.”
“Max, huge improvement in the dance scene tonight,” Rachel exclaimed. “Huge! I finally saw the hope between you and Blanche, and the impossibility of it.”
“Thanks.” Max beamed. He sent a nod my way, and I smiled back.
We were all sitting in the front of the auditorium after the second dress rehearsal. I sat cross-legged next to Eden, our knees touching. Her head rested on my shoulder.
“I’m so tired,” she whispered.
Rachel raised an eyebrow, and Eden straightened up. Anything resembling sleeping was strictly forbidden in Rachel’s presence.
There was a widespread rumor that Rachel herself never slept.
She subsisted on caffeine pills, uppers, the tears of her students, or vampiric bloodsucking, depending on who you asked.
If you emailed her at three in the morning, she responded promptly.
Secretly, I admired her energy. She never stopped; she juggled a million spinning plates. I wanted to be like that.
A hand patted Eden’s knee — Corey, sitting on her other side.
“Don’t worry,” came his gravelly whisper. “I’ll take you out for coffee afterward. If I drive fast, we’ll make it to Korner Koffee before it closes. You still like their maple latte?”
“Mmm, yes. You’re a lifesaver.” Eden squeezed his arm.
I frowned as Rachel continued with her notes.
“Corey, you’ve got a lot of restless energy as Stanley. That works later, when he feels like he’s being crowded out of his own house, but watch it in the beginning. He’s still the lord of his filthy little manor when the play opens. He’s got nothing to worry about…yet.”
“Uh-huh. Got it,” Corey said. The floor was shaking slightly. His leg was jiggling.
Rachel put her clipboard down. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Corey matched her stare.
“Are you sure? If something’s wrong, I need to know now.”
“I’m sure, Rachel.” He held her gaze with a hard expression. Usually, Corey tried to flatter and impress her. Out of the corner of my eye, Max shifted uncomfortably.
Rachel blinked. “Okay. One last thing for everyone. It’s come to my attention that there’s been inappropriate talk among some members of the cast. That’s unacceptable.
You’re here to support each other, and I have the highest standards for every one of you.
I expect you all to behave appropriately for the rest of the show. ”
Most of the cast glanced at each other, confused. I toyed with my watch. Was this related to what the boys had said about me? Had Gavin spoken to Rachel?
Everyone streamed through the aisles. Corey immediately took Eden’s arm.
“Come on,” he murmured, his voice low and intimate. “We better hurry before the coffee shop closes.”
Her cheeks went pink. “You’re really looking out for me. Or at least, my caffeine levels.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
She bit her lip, fighting a smile. Behind my back, my fingers closed around my watch, holding in my thoughts. Eden, please don’t fall for him. This isn’t the true Corey.
“Jorie, do you want to come?” Eden called out as Corey led her away. The look on his face was priceless.
“No, thanks!” I chirped.
But I almost wished I’d crashed the coffee outing when Corey wrapped his arm around Eden’s shoulders and pulled her close. He murmured into her hair, making her giggle. Her body was softening around his, leaning into him. She’d insisted they were just friends, but that wasn’t what I saw.
I took a step after them, opened my mouth to call out some excuse that would get Eden away from him, safe from his charms. Or even the truth, in front of everyone exiting the theater.
Gritting my teeth, I forced the words down. Because if they came out now, there would be no varnish. All the ugliness between me and Corey could erupt, and I had no idea what to do with it.
But I’d have to speak with Eden. Soon. Somehow.
I checked my phone and found a message from Gavin:
Hello, kitten
Those two little words sank into my body, commanding my attention, driving my worries away. Gavin’s greeting managed to look both seductive and menacing. I felt hot and cold all at once.
Hi… I typed back.
All done with rehearsal?
Yes
Do you remember tonight’s theme?
An icy thrill rolled over me. He’d told me this morning.
Capture, I texted.
Good girl
I almost moaned out loud.
And do you remember the instructions I gave you?
I bit my lip. To wear clothes I don’t care about ruining
I’d changed into my ruinable outfit after rehearsal. A bright blue theater camp T-shirt. Black leggings with a hole in the crotch. An old bra, panties with loose elastic. I was a little embarrassed for Gavin to see me like this, but I doubted I’d be wearing these clothes for long.
What are you going to do to me? I texted nervously.
Wouldn’t you like to know
I sucked in a breath, pressing the phone against my chest. An idea popped into my head and I wrote quickly, fumbling with excitement.
You know it scares me to be tied up. Why not take it to the next level? Let the innocent kitten roam the streets. Her master tracks her down and drags her back to his lair
Ties her up so she can never escape
Teaches her that she exists for his use
HIS
Catch me and take me home…if you can
Up until now, Gavin had responded immediately. Now, there was no reply, not even a sign that he was typing.
Embarrassment washed over me. Shit, I’d made a fool of myself. Master? We’d never used that word. Surely Gavin had his own ideas for tonight. I’d intruded with mine.
I’d gone too far. I was too much.
“Jorie?” Rachel called.
Shoving my phone in my purse, I hurried over to her.
“I saw your email about applying to the writing track for that internship in Chicago,” she said briskly. “You do realize this is much closer to the deadline than I would normally consider reviewing student work?”
“Yes, I do.” I also wished I wasn’t wearing a crappy outfit while ready to die of sexting shame. “If there isn’t time—”
“I didn’t know you wrote. I have to say, I’m intrigued. Against my better judgment, I’ll give your samples a read. I’m glad you’re pursuing this.” She smiled with genuine warmth. “I’ll discuss them with you tomorrow night after rehearsal.”
“Thank you,” I said quickly. “Thank you so much.”
Rachel turned away, already discussing a technical issue with Brian.
I pulled out my phone to find a new message from Gavin.
Leave campus now. Walk along Birchwood Drive. When I pull up, don’t make a fuss
Humming filled my ears. I was instantly wet. A dizzy wave of arousal almost knocked me over.
I practically ran for the door.