“Huh,” she murmurs, still trying to get over that. We are going to spoil the hell out of her and Bellamy.
“Let’s go inside,” I tell her, taking her hand and heading inside.
“Are we allowed to be here?” she asks, following me.
There’s a bulletin board with all kinds of announcements, and I see a few different fliers for different casting calls around the city.
“Until someone kicks us out, yes,” I say with a laugh. “We’re calling this therapy. It’s the kind where you find a way to channel the things that have happened to you into something you can handle. Now, which flavor of therapy are you choosing?”
Her eyes move over the board, and she shakes her head.
“No one is going to let me act in any of these,” she mumbles.
“And why not?” a voice asks, coming closer.
My first instinct is to pull her closer to me, but the beta just smiles understandingly. He’s in his mid-fifties, and is wearing a nice suit with a gorgeous pair of brown suede shoes.
Listen, you know I’m a shoe whore, move along.
“That’s what I was just telling her,” I say, lips twitching up. I’ll go with it until he presents himself as a threat to her.
“These are community theater events, which means that if you’re talented, you can try out,” he continues. “The only thing holding you back is you. I’m directing this one here.”
He points to a play in the upper left hand corner, and it looks like it’s a musical.
“Can you sing?” he asks.
“A long time ago,” Winter says with a small nod. “It’s been ages.”
“Try out, work on warming up your voice with some drills before you do, and see where the chips fall,” he suggests. “I’m Theodore Ridenour by the way. The musical is about star crossed lovers, with parents who don’t approve. It takes place in Savannah, where god knows parents have a lot of opinions.”
“Amen,” I mutter before I can help myself.
“There's plenty of different ways to help a production in case performing isn’t something you want to do,” Theodore reminds her.
Winter absently rattles off various things, and his eyes widen.
“You’re a theater kid,” he chuckles. “Girl, who are you trying to pretend to be?”
“I’m trying to figure out who I am, which is a little different,” she replies.
“Not by much,” he says. “Try out for something, anything. I bet you’ll enjoy it.”
Theodore leaves without a backward glance, and Winter sighs as she picks up the information for two options that pull her attention.
“You’re sneaky,” she says under her breath as I tuck the information into my bag.
“I know,” I say, not at all concerned that she’s found me out. “Ready to walk to dinner?”
“Yes. Cassidy?”
Turning to glance at her, I watch as she loops her arm through mine.
“Never change.”
Chapter
Twenty-Two
