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He tossed the bag at me. I caught it in the chest.
“But since you decided to try to break my spine, you can fucking do it. You’re welcome.”
“Thanks,” Ryan said begrudgingly. “Sorry for tackling you.”
Atkins ignored his apology. “Set the cameras up however you want. But make sure you cover every entrance and the equipment most vulnerable to tampering. The reason Vandercant caved to my demand was because tonight’s rehearsal is a big one.”
Ryan and I looked at each other. “What’s tonight?”
Atkins rubbed his grey hair. “Vandercant told me the New York Times show critic is stopping by. He’s going to watch the rehearsal, do a few interviews, and then write a piece about The Proposition.” He jabbed a finger at us. “So make sure the cameras are set up right.”
“We will,” I promised.
Atkins nodded like there was no other option. “Now, that thing you wanted to show me last night? Bring it to my office along with an icepack.”
Ryan and I shared a look while the director limped down the hall.
41
Nadia
Braden and I were sitting in the front parlor, sipping our morning coffee together while I told him everything that had happened last night.
Well, not everything. Just the saboteur-related stuff.
“I can’t believe he was going to leave a note.” Braden’s chestnut hair was messy from sleep, which somehow made him even more handsome. He shook his head and gave me a rue smile. “Dude’s really pushing his luck. And you chased him?”
“Chase is a stretch,” I said. “I ran in the general direction the saboteur was going for about five seconds before realizing it was useless.”
“Still. He could have had a knife or something.”
“Don’t remind me.” To change the subject I asked, “What do you think Tatiana will say when she finds out about the note?”
“I bet she passes out on the spot.”
I giggled. “A shame Atkins slashed our budget for fainting couches.”
“We’ll need to make sure we’re standing close enough to catch her, just in case,” Braden said with a laugh.
“If she hits the ground and gets a concussion, I get moved into the lead role. So don’t try too hard.”
I felt a little guilty for joking about Tatiana hurting herself, especially when there was someone out there really trying to hurt her, but I couldn’t help it. She was still frustrating to work with and a total diva during rehearsals. I couldn’t imagine how bad she would get when she had fans to perform for.
“So,” Braden said. “You ready for tonight?”
“Born ready. I feel like I know you as well as a girlfriend would.”
I cringed at the comment, but Braden didn’t seem to notice. “We’re going to an Italian restaurant right after rehearsal. I’ll text you the address. It’s on the nicer side, so make sure you bring a change of clothes.”
I made a hungry grunt. “I love Italian.”
“So does my mom,” Braden said. “She could eat it for three meals a day for the rest of her life.”
“Is Candy coming?”
He shook his head. “Mom wanted it to just be the four of us. Which means she’s excited to meet you. Not to put extra pressure on you or anything…”
“Yeah, now you say that,” I mumbled.
