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Nadia
Something was different with Braden. The look in his eyes wasn’t just an actor speaking their lines. It was real.
I was certain of it.
But I didn’t have time to think about it now. As soon as the scene ended I was whisked away to the changing area to put on my next wardrobe. I had exactly 90 seconds while Dorian’s character spoke with his agent before I had to be back on stage, and thinking about Braden was only distracting me.
That, and the note from the saboteur was still on my mind.
When I exited the changing area, I was greeted by Director Atkins. “I’ve commissioned help.”
A familiar face came around the corner from backstage. “Ryan?”
The normally scruffy man had cleaned himself up. He wore a suit and tie, although the tie was slightly crooked. His dress shoes were shined, and his hair was perfectly trimmed and parted down the side. He looked like a redheaded David Beckham.
She shoved a bouquet of flowers at me. “These, uh, are for you.”
I accepted them, then shook off my surprise. “What are you doing here?”
Atkins grabbed the flowers and tossed them onto a crate in annoyance. “He’s going to help me search for anything out of the ordinary. Assuming you’re certain we can trust him.”
“Hey!” Ryan said.
“I’m positive.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for being here.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
My musical cue was coming up, so I gave him a final look of appreciation and then slid through the curtain.
With Ryan helping out, I felt a great deal more safe than I had before. I was able to focus on my songs, moving around the stage while belting out my notes. The saboteur didn’t even enter my mind.
Dorian and Braden were great, but I was the star of the show. The applause for my songs was noticeably louder than the others. And when I sang More Than Money, the crushingly haunting solo? It brought the freaking house down.
And no sandbags fell on me at the climactic point, which was a plus.
The curtains closed in front of me and the orchestra played out the rest of the song, signaling intermission. We had 30 minutes to rest and relax before the second half.
“You’re phenomenal!” one dancer said to me backstage. “Did you hear them, Nadia? They love you!”
“She’s not wrong,” Dorian said with a grin. “It feels like Broadway out there. You really kicked things up a notch from our rehearsals.”
“You’re just saying that,” I said, blushing.
“I’m just saying it because it’s true.”
Another dancer picked up a bouquet from a nearby crate. “Who are these flowers for?”
Dorian grabbed the note attached to the flowers. “Ryan? Our Ryan?”
“Dude, you should have seen him!” I said excitedly. “He’s all cleaned up. Like Aladdin before he meets Jasmine.”
Carmina cleared her throat. “You need to rest your vocal cords. You may listen to your friends talk, but I would advise you not to speak yourself. In fact, you should be drinking cool liquids to calm your throat.”
I gave Dorian an apologetic smile. “I guess I’d better go back to my dressing room.”
“Don’t act so smug. I have one too.”
“Does it have a leather couch and a wardrobe and a fridge full of drinks?”
