With interest, she slowly nods, “I’m listening.”
I jump off the stage motioning for her to follow. She’s not used to this environment so she climbs down slowly and sets her loafers on the carpeted floor like she wants to make sure the ground isn’t going to move on her. We walk up the center aisle, vacant seats on either side. At a good distance away from any potential eavesdroppers, I lower my voice. “I found out that Asher might have dropped the girl that Samantha replaced, on purpose. I want to tell Sam. Problem is she’s dating him.”
“Really? Why do you think he dropped that girl?”
“So that Samantha would rise up in the ranks.”
Hope waves her hand. “No, I meant what makes you think that?”
“A few people think it.”
“Why didn’t you tell her tonight? When did you find out? I’m assuming this was recently?”
“There was no way he was going to drop her in front of our last audience. I don’t think he’s going to drop her at all, because I think he’s falling in love with her.”
Hope takes a step closer. “Logan, what happens when he falls out of love with her?” Her eyebrows go up as she stares at me with meaning. “You wanted it straight. You got it straight. I have never liked Samantha, you know that. But if there’s a chance of her…”
I growl, “Don’t even say it,” the image unbearable.
Zipping up her coat, my grumpy sister walks away. “Enjoy New York. I hear it’s a shit hole.”
Scanning the stage for Asher, I don’t see him anywhere. But Samantha and I lock eyes. She’s watching me as her family members are in animated conversations around her. She’s so lucky to have so many of them, and that she gets along with all of them, too.
I mouth, “Can I talk to you?”
She nods and holds my look for a second before turning to her mom and forcing a smile.
Fellow cast members congratulate me as I head to my dressing room. Alfredo is clearing his stuff. “I wish I were going with you, Logan. If I were younger and didn’t have a family here…” He trails off, the rest of the sentence not needed.
“I’m going to miss you, Dad.”
He laughs, hugs me, slaps my back once and squeezes me really hard. “Thanks, son, I needed that.” Pulling away, he wipes his cheek. “It sure was fun while it lasted.”
Frowning, I watch him lift the roses his wife had sent. He read the card to me before we went on tonight. It read, Thank you for staying here with us. Have an amazing last night. Love, Judy, Ryan, Cecily, and Leon. He told me Leon was the dog, and showed me a picture of their big-tongued black Lab.
All packed up, he grabs my arm. “You have fun up there for me.”
“I will. Take care of yourself, Alfredo.”
He disappears and Samantha takes his place, smiling as she tentatively knocks on my door. “Hey stranger.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
LOGAN
I lock the door for our private conversation. What I have to tell her will rob her of that smile I’ve missed for weeks, the one she’s giving to him. “You looking forward to New York, Logan? Are you as excited as I am?” She straddles my chair backwards. On a shrug she doesn’t know is sexy, Samantha asks, “And a little scared?”
“What are you afraid of?” I take a couple steps closer. With her looking up at me like this it’s easy to imagine my pants down, her hands around my cock. Perfect height. Maybe if I’d said something earlier, made a move, kissed her without warning, Asher wouldn’t be taking the place I was meant for in her life. We could be in here celebrating, about to travel with a show, maybe go around the world after that, if we were lucky.
“What am I afraid of? New place. Never been. All that jazz.”
We both break into the famous chorus, “And all that jazz.”
She grins, but I frown. Our recent dynamic. I hate it. “I went once when I was a kid. My parents took me to see Lion King. There are a lot of people and even more buildings. Can’t see the sky most ways you look. But I was twelve.”
“You didn’t like it?”
“I loved it.”
She laughs, “I can’t wait.” Her beautiful brown eyes darken. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Something on your mind?”
“No.”
“It looks like you just had a—”
“There’s nothing on my mind, Logan.” She pauses, hugging the back of the chair, long eyelashes dropping. “Just wondering what’s up.” Throwing me a fake smile she asks, “Been a while since you wanted to talk to me.”
I always want to talk to you. That’s my torture.
I walk to Alfredo’s mirror and hold her look in the reflection as I begin, “How well do you know Asher?”
Slow and measured, she replies, “I’m getting to know him, why?”
“You love him?”
A blush rises and she looks away. “Why does it feel weird to talk with you about this?”
Because we’re supposed to be more than friends, in a perfect world. But the world is shit. “Because you know I think he’s—”
“Logan, just stop,” she sighs. “This is why I haven’t talked to you about him. You think I could with you acting like Hope?”
“At least you know where she stands.”
Samantha gapes at me. “You’ve never defended your sister’s cynicism before.”
“First for everything.”
“I’m not insulting your family, I was just stating a fact. Don’t get all defensive.”
I swoop down in front of where she sits, grab the back of her chair, and get down on one knee before her. “What if I told you that he might have dropped Marion on purpose so you’d get the part?”
Samantha blinks at me, a haunted look seeping in. “Logan, that’s not funny.”
“Am I laughing? Am I laughing, Sam?”
She leaps out of the chair and paces in a frantic circle. “I can’t believe you just said that. Do you know how evil he would have
