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

“I’m afraid there would be nothing they could teach me, my dear.”

“Um, I think your yarn trick could use a little work.”

He winked. “Well, I’m retiring from the mime life anyway.”

“Mime life?” I snorted. “Is that like thug life, only nerdier?”

“Yes. But with several more invisible walls.”

His mobile went off again, and he ignored it in favour of a staring contest. We still hadn’t discussed my indiscretions from the night before, and I still felt embarrassed.

“Well, thanks for the food,” I said, dismissing him. He was just too close. He didn’t move for a long moment, even seeming to lessen the gap a little bit. He radiated warmth, and something inside me fluttered without warning, making me rather light-headed. Low blood sugar, perhaps. At length, he rose to his feet.

“You’re welcome. I best get back to the table of misfits. They placed me next to the awkward cousins. I’m sure they’re missing me.”

“Okay. Dance later?”

“I’ll have to check my dance card. Now eat your cold prawns.”

He kissed my hair and walked away—back to his table of misfits where I belonged more than he did. I was a pillock, but Jaxson… he was perfection incarnate.

I never did get that dance. I felt the weight of his stare at different intervals throughout the night—wisely keeping his distance. Who could blame the man? All the usual songs brought the guests in droves to the dance floor. I joined in on the Macarena and the YMCA song, but I drew the line at Achy Breaky Heart.

Elton found me at the bar getting a refill on my sparkling cider. Surprisingly, it was the first I’d seen him all day.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, pointing to his head.

Miserable.

“Fine.”

He ordered a champagne and winked. “Drink’s on me.”

It was an open bar. He threw a few quid in the tip jar and handed me my cider.

“Line dancing not your thing?” he asked as we made our way toward my table.

“Not in these shoes. I’d fall on my face.”

“You wouldn’t if you had someone to catch you.”

Unfortunately, that someone who usually caught me was missing in action. Jax wasn’t at the misfit table anymore. I looked.

“Are you having a good time?” I asked, not sure what one talks about at weddings other than ugly bridesmaids’ dresses or that awkward toast by the best man.

“Yeah. It was nice of them to invite me, considering we’d just met.”

“Well, you’ll get to know Randall pretty well once the film gets green listed.”

Between you and me and the deep blue sea, Annie had seats to fill to fulfil the catering contract. It was part of the killer deal she got.

“Is it true you’re the one who set them up?” he asked.

“It’s kinda my thing.” Not to brag or anything. “I like to bring people together.”

Elton took a sip of his champagne, regarding me over the rim of his glass.

“So, what if I needed a love connection?” he said with the smirkiest of smirks. “Could you help me out?”

Oh, this was good. This was exactly the opportunity I needed to seal the deal between him and Harriet. He was so in puppy love with her, it was crazy obvious. I knew these things. It was my superpower.

I flashed him the biggest grin my face had known all weekend. “I think that can be arranged.”

His lips curled, and he opened his mouth as if to respond but snapped it shut when the country song ended and a slower one began.

“I think we should dance,” he said with spirited energy, taking my flute glass and setting it on the table next to his own. His hands clasped around mine with solid determination and playfulness. He seemed so keen on the idea, like there was no other choice. I did want to dance, and Jax hadn’t asked me all night. I couldn’t very well sit around like a wallflower and wait for him to loosen up. Perhaps that was Jaxson’s problem—he was so uptight, he didn’t know how to have fun. There was something in Elton’s philosophy I could get on board with. This was a wedding, and weddings were supposed to be fun. So what if Annie’s bridesmaids were cliquish? So what if Jaxson was too serious? At least I had a friend in Elton.

“You know what?” I said resolutely. “I think that’s a brilliant idea.”

I tucked my little clutch under a cloth napkin for safekeeping and followed Elton to the dance floor where couples were swaying to the rhythm of the Bangles’ Eternal Flame. I rested my hands on Elton’s shoulders, keeping a safe distance between us—just in case Jaxson was watching. He probably wasn’t, though. I wasn’t even sure why I wanted him to see me dancing with another man. It wasn’t as if he’d be jealous or anything. The disconcerting thing about that whole idea was irrational at best—like I’d even want Jaxson to be jealous.

HA. As if.

Elton made a few swingy moves, and I just rolled with it. I had to admit it was a little fun when he spun me in circles. I didn’t even trip over my shoes—not really. His hand was secure on my waist, keeping me upright. He wasn’t a bad dancer, per se, but the dips and spins were out of place with the slow ballad. We’d be great on Dancing with The Stars if the music was a little more don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing and a little less pre-teen school dance from the 1980’s.

“Wow,” I huffed breathlessly after he pulled me in from a series of hair-tossing swings. “You’ve got some fancy moves there.”

He grinned and tugged me tighter so he could whisper in my ear. “It doesn’t hurt to practice for our scenes together.”

I disengaged myself just barely enough to face him eye to eye. “What do you mean?”

He took the opportunity to tap his forehead to mine—so very close; we were breathing the same air. He was pretty boozed up by my olfactory perception.

“You and I both