I’m searching for a response when Miriam calls out, “Elissa? Is there a problem?”
“No. Be right there!” I half close the door and lower my voice as I turn back to Liam. “Look, I’m happy you exist, too, but you can’t be here. I’m working.”
“I know. I’m on the list.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“I’m really not. Check it.”
I look down at the clipboard in my hand, and sure enough, over the page and right down at the bottom is “Liam Quinn.”
I glare up at him. He gives me a panty-melting smile.
“Elissa, I might not have been entirely honest with you last night, but I swear it was for all the right reasons.” He slides past me, pushes open the door, and walks into the room. “Hi, Miriam. I’m Liam Quinn, and I’ll be auditioning for the role of Romeo.”
As soon as Miriam lays eyes on him, her mouth drops open. It takes her a few seconds before she can form words. I know how she feels.
“Uh, hi, Liam. Great to meet you. Do you need the pages?”
He puts his phone and headphones on a chair and gives her a smile. “No, thanks. I have it memorized.”
“Okay, then. Just take your time, and start when you’re ready.”
I take my seat in a daze as Liam draws in a few deep breaths to prepare.
Next to me, Miriam whispers to herself, “Dear almighty Gods of Theater, I’ll never ask you for anything else as long as I live, but please, please, please let this man be able to act. I’m begging you.”
I’m still too shocked by Liam’s presence to even laugh.
He rolls his neck and shakes out his hands, then he closes his eyes for a few seconds. When he opens them, he blows us away by delivering the most incredible interpretation of Romeo I’ve ever seen.
Bastard.
* * *
Miriam is gushing. I’ve never seen her do that. Most of the time she’s terse and straightforward, but right now she’s spouting compliments all over Liam.
Can’t say I blame her. Not only did he deliver an amazingly intelligent performance, it was also hot as hell. When he was done, Miriam applauded. She asked him to read some more, but he said he hadn’t brought his glasses and couldn’t see the script without them.
It didn’t matter. By then he had the role in the bag.
I’m still reeling that he’s here. Wait, reeling isn’t the right word. “Furious” is more like it. I’m so angry, I’m shaking.
What breed of asshole lies to someone’s face? Oh, that’s right, an asshole actor. I really do have the worst taste in men.
“Elissa.” Miriam comes over to me. “Can you get all of Liam’s details and take his measurements? I have to run. Make sure he’s back here Monday to read with our Juliets. We’ll have to see who has the most chemistry with him.”
I have no doubt Liam could have chemistry with a brick wall if he tried.
She pats me on the arm. “See you both soon. Great job today, Liam!”
Liam waves as she leaves, then turns to me. He looks so self-satisfied, I want to smack him.
I walk over with my clipboard and measuring tape. “What the hell was that?”
“According to your director, the perfect mix of romantic passion and masculine power.”
“You lied to me last night!”
“No. I told you the truth. I work in construction with my dad and have never set foot onstage. This is my first audition. Technically, I wasn’t an actor until just now.”
“Oh, what crap. No one is as good as you were the first time at bat.”
He holds up his hands. “I swear to God, I’m not lying. I’ve wanted to act for years, but life got in the way. I saw the audition notice for this a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try.”
“So this is just some crazy coincidence? Please.”
“No, it’s not coincidence. It’s fate. I keep telling you that.” He takes a step forward, his expression serious. “I know you feel it, too. Or do you not remember how close we came to committing an illegal public act last night?” He winds an arm around my waist. I clench my jaw to stop myself from pressing against him. “We could finish what we started, you know. That table looks pretty sturdy.”
Everything slows down as I watch his mouth get closer, but thankfully, my sense of professionalism overpowers my insane attraction, and I find the strength to step away.
“Let’s just get these measurements done so we can get out of here,” I say in my most no-nonsense tone. I put down my clipboard and unfurl the measuring tape. “Arms up, please.”
He raises his arms. Because he’s so broad, I have to press against him in order to wrap the tape around his chest. When my nipples harden in response, I huff in frustration.
“Listen, Liss,” he says softly. “I’m sorry I bent the truth last night, but if I’d admitted I wanted to be an actor, I’d have missed out on the most incredible kiss of my entire life, and I have zero regrets about that. Let me take you out to dinner to make it up to you.”
“I can’t.” I write down his chest measurement on my clipboard.
“Sure you can.”
I look him in the eye. “No, I really can’t. Apart from anything else, you’re now in a show I’m running, so you’re totally off-limits to me.” I wrap the tape around his neck. When I graze his throat with my hand, he sucks in a quick breath. Thank God I’m not alone in being hot and bothered by our proximity. “And even if I was stupid enough to consider a workplace romance, which I’m not, you’re onstage, and I’m backstage. You might as well be a Montague and me a Capulet.”
“What, so actors can’t date crew?”
I wrap the tape around his waist, then move to his hips. “It’s not that they can’t, but most don’t. A lot of actors consider themselves above the crew and don’t date down.”
“I don’t consider myself above you. No, wait.…” He thinks for a second. “Last night there were several times I imagined myself above you. It was hot as hell.”
When I hear the smile in his voice, I look up from writing on my clipboard. “This isn’t funny.”
“It is, a little. I mean, come on.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and pray for patience. I don’t know if I’m more pissed with him for deceiving me, or with myself for wanting him anyway.
“Liam, this is my first professional gig, and I can’t screw it up. Please don’t make things hard.” I take the outside seam of his legs, then try to keep my cool as I kneel in front of his crotch to take his inseam.
He moves his feet apart, but when my hand grazes his inner thigh, he blows out a tight breath. “I can’t make things hard, but you can? Doesn’t seem fair.” When I stand and glare, he shoves his hands in his pockets. “FYI, glaring at me also makes things hard. You’re sexy as hell when you’re angry.”
I give up trying to reason with him. “Shoe size?”
“Twelve.”
“Head?”
His eyebrows pull down. “Uh … are you offering, or—”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What’s your hat size?”
He shrugs. “Big?”
I scribble “large” on the form, and then hand him a folder of information and his script. He caresses my fingers as he takes the documents, but I step away.
“Elissa, come on.…”
“We’re done here.”
“This is crazy. I like you. You like me. Can’t we go somewhere and talk about this?”
“No point. It won’t change our situation. I’ll see you back here Monday night at six to read with our Juliets. Any questions?”
He stares at me for a few seconds. I stare back as impassively as I can.
“So, this is how it’s going to be between us now?”
“Yes. Is there anything else, Mr. Quinn?”
He gives me a bitter smile. “No, ma’am. You’ve explained everything very clearly.” He grabs his gear from the chair, but before I can walk away, he steps in front of me. He’s so close, I feel the heat of h
im in every inch of my skin. “Just so you know, I’m going to respect your work ethic and keep my distance while this show is happening, because I agree that working and romancing aren’t the best mix. But in two months, when this production is over, all bets are off, and then…” He licks his lips. “Well, by then I’m sure we’re both going to have so much sexual frustration, we’ll be begging for relief. And I intend to relieve you, Liss. Over and over again. You can trust me on that.”
When he strides out and the door closes behind him, I collapse into a chair. I don’t know if I’m trembling from disappointment or relief. But I do know Liam Quinn isn’t going to give me up without a fight, and that thrills me way more than it should.
FIVE
GETTING CLOSER
Two Weeks Later
Twelfth Night Theater
New York City
The ladder wobbles as I stretch up on my toes to grasp the power cable that hangs from the lighting bar. When I shove the plug into the socket, I breathe a sigh of relief and grip the top of the ladder with both hands. Being a short-ass and rigging lights don’t really go hand in hand, but experience has taught me that stage managers on low-budget shows need to be Jacks-of-all-trades. Or Jills, as the case may be. The first week of rehearsals may almost be over, but the hard work for me and my crew has just begun.
I pause when I hear a noise backstage. I listen for a few seconds, and try to ignore the sudden thundering of my heart.
“Hello?”
Silence greets me.
Great. I love being stuck in a dark theater by myself with creepy sounds. Not freaking me out at all.
I’m halfway down the ladder when large hands close around my hips and make me scream.
“Ahhh! Get off me, creeper! I know karate!”
I immediately flail, and kick the ladder over in the process. Strong arms lift me away as the ladder topples noisily onto the stage.
“Hey! Chill, Daniel-san. It’s me.”
The arms tighten around me, and the familiar smell of all things Liam invades my senses. I grip his hands and exhale as he lowers me to the floor. “You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing?”
When I push away and turn to face him, he looks way too amused for my liking.
“Sorry,” he says, not looking at all apologetic. “Didn’t mean to freak you out. I thought you heard me behind you.”
“Well, I didn’t. And if you sneak up on me like that again, I’m going to make you wear a collar and bell.” I brush my hair away from my face and try to calm my hammering heart. “Why are you even here? Everyone else went home hours ago.”
He wanders over to the ladder and sets it upright. “I think I left my keys in the dressing room. At least, I hope I did, otherwise I’m sleeping on the street tonight. Why are you here? Isn’t rigging lights Sean’s job?”
“His wife went into labor and we need these specials for tomorrow’s rehearsal. Figured I’d just do it before I left.”
He stops in front of me, a little too close for comfort. In the low light, the shadows define the hard line of his jaw, as well as the soft curve of his lips. He’s so damn attractive, it’s frustrating. True to his prediction, being around each other every day and ignoring our insistent attraction is putting us both on edge.
“So, you’re here alone?” he asks quietly. “No Josh?”
I shake my head. “It was his gammy’s eightieth tonight. Every Kane in the tristate area is at the Four Seasons for her birthday dinner.”
“What about you? Have you had dinner? You look … hungry.” However I’m looking at him right now, it’s making his breathing speed up.
“I’m fine,” I say, but my voice is breathier than I’d like. “I’ll grab something when I’m done.”
I force myself to move away from him and head to the lighting desk at the front of the stage. I feel him behind me as I bring up the faders in sequence to check that all the lights are working.
“Let me stay and help you.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
I grab another light from the cart and walk over to the ladder. “Can’t have you dirtying your pristine actor hands doing filthy crew work. How will you sign autographs and wave at all your nubile female fans if you chip a nail?”
He chuckles as I set the light down and reposition the ladder. “You have a point. I guess my hands got too soft lugging around bags of cement and tons of steel when I was constructing buildings for a living. Hanging a few lights is clearly beyond me.”
I flinch in surprise when he takes my hands and rubs our palms together. “Hmmm, would you look at that? It seems that of the two of us, the hard-core crew leader is the one with the velvet-soft hands. How did that happen?” He turns my palms over and examines them while trailing his forefinger over the sensitive skin. It shouldn’t be unbelievably erotic, but it is. “Liss, you don’t have a single callus on these dainty digits. How is that possible?”
A shiver runs through me. “I moisturize.” I flip his hands over and carry out a similar examination. As the pad of my finger traces his many calluses, he sucks in a sharp breath.
“Wow,” I say. “Looks like you’re all out of hand cream. I could grate cheese on these babies.” I’m exaggerating. His hands are rough, but not in an unpleasant way. In fact, I love their texture. I remember how they felt when he cupped my face and pushed under my clothes. Not that I should be thinking about that while we’re alone together. Nothing good will come of it.
“Liss?”
“Hmmm?” I look up at him. His jaw is tense.
“If you don’t stop touching me like that, I’m going to forget I’m supposed to stay away from you and do some very unprofessional things to you right here in the middle of the stage. Now, I’d actually enjoy that, but I’m predicting you wouldn’t. So, continue at your own risk.”
Reluctantly, I take my hands off him and step back. “It’s not that I wouldn’t enjoy it. It just can’t happen.”
He runs his hand through his hair. “I understand. Sort of. I’d better go find my keys. And have a cold shower. Please don’t fall off the ladder and kill yourself while I’m gone. That would bum me out.”
I try not to smile. “I’ll do my best.”
He heads backstage to his dressing room. By the time he returns, I’ve hung the last lamp and have started plotting a few of the light settings we’ll be using the next day.
He holds up his keys. “Found them. Also, did you know there’s no shower in my dressing room?”
“Yep. There’s only one shower in this entire theater, and right now, it’s filled with paint cans and half-washed rollers. Welcome to the glamorous world of theater.”
He throws his hands up in mock exasperation. “I can’t work under these conditions! I’ll be in my trailer.”
I smile. “Getting a head start on your star attitude, huh? I approve. You are going to be a star, after all.”
“Really?” he asks. “I’m doing an okay job?”
I roll my eyes. “Miriam hasn’t gushed over your performance enough? You’re amazing. We all think so.”
He takes a step closer, and suddenly, I have no idea which cue I’m up to anymore. “We? As in, you think I’m amazing?”
I pause and give him my most sincere expression. “Eh. You’re okay.”
He chuckles as I go back to my cue sheet. I can feel his eyes on me as I continue to punch buttons and set light levels.
“Well, I think you’re amazing,” he says, gently. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
I smile. “Lots of things. Calculus. Burpees. Nickelback karaoke.” He puts his hand over mine, and it makes me suck in a quick breath.
“I mean it, Liss. You’re incredible. If you’re almost done, we could grab a pizza and head back to my place. Sit on the roof. Watch the lights. Nothing unprofessional. Just … friends. Who lust after each other.”
He strokes the back of my hand, and I’m tempted. I really am. But being alone with h
im for an extended period is sure to result in us being naked and handsy. “I can’t, Liam. I’m sorry.”
He nods. “I figured you’d say that, but I had to ask.” He removes his hand and exhales. “Okay, then. I’ll let you get back to work. See you in the morning?”
“Yep. See you then.”
He smiles and walks away, and when I hear the stage door slam closed behind him, I put my head down on the desk and groan with frustration.
Sometimes having impeccable work ethics sucks giant hairy yak balls.
* * *
Most days, I’m the first person to get to the theater. I enjoy it because it means I can take my time and get organized before everyone else arrives.
That’s why it’s disturbing when I walk in this morning to hear sex noises. They’re quiet, but definitely there.
I grab my big metal flashlight and creep backstage, ready to confront horny teenagers who probably snuck in while our security guard, Guido, was off getting his fourth espresso of the day.
As I sneak through the backstage shadows, I realize the noises are coming from Liam’s dressing room.
Oh, God. Really?
My heart’s in my throat as I approach the door. It’s open, and bright light bleeds into the dark corridor.
The soft grunting continues, and I shouldn’t find it arousing considering that the thought of finding him with another girl makes me want to throw up.
I close my eyes and take a breath. “Liam? Is that you?”
The grunting stops just long enough for him to say, “Yeah. Come in.” Then the noises start up again.
Okay. This could be awkward.
I step into the doorway and freeze. He’s not having sex. He’s lying on the ground, knees bent, doing sit-ups.
Shirtless.
My sweet giddy Christ.
Pecs, wide and hard. Abs, everywhere. Way too many to be normal. Biceps pop as he presses his hands behind his head.
I’m ashamed to say I’ve imagined what Liam’s naked torso would look like too many times to count, but I’ve never actually seen it until now. Clearly, I have the imagination skills of a cabbage, because his actual body? In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves: Whoa.