Josh would probably kill me if it ever got out that we'd been involved before. Hell, he hasn't even admitted to previously knowing me. I'm following his lead. This is his home, not mine.
"Okay, what do you want to work on?"
"Everything?"
"Queen, it's ten o'clock at night. Imma need some beauty sleep up in here pretty soon. What's your biggest problem?"
Everything.
I think for a moment. "Putting the dancing and singing together. Like, I know the steps. I know the songs. I'm just not at the point where I can do them at the same time."
"Okay, then let's do our song. Really sing it out. It's just the two of us here, so there's no pressure."
This place—it's like every single person here wants every other person to be a success. It's like the opposite of the bucket of crabs.
Hell, for my mental health alone I should stay here.
Of course, after my performance tonight, I doubt Henderson will ever cast me again.
Levi and I make it through the number with choreography and singing several times before my arms finally give out.
"I'm spent. I don't have any more in my tank." I flop back on the mat.
Levi takes a long pull from his bottle. "Queen, you are a beast, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. I've never worked this hard." He lifts his arm up in the air and flexes. "Look at these guns. My arms are never this cut. And speaking of seriously sexy arms, have you seen Josh's? Sometimes he wears these old T-shirts with the sleeves cut off. It's heaven." Levi starts fanning himself.
We both startle when we hear the throat clearing. I only have the strength to lift my head up off the mat. Levi stands up. "If it isn't Mr. Gun Show himself." Levi passes by Josh and then turns back to me. He mouths "eye lovin'" in that exaggerated way of his before leaving the rehearsal space.
My head flops back down. I'm too tired for this. To hear anything Josh has to say.
"You okay? That got a little brutal there for a while."
I cover my eyes with the back of my arm. "Alittlebrutal?"
"It was awful. I came to check on you."
"I'm not that bad. I don't know what happened."
Josh lies down next to me. "I know you're not that bad."
"Something in my brain short-circuited when I had to put it all together. Apparently, I'm not a triple threat. I'm a one-at-a-time threat."
Josh chuckles. "Les, remember, everyone here has already been in three shows this season. It's a grueling schedule, and it takes a while to get used to it."
"What if I don't have the time to get used to it?"
He looks at his watch. "You've got like sixty-seven hours until the curtain goes up. That's plenty of time."
Now I want to vomit.
Josh pulls back. "The cast does this all the time. They're used to it. You'll get used to the pace too."
I think about what he's saying. "Tabitha wasn't in other shows, and she's up there nailing it."
"She has one song and a reprise. She's not in any of the group numbers. She has some lines to learn. No dancing. Certainly no aerial work, which is a totally new skill for you. And let's face it, she's basically playing herself, so she doesn't even really have to act. You have to be in love with Levi. That takes some acting."
I smile. "Don't dis my boy. He's been great with me."
"Levi is great. Totally great. But it's not like there's any natural chemistry there."
