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

“Oh no,” replied Harriet rather solemnly.

“But he’ll get over it by tomorrow. Men are like that.”

“You think I… shouldn’t go out with him?”

This took me by surprise. Was she considering it? That would break Elton’s heart.

“Wait a sec. Were you thinking of actually going out with Martinez?”

“Is that a bad idea?”

Okay now. This girl was more confused than I thought. She didn’t realize how hot she was. Or how much Elton was so obviously into her. My vision tunnelled. Why was she so set on sabotaging her own love life on the first chap who paid her any attention? She was so much better than that.

“Tell me what to do,” she pleaded. “You have so much more experience than I.”

HA! I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. The truth was, all those ‘boyfriends’ the public thought I had were just fabrications by the gossip magazines. When would I ever find time to date? I was too busy hanging out with Jax.

I shook my head vehemently. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly meddle.”

“But I need your advice.”

“Harriet, this is your decision. It’s not my place to tell you what to do.”

She sighed and slumped over, deep in her conflicted thoughts.

“Well, if you won’t tell me what’s best, then I guess…” She rubbed her temples. “Do you think he’s a nice guy?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

She seemed on the verge of tears. I took both her hands and calmed her by running my thumbs in soothing circles. That always calmed me down when Jaxson did that to me.

“Listen, Harriet. I’m not the type to interfere, but I think you’ve already decided in your heart.”

“I have?”

“Yes. If you are absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Roberto Martinez is by far—and I mean head and shoulders more charming and wonderful than any other man you know or will ever know, then nothing can keep you from him.”

“Oh. Okay.” She thought about that for a moment, twisting her features to help her brain work around her feelings. At length, she said, “He’s not head and shoulders more charming than Jaxson.”

I guffawed. “Of course not. Jaxson might as well be from another planet. It wouldn’t be fair to compare him to anybody. But what about someone more average? Someone like, I don’t know, Elton. How does that Martinez fellow stack up against him?”

Her gaze shifted to the floor, and her whole face wrinkled like one of those Shar Pei dogs. I wondered if Elton preferred Shar Peis to Chihuahuas.

“Do you think I should…” Harriet looked at me imploringly as if she just needed validation for an answer she’d already decided upon. I nodded, waiting for her to finish the sentence.

“I should definitely text him.”

“Definitely.”

“And tell him…” Her fingers stroked her phone.

“Yeah?”

“Tell him… no?

Whew!

“Is that what you absolutely want?” I asked.

“Yes? No? Yes?” she stuttered, trying to read my expression, searching for approval. But I was Lady Gaga—pure poker face.

“Yes,” she said with finality. “This is what I want.”

I hugged her, squeezing tight. “I didn’t want to say anything to sway your judgement while you were still trying to decide, but now you’ve made up your own mind, I think you made the right choice.”

“You really think so?”

“I do.”

“Then why do I feel so terrible?”

“Because you’re a good person who doesn’t want to hurt people’s feelings. Imagine if you went out with every guy that asked you. That would be silly.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s probably true.” She looked at her phone again with a frown. “I hope he won’t be too upset.”

“If it meant so much to him, he wouldn’t have asked you out with a text. Don’t read too much into it. Most guys are just looking for a casual hook-up.”

She scrunched her nose. “Really?”

“Sure. But there are good ones out there. Chaps who’d like to record your voice, for instance.”

Her eyes, rimmed with pink, lit up with hope. “Record my voice?”

I nodded, smirking for her sake. “If you hadn’t left so abruptly on Friday, you would have heard all the wonderful things Elton said about you and your singing. He said it was music from heaven.”

She blushed. “I’m sure he was referring to the song you wrote.”

“Nonsense. He specifically praised the performance. And you should have seen his face. He was all googly eyes and dopey smiles.”

“He dopey smiled? For me?”

“Yes. He kept sighing and gushing,” I replied. “Really, I was almost embarrassed for him.”

She smiled, recovering from her thoughts about that punk rock bartender easily at the mention of Elton’s admiration. The former, although kind of cute, was a little too gormless for someone like Harriet. And if she was even a teeny bit impressed by a guy who drove all over Los Angeles for boba, she’d certainly appreciate a Broadway sensation like Elton. If only she had taken a ride from Elton on Friday. They would certainly already be a couple, and then she wouldn’t have to feel bad about informing that Martinez guy she had a boyfriend, thank you very much. But there was no sense in bringing that up. Certainly not to Stella. She’d make me put ten quid in the pot.

Harriet sent the text while I brewed her a cuppa, and I insisted she stay the night because of the rain. And because I was sure her car had a rust hole in the roof. We stayed up all night watching chick flicks and eating ice cream. In the morning, as I forced myself out of bed, she was just too cute to wake up. Mum, who had taken a liking to Harriet, promised to let her sleep in and take her to an afternoon spa treatment. We both agreed a day of pampering and beautifying was exactly what Harriet needed.

Elton would have no choice other than to fall madly in love.

9

Spaghetti Face

Jaxson

Week two of rehearsals was upon us and still no bloody Frank Churchill. Emma tried to convince me to find a new actor, but we needed Frank. He