“Yeah,” Amber said. She leaned forward, straining to see his face. Something about him was familiar.
“Ahoy, landlubbers!” he called into the audience. “I am the Pirate King!”
Amber leaned so far forward she nearly fell out of her seat. She knew that voice. Bare. Was it really him?
The man nodded to the pianist, the music started, and he launched into “I am a Pirate King” with a booming baritone that filled the auditorium. He sang, he strutted, he swaggered, even brandished his sword a few times. He finished with a dramatic bow.
Everyone clapped.
Bare slid his sword back into its sheath and inclined his head. “Thank ye, ye scurvy lot.”
Toby stood. “Who are you?”
“I am the Pirate King.”
Toby grinned. “You are now. I’m the director, Toby Whalen. We’re so glad you stopped by today. Rehearsals start Monday night.”
Bare nodded once and exited stage right.
“I’ll be right back,” Amber told Steph before slipping out of the auditorium. She hoped to catch Bare before he left. She caught sight of his back as he was heading down the hallway to the exit.
“Bare?” she called.
He turned. “Amber?”
“What are you doing here?” they asked at the same time.
“I’m auditioning,” he said at the same time as she said, “I’m painting.”
He crossed to her, and she felt herself flush. The white shirt, open to the waist, gave her an eyeful of chest and abs. Wow. She forced her eyes up to meet his, which were sparkling with mischief.
“Speak again, m’lady, if you dare,” he growled. “Explain what ye do here.”
A thrill ran through her. She almost forgot it was Bare for a moment there. She licked her lips. “I paint the scenery.”
“Ah. Had me an audition for the Pirate King.”
“I know. You were amazing! I didn’t know you could sing.”
“Arrr, matey, sing, loot, pillage, fight with me sword.”
Sword. Her eyes dropped to his crotch hugged snugly by the breeches. She felt her face flame. What was wrong with her? He hadn’t meant that kind of sword!
She met his warm brown eyes again. “You don’t have to talk like a pirate.”
It was confusing her. Friendly and sexy were getting crossed. And wasn’t she mad at him for something?
He grinned devilishly. “Aye aye, me beauty.”
“Oh.” She giggled. “Have you done a lot of theater?”
“Aye, wench, but it’s been a while.” His voice, low and scraping, registered on a deep, throbbing level.
“Too long?” she asked. Only they weren’t talking about theater anymore.
He leered at her, letting his eyes trail up and down her body. “Saucy wench.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe the way you just belted that song out.”
“Believe. Aye, truth is, me singing is a regular thing.” He stepped closer, and his voice rumbled close to her ear. “Me shower knows the tale.”
Her throat went dry as she pictured him naked in the shower. Stop that, you dirty brain. This was her friend and neighbor Bare. Regular old Bare. Good ole…Bare.
“So…okay,” she said, suddenly tongue-tied as their gazes collided. She had the strangest urge to step right into his arms and let him carry her off to his pirate ship and have his wicked way with her.
She cleared her throat. “I’d better get back to painting.” She gestured in the direction of the band room. “The pirate ship is huge. It’s going to need at least two coats of black.”
He gave her a rakish salute with a wink that left her speechless.
“Will ye be at rehearsal on Monday night, wench?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” she breathed. “I’ll be there.”
He gave her a slow smile, and it was like the sun had suddenly come out and shone its sexy good looks all over her body. “That be good news.”
He turned and strutted out the back door. Look at that ass. You could bounce a quarter off it. She quickly averted her eyes and moved back to the band room in a daze.
A short while later, Steph joined her. “There you are! I was wondering if you were ever coming back. So show business isn’t for you, huh?”
Amber looked over. “Need anyone on stage crew?”
Steph clapped. “We’d love to have you! Yay!” She picked up her brush and resumed painting. “Wasn’t that Pirate King amazing?”
“I know him.” She got a jolt remembering his sexy smile in the hallway. “It’s that guy I told you about—Bare. He lives across the hall.”
Steph’s jaw dropped. “That’s Barry? The way you described him I pictured a total geek. I mean, the Hawaiian shirts, the dancing cow thing—”
“I know. He surprised me.”
Steph shook her head. “It’s a good thing you’re sticking around. The women in the cast are gonna be all over him. Maybe some of the guys too.”
Amber couldn’t blame them. She hummed to herself as she painted. Nope, couldn’t blame them one bit.
Chapter Five
Barry had to admit his brother’s advice had worked. He got the part and already had a very sexy talk with Amber as a result. He hoped he’d have the same effect on her at tonight’s rehearsal out of costume. On his brother’s advice, he’d traded his Hawaiian shirts for some new solid-colored T-shirts. He couldn’t resist dressing all in black for his first rehearsal. He was a pirate, after all. He wore a black T-shirt with black pants. Then, because he couldn’t be a dashing pirate without it, he tied on the black bandana and the belt with the sword.
He arrived early to find a few of the cast hanging out, sitting on the edge of the stage. The director wasn’t there yet.
“Ahoy, me hearties,” he boomed before sitting next to them.
“Who are you?” a smooth voice asked. It was the guy next to him.
“I’m the Pirate King.”
“I’m Frederic,” the guy cooed.
“Then we will cross swords,” Barry replied. Frederic and the Pirate King had several scenes and a sword fight together.
The guy raised his brows. “I hope so.” He held out a hand. “Zac.”
“Barrett.” What the hell, he could be anyone he wanted to be when it came to theater. He was tired of being shlubby old Barry. “You can call me Bare.” He loved it when Amber called him that.
“Barrett! I love it!” This from an overly excited Zac.
Barry wasn’t sure what Zac was so excited about.
Another guy leaned over to say, “My last name is Barrett. Kevin Barrett.”
“Oh. Okay, nice to meet you.”
“I’m your understudy. I’m Samuel, the Pirate King’s lieutenant.”
Barry saluted. “Aye aye, lieutenant.”
“Ooh!” Zac squealed.
“Hi, Bare,” a group of women sitting nearby sang.
He waved and walked over. “And who are ye lovely ladies?”
“I’m Zoe,” a pretty woman with curly black hair said. “I play Mabel, one of the Major-General’s daughters, in love with the dashing Frederic.” She batted her eyes at Zac, who blew her a kiss.
“Pleasure be mine,” Barry said.
The women smiled dreamily. It was the pirate effect. He met Lauren and Meg, who also played the Major-General’s daughters, and then he spotted Amber walking down the aisle of the auditorium with another woman, and he forgot about everyone else. Amber wore another halter top, white with pink polka dots, with a black skirt that ended just above her adorable bare knees. He exited the stage and met Amber halfway.
“Ahoy, wench,” he said, “welcome to the great ship Eastman High School.”
Amber laughed. “Hey, Bare. This is my friend Steph. She’s one of the Major-General’s daughters.”
“Nice to meet you,” Steph said. “You were amazing at the audition.”
“That’s because I am the Pirate King!” he boomed with a fist in the air. He smiled and winked. �
�Thank ye by the way.”
Steph laughed. The three of them headed to the stage. Toby, the director, arrived, along with a few other people Barry didn’t know yet.
“Okay, people,” Toby called, scripts in hand. “Gather ’round. We’ve got six weeks to pull this together. That means rehearsal every night except Sunday for two shows Friday and Saturday night. If you miss more than two rehearsals in a row, you’re out. Anyone that can’t handle that, door’s right there.” He gestured to the exit.
Nobody moved.
“Good. Let’s get started. I’m Toby Whalen, your director, as many of you know. I’ve been doing this a hell of a long time, so you’re in good hands. I’ll let the rest of the staff introduce themselves.” He nodded to the young woman in a leotard and shorts on his right.
“Hi, I’m Jasmine Davis. I recognize a lot of you.” She smiled. “I’m the choreographer.”
“That’s my sister!” Zoe hollered.
“And I’m Zoe’s older sister,” Jasmine said with a smile.
A petite older woman sitting next to Toby stood up and waved. “Hello, everyone, I’m Edith, Toby’s mother.” She smiled. “And also the stage manager.”
“She’ll keep everything running smoothly,” Toby said. He pointed toward the piano. “Will Levi on piano.”
Will stood and waved. “Hey.”
Toby turned to them. “Will’s dad, Brian, will not be joining us this year because he’s on a booze cruise to celebrate his retirement followed by a month at the beach. What a bum! All right, let’s get started. Edith will pass out the scripts; then we’ll start with the first song. That’s ‘Pour, oh pour, the pirate sherry.’ I want all of the pirates on stage. When it’s not your turn, take the time to study your lines. We’ll be going without scripts in two weeks. Any questions?”
“Where’s our Major-General?” Zac asked.
It must’ve been a cue because just then the auditorium doors burst open, and a middle-aged man with a pith helmet started marching down the aisle. On his arm was a middle-aged woman with hair teased to a giant black halo around her head.
“I am the very model of a modern Major-General,” the man boomed. “And this young beauty”—a few people snickered—“Delilah is the lovely nursemaid Ruth.”
The woman curtsied.
“Very nice, you divas,” Toby said. “Now go get your scripts.”
The Major-General saluted, and the pair strolled down the aisle to the stage. Barry smiled. This was going to be fun.
~ ~ ~
Amber continued painting the pirate ship in the band room while the cast rehearsed in the auditorium. She added some gold decorative swirls and highlights that would pick up the light on stage. A short while later, Bare and the rest of the pirates came into the band room to practice the Pirate King song. She listened while the pianist Will played the song over and over. Will never corrected them, merely cringed when something was off-key, played the note alone, and waited for them to catch on.
Bare held his own in the song, but she noticed Kevin Barrett kept belting out the words loud enough to block out Bare’s lead voice. Will kept lowering his hand at Kevin. The chorus shouldn’t overtake the lead. She knew Kevin. He’d played the lead last year in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He was talented, but he didn’t dominate the stage the way Bare did.
A few times she'd felt someone staring at her, and she’d look up. Bare would wink at her even as he sang. There was something different about pirate Bare. It wasn’t just the silly pirate talk. There was something tender that came through on stage, along with the swagger, that pulled at her. Something more than just the friendly, good-natured guy she’d gotten to know.
Will finally called a halt and gestured for the group to follow him back to the stage.
Bare stopped in front of her. “Ahoy, me beauty.”
She set her brush down and stood. “You don’t have to talk pirate to me. You can just be yourself.”
“But ye like the pirate in me.”
Then he turned her and dipped her over one arm. She let out a squeak. He slowly pulled her upright and stayed close enough she could feel his heat. His eyes dropped to her mouth.
Yes, she thought. Let’s try this again.
“Anyone see Bare?” a voice called. “We need him on stage.”
Bare took a step back from her. “To be continued, wench.”
“Tease.”
“Tease?” he said in mock indignation. Then he called toward the hallway. “Be right there.” His eyes narrowed in on her, and her heart pounded in anticipation. “I’ll show you tease.”
Then he yanked her up against him and plundered her mouth. There was nothing gentle about the kiss; no, it was a hot, deep, take-no-prisoners kiss that left her deliciously breathless. She clung to him as he kissed her into a puddle of need. He slowly pulled away, gazing at her lips. She couldn’t seem to let go of her grip on his shirt. She wanted more.
He groaned. “I wish I didn’t have to go. I wish—”
“Me too.”
He cupped her cheek. “Until later, me buxom beauty.”
She glanced down at her not-so-buxom chest. “Buxom?”
“Curvy?”
“Where’s our Pirate King?” Toby demanded, sounding extremely irritated.
Amber loosened her grip on him. “They need you.”
“Bye,” Bare said before making a fast exit.
“Bye,” she said to no one. She smiled as she heard Bare declare on stage a moment later, “Gangway! The Pirate King has arrived!”
~ ~ ~
Amber joined the cast and crew on stage for a quick meeting after rehearsal. She sat next to Steph, who was gesturing wildly for her to join her.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” Steph said.
“Me too.” She glanced at Bare, on the other side of the stage, still looking every bit the pirate, and found herself smiling. He suddenly looked up and returned the smile, and she went warm all over.
“Okay, people, we’ve got a long way to go,” Toby said. “Will tells me half of you are off-key. This is a musical. Everyone has to be in tune. Please practice at home. And, Kevin, you must blend your voice in.”
“I can’t help how I sing,” Kevin retorted.
“He’s a star,” Zac sang, tossing his hair, which was so short it barely moved.
Kevin shot Zac a dark look that had Zac simmering down quickly.
“You can help it,” Toby said. “And, people, I know we’re reading the script at this point, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t acting. I want some expression, some emotion coming through. Especially between Frederic and Mabel. The audience has to believe you’re in love.” He paused and took a moment to look them all over. The cast squirmed, probably wondering who he was going to call out next. “Now I know you all like to go out after rehearsal, but I ask you to keep the drinking to a minimum. We need you here at one hundred percent every night if we’re going to put on the kind of show we’re known for. We have an audience who expects a high level of professionalism. That means you know your lines, you hit your marks, you sing on-key. Any questions? No? Good.”
A few people had their hands raised, but Toby ignored them. He clapped once, dismissing them. “See you all tomorrow, seven p.m. Don’t be late.”
Everyone stood and started talking amongst themselves.
“And study your lines tonight!” Toby added before leaving.
His mother, Edith, smiled at them all. “You did a good job for your first rehearsal. That’s my ride.” She followed him out the door.
After Toby and Edith left, Zac said, “The torture begins. Toby was brutal tonight. I need a drink. Who’s in?”
Everyone agreed and, on Bare’s suggestion, they all headed to Garner’s Sports Bar & Grill. The place wasn’t crowded on a Monday night, and they all found seats at the bar. Bare gestured for Amber to sit on a stool next to him and slid his arm around her waist. Before long, Bare was telling stories with the enthralled cast gathered ar
ound him. All except Richard, the Major-General, who was hitting on some young, pretty women at the other end of the bar.
Bare’s warm fingers stroked lazily on the bare skin of her lower back while he shared tales of his old job at a software engineering firm in California and the crazy people that used to work there. The wrestling matches they had with Lord of the Rings figures late at night when they needed to blow off some steam. The challenge to see who could build the most complex polygon out of office supplies. The way they decided who would get to ask out the new single female in the office first—hand over hand up a light saber, hand on top won.
“It didn’t matter who got to ask her out first anyway,” Bare went on. “The answer was always no.”
Everyone laughed.
“If you were smart, you worked your way up from friendship.” Bare smiled at Amber, including her in his tale. “Which I quickly learned. Some of these guys were too desperate to slow it down like that.”
“Slow it down,” Lauren, one of the Major-General’s daughters, said. “I like a guy who takes his time.”
Steph rolled her eyes. “Tell us about The Dancing Cow.”
“Not much to tell,” Bare replied. “That’s my frozen yogurt shop. You’re all invited anytime with ten percent off.”
“Cool,” Lauren said, smiling at Bare like she wanted to lick his cone. Amber rested her hand on Bare’s thigh, who responded by resting his hand on hers and squeezing.
“I’ll be there,” Zac said.
“I heard you dance there,” Steph said.
Amber shook her head at Steph. She did not want Bare to demonstrate his Irish jig at the bar. No matter how good he was at it.
“Yeah,” Bare said. “That’s just for the kids. They love it. Sometimes they bring presents for the cow.”
Amber turned. That was so sweet. “Like what?”
“I’ve got crazy straws, cow figures, bouncy balls, little parachute—”
“What theater have you done?” Kevin interrupted.
“Let’s see,” Bare said. “Now this was all in high school, mind you—”
“High school?” Zoe, who played Mabel, exclaimed. “I can’t believe that. You’re so good.”
“Well,” Bare said modestly. “It’s not hard to play a pirate. Just a few yo-ho-hos thrown in there.”
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