Under Study (Practice Makes Perfect Book 3) by Cassie Mint

Author:Cassie Mint [Mint, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Cherry Publishing
Published: 2024-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

Six

Franz

The rest of rehearsal crawls by at a snail’s pace. Every passing minute lasts an hour; every hour takes a whole fucking year. Somehow, someway, we get through another three scenes, and I scramble enough of my brain cells to give the actors decent notes, even when Sylvie keeps looking at me like that.

Smiling shyly. Twisting her fingers in her lap, or tucking her blonde hair behind her ears. Blushing and sweet and eager.

Can’t believe she didn’t know that I wanted her. Can’t believe she doubted this. I figured it’s been painfully obvious, so clear that the stage manager gives me knowing looks every time he comes to discuss tech for the show, and I’ve been stewing this whole time about whether I’ve been making my girl uncomfortable.

I’ve been trying to rein it in. Trying to keep my distance and let her breathe.

And all along, Sylvie’s been thinking I don’t want her at all. Christ, I could slam my head against a wall. For an ostensibly intelligent man, I can be a complete idiot.

“Great work today.”

By the time rehearsal comes to an end, my nerves are frayed to oblivion. I’m hanging by my last damn thread, because Sylvie keeps staring at me and wetting her lips, and I don’t care if it’s obvious and everyone in the cast will gossip. Don’t care if they think I’m too old for her. Don’t care about being careful anymore.

Sylvie said she wants me. She got sad when she thought I didn’t feel the same way.

So this is happening. A charging wild bull couldn’t stop me at this point.

“Go over your lines for Act Four, please, and make sure you stretch out if you fought today. Take care of your bodies, because we need everyone well rested for opening night.”

My words spill out of me on autopilot, but I can’t look away from Sylvie. Can’t even bring myself to scan the room, to see everyone else whispering and wide-eyed about how obvious I’m being. Who cares?

Sylvie wants me. That’s what she said.

Will she come to me now? Is she finally ready?

The actors all file out of the auditorium, chatting together and smothering bursts of laughter. That’s fine. They can gossip; they can tease. If Sylvie comes to me like she promised, I’ll shout that fact to the rooftops myself.

My girl sits there now, blushing but resolute in her blue velvet seat. Waiting while everyone else packs up and leaves one by one, stuffing their belongings in backpacks and fishing under their chairs for lost water bottles. If these students move any slower, I’ll light a fire just to chase them out of here.

Sylvie.

When the door slams closed behind the last actor, when their voices echo away down distant halls, we’re left in an empty auditorium all alone. The air is thick, and Sylvie presses her lips together, watching me in silence. Those big blue eyes urge me to do something, to take the pressure off her somehow, and god, I’d do anything for this young woman.

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.