Read Online Facade by Kim Carmichael - Free Book Online Page A

made it to a reception desk. Her mind cluttered with thoughts of Erik and her performance, she perfunctory turned in her paperwork.
    “Go to the line at stage door seven. You’ll perform and be told right there if you made it or not. If you do, you will be handed an envelope stating your genre and all the rules and when to return.” The man behind the table handed her a number. “Your music will be ready.”
    The whole space was packed full. After being with Erik day in and day out in the serene quiet of their theatre, the noise seemed to make the walls close in on her. She needed to take a breath. “Is there a bathroom?”
    “Follow the signs, then get in line. This is a fast process.” He pointed.
    “Thank you.” As if in a trance, she made it to the restroom. Women were lined up all along the mirrors adjusting and primping, and a few glanced over at her, but then continued on. With the makeup she and Erik diligently worked on earlier, she knew she couldn’t splash any water on her face. Her whole body shook and her stomach reeled, while she waited in yet another line until she could get into one of the stalls.
    Inside, she took a deep breath and tried to get herself together, choosing to open up her sweaty hand and gaze down at the latest gift Erik had bestowed upon her.
    At last, she smiled. The golden cricket was intricately made with emerald eyes that sparkled in the light.
    “Ugh, this is going to take forever.” An all too familiar voice cut through all of the chatter in the restroom. “There’s line after line and now another one. Can’t a girl even pee? Guys have it so easy.”
    At Carly’s voice, Christine closed her hand around her cricket. With all the people here, what were the chances of both of them being here at the same time? If she were here, that meant the rest of the band would be as well. Christine peeked through the little gap between the stall doors. There Carly was in all her glory, teasing up her hair at the mirror and talking to a couple of the other girls.
    “I’m with Rat Race.” Carly took a lipstick out of her bag. “We took a back-to-basics approach with our band. At one point we had some scuzzy low-life backup singer, but then I got rid of her as she was holding us back. Honestly, there’s only room for one girl in my group.”
    At the nasty words about her, Christine winced.
    The few minions around Carly nodded, one told their tale of going solo.
    “Well, at least you didn’t have some homeless little waif hanging on to your coattails.” One last time, Carly flipped her hair and then, with her head held high, stomped out of the bathroom.
    Christine kneeled down. Every part of her wanted to run out there, grab Carly by the arm and tell the nasty woman that she had a home, a glorious one, a home the likes of which she would never know. If it really were her home. Yes, she could change her address, but that didn’t make the theatre her home. Only one man could do that.
    Of course, now she had a bigger problem. The band was out there, four against one, and the odds of her running into one of them multiplied every second.
    She opened the stall door, and once ensuring the coast, or in this case, the bathroom was clear, she stepped out, not even bothering to glance at herself as she tiptoed over to the exit.
    At spying Ramon only a few yards away, she gasped and jumped back into the restroom.
    “Hey, watch it, fancy pants.” Another woman, this one with spiked up hair, pushed her out of the way, causing her to stumble into yet another person.
    “Get out of my way, diva.” This woman also shoved her, and Christine tripped on the hem of her own skirt, finally catching herself on the paper towel dispenser and dropping her cricket.
    A few other females walked by her. One kicked the cricket under the sink, laughing.
    Adrenaline coursing through her, she practically skidded across the no doubt filthy black and white tiled floor. Not caring who didn’t like her near them, she