Page 37 of Finding Her Leading Man

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Zara asked, laced with more attitude than expected.

But Samantha didn’t budge. “I mean, I’m not singing with Jasper. Make the understudy do it.”

“Sam,” she said in such a condescending way like she might talk to a child, that the hair rose on the back of Samantha’s neck. The emotion rolling through her body this time was pure anger. Gone was the pain, replaced by a pounding in her temples she recognized as adrenaline.

Samantha pressed her lips together. She would not get into it on the phone. She had work in fifteen minutes, and once she finally told Zara and everyone else what she thought of them, she didn’t think fifteen minutes would be long enough.

Zara continued. “You are under contract. I’ll call you back with the details closer to time, but you have to do this. You’ve had plenty of time to get over your tantrum.”

That was it. Samantha’s control snapped, her lips moving before her brain caught up. “Tantrum? You think I’m throwing a tantrum?”

“Sam?” Trevor’s loud voice came through the door. “Are you alright?”

“Who is that?” Zara asked.

“Samantha?”

“Is that a guy? See. I knew Jasper wasn’t right for you if you’ve already moved on.”

“I haven’t moved on…I mean, I have moved on but not with a guy…no, not with a girl but…ugh!” She screamed in frustration, hung up the phone, and threw it.

It hit the wall. The screen shattered, and the back flew to the opposite side of the room.

“Sam.” Trevor’s knock came louder. “Open up.”

Samantha marched across the room, ready to lay into someone else. Seriously? A temper tantrum? She snatched the door open. “What?”

His eyes remained calm and focused, but his lips twitched into a small smile that didn’t match her mood. “Good afternoon,” he murmured in a quiet voice. “Nearly everyone in the bed and breakfast probably heard that. Who were you screaming at?”

She crossed her arms, feeling a little bit like a toddler. “No one.”

He pointed at the phone, lying in pieces on the floor next to the T.V. Thank goodness she didn’t hit the T.V. “Were you rehearsing lines or something? I mean, that’s a pretty expensive way to be a method actress.” He held out his phone. It was old, at least four models behind the current one smashed on the floor. “Use mine next time. I need a new one. I’ve been too lazy to get it upgraded.”

She rolled her eyes and walked into the room, bent down, and began to gather the pieces of her phone. “I had a small disagreement with my agent.”

“Agent? The one that slept with Jasper? How is she still your agent?”

The casual way he said it made her turn and face him. He picked up the small trash can and walked toward her.

“I figured you would have fired her.”

“I guess I have. She claimed I have a contractual obligation to do something, but I’m not doing it.”

“What did she say that made her wish you could throw your phone at her face?” He brushed her hands aside and started picking up the pieces. “Move before you cut yourself.”

She almost protested but then sat down, hard, on her butt, giving up. She wanted to give up on everything. Living in New York around the drama was hard. Trevor pushing her to face the reality of the situation was just as hard. And that quick kiss she’d given him yesterday replayed over and over. The depth of want she’d seen in his eyes when she’d pulled back still haunted her daydreams.

“She accused me of throwing a temper tantrum.”

He hesitated before picking up the next piece. His jaw bunched, and his shoulders rose a little.

Then they shook.

“What?”

He sat down beside her, propping his arms on his knees. His half-smile and complete amusement in his eyes took her back a moment.

“What?” she asked again, hearing the laughter in her voice.

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