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I nod absently, squinting down the street toward the subway entrance I’m headed for. “Well, I hope you’re able to bear it.”
“Me too,” she sighs. “Well, I’ve gotta make a quick stop at the drugstore. I’ll see you at dinner?”
Thankful she isn’t going to be riding the subway all the way back to our hotel with me, I nod. “Yep.”
Maureen touches her hand to my arm and meets my eyes for a moment. “It’s really nice to finally meet you, Kai.”
I hold her gaze as she touches me. Her deep brown eyes, darker than Sophie’s, are really stunning. She is attractive. I can’t deny that. And it’s flattering, watching her show interest in me. Eagerness bubbles just below the surface.
When she finally drops her hand, she grins and turns with a flick of her hair and makes her way down the sidewalk. I watch her hips sway as she goes, almost as if she’s flaunting them for me on purpose. The corner of my mouth turns up. Maybe I’ll get to have some real fun, after all.
***
Rossini’s is a quaint, traditional Italian restaurant in Manhattan. The waiters all wear tuxedos, and the tables are bathed in soft candlelight. Production has rented the entire place for the evening so we can celebrate the kickoff of rehearsals.
Everyone is already chatting and mingling when I arrive. There’s a sort of buzz in the air; the kind of excitement that’s always present at the beginning of a project.
New York is cold, white, and dim this time of year. It’s the type of atmosphere that makes me want to hunker down and hibernate until the sun finally comes out again. But the dusky outdoors makes the interior of the restaurant that much more inviting. Warm lights and plush seating welcome us all in with their embrace.
I shrug off my coat and head directly to the bar to order a beer. It is velvety and sweet as it goes down, warming me almost immediately. The restaurant is set up buffet-style, with a long table full of all kinds of delicious-looking foods.
As I scan the room, subconsciously searching for a head of red, George appears next to me, leaning against the bar. “Hard to believe how quickly this came together as soon as Sophie was onboard, huh?” He’s taller than me, with salt and pepper hair marking his wisdom, along with a handful of thin creases near his eyes.
I glance at him and smile, taking another swig of my beer. “She’s kind of the glue that holds this all together, isn’t she?”
George nods. “That, and you. Can’t move forward without you either. How’s the accent coming along? You sounded great this morning.”
“Glad you think so, because Nick doesn’t seem impressed.” I set my jaw.
George waves off the comment. “Eh, I wouldn’t worry about him. He’s great at what he does, but he also has high expectations. Just keep up the good work and you won’t need him anymore.” He takes a drink and leans in. “I actually think he might be a little kinder to the fairer sex. Some of the other guys from the cast said the same thing you did.”
I grimace. It sounds to me like Nick needs to learn how to isolate his professional persona from his horny one.
George shifts his gaze across the room, and I follow it to see Nick, head tilted back in laughter. In front of him, sipping a drink and grinning widely, is Sophie. She wears a simple blue dress that cuts at the knees, exposing her smooth ivory legs. Her tiny shoulders are uncovered too. As much as I loved how small she was that night at the club, the extra pounds she’s lost make her almost frail. Yet, her bright brown eyes sparkle just as radiantly as they always have. I instantly feel William’s protectiveness. I hope they’ll let her eat more soon.
“How are things with Sophie?” George asks.
I almost jump, forgetting he’s next to me. “Things are just fine. Quite well actually.”
“I’m eager to see the dynamic between the two of you once we get on stage.” He furrows his brow in deep thought. “There was something really special there in her audition. From your perspective, do you think it’ll still be there once we put this all together?”
I watch Sophie catch my eye from across the room. She looks away quickly. “I have a feeling it just might be.”
“Well, whatever it is, don’t lose it. That beautiful tension between the two of you—it’s the kind of chemistry you can’t make up.”
I nod as I observe her playing with the edge of her dress nervously, just as she did in the club last summer. “No, you sure can’t.”
We’re silent for a moment, and then a production member I don’t know steps up to George to ask him about a costume choice.
George looks to me, and I nod to assure him I don’t mind. So, he walks away, and I’m left alone with my beer, watching Sophie giggle at Nick. She’s adorable when her nose crinkles like that, but less so when she’s looking at him. I’m inclined to think he might be leaving an impression on her already, and I feel an interruption is in order.
I down the rest of my beer, order another, and make my way across the room. I’m suddenly on a mission. I have my eyes set on Sophie, planning my approach, but someone appears in front of me, causing me to halt in surprise.
“Hey, you.” It’s Maureen, with her bright red lipstick pulled tight in a smile.
“Oh, hi Maureen.” I scratch my head and peer past her.
She looks me up and down slowly. “Well, you clean up well.” She leans in and gestures toward some of the production team, dressed in ill-fitting, cheap suits. “Better than a lot of the other prospects here.”
