Page 27 of Private Tutoring
What if I was wrong? The way they’d acted last night brought a rush of doubt. They admitted they’d shared a woman before, back in college. Was that a lie? What if I was one girl in a long line of girls?
The way they acted in class could be an act. They dismissed every advance shown in public.
What about in private? No. I couldn’t let myself go down that route. I might not be special to them, but I’d be damned if I let a bunch of insecurities ruin the night we’d shared.
The second girl leaned in close. “You mean the fight on the quad? Oh yeah, it’s all over campus. I heard that Brian was trying to ask Miranda out, and Phillip pushed him. It turned into this whole thing.”
My knees went weak. Thank fuck. Another fight on the quad. It was an almost daily occurrence. Get it together, Harmony. You can’t act like that every time you feel guilty. Someone will notice.
Stephen, Roberto, and Matthew had been concerned for my well-being when I left them last night. They’d asked if I was okay, and I’d said yes. Of course, it hurt my feelings that we only had one time together. But their reputations were on the line, so I understood the concern.
Everything would be fine as long as I could keep our secret.
I controlled my expression, flushed the toilet, and walked out of the stall. Both girls looked my way, and a moment of hesitation turned into recognition.
“Hey, Harmony.”
“Hey.” I washed my hands, humming the opening bars toLes Misas I dried my hands and walked out.
The lights dimmed in the seating area, leaving bright lights aimed at the stage where Leighona stood with the script in her hands. She tented a hand over her eyes. “Harmony, you’re finally here. Come run lines with me.”
I had nothing better to do, and considering Leighona was my sorority sister and I was her understudy for this class, saying no wasn’t an option. I dug my script from my bag after dropping it on the front seat closest to the steps and climbed onto the stage.
Warm light wrapped around me when I stepped into the spotlight with Leighona. “Where do you want to start?” I flipped through the pages. I loved the entire thing, but Leighona had a favorite scene that she loved to “practice” in class.
Show off was more like, but I didn’t bother calling her out. It wouldn’t do me any good. She wanted to impress Matthew, and anyone who might show up to offer her a spot on Broadway.
Same thing I wanted. My time would come. I knew it deep down in my heart. I was meant for the stage.
“Here.” Leighona showed me the top of her page, and as I expected it was the scene that showed off Leighona’s vocal range. She tossed her red hair over her shoulders. “Ready?”
I took a step back and ran through a quick scale. Most of the scene was dialogue, but we might make it to the singing portion before Leighona moved on.
I nodded. “Let’s go.” The distraction was exactly what I needed to get my mind off Matthew. I hadn’t seen him since leaving the bathroom, and I refused to look for him. As Leighona’s understudy, I had an obligation to the college, to Leighona and Matthew, to put my best effort into learning.
We ran through the scene once, with Leighona stopping me several times to correct my phrasing or how I stood. I hid my annoyance behind a smile. I was playing Marcus in the scene, and it mattered to Leighona that I get everything right.
“Is Vincent out today?” I asked when we took a break.
Leighona tossed her head. “He’s busy in the back. Something about his costume. I couldn’t wait on him.” She sat on the edge of the stage and kicked her feet back and forth. “Professor Bellington said there’s going to be an agent here on opening night.”
I swallowed wrong and choked. Tears burst into my eyes as I coughed and pounded a fist against my chest. “Really? That’s great.” It was the kind of news we’d hoped to hear.
My heart dropped to my toes, then further. They’d take one look at Leighona and have a contract drawn up by the end of the night.
I had no right to be jealous. It was my second year at school. No one wanted a second-year theater student.
“I know.” Leighona made a pouty face and primped her hair with exaggerated head movements. “It’s going to happen. I have a good feeling about this one.”
“I’m happy for you. You deserve it.” I unrolled my script. “Want to go through it again?” I refused to let jealousy eat through me. Patience, practice, and priorities. Those were the three things that would get me through college and onto the big stage.
A rustle of footsteps on the maroon carpet sent a shiver along my spine. My throat convulsed, and I barely resisted closing my eyes as a flash of memory stole across my mind. The sight of Matthew walking our way conjured the image of him standing at my shoulder last night, his cock in hand as he leaned over me.
My mouth filled with saliva, and I could almost taste his skin when I breathed.
Control. Where was my fuckingcontrol?
“Good job.” Matthew stopped in front of us. He wore black slacks, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a thin black tie. “You’re getting better every time I hear thatscene.” His gaze caught mine for a millisecond before he blinked and looked at Leighona.
