Page 49 of Something Cheeky

“Okay, I’ll talk to him but I have no idea what I’m going to say.”

“Yes!” TJ jumped and clapped his hands.

“You’ll figure it out when the time comes.” Trixie gave her an encouraging smile.

“But I have to get through the meet and greet first.” Zoe turned to TJ. “Did you bring any makeup?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” He jumped up to grab his bag. “Let’s get rid of those awful circles under your eyes.”

Chapter 22

“Y’all ready to come to the atrium for our meet and greet?” Heather, the theater’s resident stage manager, poked her head into the costume shop. “Five minutes till we start.”

“Thank you, five,” Zoe acknowledged automatically. The four years of college had ingrained the call and response into her.

She and TJ gathered up her presentation boards and headed upstairs along with Trixie and Shawn, the costume shop manager. She still had no idea what to say to Derek about their kiss, so she waited until the last possible minute to join everyone. When they arrived, Greg was escorting Derek from table to table to meet people in suits. They were probably board members and producers. Zoe’s shoulders dropped in relief.

The atrium served as a café on show nights so there were plenty of tables and chairs for everyone. A brunch spread of coffee, tea, bagels, fruit, and pastries had been set up on a six-foot table covered with a white tablecloth. Whoever had arranged the food had given a nod to the musical. She spotted a squeeze bottle of sweetened condensed milk. Tropical fruits such as lychees and mangoes were nestled on trays with the usual honeydew, grapes, and watermelon.

Zoe’s stomach growled at the sight of baked pork buns, but she was too nervous to eat.

“Breathe,” TJ whispered to her before adding in his normal voice, “Heather wants us over here with the rest of the design team.”

She followed TJ to a group of tables that had been pushed to one side of the atrium to become the “front” of the room. She’d had video meetings with the other designers but this was their first time meeting in person. Asian faces smiled and waved at her.

Zoe stopped mid-step as she scanned the atrium. Outside of her family and events at Eden Center, Asians weren’t in the majority at other group events. Yet right now, the room was at least 75 percent Asian rep. Her eyes welled as she was filled with pride and an intense feeling of belonging. Why had it taken her almost thirty years to be in the room where it happened?

She and TJ began introducing themselves to their fellow designers but were interrupted by Heather. The meet and greet had begun. TJ, always a rebel, snuck away to grab some coffee and fruit as everyone found their seats.

“I don’t want to take up too much of your time because this show isn’t about me,” Greg announced after introducing himself. “However, I want to acknowledge that we’re making history today as Prestige Rep’s first all-Asian musical production, including the cast and creative team.”

The room exploded in cheers.

“We wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t discovered Derek Bui five years ago playing a bit part in an off-Broadway play,” Greg continued. “I invited him to be my assistant director and have taught him everything he knows. I feel as if this production is my grandchild, so to speak.”

TJ quietly snorted behind Zoe as he slid paper plates full of food and two cups of coffee onto their table. Zoe hushed him but gave a slight nod in agreement. Greg continued in great detail with how he’d plucked Derek from obscurity to become a sought-after director.

Eventually the stage manager cleared her throat loudly and tapped on her watch. Greg chuckled at her gentle reminder to stay on schedule.

“I’ve talked enough, so let me introduce you to the man of the hour, Derek Bui.” Greg waved at Derek, who was sitting at the foremost table. “Our esteemed director and writer ofT?m Câm.”

The Vietnamese people in the atrium visibly cringed at Greg’s mispronunciation, including TJ, who also rolled his eyes. Still, Derek received an enthusiastic round of applause.

“We can debrief later,” she whispered to TJ. “Try to be professional.”

He mimed zipping his lips. TJ knew all about her meeting with Greg the previous week when he challenged her designs. She’d also told him how Derek had stepped in to defend her before she said something she’d regret.

“Thank you, Greg,” Derek said as he pushed his glasses up his nose. He took Greg’s spot in the center of the atrium. Someone she didn’t recognize whistled and cheered. Of course Derek had a fan club. He had a way of making everyone feel special without making it trite or cheesy.

Zoe sucked in a breath. He’d transformed from adorkable friend to a sexy, well, director. Instead of all black, today he wore a deep blue sateen button-down shirt, which he’d kept untucked from his black jeans. He’d rolled up his shirtsleeves, which accentuated his muscular forearms. Wait, she found forearms sexy now?

He’d also slipped on shiny black leather loafers, which could only mean that his Chucks were still damp from last night’s incident with her cat. She didn’t even know that he owned any shoes but his Converse sneakers.

Derek’s words faded away as images of their kiss flashed in her head. How she’d felt his cock twitch against her body. Her cheeks—and places much lower—heated at the memory. She bit her lip to keep her focus on the meet and greet.

“I’d like to introduce everyone to Th?o Nguyen, my cowriter, the composer, and our musical director,” Derek continued. “She’sput up with my crazy ideas for the last year and made everything sound good.”

Th?o was dressed to kill every day, but she’d injected even more of her chaotic personality into her outfit today. Her typical ripped extra-wide-legged jeans were covered in colored patches. She stood up and waved, making her bangles chime.

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