“I just wish ...” Eden pressed her lips together, not wanting to sound like an ungrateful, arrogant bitch, because she liked Anna. She did.
“You wish you could have sold out the tour on your own,” Stella said. “Of course you do. And I know you resent needing Anna to give you a boost, but let me reframe that for you. Have you ever considered that maybe it’s not Anna’s success that sold out the remaining tickets but rather the appeal of seeing the two of you together?”
Eden grimaced as her feet slammed into the stage. The room tilted, and she probably would have landed on her ass if not for the harness holding her upright.
“Much better,” Lora said. “You’re starting to get the hang of it.”
“Thanks. I hope so.” Eden didn’t feel like she’d gotten the hang of it. This was the third day of tour rehearsals, and she’d spent much of it in this harness, twirling above the stage for a stunt at the end of her song “Smash.”
Opening night was just four weeks away, and she was so excited she wanted to shout it from the rafters, even if this stunt was a lot harder than she’d anticipated. She was exhausted, dizzy, and sore from the harness, but she’d always loved this part of the process, seeing her vision for the show start to come to life in rehearsals.
“Let’s stop here for today.” Lora unclipped Eden’s harness and helped her out of it.
“Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
“Yes, you will.” Lora walked over to talk to the stage manager.
Eden swiped a loose strand of hair from her face and turned to look for Paris, who was standing in the back corner of the rehearsal space, talking to Anna. Eden started toward them.
“Ready for me to have Lawrence pull the car around?” Paris asked.
Eden nodded. “Just give me a few minutes to freshen up first.”
“You got it.” Paris headed for the door, already typing on her phone.
“I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by to watch,” Anna said.
“Not at all.” Eden had spent a few minutes watching Anna rehearse earlier too. She didn’t doubt Anna’s capability, but she also hadn’t been able to escape her need to be sure. She needn’t have worried, though. Anna and her dancers had been in the middle of a dance sequence far more complicated than anything Eden herself was capable of.
“Great work in that harness.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest, and something beneath them sparkled, drawing Eden’s gaze. A belly ring. “That’s going to look amazing during the show.”
“Thanks.” Eden dragged her gaze away from the unexpected bit of jewelry. “It’s harder than I expected.”
“You’ll get it. I have full confidence.”
Eden studied Anna, remembering the energy she’d brought to their Grammy performance. The video of that duet had more views than any other performance on Eden’s official YouTube channel. An idea had sparked, and it wasn’t like her to be impulsive, but ... “How do you feel about recreating our Grammy duet for the tour?”
“Like, you and me singing ‘After Midnight’ together every night during your performance?” Anna’s voice had crept up in pitch, which Eden took as a good sign.
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
Anna bounced on her toes. She actually bounced. “Yes! Oh my God, yes, that would be so fun, and awesome, and generally ... yes. I would love to do that.”
“So, that’s a yes?” Eden teased.
Anna spun in a circle, singing “Yes” at the top of her lungs.
“Great. Maybe we can find some time to sit down tomorrow and talk through the logistics?”
“Definitely. This will be so fun, and I bet our fans will love it.”
Paris popped her head through the door. “Car will be here in five.”
“Thanks, Paris,” Eden said.
“Plans tonight?” Anna asked.
Eden shrugged. “Figure out something for dinner, and probably a hot date with my Kindle.”
