Dropping The Ball - A New Year’s Billionaire Romance - Weston Parker Page 0,38
feel this way. It’s too soon.”
So she felt it too.
When I opened my mouth, she shook her head and brought her finger to her own lips this time. “Not tonight. Let’s just cook and have some clean fun together. Deal?”
Fine, but you asked for it. “Deal.”
I am so going to hell for this. But at least I knew it in advance.
Chapter 14
RYLEE
Jules had the most eccentric office I’d ever seen. With heavy, patterned drapes in the windows, dim lighting, and thick rugs, it felt more like a burlesque bar than a place where business got done.
The only exception was that there wasn’t an actual bar in sight. Instead of a counter from which to serve alcohol, there was an antique mahogany desk that he kept clear of all but the most essential clutter.
Even his laptop had a compartment within the desktop that he could close when he didn’t need it. Today, the only items in front of him related to Wicked and my performance in it.
He came over to hug me when I walked in, smiling and wiggling his fingers at Carter before the door swung shut behind me. “How’s that going for you?”
“It’s been the most frustrating ten days of my life, but I’m learning to live with it.” I brushed a kiss to his smooth cheek before letting him go. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“The plans for the New Year’s reveal.” He motioned me into a wingback chair at the desk and walked to a panel in the wall that hid a mini-fridge. Extracting two bottles of sparkling water, he slid the panel back in place and handed one to me. “All the details are pretty much locked in. They’re finally in agreement over the song, and your outfit has been sent over.”
Nerves scattered through me. I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat, scooting to the edge of my chair. “What song is it?”
Jules dropped into his chair with a wide grin breaking out across his face. “They went with your suggestion. You’re coming back with ‘I’m Not That Girl.’”
“Really?” Giddiness replaced the nerves, although they hadn’t disappeared entirely. “Shit really is getting real now, isn’t it?”
How many times can I use the world “real” in one sentence?
He didn’t seem to mind, though. Instead, he just nodded, cracking the lid of his water bottle and taking a long swallow of it before replying. “It’s a good thing though, right? It came very close to being ‘Defying Gravity,’ but this is your moment. They didn’t want anyone else up there with you when it came right down to it.”
“Is Dustin okay with it?” My co-star, who was playing my love interest in the show, was a nice enough guy. We didn’t know one another very well, and I didn’t want to start off with any hostility between us.
Jules waved my concern off, chuckling as he stood up again. “He was the one who cast the deciding vote. He knew what song you’d asked for, and he sided with you. It seems he was also relieved not to have to share the stage with you when it’s the first time in years you’re taking it. He said to tell you it was your time to shine, and to enjoy it.”
“My time to shine, huh?” I watched him curiously as he strode over to the walk-in closet beside the small stage in the corner of his office. “Maybe it would’ve been better if I had someone else onstage with me. You know, just in case.”
He whirled around to face me and pointed his finger at my chest. “None of that talk. You’re fine, and you’re going to have an excellent performance. I’ll prove it to you.”
Disappearing behind the curtain that led into the closet, he emerged a moment later holding a hanger with a protective covering over the clothing on it. “This is your outfit. Come change. Then we’ll go over your song. You’ll see. It’s going to be great.”
“You’ve heard me sing that song a hundred times, and that’s the conservative estimate.” I pushed to my feet and went to him. “I’d love to see what I’ll be wearing, though. There was still a debate around it at the last rehearsal.”
“They were waiting for the final song choice,” he said and thrust the hanger at me. “This won’t be what you’ll be wearing for it during the show. It’s a special dress, designed especially for you for your breakout performance.”