Page 27 of Something Cheeky

“I finally have her back in my life. Sunday night felt like we’d barely spent a week apart. What if I tell her and she pushes me away for good?” Derek closed his eyes. His chest hurt at the idea of losing her again. “I’d rather have her in my life as a friend than not at all.”

“I don’t have any good advice for you except don’t wait ten years to tell her how you feel.”

“Way to make me sound like a pining fool.”

“We’re all fools when we’re in love,” Th?o consoled.

Derek sighed. Normally he thrived under pressure, but this was the first time that he’d written and directed a production. Add in Zoe and Greg’s expectations. He was trying to do too much at one time.

“Since you can’t control what she decides, let’s focus on the script. The entire reason we’re here.” Th?o tapped her notes.

“You’re right.”

“I’m always right,” Th?o gloated. “The first scene still isn’t working.”

“You know the opening number is supposed to be the hardest to write,” Derek said with more confidence than he actually had. “We should save it for last.”

Th?o huffed. They’d known each other long enough that she saw through his fake-it-till-you-make-it energy.

“The cast arrives in two weeks. I want to have a finished script for them.” She groaned in frustration.

Her foot shook with nervous energy. The tapping against the keyboard stand echoed in the Prestige Rep’s large rehearsal room. The room wouldn’t feel so big when the cast and creative team came together for the first time. The idea was both exhilarating and terrifying.

“You can’t rush the creative process,” he reminded her. And himself. The two of them had been working on the show on and off for several years. Thanks to Prestige’s sponsorship, they’d been able to dedicate time to it the past year.

“Everyone will be at the first read through,” added Th?o. “Which means Greg, the board, donors, and producers will be judging us.”

“Add the entire world while you’re at it,” he muttered. All he could think about was disappointing everyone. Especially Zoe.

“I heard that! As if I don’t know that we have to be twice as good to prove ourselves.”

The legs of Th?o’s chair scraped the floor as she abruptly pushed away from the keyboard. She paced back and forth in front of him as she mumbled to herself. This freak-out was all part of her process.

Derek hadn’t told her everything about his dinner with Greg on Saturday. Th?o was stressed enough that he didn’t need to pile on more. He was the one who’d wanted to produce this musical in the first place, so he’d deal with Greg’s expectations on his own.

“Story of our lives.” He stopped her as she made another pass. “We’re going to finish in time. Promise.”

Th?o tilted her head and bit her lip. Derek smiled as her eyes began to soften. Though they’d worked on projects together before, his process was more laid back than hers. Derek preferred to allow the feeling of the piece to move him while she hammered away until the music and words came out.

“Fine,” she said finally. “We’ll save the opening number for last. What about the scene where T?m and Cám are reunited at the palace?”

“The first or second time?” Derek flipped through his notes. Portraying the sisters as best friends changed the entire dynamic of the Cinderella story. Their retelling of the folktale focused on friendship and love instead of jealousy and hate.

“First,” she replied as she settled back down in front of the keyboard.

“Whose brilliant idea was it to sing the entire musical?”

“You and that big brain of yours.” She tapped his head.

He groaned. “And you let me?”

Th?o laughed, then played the opening notes to the scene. Derek waved for her to continue. He hummed along as he closed his eyes to imagine how the scene would play out on a stage.

“This scene should be hopeful and exciting until the end, when T?m reveals her concerns about the emperor’s feelings for her,” suggested Th?o.

“I agree.” Derek sat up and snapped his fingers. “Let’s amp up the pop vibes—give it girl-band energy—until the final verse where it starts to fall apart and become discordant.”

“Melancholy, too.” Th?o nodded.

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