Alan guided me back down the hall toward the double doors. The entire way I took deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart, and when the doors opened, I thought it might pound right out of my chest. I stepped into the backstage area, telling myself to relax.
Enjoy yourself.
Ashton’s words echoed in my ear as the door shut behind me and I walked toward the curtain, ready to face the audition with my head held high.
The red strapless dress fell just above my knee, making me feel sexy as hell. Ashton had called as I was leaving the theater, saying he was running late but for me to be ready for seven and to dress up. After a nice long nap and lunch, I hurried to my room to get ready. At seven o’clock on the nose, my phone beeped with a text from Ashton.
Ashton: Here. Meet me out front.
Me: K
Collecting my things, I hurried to the front door, excited to tell him about my day. Despite my initial nerves, I’d managed to pull it together and I was proud of myself for giving it a shot. If anything, getting back out there had reignited my passion for the stage and given me something to be excited about.
He didn’t see me at first—he was checking his phone—but as soon as he lifted his chin and saw me coming down the steps, Ashton froze.
“Holy shit.”
It was the exact reaction I was hoping for. He’d said a few times that he didn’t want an unwilling woman in his bed, and for the longest while I hadn’t been willing. That’s not to say that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind; I just wasn’t comfortable with it. But since my revelations about Dominic, things had started to change. I had begun to change. The moment I finished on stage I felt that long forgotten rush of euphoria and for the first time in a long time, I had my confidence back.
And I had Ashton to thank for all of it.
He told me almost every day I was beautiful, and for the first time I was starting to believe him.
With my mind on Ashton and all he was doing for me, I took extra care getting ready for dinner. My hair was in a loose-braided chignon at the base of my neck, and a swirling, silver cuff necklace and matching earrings completed the look. Seeing as I was wearing them nearly every day, I was more confident in heels, and chose to wear thin-heeled silver sandals that put my height closer to Ashton’s broad shoulders. I’d put a lot of thought and effort into my appearance and it was nice to see that it hadn’t been wasted.
The first thing he did when he reached me at the bottom of the stairs was to lift my hand to his lips and place a featherlight kiss on my skin, sending shivers right up my arm. I sucked in a breath and he must have heard it because a smirk played at the edges of his lips.
“How was the audition?”
I smacked him in the chest. “You should have told me! I would have been more prepared.”
He glanced down at his chest and back at me, a full-blown grin on his face. “You surprise me more and more every day.”
Excitement poured through my veins and I did my best not to jump up and down in the middle of the driveway. I could barely contain myself. I was excited to share the news but curious as to how he might react.
“I got the part.”
His jaw dropped slightly but then he pounced. Picking me up, he swung me around, his lips connecting with mine in a kiss that I felt all over my body. When he pulled back we were both breathless. “I knew you could do it,” he said against my ear, his lips pressing against my temple before he pulled me toward the car, leading me to the passenger door and opening it, helping me climb in.
“You didn’t tell him to give me the spot even if I sucked, did you?”
“Hell no. You got that all on your own. When I called Alan it was for the audition only. Everything else you did.”
The fact that he maintained eye contact told me he wasn’t lying. I lay my hand on his arm, feeling the muscles tense as he pulled away from the sidewalk. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have suggested that. Nothing like this has ever happened to me, that’s all. It’s an amazing opportunity. Something I’ve always dreamed about. Thank you for making the dream come true.”
“That was you. You need to realize you can stand on your own two feet.”
“I’m starting to see that. I haven’t signed anything yet, but they did speak briefly about figures. When it’s time for me to go home, I won’t have to rely on Dominic’s income anymore.” I tried to hide the disappointment, even though it killed me to say the words out loud.
Home.
Ashton showed no physical response to my statement, and I couldn’t deny the sting I felt. Each day, my feelings for Ashton grew. I wasn’t ready to describe them yet, but they were there.