5
Trevor
My co-star, Alan Turner, handed me a glass of white wine.
“Thanks,“
I said, taking it from him.
I’d spent the last forty-five minutes meeting and greeting, as was required. Through it all, Khalil was a silent, solid presence at my back. The few times a fan got overly enthusiastic, he gently but firmly set boundaries for me.
Khalil was so different from my London bodyguard. His kindness shone through even when he was making someone give me space.
Alan leaned over and said quietly, “We’re not used to all the press. They mostly ignore us until the Tony Awards come around.”
“Yes,“
I agreed. “It’s quite disconcerting at times. Especially when the paparazzi and reporters get aggressive.”
He tilted his head toward Khalil. “Hence the three big guys with you tonight.”
I sighed. “Yes. It does seem to be a bit of overkill. Unfortunately, there’s a particular photographer who’s gotten very aggressive since I called him a massive bellend for injuring one of my castmates.”
Alan chuckled. “I saw that video. He deserved it. You British have the best insults, by the way.”
“Of course we do,“
I replied with a wink.
Harrison Adams, the director of our show, came over with Neal Price, one of the movie producers, and a woman I didn’t know. “What fresh hell is this?“
I murmured.
The producer extended his hand in greeting. “Trevor, I don’t know if you remember me, Neal Price from Swinging Door Media.”
I smiled at him as I took his proffered hand. “Of course, Neal. It’s good to see you again.”
He indicated the woman beside him. “This is Sophia Langston, vice president of marketing for RNJ Cruises.”
Now I was even more confused. I held out my hand. “Ms. Langston, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,“
she replied enthusiastically. “I’m a huge fan of your work. I saw your London show four times.”
I inclined my head. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
She smiled broadly. “I’m so excited that you’ll be headlining our production of What If? on the maiden voyage of our new ship, Angel of the Seas.”
I blinked. “I’m what now?”
Her face fell. Neal’s eyes widened in consternation, and I knew I’d somehow messed up or missed something. Neal took my arm and said, “Sophia, would you please excuse us?”
I saw Khalil go immediately on alert. I mouthed the words, “It’s okay.“
He nodded, but still followed us.
Neal led me to a quiet corner and asked, “Didn’t you get the email about this from your agent? I asked him to send you the contract.”
I sighed. I’d assumed by now my agent knew better than to send me emails about something important. “I apologize. I’ve been in rehearsals all week. I’ve barely had time to breathe, never mind check my email. Give me the rundown.”
His whole body relaxed, and he blew out a relieved breath. “RNJ Cruises is debuting a production of What If? on their new ship.”
“I had no idea cruise lines did that,“
I admitted.
“Oh yes,“
he replied. “It’s very popular. Haven’t you ever been on a cruise?”
I shook my head. “I’m usually working. I don’t take much time off for vacations. So what will this entail? How long is the cruise? Will I be working the whole time?”
He chuckled. “One at a time. It’s a scaled-down version of the production that will run about an hour. The cruise is ten days, sailing from New York to Aruba, stopping at some islands in between. You won’t be working the whole time. There are three performances scheduled. In addition, they’ll want you to sit at the captain’s table to meet the big spenders. In return, the cruise line has agreed to invest in the film.”
I took a moment to absorb this incredibly important information. My agent definitely should have called me. “When is the cruise?”
“In August,“
he said. “A week after your tour here ends.”
I turned to look at Khalil. “How do you feel about taking a cruise?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Never been on one. Sounds like fun.”
I hadn’t planned on going on a cruise, but maybe it would be a chance to get Khalil to relax his rules a little. Three months was a long time to wait to find out.