She pales. "That’s not what I meant. I’m only looking out for you, Jeanne." She twists her scarf around her fingers. "I don’t want him to hurt you."
"What if he already has?"
"Has he?" She peers into my features.
"No." I pull myself up to my full height. "Of course not."
"You don’t sound convincing," Olivia says slowly.
"I believe you." Penny shoots Olivia a glance, then turns to me. "This man was locked up with you, and by all counts, he tried to protect you. He brought you back in time for the final rehearsal for the premiere, and in one piece, so—"
"He kissed me in front of his family. He, ah… may have also made me come… hard."
"So, you got a few orgasms out of it." Penny raises a shoulder. "It’s good for your skin. No wonder you’re glowing. In fact—" She looks me up and down. "For someone who was kidnapped and then had to go on the run with a scary mobster, you’re remarkably chipper."
I purse my lips. She has a point. But the alternative was…? Have a nervous breakdown and miss the one thing I’ve been working toward for so long? No way am I going to lose the opportunity of taking centerstage as the lead of the musical. "Maybe it will hit me later?" I confess, "I was so focused on making it in time for the premiere, that everything else felt secondary."
"Even the thought of impaling yourself on that thick, fat, Mafioso cock?" Penny smirks. "Even the thought of riding that Italian Stallion until you can barely walk?"
"Penny, seriously." I ignore the fact that I’m blushing so hard, it feels like my face is about to go up in flames.
"Do you like him? Is that why you’re putting up with him?" Olivia walks toward me. "Or if he’s bothering you and you want us to face off with him—"
"With what? That canon in his pants is not the only weapon he has access to, you know?"
Penny chortles.
Olivia ignores her and peers into my eyes. "He’s not pushing you to do something you don’t want, right? Because these Mafioso types can be very persuasive."
"Hmm." I narrow my gaze. "Since when do you know so much about Mafia men?"
She blinks, then raises her arms and stretches again. "Movies. Books. Information I’ve gathered along the way." She tucks her elbows into her sides. "I just want to be sure you’re okay. If you need to rest up—"
"So you can take on my role on opening night?"
She pales. "You know that’s not what I meant."
I press the heels of my hands into my eyes. "I know you didn’t. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. Maybe I’m not taking this entire experience as well as you think."
Penny draws abreast. "Take it easy, babe. Olivia is only worried about you." She pats my shoulder. "As am I."
I open my eyes and meet her worried gaze.
"Is everything okay? Did anything else happen that you’re not telling us about?" Penny asks.
About that... I haven’t told them about the arrangement he proposed. I mean, it’s not a big deal, right? It’s just a fake marriage that’ll last for a very short period of time, and then we’ll go our separate ways. There’s no need to tell them about it, is there?
"Nothing else happened," I say the lie with a straight face, with my Oscar-winning, wide-eyed-gaze performance of a face. "In fact, I’ve never been better." I force my lips to curve up. Not too much; just enough to put them off track.
"Hmph." Penny purses her lips. "If you say so."
"I do, I—"
The door of the practice room opens and the director walks in. William is tall and skinny, and looks more like a rumpled college professor. But the man is brilliant when it comes to directing, as his two Tony awards will certify.
The rest of the cast stops warming up and everyone comes to attention. He didn’t even have to clap his hands to call for attention. That’s the kind of respect and fear he commands. He’s handpicked each one of us after a torturous casting call which involved no less than eight casting sessions. No joke. A ripple of nervous energy zips through the crowd. Penny, Olivia, and I turn to face him.
Penny nudges me. "Wonder what fresh hell Lily-Willy has in store for us?"