Page 16 of He's The Reason Why

“I’m not sure this was your sister’s fault,” Gina said. “Your singing was spot-on. It was the dialogue that threw you. Could it be something or someoneelse distracted you?”

Gina cast a significant glance to where Rachel had cornered Blake Ryan.

Judging by the gestures Rachel made and the furtive glances Blake shot in her direction, they were probably talking about her.

Hell, everyone was probably talking about her by now.

“This issonot how I wanted today to go.” Piper closed her eyes and tried not to think about how she’d just made a fool of herself in front of the entire cast. “Maybe I can talk Tamar into turning the whole thing into a musical.”

“Now, no need to wallow.” Gina patted her shoulder. “You know what to do, you just aren’t letting it out. Take what you do on stage while singing and apply it to the spoken words. You’ve performed in front of audiences all over the world, so this tinyroom filled with highly respected professionals should be no trouble at all.”

Jeremy patted her other shoulder. “Everyone’s nervous and a bit stiff on the first day. By the end of the week, you’ll be too tired to worry about it.”

“We won’t get through the whole thing today?” Piper asked, astounded.

The movie couldn’t be more than two hours long. Even with the songs, they should have been able to read all the lines in a day.

Gina laughed. “Of course not. Today is a straight run, then we’ll do it again with notes. Although this is animated, so maybe some of the notes happen in studio?”

Gina looked questioningly at Jeremy.

“Since it’s Tamar, I would imagine both.” Jeremy gestured to the room at large. “Today is all about chemistry. Getting to know each other, getting to know our characters, getting to know what the director is looking for. Tomorrow, we’ll really dive into it and you’ll forget all about today.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget today.” Piper played with the cap on her bottle and wondered if there was any way this day could get any worse.

Under the cursed camera, Rachel the Diva touched Blake’s arm in an intimate, possessive gesture that shouted, “Mine.” Blake didn’t exactly flinch, and his expression was friendly, but Piper had the feeling he didn’t like being cornered by Rachel.

“Do Blake and Rachel know each other well?” Piper asked her cohorts.

“Oh, I think they had a fling way,wayback,” Jeremy said. “They were a hot item on the set ofWhat If. You know, teenage hormones and all that. Rumor had itshehad plans for their future, but then the set wrapped andheleft the country as fast as a private jet could carry him.”

“You’re a complete gossip whore, Jeremy.” Gina shook herhead. “You’d drag yourself through the gutter naked if it meant you could share something juicy.”

“So are you. Don’t pretend you aren’t.” Jeremy waved her accusation away. “In this town, it’s not who you know, it’s what you know about who you know. Information is king, sweetheart, and I do so love a crown.”

Chapter Four

“Hey, Blake, got a second?” Rachel asked. She’d positioned herself between him and the door so he couldn’t escape. “I was hoping to ask your advice.”

He knew from past experience that what she wanted was to manipulate him into doing something he probably wouldn’t like.

“What world problem can I help you solve?”

“Oh, nothing earth-shattering.” She waved that concern away. “It’s just…that last bit before the break was brutal, wasn’t it?”

“It was a little rough,” he admitted.

It had been more than rough; it had been sandpaper grinding on granite.

“Thank goodness it’s not just me.” Rachel breathed out a sigh. “I’ve seen some pretty shocking performances, but that was, well…”

“Like sitting in rush-hour traffic in August with no air-conditioning?” Blake offered.

“Yes!” Rachel nodded, her brows furrowed. “Don’t get mewrong. Piper can sing, but seriously her reading was stiff, wasn’t it? She was practically a cardboard cutout.”

Rachel looked at him with questioning eyes and waited for him to respond.

“Stiff doesn’t quite cover what that was,” he conceded. “But it’s just the read-through. Hopefully she’ll get better.”

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