No, Sebastian wasn’t amused by me. He’d underestimated me.
He was laughing at himself.
The corners of my mouth curled into a small smile as I failed to stifle my reaction to the irony. Then I winked because nothing was better than watching a grown man squirm.
“Kai Ashley.” Jimmy, the director, had his eyes on my headshot. “Are you currently committed to any projects?”
I shook my head. “Not at this time, sir.”
The casting agent leaned in. “And are you aware that this is a seven-month contract? Nine when you include the two months of rehearsal time leading to the start of production?”
My nod came quickly and a little too eagerly, but it caused the panel to smile. “I am aware.”
“And would you be fully committed to our show for that duration? Meaning no side jobs, no outside auditions, et cetera.”
I nodded again. “Yes, you would have my commitment—one hundred percent, sir.”
His expression gave nothing away. “To that note, are you also aware of the compensation? Since you would be provided meals, your own room, and amenities on location, we have to factor that in.”
The truth was I knew nothing about the pay since Sheena had kept some information from me, but what could be worse than no paycheck at all?
“My agent hasn’t presented all the details, sir, but I understand.” I smiled.
The director nodded. “Very well. Thank you for your time today, Ms. Ashley. We will contact your agent if we decide you are a right fit.”
The excitement that had been building in my chest fell flat in an instant. That’s it? Talk about anticlimactic. It had all sounded so encouraging up until that last bit. I stumbled backward a step and forced my smile to reach my eyes. “Thank you for the opportunity.”
In those next seconds, the nerves I’d been holding in check started to crumble, and I swallowed, hoping to drown out the light chuckle that floated from the piano. My neck and face heated with embarrassment because Sebastian could obviously read right through me.
It took everything I had to not throw him a pointed glare followed by my middle finger. Instead, I avoided him completely and swiveled toward stage right to make my exit. With my luck, the “bird” in Australia was probably a term of endearment anyway.
“Excuse me, uh… Miss Ashley,” Dirk called just as I neared the wall where the curtain was tucked away. “A couple more questions, out of pure curiosity.”
I froze and turned to face the baby-faced silver fox.
“Have you heard of Angst and Grace prior to this audition?”
I knew that wasn’t something I could lie about. I swallowed, feeling that would be the question that kicked me out of the running. “I’m familiar with it, sir, but unfortunately, I was never able to make it to a show.”
Dirk’s smile was relaxed unlike the others. “That’s quite all right. And… Sebastian Chase. Are you a fan of his?”
I had to imagine he had a reason for asking me such a strange question. Did it matter if I was a fan of the man behind the piano? I wouldn’t have to dance with the guy, just dance to his music.
Dirk must have seen the confusion in my eyes because he chuckled. “There is no wrong answer, I assure you.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, internally cursing myself for my inability to lie. “Sebastian Chase is a talented musician, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan of his, personally.” I pushed out a tentative smile and shrugged while an unsettled feeling came over me. “I hope to still be considered for the part.”
Laughter flooded the panel. Without waiting for the judges to shoo me off the stage, I thanked them again and jogged away, once again avoiding Sebastian’s glare like the plague.
Well, there went that opportunity. As much as I needed a job, I wouldn’t lie my way to get there. If they wanted someone who was going to kiss ass to get the part, that wouldn’t be me. I had integrity.
“Psst,” hissed someone from behind the curtain.
I laughed when I saw Wayne standing there with a huge grin on his face.
“You rocked it.” His whisper was filled to the brim with excitement. “They loved you. I could totally tell.”
I shook my head and pulled a finger to my lips to shush him. “You don’t know that. You probably only watched me.”
His eyes were filled with conviction, and I knew I couldn’t argue with him. “No matter what, you kicked ass, even if that hottie Sebastian Chase hates you now.”
I made a face. “I really don’t care if he does. He almost ruined this entire audition for me.”
Wayne crunched his face in confusion. “What do you mean?”
I raised my eyebrows. “He’s the cause for the wardrobe malfunction this morning. He was tearing around the corner on his motorcycle and drove through a puddle that nailed me. He didn’t even have the decency to care afterwards. He’s a jerk.”
Wayne’s mouth formed an o as he took in what I said. Once it all registered, he shook his head. “And you couldn’t have fudged the truth just a little out there? Would it have killed you?”
I nodded, adamant. “Yes.”
Wayne let out a laugh. “C’mon, Kai. It’s his show. You need his vote.”
Shit. I let out a breath and lolled my head back, suddenly feeling defeated. I groaned again. “I just messed up my chances, I know.”
He shrugged. “Maybe not. I mean, he is the Bad Boy of Broadway, after all. He might like that you have a little feisty in you.”
I made another face. “What did you just call him?”
“The Bad Boy of Broadway.” He searched my expression then raised his palms. “Hey, I didn’t make it up. It was all over the news when his musical got canceled. I didn’t follow the details. Anyway, that nickname is better than his other one.”
“He has another nickname?”
Wayne nodded. “Bash. As in Se-bash-tian. That’s what they call him in the theater world.”
We both laughed.
“Okay, from here on out,” I said, “you may refer to him as asshole, Sebastian, or motorcycle man. Bash sounds like something you’d nickname a toddler who loves to drum all over everything.”
Wayne pursed his lips as if considering my statement. “Clearly, you missed the way that man can play a piano. I’d kill to feel his fingers all over me.”
“Gross.” I shoved him away from the curtain, leading him down the backstage hall. “Let’s go eat. It’s two-dollar taco night at Devney’s, and I need food.”
“Uh oh, she’s hangry again.”
I shoved him to one side. “Shut it. Feed me and take my mind off my awful day.”
He hooked an arm around my shoulders and tugged me close. “It’s all about perspective, Kai. One day, you might look back and realize this was the best damn day of your life.”
Yeah, I was confident that wouldn’t be the case.
Chapter 4
Sebastian
“Well, I think it’s a no-brainer,” Jimmy said. “Kai was the best one we saw all day.”
The casting agent agreed with an emphatic nod. “Definitely. She has all the makings of a principal dancer. It helps that she’s separated from the baggage of the show. She’s a fresh face, a raw talent. Exactly what we need.”