Page 102 of Something Cheeky

The three nodded in unison.

“I’ll be less rushed if I speak to him at the end of rehearsal. So let’s wait,” she suggested.

“Yeah, that makes more sense,” Danny admitted. “I’ll text TJ as soon as I’m out of rehearsal.”

Zoe sighed. Whatever the miscommunication was, she was sure Derek would clear the air right away. This show was their baby, and they weren’t giving up on it so easily.

Chapter 44

Derek was relieved when six o’clock rolled around. The cast had been dismissed. Heather had cleaned up her stage management table and gone home.

“I could sleep for a week,” declared Th?o as she stretched her arms over her head. She sat on the floor leaning against a black wooden cube that stood in for a chair or stand or whatever it needed to be until the set was completed.

“You’re too much of a workaholic to do that,” Derek teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Go home. Or at least to Katie Mai’s for the night.”

“Oh, I plan to.” Th?o grinned. “As soon as I can make myself stand up.”

He offered a hand to help pull her up.

“Am I interrupting a trust exercise?” Greg asked as he entered the room. “Do I get a turn?”

He laughed loudly at his own joke.

Crap. Derek had forgotten about his meeting with his mentor. He could barely stand up straight after their all-nighter. Now he had to deal with Gregzilla. A small delirious laugh escaped before he bit his lip to stave off the rest of it.

Th?o gave him anAre you okay?look. He nodded.

“Yes. I mean not a trust exercise.” Derek helped Th?o stand up. “We were just wrapping up for the night.”

“Perfect time to finish our earlier discussion. Alone.” Greg looked pointedly at Th?o.

“That’s my cue.” She grabbed her bag with newfound energy and stuffed her binder of sheet music into it. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow morning, Derek. Have a good night, Greg.”

She waved and bolted out the door. Derek couldn’t avoid Greg any longer.

“Let’s sit.” Derek nodded toward Heather’s table.

Greg sat across from him and pulled out his annoying, tiny notepad. Instead of flipping it open, he set it down and stared at Derek, who shifted uncomfortably in the folding metal chair. Whatever the man had to tell Derek, he didn’t want to hear it.

“The stumble through was abominable, Derek.”

Derek’s stomach knotted. Greg wasn’t sugarcoating anything this time.

“It’s my fault. We gave them a song at the last minute and changed up the opening number.” He pinched his thigh to force himself to stop rambling.

“I’m going to put everything on the table.” Greg crossed his legs and sighed dramatically. “I’m extremely disappointed in you.”

Derek’s gut twisted. It was one thing for him to think about his failure but another to have it spoken so plainly. He’d spent years working with Greg as a mentee in order to earn an opportunity like writing and directingThe Brocaded Slipper.

“I’m disappointed in myself, too,” he admitted after a beat. In his head, Derek replayed scenes of the actors actually stumbling over their choreography during the stumble through. He rubbed his temple.

“It’s obvious that you’re in way over your head.”

“I’m what? No, we’ll get it right before tech starts.” Derek shook his head. “I have a plan.”

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