don’t know. I need to start getting ready now.”
“Your audition isn’t until eight. Eight o’clock at his place,” Kristen told me.
I turned my head to look at her. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, that’s what he said,” Kristen answered, feigning innocence.
“Please throw another apple at her,” I told Lacy. Eight o’clock at Greg’s place. A whole new flood of nerves hit me. “I was hoping it would be more of an afternoon audition in a garage.”
“Singing for a hot man after dark,” Lacy said with a sigh. “Lucky girl.”
“He wasn’t hot,” I said.
“That’s because you love Crazy Hair,” Kristen teased.
“Speaking of him,” I began. “Turns out he’s the client that Viktor got me a job with.”
“No!” Kristen and Lacy said in unison.
“Yeah. So that was awkward.”
“Spill,” Kristen commanded.
“The jackass played a prank on me on my first night translating. Saying a ton of stuff I couldn’t tell reporters. I had to make up answers on the spot. It was super embarrassing.”
“Why would he do that?” Lacy asked.
“He said it’s what hockey players do. Prank the rookies.” Just thinking about it got me all worked up. Again.
“What did he say?” Kristen asked.
“He made fun of a reporter’s glasses and said I had a nice ass.”
“And you’re mad, why?” Kristen asked.
“Come on, KK. It was my first night on the job. He was trying to make me mess up and look like an idiot.”
When Kristen started to open her mouth, I leaned over and put my palm over it.
“Stop. Even if I do find it in my heart to forgive him, I cannot date him. He is my client. In a professional job,” I said.
Kristen licked my hand, and I recoiled, wiping it against my jeans. “You’re disgusting.”
“I just think you’re making too big a deal of it,” she said. “I’m not saying it wasn’t a jerk-off thing to do. I’m just saying it could’ve been way worse.”
“Greg told me I didn’t have stage presence.” Subject change. Kristen scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out at me. I ignored her. “How do I get that?”
“One word. Sexy. You have to have a sexy outfit and a sexy song,” Lacy began. “And you have to sing it sexy. You have to make him want to get in your pants before the song is through. But don’t let him,” she warned. “He’s sort of like your boss, isn’t he?”
“Okay,” I said, sitting up, rolling my head from shoulder to shoulder like I was about to check into the biggest game of my life. “Ultimate sexiness and no getting in my pants. Got it. Anything else?”
Lacy burst out laughing. “You need to wear those leather pants you have. You do have a great ass.”
Guess Aleksandr had been right.
“I think black, smoky eyes with a red lip, very rock and roll!” Kristen said. “Maybe a nude lip. Red might be a bit much with the eyes.”
“Definitely red. A matte rather than a gloss. We want to make an impact, remember,” Lacy agreed.
I stopped listening, since it was clear I was out of the equation. Let these girls figure out my look. I had to come up with a song and that “stage presence.” Why wasn’t a song popping out at me? Maybe because I didn’t know what an audition song was supposed to be. I didn’t know what songs worked best with my voice. When I sang, it would be whatever I was thinking about or listening to at the time.
My friends and I discussed the outfit possibilities for over an hour before we couldn’t stand it any longer and started experimenting. After trying on what felt like a hundred different clothing ensembles, from jeans and a vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt to a skintight black dress, I decided on one.
As the clock ticked closer to eight p.m., Kristen and Lacy worked feverishly, straightening my hair and applying makeup. They wanted to get done with enough time to spare for a dress rehearsal.
I didn’t recognize myself when I stepped in front of the full-length mirror hanging from my
“Your audition isn’t until eight. Eight o’clock at his place,” Kristen told me.
I turned my head to look at her. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, that’s what he said,” Kristen answered, feigning innocence.
“Please throw another apple at her,” I told Lacy. Eight o’clock at Greg’s place. A whole new flood of nerves hit me. “I was hoping it would be more of an afternoon audition in a garage.”
“Singing for a hot man after dark,” Lacy said with a sigh. “Lucky girl.”
“He wasn’t hot,” I said.
“That’s because you love Crazy Hair,” Kristen teased.
“Speaking of him,” I began. “Turns out he’s the client that Viktor got me a job with.”
“No!” Kristen and Lacy said in unison.
“Yeah. So that was awkward.”
“Spill,” Kristen commanded.
“The jackass played a prank on me on my first night translating. Saying a ton of stuff I couldn’t tell reporters. I had to make up answers on the spot. It was super embarrassing.”
“Why would he do that?” Lacy asked.
“He said it’s what hockey players do. Prank the rookies.” Just thinking about it got me all worked up. Again.
“What did he say?” Kristen asked.
“He made fun of a reporter’s glasses and said I had a nice ass.”
“And you’re mad, why?” Kristen asked.
“Come on, KK. It was my first night on the job. He was trying to make me mess up and look like an idiot.”
When Kristen started to open her mouth, I leaned over and put my palm over it.
“Stop. Even if I do find it in my heart to forgive him, I cannot date him. He is my client. In a professional job,” I said.
Kristen licked my hand, and I recoiled, wiping it against my jeans. “You’re disgusting.”
“I just think you’re making too big a deal of it,” she said. “I’m not saying it wasn’t a jerk-off thing to do. I’m just saying it could’ve been way worse.”
“Greg told me I didn’t have stage presence.” Subject change. Kristen scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out at me. I ignored her. “How do I get that?”
“One word. Sexy. You have to have a sexy outfit and a sexy song,” Lacy began. “And you have to sing it sexy. You have to make him want to get in your pants before the song is through. But don’t let him,” she warned. “He’s sort of like your boss, isn’t he?”
“Okay,” I said, sitting up, rolling my head from shoulder to shoulder like I was about to check into the biggest game of my life. “Ultimate sexiness and no getting in my pants. Got it. Anything else?”
Lacy burst out laughing. “You need to wear those leather pants you have. You do have a great ass.”
Guess Aleksandr had been right.
“I think black, smoky eyes with a red lip, very rock and roll!” Kristen said. “Maybe a nude lip. Red might be a bit much with the eyes.”
“Definitely red. A matte rather than a gloss. We want to make an impact, remember,” Lacy agreed.
I stopped listening, since it was clear I was out of the equation. Let these girls figure out my look. I had to come up with a song and that “stage presence.” Why wasn’t a song popping out at me? Maybe because I didn’t know what an audition song was supposed to be. I didn’t know what songs worked best with my voice. When I sang, it would be whatever I was thinking about or listening to at the time.
My friends and I discussed the outfit possibilities for over an hour before we couldn’t stand it any longer and started experimenting. After trying on what felt like a hundred different clothing ensembles, from jeans and a vintage Rolling Stones T-shirt to a skintight black dress, I decided on one.
As the clock ticked closer to eight p.m., Kristen and Lacy worked feverishly, straightening my hair and applying makeup. They wanted to get done with enough time to spare for a dress rehearsal.
I didn’t recognize myself when I stepped in front of the full-length mirror hanging from my
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