Acting Up Read online

  Addison stared at him in astonishment again.

  “What?” Aaron asked.

  “I was just wondering when the body-snatchers came and took my stepson.”

  “Last week.”

  A startled burst of laugher erupted from her chest. Addison was still chuckling as Aaron pushed in her chair.

  Within seconds, the door leading to the kitchen opened and a slim, six-foot-tall woman strode out. A short cap of black hair framed a striking, heart-shaped face made even more arresting by violet eyes.

  Something about the way the woman glided across the room caught Addison’s attention. A perfect runway strut by a chef in Covington Falls. A second glance and recognition dawned. She’d seen the same face on the catwalk during Fashion Week in New York four years ago.

  “Good evening,” the woman said with a wide generous smile. “I’m Devon, the owner. Ms. Covington, it is such an honor to have you dining with us.”

  The expression solidified Addison’s hunch. “Devon Heart.”

  The welcoming smile froze. “I’m sorry?”

  “You’re Devon Heart,” Addison said. “I’ve seen you on the runway a thousand times.”

  Aunt Ruth’s eyes widened in surprise and she studied Devon with curiosity.

  Devon’s lips clamped into a thin line. “Sorry, my last name is Franklin.”

  “I never forget a face,” Addison said. “Especially one as beautiful as yours.”

  The warmth disappeared from those amazing eyes. “Devon Heart doesn’t exist anymore.”

  What had happened to this young woman? Whatever it was had sent her into hiding. In any case, Addison understood the need to escape.

  Addison forced a carefree laugh. “Wow, I’m sorry. You must have a twin somewhere.”

  Relief flashed across Devon’s face. “They say everyone has a doppelganger. You three enjoy your dinner, all right? Let me know if I can get you anything.”

  Their meals were being served when Meredith Vining approached.

  “Addison, I thought it was you,” she said. “Evening, Ruth. Aaron, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Hello, Meredith,” Aunt Ruth said. “It’s lovely to see you again, dear.”

  “I didn’t know you were back in town,” Addison said.

  “I couldn’t miss the premiere of the musical,” Meredith said with a grin. “Think you’ll be ready?”

  “As long as the school doesn’t burn down.”

  Her head tilted. “I’m sorry?”

  Addison waved a hand. “Nothing. I’ll save you a good seat.”

  “Thanks. Addison, I’m glad I ran into you. Can we meet tomorrow? There’s something I want to show you.”

  “Sure. It’ll have to be a quick visit. We have dress rehearsal, and there’s still so much to do.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t take long. Meet me at the south end of Main Street across from Rice’s Emporium at eleven.”

  “Eleven it is.”

  ****

  “It’s a building,” Addison said.

  “Very observant,” Meredith confirmed.

  “A big, empty building.”

  “Yep.”

  The building in question had obviously been abandoned some time ago. It stood three stories high and sported a façade of aged brown stone. In the midmorning sun, the stones were painted a burnished gold. A large plate-glass window took up much of the first floor. The upper floors had four arched windows each. Right now the windows were covered in grime and soot, but cleaned up, they would gleam.

  There was something infinitely sad about a forgotten building. Like an aging beauty queen. The windows even seemed to droop, like they were depressed.

  “Do we have to play Twenty Questions before you tell me what we’re doing here?” Addison asked, suppressing a shudder of unease. “Are we going on an architectural tour of Covington Falls?”

  “You’re looking at my big, empty building,” Meredith said.

  “You bought it? Whatever for?”

  “I want to open an arts center. Teach classes in music, drama, and dance.”

  “Ambitious of you. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks, but I didn’t bring you here for a pat on the back. I’d like you to join me.”

  “Teaching classes?”

  Meredith nodded. “It’s obvious you love working with the students at the high school. Here you’d have a chance to keep doing that. Plus, work with younger kids and even adults.”

  “It’ll be hard to teach classes when I’m in L.A.”

  Meredith’s eyes dimmed. “Oh, I thought—”

  “I would stay here permanently? Give up my career to teach drama classes?”

  “I wasn’t suggesting you change your whole life,” Meredith said. “You seem happy here, though. I watched you working with the students, and you seem to be in your element. Not to mention whatever is going on with Ethan Thomas. It’s a shame those pictures were leaked to the press, but they didn’t lie.”

  Addison stared at the grimy windows, which seemed to frown at her in disappointment. “It’s complicated.”

  “How is love complicated?’

  Okay, the word may have been swirling around in Addison’s head for weeks, but hearing it aloud caused her heart to jolt in a desperate denial. “I’m not in love. I’ve only known Ethan a couple of months. Not to mention, I’m getting over a nasty divorce.”

  A smile curved up the corners of Meredith’s mouth. “I didn’t know there were rules about how fast someone can fall.”

  “They’re my rules,” Addison said with an edge of panic. “I’ve already let one man screw up my life, and it won’t happen again. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am. Lived in dumps with no electricity because I couldn’t afford to pay my bill. Ate noodles for two years straight—”

  Meredith held up a hand. “Hey, I’ve been there. I did the starving artist thing, too. I sacrificed everything for the allure of fame and money. My pride, my faith, my self-worth. Until I didn’t know who I was anymore. I tasted the brass ring, but in the end, it left me bitter and alone. Remember that when you’re thousands of miles away from everyone you love, chasing your dream.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Dress rehearsals were notorious for being awful. Not rough or unpolished, but unmitigated disasters. The final run-through of She’s a Beauty was proving to be no exception to this rule. So far, Peter Johnson had turned left every time he was supposed to go right, Nina Walters had accidentally punched Brad Connors in the nose during the first dance number, Carla Stephens had blanked out on every line, and one of the chorus members was so sharp she could pierce steel.

  Addison and Marjorie had been watching the horror unfold for the past hour.

  “Don’t worry. Dress rehearsals are always bad,” Addison said for perhaps the two hundredth time, as Amanda missed her entrance cue. An eerie silence fell over the theatre, and those left floundering had no clue what to do.

  “This can’t be happening,” Marjorie said.

  “I’m coming! I’m coming!” Amanda’s disembodied voice sounded from off stage. “Wardrobe malfunction!”

  “Make a note to remind the cast to prepare to ad lib in case they need to get out of a jam like a missed entrance or botched line,” Addison said, surprised at how calm she sounded.

  Amanda raced out, still pulling on the sweater she was supposed to have changed into the scene before.

  “Make a note—”

  “Amanda needs to do that costume change at the end of Scene Two and not the middle of Scene Three. Got it,” Marjorie said, jotting down the directive on a yellow notepad. “Why aren’t you freaking out?”

  “A bad dress rehearsal means a great performance.”

  “What?” Marjorie burst out. “That’s like a test pilot saying the engine has failed, but the landing should be perfect.”

  “It’s one of the unwritten rules of Welcome to the Theatre,” Addison said with a shrug. “Like everyone knows it’s bad luck to put on Ma
cbeth.”

  “Why is it—” Marjorie stopped herself from asking. “Never mind. I can’t take this.”

  Addison eyed her assistant with deadly seriousness. “Don’t you dare lose it now. Tomorrow is going to be crazy, and you need to keep it together. I need you to be on point.”

  The stern words seemed to add steel to Marjorie’s spine. “Right.”

  Addison turned her attention back to the stage. The scene in the middle of Act III was nearing its climax, leading up to the big confrontation between Ellie and Bree before the prom scene. Before long, only Michelle and Lisa were left on stage. The two girls circled each other like sharks.

  Lisa’s voice filled the auditorium, sounding silky and menacing at the same time. “New clothes won’t make you fit the mold. A hairstyle can’t disguise your common roots.”

  “Your perfect face masks a heart of stone. Your smile can’t hide the truth,” Michelle’s clear soprano parried the thrust.

  As the two combatants battled, the tension rose. When Addison had first staged this scene, Michelle had held back, cowering before the more confident Lisa. As Michelle’s self-esteem grew over the course of rehearsals, she’d become more assertive. With each passing day, the tension had risen between the two girls. Addison wasn’t sure the animosity was an act, either.

  Today, Michelle had tapped into a new sense of power. She no longer waited for her rival to move in for the kill, but countered with a clear challenge.

  “Look at them,” Marjorie said. “They’ve kicked it up a notch.”

  “They’ve kicked something up.”

  The latest aggression from the former passive Wallflower set off sparks in the Queen Bee. Rage vibrated through Lisa’s body as she crowded in closer to her prey. Tension grew in Addison’s chest, and she found herself leaning forward. She didn’t know why, but somehow the line from playacting to reality had been crossed in the last couple minutes.

  At one point, Michelle put out a hand and pushed her rival back. Then she spun around, heading for her mark across the stage. Even from the middle of the auditorium, Addison saw the flash of venom streak across Lisa’s face. Right before the girl pounced.

  As in, literally pounced on Michelle’s back.

  Fortunately, Michelle was no lightweight, so she didn’t fall. She did stagger, however. Screams erupted, and the rest of the cast emerged from the wings. Lisa was shouting, too. Incoherent words no one could make out.

  Addison and Marjorie raced toward the stage as Luke and Brad pulled the two girls apart.

  Luke had the misfortune to grab Lisa, who fought back like a wildcat. “Let go of me, Luke Mitchell!”

  “Calm down! Ow!” Luke growled as Lisa’s foot connected with his shin.

  Addison stepped in front of her. “Stop it. Right. Now.”

  A glare of pure wrath shot from the depths of Lisa’s eyes, and for a moment Addison thought the girl might lunge at her, too.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Addison warned.

  A flicker of awareness dawned behind Lisa’s eyes right before, and she broke down into hacking sobs. “Why did you have to cast her?”

  By now the cast was eyeing Lisa as if they were afraid her head was going to do a three-sixty while spitting up pea soup.

  Lisa was too focused on her anguish to notice anyone else. “Her parents were supposed to make her quit!”

  The moment seemed suspended in time. Like cherries in a slot machine, everything fell into place. Even so, Addison couldn’t quite make herself believe the awful truth.

  “Lisa…”

  “The lead should have been mine!”

  How could she have missed the obvious? “Luke, let her go,” Addison said.

  Luke hesitated, obviously afraid Lisa would go after Michelle again. Finally, he lowered his arms. Lisa stayed where she was. She blinked, as if coming out of a deep trance.

  “Everyone take a break,” Addison said, without taking her eyes off the saboteur. “I need to talk to Lisa alone.”

  Murmurs from the cast went up as the kids shuffled off.

  Sudden awareness leached the color from Lisa’s cheeks, and she stared at the floor.

  Addison’s suspicions hardened into a cold certainty. “Go wait for me in the Green Room.”

  Lisa’s head jerked up and stark fear replaced anger.

  “Don’t even think about trying to sneak out,” Addison said. “I’ll hunt you down if I have to.”

  The bitter taste of betrayal coated Addison’s mouth as she watched Lisa drift off through the curtains.

  “What just happened here?” Marjorie asked.

  “I’ve solved a mystery. Unfortunately, it might mean Lisa will get her way after all.”

  Marjorie’s brow furrowed. “I have no idea what you said.”

  “You might want to find out if there’s any red paint at Lisa’s house.”

  “Red paint?” She gasped. “You think Lisa is behind all the mischief?”

  With a heavy heart, Addison nodded. “I’m sure of it.”

  “I don’t understand,” Marjorie said, staring at the place where Lisa had disappeared. “She’s in the play.”

  “Not as the lead.”

  “She might have been angry, but to try and get you to cancel the show? I can’t believe it.”

  “I suspect she thought Michelle’s parents would do the dirty work by forbidding her to be in the show. Instead, I changed their mind.”

  “So, the fight instigated between Luke and Brad? The red paint? The costumes?”

  Heart aching, Addison could do nothing but nod.

  For the first time, she sensed defeat in her intrepid assistant director. “What are you going to do?” Marjorie asked.

  “Not a clue.”

  Lisa was slumped in an ugly leather couch in the Green Room when Addison found her. She let the door slam, satisfied when the girl jumped.

  “So, here’s my dilemma,” Addison began, in a tone one might use to discuss the weather. “If I kick you out of the show now, we won’t be able to go on and your plan will have worked. On the other hand, you’ll hardly pay the consequences for your actions if I let you stay. Although, perhaps having to watch someone else get the glory would be punishment enough.”

  “I never meant for things to get so out of control.” For once all the arrogance was stripped from Lisa’s voice. “I knew Michelle’s parents would flip when they found out she’d been cast. They’ve always been so strict. Instead, you ruined everything.”

  “I know. Were you the one who instigated the mini-coup against me directing the show?”

  “No, that was all my parents. They—” Lisa gulped, plucking at a hole in the couch. “They expect a lot from me. Especially my mother. Perfection at all times. Number one. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her I’d been cast as Bree. She didn’t speak to me the rest of the day. Like I’d cast myself in a lesser part just to disappoint her.”

  Mommy issues. Addison could identify. Of course, her mother hadn’t cared if she did well in anything. Becoming a famous actress hadn’t even made an impression.

  Or had Addison chosen such a path so her mother would pay attention again? She recognized a lot of herself in the Queen Bee. Shoot, she’d turned herself into a Queen Bee. Ironically, there was now a whole town full of people who noticed, and not because she was Addison Covington.

  “You know, Lisa, I understand wanting to be the best. The star. The one everyone looks at with envy. All my life I wanted to be famous.”

  “And now you are.”

  “Being famous didn’t shield me from disappointment,” Addison said. “Having all the money in the world doesn’t mean people will love you more. I’ve discovered real acceptance isn’t about being the lead. You can be the star and still be alone. Still feel unloved.”

  “I wanted to be the star so bad,” Lisa said, her voice shaking.

  “Honey, there are going to be plenty of times in your life when you won’t get what you want. You’d bette
r come up with a better way to deal with disappointment than starting fires and slopping paint around.”

  “It’s more than that. When I heard Michelle sing, I knew she was better than me, and I got so jealous. You don’t know what it was like watching her. She had my part, and then Luke Mitchell, too. It got so I couldn’t look at her without wanting to scratch her eyes out.”

  Okay, so Addison had a lot in common with this girl. Of course, Michelle hadn’t stolen Lisa’s husband, but the similarities were eerie.

  “Again, you need to come up with a better way to deal with frustration,” Addison said.