“It sounded like I should be more worried about Liz kidnapping him,” he laughed easily, turning his attention back to his bowl.
“Maybe you should be,” Lizzy huffed dramatically before winking at me.
“So, how did the rest of your auditions go, Evan?” I butted in, wanting to drive the subject away from my intimate life.
“Steph auditioned us right out of a show,” he said bitterly. “Maybe we’ll try again later. She’s still mad that I blamed her for it not going well.”
“How awful,” I said sympathetically. “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
“You have your own shows to get into,” he laughed. “How are your auditions going, by the way?”
“Um,” I said, looking down at the floor. “Not great, actually. I’m starting to feel like I’m wasting my time.”
I’d been keeping my frustrated feelings to myself, but it was true. I had never heard anything back from any of the casting panels I’d performed for. My brain told me that it was normal and to keep trying, but my heart was starting to shout out every little imperfection I thought I had.
“You’re not,” Evan said seriously. “That’s how it works here. There are so many actors and not that many parts. Casting directors can literally wait for someone who fit their mind’s image perfectly. The point is to not give up.”
“I know,” I mumbled, stabbing my spoon into the melting blob in my bowl. “I feel stuck, though. I feel like I’m not going to get any better if I’m not actively working, but no one will hire me so I can do so.”
“Why don’t you sign up for some classes?” Lizzy suggested. “They have loads of them everywhere.”
“Yeah,” Evan agreed. “Then you can still be practicing and growing in your areas, while you go out and audition. Plus, you could make some really great contacts that will help you out in the future.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” I admitted. “I could probably fit a few in every week.”
“I think that would really help you feel better about things,” Lizzy said with a smile. “I’ll even go to some with you, if you want.”
“Don’t let her,” Evan warned. “Lizzy belongs in the kitchen, not on a stage.”
“Aw!” Lizzy said with a smile. “Normally, I’d punch out any man who said I belong in the kitchen, but I know how you meant it.”
She set her bowl down and held her arms out for a hug, squishing me between them as she grabbed him.
“I love you, big brother,” she said with a laugh.
“I love you, too,” he chuckled.
“I can’t breathe,” I gasped from my cage.
“Sorry!” Lizzy let go of him immediately and sat back in her spot.
My skin tingled as Evan’s hands brushed my arms, pulling away much slower than his sister. I turned to look at his face and the strange look from before was back, but left just as quickly.
“So, how are the new recipe plans going, Liz?” he asked, picking his bowl back up quickly and standing to take it to the kitchen.
“Great!” She launched into a story about how she came up with something that was going to make her future restaurant the star of the city.
Evan looked at me one more time, once he was in the kitchen, but it was with a soft smile this time. After that, he appeared completely engrossed in his sister’s story, laughing and asking questions when appropriate.
I brushed the butterflies from my stomach and concentrated on finishing my mess of ice cream. By the time I was done, I managed to convince myself I’d imagined the strange looks. He’d only pulled away so slowly because he wasn’t ready for Lizzy to end to hug so soon.
I need to get my head on straight, I laughed to myself. I have Chris. Evan wouldn’t mess with that. Besides, it sounds like he’s got a pretty significant history with Steph. You don’t just walk away from something like that.
Of course, I could use someone to get my mind off Chris and back on what’s important. Maybe he feels the same way about Steph? A relationship that’s purely platonic . . . But what about Lizzy? What would she think of me asking her brother out?
“Mara?”
“Huh?” I said, pulling away from my own thoughts.
“I asked what your favorite pasta was,” Lizzy snickered.
“Sorry, I got distracted thinking about . . . classes.”
She started telling me about her pasta ideas, and I listened intently this time, despite the fact that Evan had rejoined us and the butterflies had returned in my stomach.
Eventually, a movie got turned on and the house fell silent as we watched, caught up in the story. As the credits rolled, I stood up and stretched, yawning in the process. Lizzy had fallen asleep sometime during the film, her head on Evan’s shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind though, his eyes locked on me.
“Do you want to get coffee again sometime?” he suddenly asked.
I stared at him, surprised that he’d even asked me, especially after all of the sister jokes he’d started earlier. It was also uncanny, since I’d been thinking about doing the same thing just hours before. If the butterflies in my stomach were any indicator, though, Evan wasn’t the guy I should be dating to focus more on work either.
“Uh,” he coughed, clearing his throat as he blushed slightly. “That is, if you and The Boy Toy aren’t exclusive?”
“Yes,” I blurted out. “I mean, no we aren’t! Yes, I would like to get coffee sometime.”
“Great,” he said, smiling. “How about this Saturday, between shows? Are you off?”
“I will be now, if I’m not already.”
“Awesome. I’ll meet you in Times Square. Sound good?”
“Yeah,” I grinned. “It really does.”
Chapter Nine
I bounced on the balls of my feet eagerly, looking for any sign of Evan. The afternoon matinee shows had been over for thirty minutes now, but I expected he was helping get everything set up for the evening performance before leaving.
Part of me felt overly excited to be going out with him. I mean, he was extremely attractive. What girl wouldn’t squeal over the fact he’d asked her to coffee? The other half of me felt guilty, though, like I was somehow leading him on. It was true that Chris and I weren’t exclusive, we’d never even talked about how serious we were, but I’d never dated two men at the same time. What exactly were the rules? I’d already kissed Chris, did that mean I could kiss Evan, too? Did I make it known I was dating both of them? How was I supposed to function without blowing it?
A sigh brushed past my lips as I rolled my eyes. Of course I was overthinking it. The point of dating more than one guy was to not have to worry about anything serious. It was just fun, an activity that wouldn’t mess with my career goals.
“Tough day?”
I turned around, smiling at Evan and his tight black clothes.
“You really like backstage black, don’t you?” I laughed, secretly loving the way the fabric clung to him.
“I have a lot of it, yeah,” he chuckled. “Part of the job description, I guess. It could be worse. Some of the shows require their stage hands to wear costumes so they blend in during set changes.”
“Interesting,” I said, grinning. “What are you working on now?”
“I’ve been down at The Gershwin for a few months now.”
“Wicked,” I added knowingly. “That’s one of my favorites.”
“It’s a good show,” he agreed. “I’ve really enjoyed my time there. Great cast and awesome people to spend the day with.”
“I bet.”
I continued to beam like an idiot, really enjoying the fact that he was so close to the world I loved.
He returned the expression, the two of us staring at each other while busy people walked around us.
“So,” he stated, clearing his throat in what appeared to be embarrassment. “Do you want to go right now? The place I had in mind is a subway ride away.”
“We’re going to a specific place?” I asked in surpr
ise.
“Well, yeah,” he snickered. “I wouldn’t take you out for the slop they serve around here.”
“Hey now,” I joked. “I work around here and serve that slop all the time to very happy customers.”
“Then you know how bad it really is,” he chuckled. “Let’s go.”
“How long do you have until you have to be back?” I inquired, following him to the nearest train stop.
“A few hours,” he said, shrugging. “The curtain goes up at eight. We usually start getting serious about set up around seven. It’s more relaxed on Saturdays because most everything gets taken care of right after the matinee. Why?”
“I was just wondering,” I laughed. “The lifestyle of a Broadway worker really appeals to my inquisitive side.”
“I’m not very interesting, I promise,” he said as we walked down the steps into the subway station.
The stop was packed, like always, people waiting for their various trains, heading off to unknown destinations. We managed to shove ourselves into a tiny corner that wasn’t already occupied by tourists and residents alike.
“Our ride will be here in about . . .” He stopped to check the watch on his wrist. “Five minutes.”
“Sounds good.”
We were so close together, it was almost uncomfortable. I had to lift my head to look at him, unless staring at his very well-muscled chest counted as looking at him. That made me feel like I was a creeper, though, staring at all his muscles, so I tried looking around at the people surrounding us instead.
“So, how do you like living with my sister?” he asked, eyes smiling down at me as I looked up to his face.
“It’s been really nice,” I remarked. “She wasn’t lying when she said she could cook.”
“I bet you haven’t seen anything yet, either. She really should have her own restaurant.”
“Why doesn’t she?”
“Because finding affordable real estate here is almost as common as finding the Ark of the Covenant,” he chuckled. “She’s been saving for years, but it’s still not enough. That, and she wants to go to some special program or something first.”
“That’s understandable,” I replied, nodding. “I hope she gets it all someday.”
“She will,” he answered confidently.
Someone bumped into my back, pushing me right into his arms suddenly. He caught me like it was nothing, wrapping his arms around me while I steadied myself.
“Sorry,” I stuttered.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he said reassuringly. “Though it would have been nice if that guy apologized.”
“How long have you lived here?” I asked, laughing.
“Ha ha,” he answered, rolling his eyes as he released me.
“Actually, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met where here in the city. I think all of the talk about this being every rude person’s chosen living space is a rumor.”
“Oh, there’s enough rude people here for everyone, trust me,” he chuckled.
A train pulled up at the stop and people began filing in, the available space around us growing some. I took the opportunity to step back a bit, relieving the pressure in my neck from having to look up at him.
“The next one is ours,” he said as the car pulled away.
“Where are we going exactly?”
“It’s called Kat’s Eats and Treats. Lizzy introduced me to it. At first, I thought it was a bit girly for me, but the coffee is amazing. I’m actually very excited to see what you think of it.”
“I hope I don’t disappoint,” I said, smiling.
“I don’t think you will,” he laughed. “Not unless the coffee in Arizona is to die for.”
“It’s coffee,” I snickered.
Another train pulled up and Evan motioned for me to go ahead and get on in front of him. Since we’d been in the back of the station, there wasn’t really anywhere left to sit by the time we entered the car, so we each grabbed a spot on one of the bars, holding on tight as we pulled away.
Evan got a phone call from someone then, who apparently wanted to talk his ear off about something. He seemed annoyed by it, his smile leaving his face as he listened. Every now and then I thought I could hear a woman’s voice coming through the speaker, yelling at him. If he said anything at all, it was very short and to the point. It didn’t end until we were getting off the train five minutes later.
“Are you okay?” I asked timidly as we left the station, walking up the steps and back onto the city streets.
“Yeah,” he answered gruffly. “That was Steph. I’d been expecting her to call sometime. She, apparently, thinks the auditions not going well is my fault and reamed me for it once already. Once is never enough for her, though.”
“I’m sorry,” I said apologetically.
“It’s no big deal,” he said, shrugging. “We had a bad break up. I should have distanced myself from her, but I didn’t.”
“That doesn’t make it your fault either,” I argued.
“Here we are,” he said suddenly, stopping in front of a store window that revealed a very pink store on the other side.
It appeared to be a bakery, a glass counter housing several dishes and the register on the right side, seating arrangements on the left. Overall, it was very tiny, but the smells coming from it were very impressive.
He opened the door for me and I advanced over the threshold, taking in the sweet decorations and atmosphere of the place.
“Just coffee, or do you want something else as well?” he asked, walking to the register.
“Coffee is fine for now,” I replied with a smile.
“Great. Pick a spot to sit while I order, okay?”
Will do.”
He greeted the lady who’d appeared at the counter as I made my way to a pair of comfy looking chairs by the window on the other side of the door. Within a few minutes, Evan reappeared, two cups in his hands.
“Like the view?” he asked, handing mine over.
“I do,” I laughed.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Steph,” he said, taking a seat. “Things with her are . . . Complicated.”
“That’s okay,” I reassured him. “It’s your life. I’m not bothered by it.”
“Can I tell you something? Honestly?” he asked hesitantly.
“Sure, if you want to.”
“I’m still . . . Getting over her. I guess that’s how it should be worded. I thought if I went out on a few dates it would keep my head on straight and get me out of the gutter. Maybe I’ll find someone else in the process.”
“I know what you mean,” I laughed. “But I have to warn you, I’m not looking for anything serious. If that’s what you want, you’ll be better off looking somewhere else.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean for it to come off sounding like that,” he said obviously embarrassed.
“It’s fine,” I chuckled. “I understood what you were saying. I just wanted to be clear on how I felt. Things with Chris were kind of starting to feel like they were getting serious, so I thought I’d better get out with a few more people. I want to focus more on auditions and getting the job I came here for. Falling in love isn’t really part of the schedule.”
“Interesting,” he said, nodding. “Lizzy made it sound like you two were getting close.”
“We’ve been on three dates,” I laughed. “But, I don’t know. He makes me happy, but I don’t want to mess up the main reason I came to the city.”
“Let’s make a deal then,” he said suddenly. “I’ll keep your head straight about work and you’ll help me stay away from Steph. You don’t fall in love and I get to stay sane.”
“Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly. “I mean, I know we haven’t know each other that long. What if you don’t like spending time with me?”
“It’ll be great,” he pressed. “We can get better acquainted and seal that sibling relationship.”
“Siblings don’t usually date,” I snorted. “But it does sound like a good idea. I guess I’
m in.”
“Awesome,” he laughed. “I don’t know why, but this deal seems like just the thing I needed today.”
“It kinda does, doesn’t it?”
The butterflies were back in my stomach, giddy excitement filling me. It was a dangerous feeling to be having, especially when agreeing to focus more on work. I couldn’t help it, though. Something about him spoke to me, the same way Lizzy had when I first met her. They were my kind of people. What was so wrong about agreeing to help him out? We could end up being great friends, which was just what I wanted to have right now. Someone I could tell everything to and get their thoughts on it. So what if I found him attractive? I could get over that. Besides, with Evan’s help, I could keep seeing Chris and stay focused on what I wanted. It was a win win.
“You haven’t tried your coffee yet,” he laughed, breaking into my thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, yeah,” I snickered.
Raising the cup to my lips, I sipped the hot liquid over the rim, my taste buds immediately rejoicing at the flavors washing over them. Greedily, I sucked the drink down, my eyes growing wide as I did so.
“You weren’t joking,” I said after a couple swallows. “This is way better than what we serve at Olive Garden!”
“I don’t mess around with my coffee,” he smirked. “If I say it’s the best in the city, I mean it.”
“Oh my goodness, I’m never getting coffee anywhere else ever again,” I sighed, lifting the beverage to my mouth again.
“I knew you’d like it.”
He took a sip of his own, smiling happily as he looked out the window.
I stared at him, thinking how he looked like a man any girl would want and wondering what had happened between him and Steph. What was so bad that he needed someone to help keep him away? And why would he ask me, almost a complete stranger, to do that?
And why on earth was I ignoring the warning bells in my head and agreeing to do it?
Chapter Ten
"I can't believe I finally got you to agree to a fourth date," Chris chuckled, taking a sip from his wine glass. "I thought for sure you were going to blow me off again."
"I wasn't blowing you off!" I replied defensively. "I told you I had a lot of work stuff going on."
Taking Chances: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Dreams) Page 8