“You do understand why that policy is there, don’t you? So creepy older men can’t abuse their position of power and take advantage of women?”
“You’re not ‘older’ or creepy.”
“I’m older than most of my students, and I absolutely would be creepy if I dated them.”
Fair point. Plus, her earlier statement had mostly been a dig anyway. Any guilt she had about not being forthcoming before burgers the other night had evaporated with the finalists list. Now she was happy to let Professor Adams squirm. “Well. It seems that we’ll both be submitting another audition. Good luck, Professor.” Megs strode back to her table and picked her bag up off the floor.
This was all probably for the better. Sure, they’d shared a toe-curling—on her part, at least—kiss and an evening of the best conversation she’d had in months, but it wasn’t like anything would’ve come from it. He was a professor. She was a barista who still lived with her mother.
Plus, she’d decided over the last hour that she wasn’t going to drop this class, which meant there was no reason for her to talk with Gideon anyway. At least not about anything other than recording for the next eight weeks. She would absorb as much as she could from his lectures and assignments to justify spending her three hundred dollars.
Every part of her balked at this conclusion. Their conversation had been effortless. He was funny and sneaky hot, andhe’d offered to buy her flip-flops.
She could almost see the angel and devil sitting on her shoulders.Focus, Megs.Now that she was a finalist, she might still be able to get the money she needed for her apartment without finishing that certification course.
Megs groaned as she weaved through the tables. Her mother was going to see her name on that list, which meant Sylvia DeBosse would be expecting an explanation before she even walked through the door.
Megs put this thought as far from her head as possible as she drove home, parked in the driveway, and tiptoed into the house. Her mother wasn’t home, so Megs celebrated with a bowl of Cheerios before hiding away in her room.
She sat cross-legged on her bed, her phone lighting up with notifications. Texts of congratulations flooded in, but it was a subject line in one email that caught her eye—a message from Oscar Calloway himself. Her heart stuttered in anticipation as she opened it.
Dear Megs,
Congratulations!You have been selected as a finalist for my Heartsong romance series. I was floored by your audition and can’t wait to hear more.
I’ve been discreet about the stages of this competition because the whole production is a bit unorthodox. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that one motivator for the competition is to create hype for the series. My team is adamant that I become more active on social media, so this ismy attempt to keep them at bay and create content that won’t make me want to poke my eyes out.
Megs snorted.She liked this Oscar character already.
I hopethat this process will be fun and beneficial for all involved, especially the contestants. That means you :).
All that said, this is your official invitation to participate in a series of events over the next couple of weeks. We’ll be reenacting some scenes from the novel, all expenses paid, as well as working on narration and performance. My hope is that we’ll all learn more about ourselves, our storytelling, and that I’ll have no hesitation in choosing my narrator for a series that is near and dear to my heart.
To kick things off, this weekend you’ll be working in small groups with an acting coach. You're invited for dinner and drinks at six o’clock on Friday at The Rustic Table, a local restaurant in Sugar Creek. Here, you’ll meet your fellow contestants and be placed into your groups for the weekend.
Then our first activity will be a small group coaching session at my home. Further details will be provided during our dinner gathering. I look forward to seeing you in person this weekend and wish you the best of luck in the competition!
Sincerely,
Oscar
Megs'blinked and stared at the screen. She couldn’t tell if her heart was racing because she was excited or because she was dreadingallof this. On the one hand, free dinner. On the other, did she want to commit to spending time with people she barely knew for weeks? Did she want to live out scenes from a romance novel? Barf.Did she want to do all of that with Gideon there with her?
She thought of him watching her eat that burger at Sammy’s, grease dripping down her chin. Getting kicked out of class had dulled her inhibitions that night, but now?
She closed her laptop and lay back on the bed. Gideon knew Oscar, and he’d said that most of the people on the finalist list were people they both knew. Maybe they could all mingle together and she could find the other black sheep of the group.
It was a free dinner and the chance at five thousand dollars.Five grand.Yeah, she’d do any number of embarrassing things for that kind of money. If Oscar needed content, she’d give him content. She pulled her phone out and blew the dust off her old TikTok account, then pressed record.
On Tuesday afternoon,Gideon placed a slice of smoked turkey onto a thick cut of freshly baked rye bread. Next to him, onions sizzled on a pan. The perfect white noise.
Could’ve done one more set, his mind chastised, still analyzing his morning workout in the background. He'd pushed himself, of course. That burn seeped into his muscles and left him with a satisfying fatigue that made him feel like he’d accomplished something.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were his days off, though even when he thought those words he used air quotes. Teachers never truly got a reprieve during the school year.
A soft hiss brought him back to the present, and he quickly flipped the onions, allowing the other side to caramelize. He had grading to do, and he needed to get through the task list hekept on his phone. Gideon spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto the bread.
When the onions were golden brown, he turned off the stove and layered them over the turkey, then added a slice of aged cheddar and crisp lettuce. He might eat frozen burritos in the teacher’s lounge during the week, but when he was at home, he took advantage. Gideon pressed down on the sandwich, cut it in half diagonally, then leaned over the counter and took a bite.
