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“WatchThe Great British Bakeoffwith me?” Melody looked so hopeful he couldn’t say no even though he knew he should leave while he still had daylight.
“I can’t imagine anything better,” he said dryly, to which she grinned, that adorable dimple peeking out.
“As I thought.”
He couldn’t care much less about cooking shows. But he would gladly watch them the rest of his life if he could do so with her.
The snow was clear enough by Monday to resume practice at Artisan’s Hope, though TJ’s body was still stiff and sore from his cross-city snow trek. Melody was absolutely right. Hewascrazy.
The full dress rehearsal took place Tuesday evening, and he was already grumpy about missing Family Fun Tuesday. Then to have makeup getting caked all over his face? It was too much.
“Do I really have to wear stage makeup?”
Melody walked by, and she gave a patient sigh. “Everyone does, TJ. You’ll look washed out under the spotlights if you don’t have any makeup. Don’t worry, I told Jasmine to go easy on you.”
Easy shouldn’t include foundation and powder. He growled in his throat, letting his disgruntled feelings be known. The things he endured for this woman.
They practiced on the main stage, not rushing as they ran through the performance as it would be the next day. They were ready. TJ knew he would have a whole case of nerves by the following evening, but he’d gotten comfortable in front of the other cast members and the stage crew.
He’d get through it tomorrow.
Melody whispered into his ear as they readied to go onstage for their final scene, “A little peck, that’s all you need to do, okay?”
He nodded and strode from behind the curtain, letting his voice carry out over the empty auditorium. The last song was his favorite. Melody joined him, flitting across the stage in her ballet flats. He’d put his foot down on any dancing, but Melody had added a few of her own moves. At last, she landed in his arms, he sang his line, she sang hers, and he lowered his head, his heart pounding, and pressed his lips to hers quickly.
It was over so fast, he didn’t even know if she’d returned the pressure or not. Betsy clapped, and Melody stepped back, beaming. “Wow, we’re actually ready! Thank you, each one of you, for making this play possible. None of us would be here tonight without the whole team.” As she continued her accolades to the actors and stage crew, TJ slipped away backstage.
It had been the faintest touch of his lips upon hers. But enough to make him dizzy with longing for more. He sat down on an unused prop and leaned his head back, taking a deep breath.
“You okay, Romeo?”
He jolted at the voice of his twin. “How’d you get in here?”
“I was watching from the back row. Didn’t you see me? Melody said I could sneak in since Mom and Dad canceled dinner. I guess we’re nothing without you two.”
“Oh.”
“No offense, but that kiss was lame.”
He lowered his eyebrows in a glare. “Shut up. Who asked you?”
She crossed her arms, her stance defensive. “How’s Jeremy?”
He shushed her fast, looking around. They were alone, and Melody’s voice still carried from the auditorium’s interior. “Jeremy has a date for the wedding. But TJ doesn’t. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this idiocy.”
“I didn’t force you. You agreed. If you’d manned up before this, you wouldn’t have had to resort to becoming a fake boyfriend.”
She was right, and he knew it. “Go away.”
Her face creased with sympathy. “She told me she likes Jeremy a lot. I think it’s time to tell the truth.”
But how?
Lucy left, and TJ joined the others in the auditorium where Melody was giving out last-minute instructions. They were supposed to show up at 4:00 tomorrow. The play started at six o’clock. TJ had requested the day off from work. He wouldn’t get anything done with his jitters.
When the last crew member walked out of the room, all that remained were TJ and Melody. He had washed his face—scrubbed it with paper towels as rough as sandpaper—and felt like a normal human being again.
“Well.” Melody pivoted on one foot to survey the stage. TJ knew she had put hours into the set-up. “This is it, I guess.”
