Page 70 of A Certain Step
“It’s because we love you.”
Willa sat down on her chair and reached for her face primer.
Sahar let out a laugh and turned over to face the mirror. She took her phone and asked Siri to play from a curated playlist titled “Something About Silly Love Songs.”
Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” suitably came on first.
Willa gave her a knowing look. “You’re the worst,” she joked.
“I’m the best,” Sahar countered.
They had almost finished getting ready when Greta Henderson came in. “Knock, knock.”
The women lit up and then jumped out of their seats to hug her. “Gretaaaaaa,” they both called out excitedly.
“Hi, my loves,” she said in their clasp.
One of the things Willa appreciated most about this company was that Jeff and Greta were involved long after they had to be. They both attended multiple shows and visited frequently, making the cast and crew feel like a family. “Dina had such amazing things to say about you, I had to come and see for myself. My sister is around here somewhere,” she said to Willa.
“Gah! Thank you. You’ve been so missed.”
Greta smiled. “Also, Dina is wondering if you’d like to take over the show’s account tomorrow. It could bring some exciting buzz since it’s a two-show day. It was supposed to be Tanya, but we could hand it over to you and highlight what it’s like when an understudy goes on for the principal role.”
“Ooh, Wills, you should. People are genuinely lovely during the takeovers. I had a blast when I did it,” Sahar noted.
Willa thought it over for a beat.Would it be too stressful on top of two performances?It could keep her distracted. It might even be fun. She hated social media, but she could control parts of it this way. She probably should get it over with, too, and maybe it’d help later on. She nodded in agreement. “Is Tanya okay with it?”
“Oh, yeah,” Greta noted. “I spoke to her earlier.”
“Sure, yeah. I’ll do it then.”
Sahar faced Willa when Greta left the room. “This is also the best time to do it, babe. People are apparently obsessed with the way Ethan grazes your thigh.”
Willa gave her a pronounced look. That detail hadn’t been part of the comments Sahar had sent her. “And how is it any different from the way he touches Naomi?”
Sahar brought her hands forward in a nonchalance gesture. “No idea, but I overheard it when I went out to sign last night and then saw a few comments in the show’s Subreddit.”
Willa laughed. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“You have nice thighs, boo. Let the man appreciate them.”
“So does Naomi.”
“True, but Ethan’s not in love with her.”
Willa gave her a sidelong glance.
Sahar arched her eyebrow. “You know I’m right.”
Willa shook her head, leaving the conversation at that.
Ethan was lighterduring this performance. He moved with her far more comfortably, like on the days when she’d force him to run a choreography with her, alone in one of their living rooms or the middle of the stage during rehearsals. Now that most of their feelings had been worked through, the nerves had converted into an effortless contentment that she was confident brought out better performances from both of them.
When it came to the kiss in “Marry Me” again, she could swear Darcy was somehow even more feverish, crushing her lips with the force of a man who was agonizingly besotted. It was a spellbinding, gorgeously heated moment with what she was sure was Ethan’s longing piercing through.
He was even beaming during their bows, his smile so big that there was no mistaking the pride and joy in his demeanor. How she wished for a single moment that their cast members knew because restricting herself from leaping into his embrace was becoming a herculean task.
Yet, while she was thinking of it, the next minute, Ethan swept her in his arms, spinning her around like they were the only two people backstage. The sounds beside them muddled, and then clear laughter dissolved into howls and whistles. “You two are unreal together,” she heard Declan call out.
