Page 71 of A Certain Step
“Respectfully, fuck you for taking away my dance partner, Everett. I’ll get you back for this,” Miles remarked lovingly.
Ethan set Willa down, and she swung her arm around his torso without a second thought. “Two more days, and I’ll be back with you,” she replied to Miles.
Christian gestured as though tears were falling from his eyes. “Seriously, man, your voice was wild today. Whatever that gravely note was during “Marry Me” should’ve been in the original cast recording.”
Ethan choked on a swallow. “Thanks, brother.”
Willa looked at him with bursting pride; Christian was right. It wasn’t just Ethan’s body she could feel the ease in; his voice had been on another level, too, and she loved the idea that she maybe had something to do with it.
Ethan had always been the type of actor to challenge himself, bringing one hundred and ten percent to every performance even if he felt off, yet throughout the two years, she hadn’t seen something like this in him. It amazed her to no end.
Maggie Garner strode over to Willa and held her face in between her hands. “You, darling girl, are going places. You were incredible tonight.”
That did it. Willa’s eyes welled up, and her soul ascended. It wouldn’t matter where she went from here,theMaggie Garner, three-time Tony Award winner and two-time Academy Award winner, Maggie Garner told her she was incredible. Could her words be projected on Willa’s tombstone?
“Oh my heavens, you cannot be serious. Thank you!”
Maggie wiped the single tear falling from Willa’s eye. “I don’t give out empty compliments.” She pointed to Ethan. “He would know, he gets an earful from me every time his pitch is even a little off.”
“It happened twice, and once, my form was off, so I got a neat lecture afterward. I’m better for it,” he added with a wink.
Willa looked at him with a surprisingly shy smile.
The fact that people were taking notice of their performance together was inspiring. What her body did while dancing, she’d never thought of in terms of her love life. It was storytelling; it was art in a way where she detached from herself and her thoughts to break into something otherworldly for a little while. It’s what acting was, too, playing around in someone else’s head, embodying their own unique space.
Yet, a part of Willa moved with pieces of Ethan. It wasn’t just Elizabeth and Darcy. It was Ethan’s fingers grazing down her breastbone, his hand gripping tightly against her waist as she arched back, then swayed back against his form with a sensual thrust. It was his fingers clutching her wrist, hoisting her up to him while his other hand slithered up her thigh.
It was his lips brushing against her ear as she sang tearfully about the condition their characters were in. She recognized that they were bringing two stories to the stage, escaping and finding themselves somewhere in the middle where their relationship ignited into a spectacle for people to witness.
23
ETHAN
When Ethan came home from the gym the following day, he kept refreshingMidnights at Pemberley’sInstagram account to see when Willa would start her takeover. She’d been nervous about it, opting out of hanging out the night before in order to mentally prepare herself for an entire day of bringing people on a virtual journey of her day.
He fully understood it as someone who appreciated talking about his work but loathed the anticipation of an interview. Some actors were better at it than others, and despite how long he’d been doing this, there was only a handful of times when he didn’t get nervous.
On two-show days, he made sure to have a heavier breakfast to prepare for a lighter lunch. He also went much easier at the gym. He made himself two avocado and spinach omelets with feta cheese, topped with Trader Joe’s “Everyday Seasoning,” a handful of blueberries and raspberries, and a cup of coffee.
Her first video came through when he’d made his way through one of the omelets. Christ, she looked adorable. She had some sort of a lilac tank top on, and her hair was tied up at the top of her head in a messy bun with a few wisps dangling from the sides. It looked like she was wearing the barest bit of makeup.
“Hi, everyone! I’m Willa Davidian, and somehow, people thought it was a good idea to have me hijack the account on a Saturday matinee.”
She giggled slightly, and his heart galloped.
“For those who don’t know me, I’m in the ensemble as well as an understudy for some of the glorious stars in our production. I’m also one of the co-dance captains. Today’s a bit wild because I’m still on as Elizabeth, but normally, and this is a fun fact that isn’t mentioned in the show: my character’s name is supposed to be Abigail. So, follow along and be nice to me so I don’t have to cry before the show.”
He appreciated how Willa could address something that triggered her anxiety by making a joke about it. Maybe he could learn from her.
Another video popped up while he’d finished that one.
“For starters, one of my favorite parts about this show is that I get to do it with one of my best girls.”
She put her arm around Sahar, who stepped into the frame and took a bow.
“Most people know we’ve been friends since we were in a West End production of Macbeth, and this is the first time we booked a show together since moving to the States for other gigs. We both moved to New York about six-ish years ago and we’ve been roommates since.”
“We have attachment issues,”Sahar added. “Especially now, after working together every single day. We even share a dressing room.”
