Page 63 of A Little Bit Extra

When it’s time for Cassie’s act, she enters stage right and captivates the audience from the start. Her emotions are authentic and the chemistry she has on stage with her partner is believable. Cassie has a natural edge to her acting that is so critical, I find myself daydreaming of acting by her side, for real, not just practice.

After the final curtain falls, everyone stands in applause. The cast, including Cassie, come out on stage to give their final bow. They lift the lights in the theater so the actors can see the people who came to support.

Everyone is still applauding, myself included, when Cassie sees me. Her eyes go wide, her jaw ajar, and the biggest grin forms on her face. I give her a wink.

If I thought I was falling for Cassie before tonight, this is the moment that confirms I’ve already fallen deeply in love with her.

Sometimes you just know, and I know with Cassie.

Lucy’s been to previous shows, so she helps guide us to the backstage area to greet Cassie.

Cassie comes out of the green room and makes her way to us. Everyone takes their turn giving her hugs.

“Cassie, you were great,” Tyler exclaims.

“Thanks, Tyler.”

“Yeah, girl, I did not know you could act like that!” Marcy leans in and gives her a hug.

“Same here,” Lane chimes in.

“I almost cried,” Max says.

Cassie laughs. “Thanks, all. It means a lot. I didn’t even know you were all coming!” She turns to Lucy. “Thanks, Lucy.”

Lucy gives Cassie a hug and then points to me. “This was all him.”

I raise a hand and wave, then realize I’m still holding the bouquet of flowers like an idiot.

“You were great, Cass.” I lean in to give her a hug.

I didn’t want to let go, so I let our hug linger a little, giving her an extra squeeze since I can’t kiss her in public.

“Get a room, you two! Geez!” Tyler has to interrupt, of course.

I turn to him and give him a playful shove.

I turn back to Cassie. “These are for you.” I hand her the flowers, which leads to Cassie blushing and giving me the smile that I love so much.

“Thanks, Hotshot.” It was her turn to wink at me. Winking has almost become a secret language between us in these past few weeks. We’ve been using them to communicate when around others when something means more than what we can say with words. Her calling me Hotshot low enough that only I can hear was purely for my benefit.

“So, anyone up for a late dinner? Maybe we can go to the diner?” Lucy asks the group.

Of course everyone loves going to the diner, so we decide to head there.

“Do you mind if I catch a ride with you?” I ask Cassie loudly. “A driver dropped me off and everyone else rode together.”

“Yeah, of course. Let me just grab my bags,” Cassie says before anyone can offer a different solution. She turns to the rest of the group and lets them know we will meet them there since it might be a few minutes.

Luckily, no one asks questions. So as they leave, I follow Cassie back to the greenroom.

Cassie opens a door, pulls me inside, and switches on a light. We are not in the greenroom, but in a small storage closet with a rack for jackets and a shelf on the back wall. It leaves little room to move, forcing our bodies to be flushed against one another.

“You don’t have to grab your bags, do you?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I already threw my bags in the car.”

“Then what are we—” I say before Cassie interrupts me by putting her lips on mine.

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