“Sing something,” he crowed. “Let’s hear those musical chops.”
“Will I get in trouble?”
“Who is going to be mad at you for performing on a stage?” he chortled.
“This is different,” I said defensively. “This is the stage of The Gershwin. In New York. On Broadway.”
“All the more reason to belt it out,” he encouraged me. “There’s no time like the present!”
I chewed on my lip, nervous excitement tearing me up inside.
“A new life,” I sang, starting one of my favorite audition pieces.
My voice echoed through the room as I went through my thirty two bar cut. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced, hearing my voice like that. After a minute, I threw caution to the wind and fully entered the song, becoming the character. In my mind, the stage was adorned with the correct sets and I was costumed correctly. The house became full of people beaming at me. When I finished, it all faded away until only a clapping Evan was left.
“You’re amazing!” he gushed. “All those people who didn’t cast you are crazy.”
“That’s the best I’ve ever performed,” I said truthfully. “It’s like there was something about being here that did all of that.”
“The magic,” he said knowledgably. “You aren’t the first to discover it in that way, I’m sure.”
“I wish I could hold onto it and take it everywhere with me.”
“Evan?”
April walked in from one of the doors at the back of the stage, dressed in street clothes and a duffle bag hanging off her shoulder.
“Wow, Mara! Was that you singing in here?”
“Yes,” I said blushing.
“You better believe it was,” Evan said with a grin.
“That was really good,” she continued. “Do you take voice lessons?”
“Not since I moved here, why?” I asked.
“My teacher is looking for new students,” she replied nonchalantly. “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have ever been in the vocal shape I needed to be to get moved up in the cast. If you’re interested, I can give you her number. I’ll even call and talk with her for you.”
“Really?”
“Of course! If you want to be a Broadway performer you need to keep that voice at its best.”
“Thank you so much,” I said in surprise.
“Do you have any suggestions for a studio with acting and dance classes?” Evan butted in. “I’ve been thinking about joining just for fun. I bet Mara would enjoy tagging along, as well.”
“Of course, I do,” April laughed. “I’ll text you the details, okay, Evan?”
“Sure, thanks,” he said, giving her a hug.
“Yes, thank you!” I smiled at her sincerely and waved as she walked back out the door to go home.
“You want to take classes with me,” I asked, turning to him with an eyebrow raised.
“Why not?” He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. “It should be fun. Maybe I’ll get some ideas on how to write my script myself.”
“Lizzy is going to get a kick out of that idea. Now she’ll definitely come take them with me.”
“Maybe it’s not such a good plan,” he laughed, heading for the door himself. “Are you ready to go? I’d like to go check on her myself before I go home.”
“Sure,” I said, looking at the empty house one more time before following him.
As we walked back down to the exit, I noticed I’d also missed the giant mural on the walls the first time we’d passed through. I didn’t know how, though—it was scenes from the show and green as could be.
“Some of the cast members painted that,” Evan said, catching me looking. “They have their own type of hall of fame, or graduation list, as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“Every person who’s ever been in the show and gone on has their name on a plaque on the wall,” he laughed.
“Every cast is a family,” I chuckled.
We were soon on the street, and I started heading to the subway station.
“Hang on,” Evan called me back. “We’re not taking the train.”
“Do you have a car?” I asked, following him into a parking garage.
“No.”
He passed a few vehicles and then stopped in front of a space occupied by a gleaming black motorcycle. He unzipped the backpack he’d grabbed from one of the rooms right by the door to the street and pulled out a helmet, holding it out to me.
“When Liz said she wasn’t coming I decided to bring my bike. It’s cheaper on gas. Is that okay?”
“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “I’ve never ridden one before, though.”
“It’s really easy,” he laughed as I took the head gear from him. “All you have to do is hold on.”
I buckled the strip under my chin and watched as he pulled another helmet out of his bag and put it on.
He slung his leg over the bike and then turned to me, smiling.
“Climb on,” he said, holding his hand out to me.
“Okay,” I giggled.
I stepped forward and took his hand, my fingers brushing his other side as I sat down behind him.
“Hang on tight,” he said. “You won’t hurt me, I promise.”
“Right,” I chuckled, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his back.
“Do you want to take a more scenic route,” he asked loudly after starting the engine.
“Uh . . . sure?”
“Great! Hang on,” he yelled as we pulled out and drove onto the street.
We weaved in and out of traffic too fast for my liking. I was glad he’d told me to hold on as tight as I wanted, because I was terrified I’d fall off if I didn’t. We passed several landmark buildings that were lit up in the night, but I couldn’t even hardly enjoy them. Finally, we arrived at the apartment building and the bike fell silent.
“You can let go now,” Evan laughed.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, my head still resting on his back. “I think my arms fused together.”
He laughed harder and slid his hand down my arm, wrapping his fingers around mine.
Goosebumps flashed down my skin, and I suddenly pulled away from him, a nervous giggle breaking through my lips.
“You drive very fast,” I said as my feet touched solid ground once again.
“Another reason why I like the motorcycle—it fits through traffic.”
“I bet that comes in handy, since you work at the busiest intersection in the world,” I said lamely.
“It does. You should get one, too. You’ll be working there in no time.”
“I think I’ll stick with the subway,” I said, trying to shoo the butterflies his touch had brought on. “Are you ready to go see Lizzy?”
He looked at me for a second, a happy smile on his face before nodding and getting off the bike himself.
“She’s probably sleeping,” I said, trying to keep the conversation going.
“Naw. Knowing Liz, she’s probably curled up on the couch watching Pride and Prejudice.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “That’s what she does every time she gets sick. It’s not the remake either. She watches the full, six hour version with a puke bowl next to her.”
“Sounds . . . gross,” I said, making a face as we walked through the door.
“You haven’t even begun to see all of Liz’s weird quirks,” he laughed. “She is my sister, though, so I love her anyway.”
“And I’m an honorary sister,” I said, trying to get rid of the feelings of attraction I kept feeling for him as we ascended the stairs.
He looked over at me, the happiness in his eyes fading some.
“Yes,” he said softly. “You’re the sister she always wanted. My honorary little sister.”
The grin returned full force as I looked at him, a chuckle breaking through his lips.
“Who I occasionally date.”
“Occasionally,�
�� I laughed back, the feelings returning full force.
Chapter Thirteen
“So, how is Liz feeling?” Evan asked, picking off a piece of cotton candy from the giant bag he’d bought.
“Better. It took her a few days to kick whatever she had. I’m glad that she’s had the color return to her face.”
“Yeah, she’s kinda ugly without it,” he snickered.
“Don’t be mean!” I scolded him, slapping his arm as we walked among the rides of Coney Island.
“What?” he laughed, easily dodging more advances. “Even you wanted to get away from her.”
“I never said that,” I argued, rolling my eyes.
“Not exactly,” he chuckled, popping the feathery candy into his mouth and then talking through it. “But you did ask me out, not the other way around. I took that to only mean one thing. You can’t stand that much sick Liz.”
“Well, you’re wrong Mr. Know It All,” I smirked. “I asked you out because you’d seemed extra upset about Steph that night at the theatre. I thought you could use some time away from everything.”
“Thanks,” he said sincerely. “I was having a bit of a bad night. Everything that happened with us . . . Let’s just say, I don’t wish that on anyone. She was the last person I’d brought to watch the show with me, but we actually sat in the audience. It was one of my nights off. Anyway, having a guest with me made me remember all that.”
“I’m sorry,” I said guiltily. “If I’d known—”
“You wouldn’t have come,” he finished for me. “Which is exactly why I didn’t tell you. My issues shouldn’t keep you from having a good time. Besides, April was able to help you out some, which I’d kinda been hoping for. So it was worth it.”
“Thank you so much,” I replied, smiling warmly as I stole some of his candy.
“Did you call her teacher?”
“I did,” I answered, nodding. “We have time set up to meet and have our first lesson a few weeks from now.”
“Great! I’m really excited for you.”
I grinned again, looking at him as the lights of the park reflected behind him. He’d worn a blue shirt and jeans tonight, a sudden contrast from the black I was so used to seeing him in. The color worked for him, though, bringing out the tan of his skin and hugging his muscles just as tightly as his work clothes.
Blushing to myself, I silently admitted I’d also asked him out just because I wanted to spend time with him again. He felt good for me, like a breath of fresh air that helped reaffirm all the reasons I was here. I didn’t have to be anyone but myself and he totally accepted that. Even better, I didn’t have to keep searching for fancy hairstyles to wear to an elegant restaurant.
Chris and I still had our date set for Monday night, but we’d never agreed to be exclusive, five dates or not. I wasn’t going to feel guilty for going out with someone else just for fun.
“Hey, check out that giant stuffed mermaid,” Evan said, pointing to one of the game booths ahead of us. “What is that? The ring toss? Oh, it is so going down!”
“Why do you want a giant stuffed mermaid,” I laughed as he shoved the bag of cotton candy into my arms and started removing his jacket.
“I don’t, you do,” he beamed. “You can bring it back for the Mermaid Parade next summer.”
“Mermaid Parade?”
“Yeah! It’s exactly what it sounds like and awesome. It’s one of two events that I never, ever miss.”
“What’s the other?” I giggled, taking his coat from him as well.
“The No Pants Subway Ride.”
I choked on my spit at his words, caught completely off guard, but not surprised for some reason.
“They still do that?” I coughed.
“Every year,” he grinned. “And I’ve been there for every single one of them.”
He turned to the counter of the stand, pulling out his wallet and laying down some ones for the attendant, eagerly grabbing the rings.
“These games are rigged to make it almost impossible to win,” I laughed, standing next to him.
“The key word being almost,” he said smoothly, stretching his throwing arm out as he gauged the distance to the target.
The first toss was a miss, which I groaned appropriately for.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Evan said, shaking it out some. “I got this.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. He looked so serious and competitive, like that mermaid was his life’s mission and nothing was going to keep him from it.
His own grin grew at the sound and he looked at me for a second before throwing the second ring, true happiness in his expression.
The ring hit where it was supposed to, as well as the third, and before I knew it, I was being handed a purple tailed, sea shell bra wearing mermaid with yellow hair that was almost as big as I was.
“I have to admit,” I said as we walked away, Evan putting his jacket back on like he’d just won an Olympic medal. “That was pretty impressive.”
“I told you I had it,” he said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Oh ye of little faith.”
“Evan?”
We both turned to see who had called out behind us and my good spirits instantly fell.
Steph. What was she doing here?
She was with a couple of girlfriends it seemed, all who followed behind her like she was a pack leader or something.
“Evan, I’m so glad to see you,” she said, smiling widely as she walked forward and threw her arms around him, pressing her face into the opening of his jacket.
“I’ve missed you so much. Why won’t you return any of my calls?”
Evan had gone stiff, not returning the hug, and I could see the lump in his throat he was trying to swallow.
“I told you, Steph. I can’t be with you anymore. Not after what happened.”
“You weren’t serious, though,” she laughed, reaching up and stroking his face with one hand. “I know you. I know we’re supposed to be together.”
“And I know I told you it was over,” he said, grabbing her hand and stepping back a step, putting some distance between them. “I don’t want to talk about it here. Or at all.”
She looked at him, a calculating look in her eyes, before she laughed, glancing over her shoulder to her friends.”
“You’re such a tease,” she said, trying to snuggle up to him again.
I could tell that he didn’t want to be there anymore and the situation was fast getting out of hand for him. I’d known that Steph apparently couldn’t take a hint, or the straight out truth from what he’d told me, but this was ridiculous.
“Hi,” I said, butting into the space between them before she could grab onto him again. “I’m Mara, Evan’s date.”
I held my hand out to shake and was greeted by empty air, as I’d expected.
Steph looked at me like I was an alien, taking in the stuffed prize and my casual clothes.
“You’re dating again?” she asked incredulously, ignoring me completely.
“Uh, yeah,” Evan answered, clearing his throat. “Mara and I have been out a few times actually.”
“You’re joking,” Steph snapped impatiently. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you for weeks. Your roommates would have told me if you were seeing someone else.”
“Maybe, if I’d told them,” he shot back, acting a little irritated.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t think you’re really dating. I remember this girl. She came to the audition. You told me she was your sister’s roommate. No way are you really dating, not when we’re still in love!”
Yikes. I felt like I was about to be broadcast on an episode of When Exes Snap. Evan didn’t look to happy with what was going down either, some people stopping to see why Steph was getting so upset. Her girlfriends didn’t even do anything to stop, just nodding in agreement and making non-committal sounds from their space behind her.
“Well, if you don’t mind,” I said, taking Evan’s hand in mine and pull
ing him away from her as I started walking away. “I’d like to get back to what we were doing. Evan?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly, tightening his own hand around mine as we left.
“Evan?” Steph yelled. “Evan Robbins!”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered to me as she faded into the crowd.
“It’s not your fault,” I reassured him. “You were ambushed. If I’d known she came out here at all, I would have suggested somewhere else.”
“She doesn’t come here,” he said grimly. “That’s what bothers me.”
“You think she’s following you?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “She hasn’t taken very well to the break up, I know that much.”
“We can leave if you want,” I offered, holding the cotton candy out to him as a source of comfort, the mermaid almost blocking it out.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “We can still have more fun. It’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
He grinned at me, squeezing my hand and taking some of the candy with his free hand.
“We’re at Coney Island. We can totally have fun!”
The Ferris Wheel was just ahead of us, so we got in line and scored a whole cart to ourselves, complete with views of the city and the ocean all around us. Thankfully, Evan wasn’t the type who liked rocking the cart, so we sat down and just enjoyed the scenery.
“I really am sorry about Steph,” he said as we started moving, the wheel turning slowly. “I don’t know how to make her understand that it’s never going to happen again.”
“What happened?” I asked softly, taking his hand once more as I waited for an answer.
“She, uh . . .”
He stopped talking, looking out the open window for a minute, seemingly lost in thought. I knew he needed a moment, something to help steady himself as he obviously dug up whatever had happened.
“I can’t talk about it,” he smiled sadly. “She broke my heart. She broke it and has acted like she did nothing wrong, like nothing ever happened. Like what I’ve felt doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be with someone who makes me feel like that.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “Of course you don’t want to talk about it. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Taking Chances: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Dreams) Page 11
