{WATTYS 2021/2022 SHORTLIST}{Editor's Pick} {Featured Story}
One girl. Two boys. An impossible choice.
Stella LaFever, a theatre student from California, can't wait to spend a summer in Newport, Rhode Island, with her best friend. She is in despera...
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The week following Godfrey's announcement went by in a blur. West had so much catching up on the lines and the staging for Lumiere that we stayed later than usual every day.
Not that I minded. It meant I got to read Babette's flirty lines with West, and we had so much fun onstage. Singing and dancing like it was the easiest thing in the world.
By three o'clock on Friday, we were all exhausted. We'd been at rehearsal for seven hours after a long, tiring week. My hair was in a messy bun at the top of my head, and my throat ached from singing so much. I needed a cup of hot lemon tea with honey and some quiet time.
I never used to get throat pain like this, but it was one of the little perks I experienced from having a nodule on my thyroid.
I absently ran a hand over my neck, lingering on the small lump.
Don't think about it, I told myself. Not now. Think of anything else.
West was quickly becoming my favorite distraction. Especially now. He was all sweaty from rehearsal in a way that made him look even hotter. His jet black hair was damp at the roots, his white t-shirt transparent in places, and he smelled like a mix of musk and cologne.
Then there was the way his black sweatpants sagged around his narrow hips. The waistband of his boxer briefs just barely peeking out.
Right now, West Tenney looked like an absolute snack, but it wasn't just how good he looked that made me want to eat him up. It was the way he shined on stage. I'd never worked with an actor as naturally talented as him.
The mix of his incredible body and his raw talent made him irresistible. We'd been so busy this past week, West and I had barely had time for more than a quick kiss before he had to run off for the evening, and with each passing day, I was left wanting more.
West caught me staring at him and gave me one of his crooked grins I liked so much.
A delicious thrill raced down the back of my legs.
"What?" he said, walking over to me and taking my hand.
I shrugged, trying to play off just how much his presence affected me, but I wasn't sure I was doing a very good job. My gaze kept roaming to the wide planes of his sculpted chest and broad shoulders.
"You know, if acting doesn't work out, you could always get a job working at The Oiled Olive."
"The Oiled Olive? What's that? A children's theatre?"
I snorted out a laugh. Mr. Godfrey saved me from having to endure the embarrassment of clarifying what kind of establishment The Oiled Olive was out loud.
"The Double O is famous. I'm shocked you haven't heard of it."
West drained the last of his water bottle, and I watched as a drip rolled down the side of his mouth before he wiped it with the back of his hand. The simple act was very...distracting. "Sorry, no."
