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

her, but she giggled and blushed. She loved the attention. I wanted to hide within the costume racks and pretend to be invisible. But Caroline wasn’t content to be the object of only one person’s attention, regardless of gender and so, she linked her arm in mine and pulled me along with her as she planted herself right in front of Will.

“What do you think, Beth? What should we do to punish him?”

Will shifted in his seat, crossing his legs, and I noticed he held in a breath.

I snorted “I’m gonna go with ignore. Buh-bye.” I tried to step away but Caroline snagged my arm tight.

“That’s impossible,” she said. “We’re trapped indefinitely. We might have to choose who gets eaten and who gets to eat.”

Will let out the breath, but the rhythm of his breathing was shallow and erratic. This wasn’t Caroline’s first rodeo.

“Thank you, Mrs. Lovett,” I said, “but remember, actors always taste overdone.”

I saw Will relax at my joke as the corner of his lip curled ever so slightly. He caught the Sweeney Todd reference. That also surprised me.

“I can’t ignore Will,” blurted Caroline, disentangling her arm from mine and crossing to perch herself on the piano. She was working a sultry lounge singer vibe.

For some reason, I felt inclined to remain rooted in place, even considering the proximity to Will. Maybe it was the advantage I had in that position in regard to height. I was hardly ever able to look down on someone. It felt good. Especially when that someone was an arrogant misogynist.

“You can’t ignore a good man,” she cooed. Good heavens, now she was twirling her hair.

“A good man?” I snorted. “Less than a minute ago, you were considering mincing him into pie filling.”

Caroline just shrugged and twirled her hair some more.

I looked down at Will, narrowing my eyes into slits. “I guess you’re off the hook, dude.”

“No one is ever completely off the hook,” he said, swallowing hard. “Not by people who see the world as one big joke.”

“As opposed to people with no sense of humor at all?” I replied. “But, oh. I forgot you’re Mr. Perfect.”

“I’m far from perfect.” His strikingly blue eyes pinned me in place, crashing against my skin with a decisive sizzle. A succession of tiny shards of light pricked down by belly and for a split second, I didn’t care if his imposing glower was borne from hate or… something wholly, remarkably and deliciously wrong.

I swallowed it down. “Ah, false humility. You know pride comes before a fall, right?”

“I’m proud of a lot of things,” he replied coolly, straightening in his chair. “My work, my family, my position—lots of things. Pride is a virtue.”

“Are you done with your interrogation?” cried Caroline. “I’m bored.”

“He’s all yours, Caroline. Will the Virtuous has spoken.”

“Now you’re just putting words in my mouth,” he croaked, trying to regain his usual composure.

“Oh yeah? I’m willing to bet you’re one of those guys who walks around with no clue how you actually come off. You’re just soooo wonderful and everybody else is an idiot.”

He just shrugged, but he had a devilish smirk on his freaking gorgeous face. Honestly. His hotness should have been a crime.

“I’ll admit I have little patience for jerks.”

Jerks? That was ironic!

He went on. “I don’t have time for users or liars. I’m the king of holding grudges. Call me resentful or petty or whatever, but I don’t care. I have strong opinions about people and once they're on my Burnt List, they’re on there forever.”

“Oooh, I’m scared now,” I joked.

He shrugged and gave me a cool, calculated stare. “We all have our quirks, Elizabeth.”

“Like being the town misanthrope?” I said with a half-laugh.

“You tell me,” he said, standing to his full height, towering over me, “Since you seem to have it all figured out.”

The earth stood still, and for the length of a thousand heartbeats, all the reality around us fell away. He stood so close to me, my chest was a hair’s breadth away from brushing against his white Fruit of the Loom trailer-tank. His heat and fury bore down on me, and I shrank into myself, flushed from the inferno he diffused from his infuriatingly brawny figure. His entire presence was imposing, invading my senses with whatever scent that was. It was unique to him and mingled provocatively with the minty freshness of his toothpaste. It was intoxicating and almost threw off my guard. And I knew in that moment, he was trying to break me. Oh, he was good. He knew the effect he had on women, and I felt all the weight of his artifice. But I had an advantage over him because I could see right through him. I knew the type. Hunky Hollywood playboy, lots of money, and the power to crush someone’s career with a few carefully spread rumors. I wouldn’t play into his hands. I’d leave that to Caroline.

The piano interrupted our staring contest. Bing played remarkably well, which was a welcome distraction to everyone, but nobody quite as much as Caroline, who dripped her body all over the piano, cabaret style, while she sang song after song like a diva in a speakeasy. Bing seemed to know every song ever composed in the history of musical theatre. He only missed a few notes here or there, but his skill was beyond anyone in the room and probably the whole cast. It was little wonder why Will had taken him under his wing.

I returned to my sewing abomination, and Jane stretched out on the sofa, admiring Bing and his magic fingers flying over the keys. Every so often, I’d glance up and watch her drowsy, contented smiles, and my heart warmed to the sight. She was so smitten with him. I’d only seen her fall for a guy once before. He was the type of guy who’d write songs about her and serenaded her with his guitar. What girl wouldn’t go gaga over a guy like that? I was the only one