All Chapters of MY FORBIDDEN SHOWMANCE: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I had been in this town for exactly twenty-three minutes and I already had three solid facts to work with: the theater was six blocks from my apartment, there was a coffee shop directly across the street from it, and I was, against all odds, going to like it here.This was a very good ratio of facts to minutes, honestly. I was proud of myself."Rehearsal starts at eleven tomorrow," the director said, dropping a key ring into my palm like he was handing off a relay baton. Two keys, one plastic tag, 3B written on it in permanent marker that had started to fade at the edges. "Company meeting, read-through, music, all the usual first-day stuff. You have the address?""Saved in my phone.""Good. You can walk it. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen if you're slow.""I don't walk slowly."He laughed like that was a personality trait he'd have to file away for later, which, fair, because it absolutely was. "There's a grocery store half a mile that way, laundry in the basement. Anything else you need?"

I woke up sore. Not injured, just sore in places that made no sense.Paddleboarding was stupid. I wanted to do it again immediately.My phone said 8:14. Rehearsal started at ten, giving me plenty of time to stay in bed until the last possible second.At 9:51, I was power-walking down the sidewalk with coffee in hand and my bag bouncing against my hip. I made it through the stage door at 9:56 and found half the company already stretching onstage.Jay was on the floor, folded over one leg like his spine was made of ribbon.“That looks upsetting,” I said, stopping beside him. “Are you aware humans aren't supposed to bend like that?”“Morning, Tess.” He sat up and switched legs. “You're drinking coffee ten minutes before dance call.”“I act. Barely move.”“You fell off a paddleboard twelve times yesterday.”“A strategic limit. Do we have a plan for tonight?”Jay smiled. “Live music. Bar near the river at eight.”“Perfect.”Someone called places. Jay got to his feet in one smooth motion th

Jay was avoiding eye contact with me.Not dramatically. He wasn't hiding behind scenery or fleeing every time I entered a room, just suddenly very interested in stretching.I dropped my bag on the floor beside him with a heavy thud. “Are you being weird?”“No.”“You seem weird. You stretched yesterday and still managed to look at me.”Jay took his time reaching down toward his ankles before finally looking up. “Good morning, Tess.”“There you are.”His mouth twitched, just a fraction of an inch. Good. We were fine.“Company, hold up before we start,” the director called out from the front of the stage, his clipboard tucked under one arm, looking deeply unimpressed with humanity in general. “I can't believe I have to go over this already, but apparently I do.”That got everyone's attention. Dancers stopped mid-stretch, and the pianist paused his warm-up scales.“This company has a strict no-dating policy between cast members for the duration of your contracts,” the director said, pacin

Danny touched my waist during rehearsal.That was not unusual. His character was supposed to touch my waist. What was unusual was the way his thumb moved once against my side before he let me go.Tiny. Completely unnecessary. Definitely not in the blocking.I looked at him. Danny was already facing the director like nothing had happened.Asshole.I smiled and turned back to my mark. Apparently, secretly kissing your costar made rehearsal significantly more entertaining. It also made it harder to remember that secretly kissing your costar could get you fired. But that sounded like a problem for Tomorrow Tessa, and she already had a growing list."Again," the director called.We ran the scene again. This time Danny behaved. Mostly.By the time rehearsal ended, I was sweaty, starving, and ready to do something that did not involve standing under fluorescent lights while someone yelled notes at me.Jay was stuffing dance shoes into his bag when I found him. "What are we doing?"He looked

Costume fittings were one of my favorite parts of a new show. There was something deeply satisfying about standing on a little platform while three people circled you with pins in their mouths and discussed your body like you weren't there."Turn."I turned."Arms up."I lifted my arms.The costumer tugged at the bodice of my dress, frowned, stuck another pin somewhere dangerously close to my left breast, then stepped back. "Better."I looked at myself in the mirror. She was right. The dress was gorgeous. Deep blue, fitted through the waist with a full skirt that moved beautifully when I turned. My hair was pulled away from my face so they could decide what they wanted to do with it, and I could already picture the whole thing under stage lights."I love it," I said."Good. Because I'm not making you another one.""Then I love it even more."The costumer laughed.Claire was waiting for her fitting behind me. She'd been quiet for almost four full minutes, which should have concerned me