Read Online Center Stage by Bernadette Marie - Free Book Online Page A

She didn’t want to worry Regan or Curtis with it yet. Maybe they could head him off.
     
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    It had been one of the longest nights in Arianna’s life. She’d heard the shower at four that morning, and John drove away by five. Obviously he was still mad.
    She’d make it up to him. She didn’t want him to hate her. They did have a commitment. He was right. There was no reason to ruin it over her reaction to something so thoughtful.
    Sunshine had finally made it through the drapes. It was time to face the day and her feelings.
    After her shower she brewed a pot of coffee, but it went cold before she’d poured the first cup. Her mind wasn’t on the normal activity of the day. It was on that stupid building John wanted to buy.
    But it wasn’t stupid.
    Arianna sat at the kitchen table and held her head in her hands. It was a wonderful building. She’d seen Annie there when she was five. That was what had given her the acting bug. There was a history with her and that theater, so why had she freaked out?
    Perhaps her community theater group could do Annie there. Clara would make an amazing Annie.
    Her mind was brewing now, so she started another pot of coffee and searched through a box she’d thrown in the hall closet for a notebook and a pen.
    By noon she’d had two pots of coffee, no food, and had the notebook nearly full of ideas. There were voice lessons to be had and method acting classes to teach. She had a list of four different productions that would be great to get the kids in the community involved in. Maybe one night they’d have an open mic night, and with the number of music industry leaders in the community, perhaps someone would get their break on her stage.
    The ideas just kept coming.
    By two in the afternoon, she finally changed out of her robe, tied her hair in a tail on the top of her head, and headed into town to look at the building herself.
     
    The view in broad daylight wasn’t much different than the view she’d had the night before. It was worn down and unloved.
    Arianna stepped out of her car and looked around the street. People bustled around, and she didn’t feel as though she was being watched.
    She bundled up her coat, locked the car, and crossed the street.
    “Your sister knows you better than I thought she did,” Zach’s voice called from behind her.
    Arianna spun to find him walking toward her. “What are you doing here?”
    “Regan figured you’d come to look at it yourself. When I called your house and you weren’t there, I figured you’d be here.”
    She let out a deep breath. “John wants to buy this.”
    “It sold yesterday.”
    Sadness bolted through her, and she shivered. “Oh. That’s too bad.”
    “New owner wants to make it a community theater or something like that.”
    She thought about the notebook she’d filled with ideas. It had been a waste of time.
    Whoever had sent her the texts last night had told her she’d fail. Perhaps she had.
    “Well, no need to stand here staring at it then,” she said as she shoved her bare hands into her pockets. “Maybe I’ll head out to your house and visit my boys.”
    Zach pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Let’s go in and look around first.”
    She looked at the key and then at him. “What’s going on?”
    “Benson, Benson, and Hart has a new property. It’s going to need some upkeep so I’m going to send my best foreman to oversee the job. Then it’s going to need someone to bring it to life. Now, I have this niece who can belt out show tunes, and I’ve heard my sister-in-law might have done some theater. Maybe I can find her and…”
    He didn’t finish once she’d charged him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I won’t let you down.”
    “I know.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s go inside. And then I’ll tell you just how many people have invested in this building.”
    He started for the stairs, but his comment hung with her. She wasn’t