Page 54 of Hot to Trot

"No one like you." Adam's stare was hard, his eyes flinty, unyielding. "Rick has rules. Follow them."

"Okay. Um, stretches." That sounded a bit lame, but she needed to get them to focus on something other than a who's-tougher-than-you contest. "Let's warm up our bodies."

Scarlet led them through a series of stretches. The guys complied with little enthusiasm but they followed her instructions.

"Now, we're going to do a repetition exercise. In this exercise one person makes an observation about his or her partner. For example, one may say, 'You look happy,' or 'You look sad.' Then the other person will respond in the same way. You use the phrase to bounce off the other person and try to garner nuances in the other person's character. The goal is to establish a bond and, through the bond, to allow a moment to be created that catches the actors and transports them to a more truthful existence. So, essentially, though actors take direction, all actors strive to achieve this truthfulness."

She looked at Adam. He looked uncertain. And uncomfortable. He wasn't the only one. The other guys looked as though she'd asked them to recite an entire encyclopedia.

"It's not hard. I'll demonstrate with Chief Hinton." She waved Adam over. "Now, come stand next to me and pretend we are alone."

He arched an eyebrow. She could almost hear his thoughts.You sure you want to do that?

She repeated the gesture and added the tiniest of frowns as extra incentive. She needed his help. Needed him to treat what they were about to do seriously.

"Okay, would you like to comment on me? Or shall I start?" she asked

"I'll comment on you,gringita."Miguel One snickered.

Adam's responding glare caused Miguel One to drop the hand he'd held up to Miguel Two for a high five.

"I'll start," Adam said, turning to meet her gaze. "You look nervous.''

"Youlook nervous," she replied, with a slight bob of her head.

"But youlooknervous," he said, emphasizing her twisted fingers.

She shrugged. "You look nervous."

"I'm not nervous. I'm irritated."

He'd veered off course. The focus was on reading each other's external and internal cues. He now conversed. Not part of the exercise, but she would keep things a little loose with this crowd. "I'm nervous because this is important to me. You look... uncomfortable."

"Not really, but I don't want to do this."

"Why not?"

"Because I feel stupid." His gaze flickered to the men watching them. Someone laughed.

"It's not stupid to want to keep the mask you wear for the world to see in place. More like it's stupid not to get real with yourself. Are you being real with yourself?"

"No. Are you being real with yourself?"

She hesitated. "No."

His gaze probed hers, creating a cocoon of intimacy. It was as if the men in the room had disappeared. It was only Adam and Scarlet. She could feel the magic start. The tentative bond form. But it was more than acting. "So why can't you be real?"

A furrow appeared between his eyes. “Because being real could get me into trouble. Cause me to lose everything I've worked for. If I follow what I want, I'll trample my honor. I'd hate myself if I became like my father. He’s a man who takes what he wants and forgets consequences."

Scarlet tilted her head. She couldn't believe how easily he'd shed his reservations. His words were genuine. And now she knew something more about him. His hang-ups had to do with his father.

He closed his eyes for a moment. Then opened them. "So why can't you be real?"

The expression in his eyes was soft, like the sticky sweetness of new spring growth. She knew Adam wanted to do what was right. And he wanted an ideal fantasy woman. A woman she'd never be. She stepped closer to him. "I can't be real because I'm afraid. I'm afraid to surrender a burden I've carried for a long time. This hurt has been my constant companion. I'm used to it."

"Burdens sometimes refuse to leave us."

She wanted to shutter herself from him, but the moment wouldn't let her. "I don't know how to make it go away."

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