Page 43 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Surprisingly, by the end, I actually remembered almost everyone’s name. Given how many people were involved in this production, it was incredible.

I never would have imagined myself here, but as we went through the script for the first time and I watched the way Audrey’s face lit up as she said her lines, I couldn’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be.

CHAPTER 13

Audrey

Our last few rehearsals, we’d been working on blocking and learning the music and choreography for the musical. We’d keep doing it for the first few weeks, going through all the scenes to get comfortable with everything.

I was surprised how easily Parker kept up. Sure, he could sing, but that didn’t mean this was easy. But I hadn’t needed to worry at all. He was a natural. His body moved gracefully, memorizing the choreo like it wasnothing.When I asked him about it, he’d just shrugged and said, “I guess learning all the lacrosse plays made it easy.”

Still, I had to give him credit. I had no idea how he was juggling everything. He had his first away game last weekend, and I’d tried not to notice his absence while he was gone. We’d texted through it, but I missed him throughout the day. To distract myself, I’d gotten dinner with my twin, and the sorority had a movie night, all of us piling onto the couches to watchMamma Mia!

It was one of my favorites, though I wasn’t too hard to please as long as the movie came with a happily ever after for the main couple. I read romance novels for the same reason. I was a big fan of the HEA.

Real life was sad enough. At least in fiction, the girl could get swept off her feet by the perfect guy who would promise to love her and never leave her. And I didn’t think it was too much to ask for, not really.

Today, we were rehearsing one of my favorite scenes of the musical—and one that made me the most nervous because at one point, the entire ensemble stepped off the stage, and it would just be Parker and I. Which meant that everyone else would watch us.

“You ready?” Parker squeezed my hand from the wings as we both waited for our cue. I would go out first since my character had a solo before his character would arrive and our duet would begin.

“Born ready,” I said, rolling my eyes even as I felt the anxiety run through me.

I never had stage fright. It didn’t even exist in my vocabulary. There was a reason everyone had always said I was born to be on stage. I thrived in the spotlight, and I loved all the attention.

But suddenly, everything feltreal.Because the man at my side was more than just my co-star or a friend. And that made everything different.

He brushed a strand of hair away from my face before kissing the side of my head.

I was wearing one of my favorite flowy pink dresses with a chunky cardigan along with my character heels.

My heart was beating fast in my chest as I got my signal, stepping out on stage and letting the rest of the world go quiet. I just performed, letting my feet move without thinking. That was what I’d always been good at. Everything else faded away, and it was just me and the stage. Sometimes, it was the only time I really felt like me. Sure, everyone was watching me, and that was its own kind of pressure, but I also didn’t have to think about how I was portraying myself. What I was saying or doing. I got to slip into being someone else, and it was incredibly freeing.

Parker stepped out on stage, and for a moment, I let myself pretend that he was truly mine. That he was my prince here to save the day. Even if it was only a dream, it was a wonderful one.

Best friend,I reminded myself.He’s your best friend.

We were in a good spot. Even if it was still strange holding his hand on campus and pretending like we were dating anytime someone else was around. Still, in private, we were just us. We’d watch fantasy shows or movies together and he’d tell me about how different they were from the book. Parker was a jock, but he was also a secret, quiet nerd. The moment I’d realized he was shy around people was an eye opener. He wasn’t reserved with me, but I’d seen how he was with his team. Quiet. Like he was worried about something.

Right now, though, his entire attention was focused on me as he moved around me, holding my hand as we danced. I couldn’t look away, even as the steps slowed, and I placed my hand on his chest.

His firm, warm,hardchest. He was wearing another plaid shirt and jeans combo, with the shirt left open to reveal the undershirt that clung to his muscles.

He wrapped his hands around my waist. My eyes darted down to his lips, and I ran my tongue over my lower lip, moistening it. Because I knew what was next.

He’d kiss me.

The two leads would share their first kiss of the musical.

“Everyone’s watching us,” I murmured, unable to look away from his handsome face. I’d always found him handsome, but this was different. Maybe because he’d never looked at me likethis.Like he wanted to kiss me so desperately. Like there was nothing else in the world he’d rather be doing.

“Rosie,” Parker whispered against my ear, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Breathe. It’s just you and me, right?”

I’d never been nervous on stage before. But I’d also never been pretending to date my best friend slash co-star either. Giving him a tiny nod of my head, he pulled me in tight.

Everything else faded away as he held me in his arms. The rest of the room quieted, and all I could see and hear was him. It didn’t matter that in the audience were all of my friends from the last three years in this program. It didn’t matter that my ex was sitting there watching us or my professor.

All that mattered was the way Parker pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him tighter—just like was written in the script. It was a closed-mouth kiss, and there was no tongue, but somehow, this felt even more intimate than when we’d practiced on his bed.

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