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Behind her, there’s a bunch of kids on stage doing vocal warm-ups with some chick with braids. Hot chick with braids. I feel her gaze burning into the side of my face and I turn my attention back to Cara.
“Funny, the agent said potential buyers were welcome to drop by during hours.” First shot. I land it perfectly.
Cara’s mouth drops open. It takes her a second to gather herself and she snaps it back shut again. “What do you mean? You’re not a buyer.”
My response is an extended shrug as I move slowly past her, scoping out my surroundings. The Oscar is in the bag the way I’m selling my part. And I know I’m selling it because Cara’s hurrying after me, chomping at the bit for more details.
“Edward, answer me. Are you buying the theater? I thought we had a deal. Auditions are still in progress. You can’t just go back on-”
“You’re rambling,” I cut her off, pausing my fake perusal of the auditorium. “I don’t find it attractive at all.”
Her expression pinches into an incredulous frown. “Right. And that’s all I’m here for, I keep forgetting. I exist to be pleasing to you and nothing else.”
“You’re finally getting it.” I tap my temple with a finger, throwing in a smile that I know will just send her through the roof.
“Cut the shit and tell me what you’re really doing here, or get out,” she points to the doors I just walked through.
There it is. There’s my girl.
I hook my finger around hers and give it a slight tug, pulling her into me. The voices on the stage hush down–the audience has become the show. Cara tries to free herself from my grip but I tighten my hold and snake my other arm around her waist for extra measure. Unfortunately for her, I rather enjoy a little limelight.
“I’m here to finish what you started at the mixer the other night.” I look down at her lips, slowly, so she’s guaranteed to see it, then meet her eyes again.
Her pupils nearly crowd out the baby blue of her eyes the way they’re blown open. I knew it. She’s just as into this dance of ours as I am.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cara pushes against my chest with both her hands.
She’s a wimp, though, and the only thing she achieves is more friction. Which, she quickly realizes, has one rather telling outcome.
“How’s that for a reminder?” I slide my hand a little lower on her back, pressing her hips into me. Into my growing hard-on. “Does that jog your memory at all?”
She sucks in a breath, her slightly parted lips practically begging me to take them with my own. With all my mastery in restraint, it takes everything not to do just that. Not yet. There’s still a way I have to push her before that happens, and it’ll be no fun if I don’t.
“Edward, let go of me,” Cara demands through gritted teeth. “They’re kids, for Christ’s sake.”
A bitter laugh pushes out of me. “Half of these kids had to walk by people shooting up on the sidewalk just to get here today. The other half? They go home to watch their parents use each other as punching bags. If they have parents, that is. You can’t save them all, Cara.”
The tension in her body dissipates and I feel Cara soften in my arms. But it’s not surrender, no. Not by the look in her eyes as she searches mine. It’s something else I can’t quite put my finger on.
“You’re a heartless bastard,” she says, a tone of awe in her voice as though she’s just discovered the thing that makes time tick by.
“You may be right,” I lean in even closer, my breath sending wisps of her hair fluttering as I speak. “But even so, you still want me. And you hate that, don’t you? Because if I’m this vile, despicable specimen of a man, then what does that make you?”
I release her with a sudden push that sends her stumbling a few steps back, her face an open expression of shock-horror, cheeks burning red. That’s how I know I’m right.
But just as my victory comes into sight, something unexpected happens. I’ve played my cards perfectly with Cara from start to finish. I’ve primed her and prepped her for my final takedown, like with all the others. And just as I’m ready to make my move-
Cara laughs derisively. “You’re something else, Edward. I’ll give you that.”
All of a sudden, the limelight I was enjoying before becomes an annoyance. It’s like I can feel them all gaping at us from the stage. Confusion renders me useless for a moment, but it’s not long before I find some kind of footing.
“I know. That’s how I got the cover of GQ,” I snap back.
She shakes her head with another laugh, and her displaced amusement causes me to do another double take. I’m more intrigued than ever.
“I’m not doing this with you,” Cara says then, making her way out of the auditorium.
I give the stage one last glance before hurrying after her. “Might I remind you that a deal’s a deal…”
