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The director snorted his disgust and headed to the door. “Tea, it is.”
“Miss Smith? I’m Thomas Vance. I’m with Powell Presenters. We supply Broadway with a host of their talent. Touring companies too.”
“Powell?” she choked out.
His smile was slight. “I see you’ve heard of us.”
“Um, yes. I, er, graduated from Northwestern.”
“Ah, yes. Theirs is an excellent program.” He studied her with an intensity that had her wanting to run screaming from the room. “The thing is, Miss Smith, there is a new Austen production being cast down in Louisville.”
“The Humana Festival.” They spoke in unison.
“I see you’ve heard of that as well.”
She nodded, unable to form another coherent word. Who hadn’t? No one, if you weren’t in the industry. The Humana Festival was well known for bringing together talented artists and unique projects and emerging technologies. Her heart pounded in her chest, making her feel faint.
“I’ve been watching you all week. You have excellent potential, Miss Smith. I’d like to fly you out to audition if you’re agreeable. Of course, you’ll need time to recoup from this week’s production. Not long, I hope, however. I propose sending you out a week from Monday.”
Maylis was speechless.The Humana Festivalwas known for testing out new productions. Was that agreeable? Need he ask!
“Miss Smith?”
Maylis nodded, terrified of sounding like a squeaky mouse.
“Excellent, my dear. Here is my card. Please call the number on there and give the secretary your information. Get some rest.” He smiled again. “You’ll need it.”
14
Aiden didn’t haveto look to see who’d just entered the director’s house. Tina’s reaction was enough to confirm the hair on his arms raising that Maylis had finally arrived. But she disappeared just as quickly with the director.
“Think I’ll refresh my drink,” he told Tina. He quickly slipped past her before she could request he freshen hers, but he needn’t have worried. Jay strolled up, holding two beers and handed her one.
Aiden clapped Jay on the shoulder a little harder than necessary and made his escape. He passed through the nearest door and leaned back against the wall in a formal dining room devoid of people. All the food had been set up in the elaborate kitchen rather than the formal dining room, thankfully. TheVictory is Minecompany was small. The cast consisted of eight, two lighting people, two sound engineers, the costume and make-up crew and some of the more generous Lyric donors. All in all, there were less than thirty people in attendance.
He’d had a week to think things over and nothing had added up. He’d witnessed no covert looks between Maylis and Jay, Maylis and Aiden, or Maylis and anyone, for that matter. She’d been the consummate professional.
Aiden was a first-class imbecile. He was still angry at what she’d said, but he didn’t knowwhyshe’d said it. The fault clearly lay with him. He should have asked her outright what the fuck was going on. He supposed it could have something to do with Maylis being Tamera’s sister.
Identical twins. They had a reputation for being able to communicate through extrasensory perception and some had identical fingerprints. He didn’t see how that was true. But it was possible; and that some twins could feel one another’s pains. He hoped that wasn’t true given what Maylis had told him regarding Tamera’s ectopic pregnancy. Then there was always the myth of the good versus evil twin.
His head thunked lightly against the wall and he stayed there for a minute trying to think.
“Did you ask her out?” Tina’s voice sounded from the other side of the wall.
“I didn’t have a chance. She just got here. Keep your voice down, would ya?” Jay said.
She didn’t, and went on. “Dude, I got you your shot. I can’t do anything else to help you.”
Alert stiffened Aiden’s whole body.
“She disappeared with the director,” Jay said. “You think he got into her pants?”
Heat fueled rage surged through Aiden. He was a fucking idiot who’d probably blown any shot with Maylis. Tina had manufactured the entire scene, and he’d fallen for it like a boulder over a cliff. That was him, he berated himself, looking for the worst in everyone. If there was one thing he knew about Maylis, she would never sleep with the director.
He pulled himself away from the wall and stepped back through the door. He shot Tina a lethal glare, again understanding she had set up the whole scenario like a badly written script. “You saw me waiting for Maylis on Wednesday night, didn’t you? You deliberately manipulated the situation for me to misunderstand.” He looked at Jay and shook his head, disgusted. With himself, more than anyone. His own insecurities had led him down this unfortunate path.
Still, there were no words worth spending on assholes like these two. They’d never make it in the business. And, if Aiden ever got wind of them again, he would have nothing good to recommend them for.
