Backstage Romance: An Austen-Inspired Romantic Comedy Box Set by Gigi Blume (ebook reader with highlighter txt) 📕

the way.” He gestured to the shelf I was leaning on, and I realized the hand not on my waist was trying to reach something behind me. I turned and saw a case of bottled water. He was ripping into the plastic wrapping.

“Oh,” I said, stepping to the side a little flustered. “Are you thirsty?”

A grin tugged at his lips, and he twisted the cap off the bottle without losing his gaze on me. “This is for you.”

Awww. How sweet. He held the water out for me, but before I could accept it, he took a quick drink then placed it in my waiting hand. If anyone else had done that, it would have greatly vexed me. But somehow, little gestures like sharing a spring water with Jaxson felt perfectly natural. It didn’t bother me to drink out of the rim of a bottle where his lips had been. I was rather partial to his lips.

“I’ve always known your aunt is a little eccentric, but why does she have us locked in a supply closet?”

He poured himself a snifter of rum and took a sip with a sour expression.

“Ooof. That’s something else.”

“Maybe she’s embarrassed of us and doesn’t want to show us to her friends,” I offered.

“Or she has a mind to auction us off to the highest bidder like on the Pirate ride at Disneyland,” he said, attempting another sip. He winced. “Nope. Still not good.”

“Hmmm. I’d be more apt to believe she intends to use us for her own amusement.”

“Shall we prepare a dance number?”

“Have you seen my shoes?” I said, lifting the hem of my gown to show off my stilettos. “We’d both end up on the floor.”

He wagged his brows and took a large gulp, draining the contents of his glass. “I think that’s the idea, knowing your aunt.”

For some reason, the idea of my aunt finding me and Jax on the floor of the supply closet struck me silly, and I exploded in peals of laughter. Complete unmitigated and uncontrollable giggling.

It didn’t take much for Jaxson to join in. Moments like these endeared me to him so much. Here we were, dressed to the nines with a bottle of cheap rum and a year’s supply of printer paper, and we couldn’t have had a better time on holiday in the Maldives. We had fun just being together. We were so caught up in our merriment, we hardly noticed when Stella returned. She lifted one regal brow and glared at us like two misbehaving teenagers.

Beth followed Stella through the door, but to my surprise, she was accompanied by Will Darcy. Their hands seemed glued to one another’s, and the ridiculous expression on Will’s face confirmed what I suspected. That was no stage kiss I’d witnessed. This was a full-fledged showmance. I shot a quick glance at Stella who gave me a proud nod. Oh, she would gloat about this forever.

I threw my arms around my new friend with hearty congratulations. “You, mate, are brilliant. Why didn’t you tell me she was brilliant?” I looked to Stella for an answer, but she just grinned and held out her glass to Jaxson for a refill.

“I did.”

Jaxson offered his congratulations to Beth and even extended his kindness to Will. Sure, Will did a great job. Even I had to admit that, although I didn’t think his ego needed any more stroking. Jax, however, couldn’t resist. It was one of the reasons he was dubbed the nicest man in Hollywood.

But something caught me unawares. Will smiled. He smiled. Which was something coming from a man appropriately dubbed the grumpiest man in Hollywood. Maybe Beth was good for him. I glanced at Stella who gave me a smug grin and wagged her brows.

Jammy dodger.

Jaxson filled Beth in on the details of his movie musical and handed her his business card describing the small part he needed covered. I loved listening to Jax talk about his passion project. A bubble of enthusiasm erupted around my heart.

“It’s a small part, but she has a power ballad,” said Jax.

“Think Another Suitcase in Another Hall,” I added. “A minor role with an iconic song.”

Beth’s jaw hung down. “This is a musical?”

“Isn’t this exciting?” I could hardly contain my excitement. “The world would be a better place if only there were more movie musicals.”

“Just doing my civic duty,” said Jaxson with a wink.

Oh, my heart!

Beth spiritedly thanked Jax and agreed to call. Will reacted with a tight squeeze to her hand, which he hadn’t let go of since they arrived. This was big for him. I suppose miracles did happen from time to time. Of course, Stella would be impossible to stand. I’d have to find myself a new conquest and soon. I was still quite proud of myself for finding a boyfriend for Annie, my makeup artist. It was a lot of work, but I managed to set her up with Randall, a chap who designed the sets for the studio. When I paraded my success in front of my aunt, she declared she had something even better in the works. I had to admit, this was a mighty colossal feat. Who could have guessed? Now, I was determined to beat Stella at this unspoken matchmaking competition we’d stepped into.

Stella’s voice shook me from my reverie.

“All right, now that’s settled. Beth and William must go. We’ve taken up enough of their time.”

She shoved the two lovers out the door like a silly old wizard sending her unlikely heroes on a quest. As she was pushing them out by way of poking on their shoulders, Jaxson leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Do you think those two are keen on being one of your aunt’s many amusements?”

He’d wrapped his arm around me to draw me close, his warm breath tickling my cheek. The action caught me off guard, and I crashed into his strong chest, laughing at myself for tripping over my own feet.

“Shoes, remember?”

“I remember,” he said with a knowing smirk. “Floor.”

It didn’t help