Kiss Me by Tory Richards

Author:Tory Richards
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: detective, adult situations, love, divorcee, zorro, gym, halloween, small town, harem dancer, contemporary, romance, theater, baseball, fishing, match maker, picnic, lake, exercise, prostitute

Chapter 12

“I can’t do it!” Emma insisted not for the first time, backing up when it became obvious that Teresa Bates wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “I didn’t rehearse for that part.”

Teresa, who was in charge of producing the show and well known for her bulldog tactics when it came to getting her own way, didn’t hesitate to use them on Emma, who was quickly backing her way into a corner. “You have to sweetie, there’s no one else.” Teresa declared firmly.

“You’ll be great. And it’s a very short piece.” Emma shook her head vigorously. “I can’t! I don’t know anything about Lola’s part. I was the understudy for the abused wife, remember?” She shot a nervous glance around the room, her eyes pleading for help from the other actors present. She wanted the play to be successful too but she wasn’t about to go out there and make a fool of herself.

“I thought you said you support the theater,” Teresa reminded her, sounding almost tearful, but Emma wasn’t buying it. “Sandy eloped this afternoon and left us high and dry.”

“That’s not my fault,” Emma said, her back against the wall, literally. “What about her understudy?” She glanced at the sea of faces crowding around her, wondering who that was.

“That would be me,” someone rasped in a barely audible whisper. Melanie Rice stepped forward, her hand at her throat and her nose as red as a cherry. Her expression was apologetic. “I came down with a bad cold yesterday and I always lose my voice, sorry,” she explained in a sad little voice.

Emma took a deep breath, returning her gaze to Teresa. “I can’t,” she insisted stiffly. “The play starts in an hour and…” She hesitated, looking for an ally. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for her final decision. Even Elliot was looking at her with big puppy dog eyes, silently pleading with her to say yes. Her gaze landed on another understudy. “What about Mary?”

Someone laughed out loud before quickly cutting it short behind their palm. “The part calls for a, ah, younger woman,” Teresa said, shooting the sixty-year-old Mary a look of regret.

“Tessa?” Emma said hopefully, glancing at the first grade school teacher who was a little on the plump side.

“She won’t fit into the costume,” Teresa quickly explained, ruling her out.

Her eyes shot to the quiet, little bookworm with mousy brown hair and large thick glasses. “Joy?”

Teresa shook her head negatively. “Doesn’t have the right look,” Teresa said. “If we want this play to be taken seriously, we need the right people in the right parts.”

Emma’s brows furrowed. She was beginning to get a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her she was losing ground. She couldn’t let everyone down. They were all watching her with pitiful looks in their eyes and dejected expressions on their faces. In spite of her fears, she knew, and Teresa knew, that it was just a matter of time before she caved.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.