Page 49 of Landon & Shay: Part One

I’d have to use that one on Reggie when I got a chance.

Then again, he’d probably reply, “What, dawg? Man, I miss KFC.”

Shay’s jaw sat on the floor, and she shook her head in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

I walked down the aisle of the theater and then sat in the row behind her, two seats over. “I had some free time on my hands and thought I might audition for the show.”

“Yeah right. You don’t act.”

“My whole life is an act, sweet pea.”

“Don’t call me sweet pea.”

“You didn’t like dollface, and you said you’re not keen on Chick, so I’m testing out new nicknames for you.”

“Well, I don’t like sweet pea. Keep trying.”

I smiled, and she hated it. I loved when she got flustered around me. Lately, she’d been pretty good at keeping it nose to nose, batting my advances back like a perfectly matched game of tennis, but me showing up in her theater world? She hadn’t seen that coming.

“Really, Landon—what are you doing here?”

“Really, Shay—I’m auditioning.”

She grimaced and fidgeted with the piece of paper in her hand. “This is part of your game. You’re trying to get close to me.”

“You shouldn’t be so vain. Me auditioning for this show has nothing to do with me trying to be around you. I’ll have you know I am a huge Shakespeare fan. That guy? He knew his shit.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You couldn’t name five Shakespeare plays if your life depended on it.”

“Othello,Hamlet,Romeo and Juliet,A Midsummer Night’s Dream,Macbeth.”

You could learn a lot about Shakespeare when you didn’t sleep at night.

“What, did you SparkNotes it or something?”

Yes, princess.

Princess.

I’d have to try that nickname. I was sure she’d hate it.

Sure, I’d used SparkNotes, but that wasn’t the only reason I knew a bit about Shakespeare, though I didn’t feel the need to let her in on all the details of my knowledge.

I leaned forward and placed my hands on her shoulders. “No offense, Shay, but you’re acting like a very big shrew that needs to be tamed right now.”

She swatted my hands away. “I don’t know how you know all this stuff, but it’s annoying and you’re annoying.”

“What can I say? I’m a very smart man. Wait till you see what I know tomorrow.”

She bit her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes my way. “Seriously, Landon, what are you doing here?”

“I told you, I’m auditioning for the show. I read up a bit on thisRomeo and Julietthing, and I think I’ve got what it takes to take on the Romeo role.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes. “In your dreams.”

“That’s the thing about my dreams, buttercup—they always come true.” I winked her way, and she made gagging sounds.

“Buttercup is a no-go. I’m not a Powerpuff Girl.”

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