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Chapter 6
Two hours until the performance, and Mick had not shown his face to the rehearsal once.
Not even once!
The entitled arse thought he was above everybody else and didn’t even deem it important to run the lines as everybody else did.
Jo fumed on the inside because she couldn’t show her overflowing emotions to the room full of her fellow actors. People needed reassurances and encouragement instead of her whining and quite justifiable anger and frustration.
“Don’t,” Selena said by her side.
“Don’t what?” Jo pretended innocence.
“I can see that you are about to implode and just don’t.”
“I am not about to implode,” she said with a calm smile, although inside her blood was boiling. “Just because one actor is an arrogant, loathsome human being, who—”
Selena chuckled. “See? I knew you were about to implode.”
Jo let out a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I just don’t understand the utter lack of respect for anyone around him.”
“You knew it when you signed him up for a lead role in yet another play,” Selena pointed out.
“Yes, and you know exactly why. Because if I didn’t, he would poison the air around us and would not let anyone else perform. He holds way too much power, and even if half the troupe cannot stand him, they wouldn’t go against him.” Jo tapped her fan irritably against her palm.
Selena reached out and caught her hand. “Do not let anybody else see how agitated you are, Jo.”
“Yes, because, lord forbid, I become emotional.”
Selena shrugged. “You are an actress. Pretend.”
“I can pretend quite fine around everybody else. You seem to be the only one to know when I am about to implode,” Jo grumbled.
Selena chuckled. “Your nostrils give you away.”
“What’s wrong with my nostrils?” Jo covered her nose with her palm.
“Well, they look like steam is about to come out of them,” Selena said and chuckled again.
The door opened then, and Mick sauntered into the room.
“Stay calm,” Selena mumbled under her breath as she stepped away and joined the other actors.
“Traitor,” Jo mumbled under her breath. She walked toward Mick with a tight smile. “How nice of you to grace us with your presence!”
“Are you about ready to start rehearsing?” he asked, lazily looking around.
Jo imagined picking up a fern and bashing him over the head. That allowed for a genuine smile to line her lips. “We have finished.”
“Oh, good! Then I don’t have to deal with all that.” He waved a careless hand.
A fern made a swift appearance in Jo’s mind again.
“But I did want to change a few lines of the play,” Mick added in an offhand manner.
Fern. Shattered over the head. Pieces everywhere.
“Yes?” She smiled sweetly.
