He scoffs. “Of course. It’s in the bag under my seat.”
“Good. Thanks.” I asked Jake for the favor of getting the biggest motherfucking bouquet of lavender they sold at theflower store in town, because I was teaching classes all day and needed the extra cash so I could afford them.
The stage lights up, and the girl playing the lead role stands there. I’ve met her a handful of times. She’s conventionally pretty, a redhead, and a little stuck-up—nothing unusual for a wannabe actress.
I know Stevie’s in this number, as all the characters are. Her solo isn’t till right after the intermission. There’s a lot of pressure on her to bring people’s attention back to the show’s theme, according to what she’s told me. I’m almost a hundred percent sure it’s one of the reasons she chose to audition for this show over all the others. To challenge herself.
My beautiful woman likes a challenge.
The opening number starts, and Stevie walks onto the stage, her personality completely different than how she usually is. She looks bored and has a resting bitch face, nothing like the sweet and spunky girl I’ve grown to love. It kind of freaks me out how well she keeps it up while singing background vocals with the whole cast.
“There she is!” Em whispers-yells, and tugs on my sleeve.
I let Emma hold on to me. The last thing I want to do is take my eyes off Stevie. Her voice needs to be heard.
Come on. Come on.
Stevie, or should I sayDaisy, comes to life when she sees the lead running to her, smiling and singing about the gossip she heard earlier that morning in school. It’s Kami and Cam’s first time hearing her sing in person, but I can’t seem to look away long enough to see their reactions.
This is different from the other couple of times I saw her sing or even rehearse in our apartment. She doesn’t seem to be in her head as much. She’s confident, sexy, and her voice makes me proud and my cock hard. It’s how I feel every single second I’m with her.
Once the song ends, I smile and clap loudly.
The song right before intermission comes quickly. It’s a duet the two leads have, a tough song to sing, according to Stevie, as evidenced by the videos she’s shown me of it being performed by professionals onstage. I have to say, I’m impressed by the lead in the show. She’s held all of her notes flawlessly, and her acting is impeccable. As much as I think my woman deserves the lead, Stevie knows how to play the quirky and bitchy, yet insecure best friend well. And she’ll get her chance to be the star one day. I meant it when we spoke about our possible future at the Kappa house.
The highest notes at the end of the song come in, and I feel the audience getting ready to clap before the worst thing that could happen happens. The girl’s voice cracks at the most impactful part, and it’s not a small crack. It’s so bad, she stops singing altogether. The male lead continues until the song is done, looking weary and nervous. The awkward clapping begins before they quickly close the curtains. Right as the curtains close, all I see is the lead’s face and how she looks like she’s about to burst into tears.
Fuck, Stevie’s going to freak out; she’s up next.
I run out the door, not bothering to stop and hear my friends tell me how good she is because I know how good she is. Pushing through the people trying to find the bathroom, I run down the stairs to the changing rooms, where a student attempts to stop me from getting in. I’m one second away from punching him before I spot Stevie peeking her head out of the entrance of the dressing room for women.
Her eyes are watery, and something primal takes over. I point to the man, lowering my voice so only he can hear it. “My girlfriend is singing her solo when the curtains open, and after what happened up there, I know you need her to do it flawlessly.” He remains silent. “She’s great at what she does, butnow all the pressure is on her. So, get the fuck out of my way and let me talk tomygirl, or I will risk the chance of getting suspended.”
The man remains tight-lipped when he takes a step to the side.
“Wise choice,” I tell him, and rush to Stevie. Getting on my knees in front of her, I see it all. The old fear and insecurities that were there before she became more confident in her singing abilities. “Bambi, you’ve got this. She made a mistake, it happens.”
Stevie’s face scrunches up. She’s trying so hard not to sob.
Fuck, seeing her this way breaks my heart.
“I can’t do it,” she chokes out.
Shaking my head, I grab her chin tightly. “Yes, you fucking can, and you will. I’ve heard you do it a hundred times. You will get up there and do what you do best. You’ll sing.”
Her lip wobbles. “What if?—”
“No, what-ifs,” I spit out. “I love you. I. Love. You, and I know you can do this.” I kiss her before she can allow her mind to go haywire again. This is the only way to slow down both of our thoughts. We both know that when we kiss, it can be in front of thousands of people, and it still feels as if we’re the only two in the room. I kiss her deep and long, until the slightest whimper slips from her lips.
I’ll never get used to this feeling. I’ve never had it with anyone else…and it makes me harder than granite.
Down, boy.
Shifting my lips off hers, I take her face in my hands. “Hold on to that feeling. It’s only us. No one else exists. I’m the only one in the audience.”
Her eyes are hooded with lust, but she sobers at my words. “Okay.”
Grinning, I kiss her one more time. “Okay.”
